Punta Gorda: A Place For Adventurous Travelers

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Punta Gorda: A Place For Adventurous Travelers
Punta Gorda, locally known as PG, is the southernmost town in Belize and the capital of the Toledo District. The population is close to 6,000 people, with a mixture of Mopan and Kekchi Maya, Creoles, Garifuna, Lebanese, East Indian and Chinese peoples.

Amost 210 miles by road from Belize City, it is the last sizeable settlement in Southern Belize. The road into town follows the shoreline, with five main streets running parallel inland. Various fruit trees, especially mango trees, line the streets. Most small homes are made of wood on stilts. The town has one hospital, a police station, a gas station, a bank, a post office, a civil center, several churches and schools, and various stores, hotels, restaurants and bars. Punta Gorda is a gateway to and from Guatemala with an immigration and customs office the town dock.

With its cool sea breezes and friendly people, Punta Gorda is a pleasant and interesting town. The pace of life is slow and easy going. Traffic is minimal on the streets. People hang out on street corners chatting, while school children play chase in the school yards. The town springs to life on holidays and market days when the villages and Guatemalans from across the border pour in to buy and sell hand-crafted produce and simple household goods around the clock tower.

The waterfront is great for long strolls, with light constant breezes blowing in from the Bay of Honduras. Nightlife is quiet, but there are a couple of bars with pool tables and, on some nights, Garifuna drummers perform for tourists. You may run into Punta Gorda's own local band known as the 'Coolie Rebels,' who play their own rendition of popular songs. Below are the many things you can do in PG.

• Hire a kayak and paddle the Joe Taylor Creek for some bird watching, or kayak the coastline around town and north to the Rio Grande or south to Orange Point.

• Snorkel at the Snake Cayes or fish in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, just north of Punta Gorda town.

• Dive at the Sapodilla Cayes at the southern hook of the Belize Barrier Reef.

• Visit Punta Gorda's market on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Keep an eye out for homemade chocolate and copal incense.

• Cycle south-west to Boom Creek Village and cool off in the Moho River.

• Walk the tiny beach near the cemetery and look for sea glass.

• Book an inland tour to visit Maya sites, the Maya villages, Barranco village and the Sarstoon-Temash National Park, Blue Creek, Rio Blanco National Park, and San Antonio Falls.

• Go to Reef Bar for live music and Garifuna drumming on Friday and Saturday evenings, and Earth Runnins for good reggae and occasional live music.
• Go to Garifuna Mass, held every other Sunday morning at St. Peter Claver Parish Church, with Garifuna hymns.

Punta Gorda is a perfect base from which to explore the rest of southern Belize. Many tour guides work from the town and can help you choose from a wide range of full and half day activities.