Hopkins in Belize is at the core of Garifuna culture in Belize. Their language and music have been recognized as masterworks of humanity’s oral and intangible heritage.
Join Clayton Williams and friends for a discussion of Garifuna music and traditions! Guests will also take a guided tour of Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave where they’ll see Mayan artifacts.
Drumming and Dance
Though only accounting for a relatively minor share of Belize’s population, Garifuna culture remains one of the nation’s most revered. Drawing inspiration from Afro-Caribbean roots and widely celebrated for their unique drumming traditions and culinary art creation, visiting Hopkins in Belize provides an ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in this vibrant community and its alluring traditions.
Garifuna musicians, dancers, and chefs are always happy to share their heritage with visitors and offer them a taste of authentic Garifuna cuisine, music, and art. Hopkins restaurants feature authentic dishes like Hudut (mashed plantains with fish cooked in coconut milk stew) and Bundiga (a digestible dish composed of seasoned bananas or fried plantains).
At the core of Garifuna culture is drumming and dancing; no visit to Hopkins Village would be complete without experiencing both! Situated at the northern end is Lebeha Drumming Center, established in 2003 to preserve Garifuna culture and history and provide young Garifuna an outlet to showcase their heritage through music and dance performances. Lebeha means “the end” in the Garifuna language and serves as an outlet for young Garifuna to share their culture through music and dance performances.
Visit Lebeha for cultural workshops and music performances by local Garifuna musicians. Their drummers play traditional Garifuna drums called Primeros and Segundas made from hollowed-out hardwoods like mahogany and mayflower that create hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing drumming beats that will have you tapping away at their rhythm before long!
Hopkins in Belize offers visitors and locals alike an immersive way to learn the culture of the Garifuna through music and dance classes at its music and dance school, Warasa. Started by Jabbar Lambey to teach young Garifuna how to preserve their culture, Warasa has since become an integral part of Hopkins, Belize community life. You’ll have fun as local Garifuna students perform onstage – you may even gain some drumming or dancing experience yourself! You will gain an appreciation of Hopkins’ vibrant culture that Hopkins boasts proudly.
Hopkins Village
Hopkins is home to an active Garifuna community. This Afro-Caribbean culture is well known for their exquisite cuisine and captivating music; visitors to Hopkins can gain an immersive cultural experience by participating in culinary or drumming workshops.
The area provides plenty of opportunities for jungle adventures in Belize, with national parks and nature reserves offering world-class hiking with breathtaking vistas and waterfall swims. Wildlife enthusiasts may want to head towards Monkey River where they might catch sightings of iguanas or howler monkeys.
Visitors to Hopkins Village have several accommodation options, from luxury resorts close to its center to renting cars and driving themselves around town. There are also tour companies providing excursions to local attractions like Xunantunich Mayan Ruins and St Herman’s Blue Hole.
Hopkins offers the perfect relaxing beach town escape, offering respite from the noise and crowds that often plague other Belize destinations. Ideal for families, honeymooners, and solo travelers alike. Hopkins provides an ideal opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to meet each other and form long-lasting connections with the friendly Belizeans who call Hopkins their home.
Hopkins residents take great pride in preserving and sharing their heritage and aim to ensure visitors have an amazing experience here and take home lasting memories.
This quaint fishing village lies four miles from Southern Highway and boasts just over 1,000 residents. The locals are friendly and hospitable, and their primary occupation remains fishing; however, efforts have been taken to diversify their economy by catering to tourists.
Staying at Belizean Dreams Resort, one of the premier Garifuna resorts, can provide couples, families, and friends an ideal way to experience Hopkins. Couples, families and friends alike will have all the amenities necessary for an incredible 5-star vacation while taking part in special events such as Taco Tuesday.
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Hopkins may be lesser known than Ambergris Caye for tourism, but it provides an ideal way to experience Belizean culture firsthand. Hopkins is home to Garifuna drumming – an exotic rhythmic art form. Visitors can learn how to play these rhythmic drums or just sit and watch a performance; additionally, there may be cooking or art workshops hosted here that allow them to immerse themselves in local flavors and cuisine.
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is an unmissable natural attraction and the world’s largest jaguar preserve. Home to thousands of different species – margays, ocelots, pumas, jaguarundis, and tapirs among them – this park also houses one of America’s rarest mammals (black howler monkeys) along with various others that can be seen while walking one of its nature trails.
In the rainforest of this reserve there are hundreds of bird species to discover and observe. Additionally, this area is famous for its diverse canopy dwelling herpetofauna; one recent study recorded more than 10,000 amphibians in one ephemeral pond alone!
One of the highlights of a visit to this park is taking the trek up to an incredible waterfall for a swim – its refreshing waters provide a welcome respite after hiking through and exploring the jungle. Plus, there is also a restaurant at this park allowing visitors to sample some delectable local cuisine!
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave (ATM Cave), an incredible Maya archaeological site featuring shimmering skeletal remains uncovered through time and science, is another highlight. Though located a couple of hours outside Hopkins, exploring it will prove well worth your while – make the most out of your trip by pairing this tour with activities such as snorkeling or cave tubing!
Monkey River
Hopkins is well known for its Garifuna community, but you’ll also find plenty of cultural experiences within a short drive of it – from basket weaving workshops and open kitchen cooking experiences to creating handmade chocolates crafted by local families who welcome visitors into their homes and share traditions like drumming. You could even learn to drum!
Maya culture is widely celebrated throughout this region. Tours to visit sacred sites as well as workshops offering basket weaving, chocolate making, and cooking classes provide visitors with meaningful cultural experiences. Furthermore, staying with a Maya family for a night stay is also available, an invaluable educational experience!
Attend the annual Garifuna Settlement Day celebration to truly immerse yourself in Hopkins culture and history. Enjoy music, dance, and food as part of this engaging festival!
Snorkelers and divers alike will appreciate Hopkins’ proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, home of sea turtles, sting rays, and exotic fish species. In Hopkins itself there are tour operators offering snorkeling or diving adventures – or tour companies will help make sure their customers can take full advantage of it all!
Hopkins offers several fantastic activities for visitors, one being the annual Lobster Festival held to commemorate the start of lobster season in Belize. There will be live music, crafts and delicious lobster dishes on offer for visitors at this celebration held late June on Placencia Peninsula.
Are you searching for an exciting day trip? Consider touring the spectacular Mayan ruins of Xunantunich or touring St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park to visit its Inland Blue Hole or Monkey River Wildlife Sanctuary and ziplining or river tubing on South Stann Creek River – each are sure to leave an impression!
Though Hopkins’ crime rate is relatively low, it’s always prudent to take precautions. Avoid flashing large sums of money, leaving belongings unattended, and being aware of your surroundings. Traveling alone or being single may open you up to unwanted attention from men; so, ensure you’re staying alert!
