Dangriga

Introduction

Dangriga, formerly known as Stann Creek Town, is a town in southern Belize, located on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the North Stann Creek River. It is the capital of Belize's Stann Creek District. Commonly known as the "culture capital of Belize" due to its influence on punta music and other forms of Garifuna culture, Dangriga is the largest settlement in southern Belize.

Sights and Activities

Dangriga is home to the Garifuna, a cultural and ethnic group, descendants of shipwrecked slaves and native Caribs. The Garifuna have adopted the Carib language but kept their African musical and religious traditions, while holding a central place in the history of the Catholic church and Catholic education in Belize. Dangriga is also where the Caribbean music, Punta Rock, originated and where some of Belize's folk bands can be found.

Events and Festivals

In November each year there is a week-long festivity leading up to Garifuna Settlement Day, attended by Garifuna people from around the region. It includes a torchlit parade and wreath-laying ceremony at the monument of the patriot and social activist Thomas Vincent Ramos, selection of Miss Garifuna, parades and special church services, and The T.V. Ramos Classic Bike Race.

The 19th of November is Garifuna Settlement Day.

Getting There

By Plane

The small airport (IATA: DGA) is served by Maya Island Air and Tropic Air several times daily, with flights heading north to Belize City and beyond, and south to Placencia and on to Punta Gorda.

By Bus

The scenic Hummingbird Highway connects Dangriga to Belmopan. Buses ply this main highway too, to all major destinations in the area.

By Boat

Boats depart from the main dock across from the River Front Cafe to just about anywhere you're willing to pay to go, or with frequent service to Tobacco Caye, etc.

Getting Around

Central Dangriga is small and walkable, but you may want to grab a taxi (BZ10) if you're headed to or from the airport or the north end of town.

Eat

• Riverside cafe. Simple menu. Stays open n low season.

Sleep

• Chaleanor Hotel (South of North Stann Creek bridge). Excellent small but well presented hotel 5 minutes walk from the center. Economic (Double BZ$36 Sept 2010) and standard rooms (approx BZ$100) available and a rooftop terrace for relaxing. edit
• Jungle Huts, 4 Ecumenical Dr. (2 blocks upriver from the main bridge(south side)), ☎ +501 522-0185, e-mail: [email protected]. Nice clean, Quiet local hotel, within walking distance of downtown and the market. Restaurant on side, but in low season only on request. Owner phil is very friendly, as is the other crew. Very welcoming setting. Wifi available.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés can be found at most major tourist destinations around Belize. Wi-Fi is also increasingly common, and many hotels are offering it for free. Rates at cybercafes run between BZ$2 and BZ$10 per hour.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The general emergency number is 911. The country calling code to Belize is 501 and to make an international call from Belize, the code is 00.
Belize has a standardized seven-digit phone numbering system. There are no city or area codes to dial from within Belize.

Payphones are the most common public phones and accept pre-purchased phone cards.

If you bring your own cell phone, avoid roaming charges, as the bill for internet can add up quickly. Instead, use only wifi or buy a local SIM card.
Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) and their cellular division DigiCell have a virtual monopoly on cellular service in Belize. Luckily, DigiCell does have affordable packages for SIM card activation.

Post

Belize's postal service provides services throughout the country. Services are not very reliable though and it might take weeks for a postcard or letter to arrive at your destination. Post offices are generally open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with a one hour lunch break starting around noon.
Most hotels will post a letter for you, and there are post offices in the major towns. It costs BZ$.80 to send a letter to the United States, and BZ$1 to send a letter to Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost BZ$.40 and BZ$.50 respectively. If you want to send a package, it's better to use international companies like TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx, as they are fast, reliable and not too expensive.

External Links