Punta Gorda

Introduction

Punta Gorda is the main town of the Toledo District in the south of Belize. Though only having a population of around 5,000 people, its inhabitants are from a rich and varied mix of cultures, most notably Kek'chi and Mopan Maya, Garinagu, Creole, Mestizo and East Indian. The town is a sea border crossing point to Guatemala via various size and speed boats.

Sights and Activities

Via the Toledo Tour Guide Association, many activities are on offer in the local area ranging from sea kayaking to caving, wildlife identification to fly fishing.

There are several Mayan archeological sites in Toledo District including Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit, most of which are an easy day trip from the town.

The Toledo Ecotourism Association is run by an association of Maya and Garinagu villages, offering homestays and excursions with families within each community. A great opportunity to experience South Belizean life up-close.

Events and Festivals

November 19th is Garifuna Settlement Day, a celebration of when in 1802, November 19th, the Garinagu people first arrived in Belize in the town of Dangriga. The celebration is held all over Belize where Garifuna communities are found, in Toledo District most notably in Punta Gorda and Barranco.

Being the heart of the region's cacao industry, Punta Gorda hosts an annual Cacao Festival, more geared towards national and international tourists, it is an opportunity to learn and taste your way through the regions rich history with cacao.

Getting There

Punta Gorda is well connected by bus services to the north, by boat to Guatemala in the south and by air to Belize City via either Placencia or Dangriga.

By Plane

Maya Island Air and Tropic Air both fly to/from Belize City-International, Belize City-Municipal, Dangriga and Placencia.

By Bus

There are several daily buses between Belize City and Punta Gorda, with James Bus Line offering the most frequent service. The express bus takes 5 1/4 hours, and the regular around 6 or 6 1/2 hours. This is certainly the cheapest option at US$12 each way.

By Boat

Guatemala
Requeña’s Charter Service & Watertaxi operates a watertaxi, “Mariestela”, between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios in Guatemala. It departs Punta Gorda daily at 9:00am from the Municipal pier near the Customs & Immigration Office. It departs Puerto Barrios daily at 2:00pm from the pier near the Shell gas station. It takes about 1 to 1.5 hours and costs BZ$40.00 each way (about US$20). Check the Belizenet Requena website.
Other options include the Pichilingo, departing Puerto Barrios daily at 10:00am and departing Punta Gorda daily at 2:00pm. Duration is about 1 hour and costs BZ$50.00 each way (about US$25). Or take the Marisol departing Puerto Barrios daily at 1:00pm and Punta Gorda daily at 4:00pm. Same duration and costs. For up to date information check the following website.
Another option is the ferry from Punta Gorda to Livingston on Tuesdays and Fridays for US$17.

Getting Around

Punta Gorda is small, easily walkable, though if you wish to grab a taxt these can usually be found near the central park. Many villages in the region have bus links to Punta Gorda, though some are only once or twice a week. More info can be found here.

The town has 5 main streets running north to south (Front, Main, Jose Maria Nunez, West, and Far West), and several cross streets. Day-time activity tends to centre around Central Park and its clocktower on Main Street, and the market area on Front Street. Some hotels offer free bikes for guests to use, and bike hire may be available through 'Mr Pops' near the University of Belize.

PG has recently introduced a new one-way system (head south on Front Street, and head north on Main Street) - watch out for the signs!

Eat

Punta Gorda has a variety of eateries available for different budgets and tastes, with a good list being foundhere.

• Gomier's on the north side of town has excellent vegetarian food at very reasonable prices, featuring homemade soy milk and tofu. (He may also serve fish, but nobody ever seemed to order anything other than the vegetarian special du jour.)
• Emery Restaurant serves simple Belizean food. The shrimpburger is an experience.
• Mariann's Bayview Restaurant on the seafront serves East Indian and Belizean cuisine on the breezy thatch-covered roof terrace. Cohune cabbage, made with hearts of palm flavoured with 'yellow ginger' (turmeric) is one not to be missed!
• Mangrove Inn overlooking the sea at Cattle Landing has some of the best food in town and offers an ever-changing menu. Run by husband and wife team Iconie and John
• Reef Bar, above Punta Gorda Market, has a range of international and Belizean food, and has live music and Garifuna drumming most Fridays and Saturdays
• Garay's Kitchen at the end of the 'boulevard' on the western side of town near the BTL telephone mast has some of the best value lunch options (US$3) and great BBQ chicken on Saturdays
• Marenco's Ice Cream Parlour on Main Street just south of the Clocktower serves good food, icy cold fruit juices, and - of course - great ice cream
• Punta Pizza (Next to Uno on the North side of town). Great pizza- whole or by the slice. Also has coffee drinks and smoothies. edit
• Driftwood on Front Street just past the gas station is a nice cafe style restaurant with burgers, falafel and other veggie options and good cappuccinos, smoothies, and juices. Emmet, the owner, offers creole drumming classes.
• Asha's Culture Kitchen, 80 Front Street, Punta Gorda, Belize. Creole / Seafood / BBQ. "Dinna ova da sea". Seafood, Hot wings, best coconut veggie rice in town, deer, chicken, pork. Live Music most Saturdays with creole drums, acoustic guitar
• Fajina Local Foods Restaurant, Front Street (across from Customs by the sea). mealtime. This restaurant serves traditional Mayan foods cooked by the ladies from the villages daily. Great food at a great price! $3-5.

Sleep

There are a number of lodges and hotels in and around Punta Gorda, again catering from budget to luxurious. A good list can be found here. Just outside of Punta Gorda you will also find Cotton Tree Lodge. For longer stays and/or botanical research trips in the area there is the Maya Mountain Research Farm (note this is only accessible via an hours canoe trip or walk from the village of San Pedro, a true jungle experience!).

• Hickatee Cottages, Ex-Servicemen Road, Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize, ☎ +501 662-4475. Hickatee Cottages is one mile south west of town, on Ex-Servicemen Road (named for the land granted to those who fought in World War II) towards Boom Creek. Eight Caribbean-style cottage rooms in a jungle setting, with good birding and wildlife watching. Breakfast and dinner available on-site at Charlie's Bar. Free transfers and use of bikes, free internet access and some WiFi. US$75 an up.
• A Piece of Ground, 1050 Pelican Street, Punta Gorda, Toledo, Belize, ☎ +501 665-2695. Check-in: 11:00am, check-out: 3:00pm. A Piece of Ground is nestled in the rustic and close knit town of Punta Gorda, Belize, C.A. The Guesthouse consists of four private rooms on the first floor, an open air kitchen and lounge area on the second floor, and private sundeck on the top floor. It is situated away from the town’s busy center on the southern most lane in Punta Gorda Town. US$60.
• Blue Belize Guest House, 139 Front Street, ☎ +501 722 2678, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-in: 3pm, check-out: 11am. Sitting above the town of PG atop the highest coastal in Belize, the guest house offers four 1-bedroom flats and one 2-bedroom flat. All flats have kitchenettes and free Wi-Fi. $75.

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

A great source of information on Punta Gorda is the Official Town Website.