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 approximately 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 next sizeable settlement in Southern Belize. The road into town follows the shoreline, with five main streets running parallel inland. Numerous fruit trees, especially mango trees, line the streets. A lot of small homes are built from wood on stilts. The town has one hospital, a police station, a gas station, a bank, a post office, a civil center, some churches and schools, and different stores, hotels, restaurants and bars. Punta Gorda is a gateway to and from Guatemala with an immigration and customs office the town dock.

Through 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. Most people hang out on street corners chatting, while school kids play chase in the school yards. The town springs to life on holidays and market days when the villages and Guatemalans from beyond the border dump in to buy and sell hand-crafted goods and simple household goods around the clock tower.

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

• Hire a kayak and paddle the Joe Taylor Creek for some bird viewing, 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 get 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 find 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 great base from which to discover the rest of southern Belize. Many tour guides work from the town and can assist you choose from a wide range of full and half day adventures.