Belize
The world's first jaguar sanctuary, then a village where the Garifuna drums never really stop
Belize
A journey through southern Belize, between the Cockscomb Basin, the world's first reserve entirely dedicated to jaguar protection, created in 1986 on the initiative of a British zoologist, and the village of Hopkins, one of the country's most vibrant Garifuna communities, where traditional punta music and small-scale fishing still shape daily life.
When
Dec to April
Price
From 3 200€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
6 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-2
The first chapter unfolds at the Cockscomb Basin, nicknamed "the jaguar sanctuary," the world's first reserve entirely dedicated to protecting the species since its creation in 1986. While direct sightings of the cat remain rare due to its nocturnal, elusive habits, the park's trails, crossing humid rainforest ringed by the Maya Mountains, regularly reveal fresh tracks and claw marks on tree trunks, along with abundant wildlife including toucans, howler monkeys, and tapirs.
Day 1
On the trail of the jaguar
A guided hike through the trails of the Cockscomb Basin, searching for jaguar tracks and signs, in the world's first reserve created specifically to protect the species.
Day 2
Waterfalls and a river swim
A hike to several of the park's isolated waterfalls, a swim in natural freshwater pools, searching for toucans and howler monkeys in the surrounding canopy.
Days 1-2
The road to Hopkins, a fishing village founded in the 19th century by Garifuna families from Honduras, now considered one of the most active communities in preserving this unique culture. Drumming workshops, where the primero and segunda drums converse in rhythms passed down orally through generations, and cuisine built around hudut, a fish stew in coconut milk, offer an immersion into a heritage recognised by UNESCO.
Day 1
A Garifuna drumming workshop
A drumming workshop with local musicians, an introduction to traditional Garifuna rhythms played on the primero and segunda drums, passed down orally through generations.
Day 2
Traditional fishing and Garifuna cuisine
A traditional fishing outing by dugout canoe with local fishermen, followed by a Garifuna cooking workshop to prepare hudut, a fish stew in coconut milk, before the return to Belize City.
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