Stann Creek District contains a range of worlds. To the east: underwater worlds and scores of Caribbean islets. To the west: jaguars, monkeys, rivers, and ruins in the shadow of Belize’s highest peaks. Between them: many miles of shoreline intermittently consisting of beach, swamp, citrus, and shrimp.

In Dangriga town and the surrounding villages, the Garinagu (or Garifuna) survive and thrive as they confront the challenges of maintaining their unique culture. Spanish-speaking fishermen paddle through the cayes, diving for lobster and conch for days on end.

Stann Creek’s economy is as varied as its culture and geography, with tourism being just as important as the orange, banana, and shrimp farming industries. According to the Belize Tourism Board, Stann Creek is the fastest-growing tourism region in the country, although the rapid development is only apparent along the The Placencia Peninsula and parts of Sittee.

For the choosy traveler, there are plenty of options throughout this region. There are full-on tourist destinations like Placencia with its pleasant ramshackle village, strings of resorts, and post-hurricane optimism. Right up the coast, there are low-key, slack-paced towns like Hopkins and Sittee River. A bit farther north, Dangriga’s roots throb in its streets, as the town is home to a third of Stann Creek District’s 36,000 inhabitants. All of these areas serve the traveler as bases from which to explore nearby cayes, coral, and the Cockscomb Basin.

The Best of Belize’s Southern Coast

Gulisi Garinagu Museum
• Tobacco Caye
• Hopkins
• Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
• The Sidewalk Strip
• Monkey River