Hopkins, Belize

One foreign volunteer described this lazy seaside village about eight miles south of Dangriga as “the edge between paradise and poverty.” Hopkins, which was created in 1942 after a hurricane washed away Newtown just up the coast, is a traditional fishing village steering more and more toward tourism—just not quite as quickly as other places in Belize. Not by long shot. Still, there are a variety of places to stay up and down the two-mile beach strip that is home for some 1,100 Belizeans, mostly Garinagu.

There’s not much shopping to do here, nor any sights beyond those that make up everyday village life. On a Saturday night, this usually means drinking some beer and bitters, playing drums and dominoes, and laughing away another hot, breezy day. Of course, things pick up considerably on festival days, especially Settlement Day, Christmas, and Easter Week (expect rooms to be in high demand during these times).

As for orientation, the road that carries you into town also splits Hopkins into Northside (or “Baila”) and Southside (or “False Sittee”), with the Northside being a bit more dense with local flavor. Be advised: sand flies can get vicious along this stretch of beach, especially between November and February.

Recreation and Entertainment
If you don’t feel like hooking up with a dive shop at one of the nearby resorts to plan a serious offshore outing, you can rent a number of water toys right here in Hopkins, starting with various kayaks and other small craft at several hotels. Oliver Guthoff (www.windsurfing-belize.com, oliver@windsurfing-belize.com) has a fine quiver of windsurfing boards of various sizes for rent, and offers lessons for all levels. Or, find Reilly (tel. 501/523-7127, www.underthesunbelize.com) nearby—he offers sail charters on his two catamarans.

The central pulse of Hopkins beats at King Kasava’s (Mark Nuñez, tel. 501/608-6188, 7 a.m. to midnight, with a two-hour afternoon break, daily), occupying the intersection where the road from Dangriga meets the sea. Here you’ll find a bar, a restaurant, a taxi stand, a charter service, an information center, a pool hall, a bus stop, and more. Lobster dinners go for US$8, shots of bitters are a buck, and there are finger lickin’ barbecues. A great place to meet the parade of local characters.

The Lebeha Drumming Center (tel. 501/608-3143), way up on the northside (lebeha means “the end” in Garifuna), is a bar, a café, and the site of many a drum jam. You’ll find free daily lessons for the neighborhood kids as well as late-night, Guinness-fueled skinfests—grab a drum and join on in.

You have not experienced Hopkins until you have enjoyed at least one cold beverage while leaning over the lapping ocean at The People’s Republic of Swinging Armadillos (Tues.–Fri.). Actually, be careful with that railing—this stilted, open dock of a bar may fall into the sea at any minute. Until then, enjoy.