Dangriga (formerly Stann Creek Town) is the capital of Stann Creek District and the cultural capital of the Garifuna people. Every November 19 — Garifuna Settlement Day — Dangriga erupts into one of the most powerful cultural celebrations in the Caribbean. Garifuna from across Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and the US return to reenact the arrival of their ancestors by boat. The drums, the costumes, the dancing — it is unforgettable.

Hopkins is one of Belize's most beloved coastal villages — a traditional Garifuna fishing community on a beautiful stretch of Caribbean coast. Drum schools, fishing boats, fresh seafood, and a laid-back atmosphere that has made it one of the most talked-about destinations in Central America. Pen Cayetano — inventor of Punta Rock — has his famous art studio here.

A 16-mile-long narrow peninsula with the Caribbean on one side and the Placencia Lagoon on the other. Placencia village at the tip has the narrowest main street in the world (according to the Guinness Book of Records) — a concrete sidewalk just 4 feet wide. World-class diving, snorkeling, and sailing.

The world's first jaguar wildlife sanctuary — the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary protects the largest jaguar population per square mile on Earth. The basin is also home to pumas, tapirs, jaguarundis, Baird's tapir, and hundreds of bird species. Hiking through Cockscomb is one of the great wildlife experiences of the Americas.