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Compared to its neighbors, Belize has less to offer in terms of
traditional crafts or neighborhood markets. The latter
are purely food markets, but in several places you'll come across
some impressive local crafts. Wood and slate carvers are
often to be found at the Maya sites, and their work, especially the
reproductions of glyphs and stelae on slate, is high quality;
ceramics are less good, but improving. In the Maya villages in
southern Belize you'll come across some attractive embroidery,
though it has to be said that the quality of both the cloth and the
work is better in Guatemala. Garífuna and Creole villages produce
good basket ware and superb drums; Dangriga, Hopkins and
Gales Point are the places to visit for these.
The
excellent National Handicrafts Center in Belize City is the
best place to buy souvenirs if time is short, with a wide range of
genuine Belizean crafts, including paintings, prints and music
recordings as well as the items mentioned above. The craftspeople
are paid fair prices for their work and no longer have to hawk it on
the streets. There are often exhibitions by Belizean artists here
too, but the best place for contemporary Belizean art is The
Image Factory in Belize City. For superb videos of Belizean
wildlife, culture or history, have a look at the series produced by
Great Belize Productions, which can be purchased from gift shops.
Those with a philatelic bent might appreciate a set of wildly
colorful Belize stamps; relatively cheap, and certainly easy
to post home, they often feature the animals and plants of the
country.
For
everyday necessities you'll find some kind of shop in every village
in Belize, however small, and most of the things you'd find at home
are available in Belize, though you may have to hunt around for
them. Luxury items, such as electrical goods and cameras, tend to be
very expensive, as do other imported goods. Camera film is a
little more expensive than at home, but easy to get hold of.
One
tasty souvenir everyone likes to take home is a bottle (or three) of
Marie Sharp's Pepper Sauce, made from Belizean habañeros in
various strengths, ranging from "mild" to "fiery hot". This spicy
accompaniment to rice and beans graces every restaurant table in the
country - and visits to the factory near Dangriga can be arranged.
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 Belize
travel guide
Caribbean
guide
Suspect souvenirs
Some souvenirs you'll see in Belize are the result of reef and
wildlife destruction, so think twice before you buy - they include
black coral, often made into jewelry, turtle shells, which look far
better on their rightful owners, and indeed marine curios of any
kind. Many of the animal and plant souvenirs you may be offered are
illegal in Belize and may also be listed in Appendix 1 to
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species;
so you won't be allowed to bring them into the US,
Canada or Europe, and will face a fine - or worse - for even trying.
Even more illegal are archeological artifacts or remains; all
such items belong to Belize and theft or trade in them is strictly
prohibited; anyone attempting to smuggle such items out of the
country could end up in jail in Belize or at home. |
Belize
Belize City
Where to go
When to go
Getting around
Costs, money, banks
Currency, exchange
 Eating
and drinking
Mail &
communications
Safety and the police
Work and study
Information
The media
Holidays
and festivals
Shopping,
souvenirs
Belize city
Arrival and information
Restaurants
Nightlife,
entertainment
Tours,
buses
Listings
Travel details
Explore Belize City
North side
South side
Cayo and the west
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Belize city
to San
Ignacio
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Belize zoo
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Belmopan
Practicalities
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Guanacaste
Park
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Caracol Ruins
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
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San Antonio
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San Ignacio
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Arrival
Restaurants
Kayaking,canoeing
Xunantunich, San Jose
Corozal, Orange Walk
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Travel details |
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