Attractions

There's very little in the way of attractions right in town. A stroll through Punta Gorda is the best way to enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere. One interesting stop for those interested in local culture is the Kriol Museum, 6 Front St. (tel. 702-2140), which is the converted front portion of local singer Leila Vernon's home. The "museum" features displays and items illustrating various aspects of daily life for the local Creole people, as well information about their history, customs, and culture. Donations are encouraged.

If you get a little antsy at such a slow pace, there are plenty of cultural wonders and natural adventures within easy reach of Punta Gorda. There are a host of tour operators and guides in P.G. Your hotel and the information center can probably hook you up with a good guide or adventure operator. Alternatively, you can check in with the folks at Tide Tours (tel. 722-2129; www.tidetours.org), a local ecotourism initiative that integrates environmentally and socially aware practices with their wide range of tour and adventure options.

Reaching These Attractions -- The villages and attractions (such as Nim Li Punit) discussed below, located along the highway, have regular bus service every day. Buses to and from the other villages and attractions generally run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Buses leave for the villages from Punta Gorda between 11:30am and noon, depending upon which village or destination you are traveling to. These buses all leave from the market area in front of the Civic Center along Queen Street.

The time of departure from the villages to P.G. varies but is usually early in the morning, sometimes before dawn. There's usually only one bus per day, but some villages have two daily buses. Ask in P.G., or in the actual village, as schedules are subject to change. Fares run around BZ$2 to BZ$4 (US$1-US$2) per person each way.

Another alternative is to hire a taxi or go on an organized trip. Ask at your hotel or the information center and you should be able to set up a trip. You can usually hire a car and driver/guide for BZ$200 to BZ$360 (US$100-US$180) per day. This price will usually cover a group of four.

The truly adventurous might want to tour this area by mountain bike. You can reach most of the above sites and villages in an athletic couple of hours of riding. Leave early to avoid the oppressive midday heat, and expect slow going and lots of mud in the rainy season.

Botanical Garden -- The Toledo Botanical Arboretum (tel. 722-2470), is a sustainable farm and botanical gardens project that accepts day visitors. In addition to a broad variety of ornamental flowers and orchids, tropical palms and bromeliads, they grow over 50 varieties of tropical fruit, and something is always ripe for a just-picked treat. The Toledo Botanical Arboretum is close to both the Kekchi Maya village of San Pedro Columbia and the Lubaantun ruins. A 2-hour guided tour of the facility costs around BZ$10 (US$5). Visits and transportation should be arranged in advance.

Deer Dance -- The Mopan Mayan village of San Antonio is the site of the Deer Dance, a 9-day traditional Mayan cultural celebration, which takes place in late August and early September. Although this traditional cultural ceremony coincides with a Catholic religious holiday, the Feast of San Luis, its roots are traditional and Mayan.

Mayan Ruins

None of Belize's southern ruins are as spectacular or actively restored as the more famous sites in the northern and western parts of the country. Still, the ancient Maya did have substantial cities and trading posts all up and down the Belizean coast and several impressive reminders can be found near Punta Gorda. Travelers interested in the ongoing Mayan tradition will find themselves in a region of numerous small Kekchi and Mopan Maya villages, many of which have taken tentative steps to enter the tourism industry with homestay programs or basic guesthouses.

Lubaantun -- The largest of the nearby Mayan ruins is Lubaantun. The name, which means "Place of the Fallen Stones" in Yucatec Maya, was given to the site in 1924 and it was descriptive of the state of the buildings at that time. This late Classic Maya ruin is unusual in that the structures were built using a technique of cut-and-fitted limestone blocks rather than the usual rock-and-mortar construction technique used elsewhere by the Mayans. Set on a high ridge, the site features five plazas and three ball courts. The highest temple here rises just 50 feet (15m) or so, but this is enough to afford an excellent view over the surrounding forest and, on a clear day, the Caribbean Sea. Although largely unexcavated, the ancient city's center has been well cleared, and the surviving architecture and urban outline give a good sense of the former glory of this Mayan ceremonial center.

Lubaantun is perhaps most famous as the site where a crystal skull was allegedly discovered by a young Canadian woman in 1926. There's much debate as to the origin and age of the skull, which some say was planted as a surprise present for Anna Mitchell-Hedges, who just happened to discover the carved skull on her 17th birthday while accompanying her father, who just happened to be leading the archaeological expedition. Others claim that the skull was actually purchased in London by Mitchell-Hedges years after the expedition. There are also claims that the crystal skull is the work of extraterrestrials, and that it has shown remarkable healing powers. The skull is currently kept in a vault in Canada.

Lubaantun is located about 20 miles (32km) northwest from Punta Gorda, about a mile (1.6km) from the village of San Pedro Columbia, where you must park your vehicle. From here, it is a 20-minute walk to the ruins. Admission is BZ$10 (US$5).

Nim Li Punit -- Nim Li Punit, meaning "Big Hat" in Kekchi Mayan, features 25 stelae, including the largest Maya carved stele in Belize, measuring almost 30 feet (9m) tall. This stele bears the depiction of a local ruler wearing a large broad diadem, or "big hat," hence the name of the site. Only discovered in 1976, Nim Li Punit is a relatively small site, with four compact plazas and one ball court. One of the plazas served as an astronomical observation area, with a platform and stone markings indicating the point where the sun rises on the equinoxes. Very little excavation or restoration has been undertaken. Nonetheless, the eight carved stelae, and in particular, stele 14, make this a worthwhile stop. The best-preserved stelae, including stele 14, are currently housed at the visitor's center at the entrance to the site.

Nim Li Punit is located about 2 miles (3km) off the Southern Highway, near the village of Indian Creek, 25 miles (40km) north of Punta Gorda. A dirt road leads from the highway to a parking area near the visitor's center. Admission is BZ$10 (US$5).

Other minor ruins in the area include Uxbenka near Santa Cruz and Pusilha near Aguacate.