Belize Bargains: Uncover The Best Buys In This Tropical Paradise

Belize is known for its locally-made souvenirs and food products. From Mayan basket weaving to chocolate and rum, there's plenty to buy in this Central American country. Here are some of the best buys in Belize:

- Mayan baskets: Intricately designed and woven by Mayan women, these baskets are a great way to support local artisans and add an authentic touch to your home.

- Conch jewellery: Made from clean and preserved conch shells, these unique jewellery pieces come in various forms such as necklaces, bracelets, and hairpins.

- Rum: With a variety of flavours to choose from, Belize's rum is a popular and plentiful product. You can sample a few while enjoying the beaches and take a bottle or two home duty-free.

- Hot sauce: Habanero and jalapeno peppers are commonly grown in Belize, so you'll find an array of hot sauces to spice up your meals. Marie Sharp's hot sauce is a well-known brand.

- Locally grown coffee: Coffee is a popular beverage in Belize, and you can find rich, locally grown coffee beans to bring home.

- Wooden kitchenware: Carved from ziricote, a rare tree species, wooden bowls, spoons, and cutting boards make for unique and durable souvenirs.

- Beer and beer souvenirs: Beer brewing is an integral part of Belizean culture, and you can find various beer styles, including lager and stout. Belikin Beer is the country's largest domestic producer.

- Garifuna drum: This drum represents the history and culture of the Garifuna people and is a symbolic artifact of Belize.

Local carvings and jewellery

Conch jewellery is perhaps the most popular, but handmade jewellery from slate, wood, natural stone, and even coral can be found throughout Belize. In Belize City, the Belize Tourism Village on Fort Street has a great selection of handicraft and souvenir stalls, while the downtown core is home to many curio shops. For higher-quality items, try The Image Factory Shop or Fine Arts, which carry high-end crafts.

Outside of Belize City, you'll find a more tourist-centric shopping scene, with generic souvenirs and mass-produced crafts. However, there are still shops that focus on quality artwork and handicrafts, such as Belizean Arts in Fido's Courtyard on Ambergris Caye. Along Barrier Reef Drive, local craftspeople sell their handmade items at great prices from stalls along the road.

If you're looking for something truly unique, the Garífuna population in the southern coastal region is famous for their petite dolls. Towns like Punta Gorda and Placencia are good places to explore their craftsmanship.

For those who prefer to shop online, there are also websites like 12 Belize and Be Belize Company, which offer a range of Belizean jewellery and other crafts that can be shipped directly to your doorstep.

Mayan slate carvings

The Tanah Art Museum in the Mayan Village of San Antonio, also known as Tanah, showcases slate carvings by the Garcia Sisters. The museum features slate carvings of an ancient Caracol ruler, a Palenque elder, and a Mayan ceremonial offering table. The artists' carvings can also be found in gift shops, galleries, homes, and along the roadside.

Belizean chocolate

Belize is known for its chocolate, with one source claiming it to be the "best in the world". The ancient Maya regularly consumed large amounts of chocolate, often combining it with chilli peppers, honey or water.

The Belize Chocolate Company is a bean-to-bar chocolate maker, crafting everything from bars to truffles, cookies, chocolate tea, chocolate soaps and cocoa powder. The company has been making chocolate in Belize from organic Belizean cacao since 2007. It also offers chocolate-making classes, which are highly rated by visitors. The company has shops in San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

IXCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate is another chocolate maker in the country. It is the only Maya Chocolatier in Belize and, indeed, the world. The company uses stone tools that have been passed down through five generations to create its products.

Belizean hot sauce

The fruity essence of the habanero peppers is delicately balanced by the sweetness of the fresh carrots, offering a subtle heat that is a few notches above the familiar heat tolerances of North America. Marie Sharp's sauces, also known as "pepper sauces," highlight the natural flavours of fruits and vegetables, setting them apart from typical vinegar-based hot sauces.

You can find Marie Sharp's hot sauce in grocery stores across Belize or buy it at the international airport before returning home. The sauce is also available in more than 30 countries, so you may be able to find it at select stores in your home country. However, some people have mentioned that it can be hard to find outside of Belize at a reasonable price.

If you are looking for a unique and authentic taste of Belize, be sure to add Marie Sharp's hot sauce to your shopping list when visiting the country. It is a beloved local product that will add a delicious kick to your meals.

Local beer

Belize has a proud history of brewing delicious local lagers. The most famous brewer in Belize is Belikin Beer, a multi-generational family-owned business based in Ladyville, just outside of Belize City. The name Belikin comes from the Maya term for the Belize River, literally meaning "road to the east". Founded in 1969, Belikin is the largest domestic producer of beer, churning out 450 bottles per minute in their state-of-the-art breweries.

Belikin brews a variety of beers, including their flagship Belikin Beer, a classic European-style lager with an alcohol content of 4.8%. They also offer Belikin Stout, with a rich, smoky taste, made with German hops, Canadian malt, and cane sugar from Belize. For those seeking a lighter option, Belikin's Lighthouse Lager is a refreshing, crisp Canadian Pilsner with a 4.2% alcohol content. Belikin Premium offers a unique, malty taste, crafted from two different hops and three different malts.

In addition to these staples, Belikin also produces seasonal beers, such as the Chocolate Stout, inspired by a traditional Maya recipe, and the Sorrel Stout, made with local sorrel.

Belize also has a few craft breweries that have emerged in recent years, including Island Time Brewing, which produces the popular Barefoot Blonde Ale, and Hobbs, known for their Blue Marlin Coffee Stout.

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