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Top Souvenirs to Buy in Belize

27 January 2013 3 Comments

Belize is a hidden gem when it comes to tourism, especially if you’re looking to go scuba diving or simply relax on a gorgeous beach. The unique culture and flavors of Belize also offer some excellent souvenirs to take back from your trip. Whether you’re looking to buy gifts for people back home, or to remember your trip by, here are some excellent souvenir ideas for your trip to Belize:

Habanero Pepper Sauce


Habanero peppers grow throughout Belize, and are featured in many traditional spicy dishes. The traditional rice, beans, seafood, and stew chicken of the area is often spiced up with pepper sauce. And this is a great item to take back to the foodie on your gift list – or just so that you can continue to enjoy the flavors of Belize long after you’re gone. Marie Sharps is one of the best-known hot sauce makers in the country, and you can even get a tour of the facility.

Traditional Crafts

While there is a large market in tourist areas like downtown San Pedro and San Ignacio, most tourists recommend avoiding this market in favor of individual marketplaces around the outskirts of San Pedro, San Ignacio, by the Xunantunich ferry in Succotz Village, and in other areas of Belize. In these markets, you can find lots of traditional crafts, including worry dolls that feature a distinct Belizean beauty, woven purses, and wooden crafts.

Local Art


Like other countries, Belize features a wide variety of art styles and types, but the country is known particularly for its slate carvings. You can buy carvings in many Belizean gift shops, but it’s cheaper and more fun to buy them directly from the artists by the Xunantunich Ferry on the Mopan River bank in Succotz Village. This way, you can have some contact with the creator of your souvenir piece – and you can skip out on the marked-up shop prices.

Chocolate

The Cotton Tree Chocolate Factory actually allows you to see how chocolate is made in Punta Gorda. Then, you can take home some delicious chocolate to commemorate your trip.

The official travel website for Belize highlights just how many things there are to do in this country. From relaxing on a remote beach to hiking in a rainforest to exploring Mayan ruins, you can enjoy cultural and natural attractions galore. Plus, Belize is known for its delicious foods, many of which are Caribbean in flavor. And you absolutely can’t miss out on the amazing seafood that you’ll find here!

When buying souvenirs in Belize, it’s important to carry cash if you want to shop at the smaller marketplaces – and to be prepared to haggle over prices! But you may also want to take along a credit card to make larger purchases at the more established shops and attractions in the country. A credit card with no foreign transaction fee is handy, as you’ll save the foreign transaction fee that most credit cards charge when you use credit card internationally.

As always, when buying souvenirs in a foreign country, it’s important to pack them properly on your return home, and to figure out which items may be more difficult to get through customs. If you aren’t sure, you can always ask a travel agent about which items from Belize make the simplest souvenirs before you leave on your trip.


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