Shopping in Belize

[coolson_2000]

We are going to be stopping at Belize in June and don't want to book any excursions. We were planning on spending the day shopping and possibly bar hopping. My question is, are there shops, bars, etc. right when you get off the tender?

[crewsweeper]

YES! The tender dock, Tourism Village, is where most of the shops cruisers go to are at. There is a nice little flea/crafts market directly across from the Tourism Village that has local goods at prices lower than in TV. If you go outside the Tourism Village and don't want to go tot he flea market , you'll need to take a 10 minute walk down Fort Street to the swing bridge and then cross over that bridge and walk down Albert Street to Brodie's, the "department store" for Belize City. Belize City is a "working city" not a tourist destination so there's not a lot of high end stuff around, like at other ports.

 

As far as bar hopping, the main bar/restaurant in the Tourism Village is Wet Lizard. They have good drinks and good food. There are a couple of other small bars/kiosks in the complex that occasionally get good reviews but primarily handle the overflow from Wet Lizard. No Senior Frog's, Margaritaville, etc. (TBTG).

 

If you go outside the TV, you can turn right and walk down to the Radisson hotel on Cork or around the promenade past the lighthouse to the Princess Hotel and have a drink at their bars. If you're heading over the swing bridge to Brodies, on Albert Street by the water is Bird's Isle. It's a restaurant but has a nice patio and bar.

 

BTW, the only beer served in Belize is Belikin and it's associated -light, premium and stout versions. It's a decent beer, though. Bit more toward Red Stripe in quality. The light beer-Lighthouse, is better, IMO, than any of ther other light, clear bottle, skunky brews int he Caribbean like Corona, Sol, Carib, etc.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy yourselves in Belize.:)