Destinations

Belize for a family vacation is great, the beautiful Central American country on the Caribbean Sea, offers a wealth of travel adventures from snorkeling to exploring ancient Mayan sites to hiking in lush, tropical rainforests.

Belize Facts and Info

Weather and Climate

The weather in Belize is all that you could want out of your typical tropical island paradise. Daily high temperatures in Belize range from the low to high 80’s (F) all year round.

Two seasons to keep in mind when planning a trip to Belize are the rainy season and lobster season. Like many other tropical destinations, Belize experiences an annual period of frequent, usually short-lived rainfall, which runs from about June to November in Belize.

If you’re one of those who’s inclined to already be contemplating their first meal in Belize, the country’s very tasty, rather affordable lobsters are effectively off-limits for a portion of the year from February 15 to June 15, when the lobsters are busy making more lobsters.

Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System is the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world, behind only Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Belize Barrier Reef runs a full 186 miles from Cancun, Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula to Honduras.

Lots of Nature, Few People

Roughly 40 percent of the territory of Belize falls under some form of official environmental protection. Despite having a land area just over 5 percent that of the state of California, Belize supports one of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems. With a population of only about 333,000 people, Belize has the lowest population density in Central America and the third lowest in the Americas after Guyana and Suriname.

Attractions in Belize

Tropical Island Cayes

Belize for a Family Vacation will take you to Ambergis Caye and Caye Caulker northeast of Belize City are the most well-known and popular of the Belize cayes. The larger Ambergis Caye is home to San Pedro and also just happens to be the inspiration for the singer Madonna’s song La Isla Bonita. Caye Caulker takes a step back in time to a more laid back, tropical atmosphere less impacted by notoriety and commercialization.

Snorkeling and Diving

Belize’s long, Caribbean coastline offers an abundance of world-class snorkeling and diving opportunities in the clear, warm waters surrounding the stunning coral formations of the Belize Barrier Reef. Thanks to the reef’s fascinating biological diversity, snorkelers and divers can expect to get up close and personal with a wide variety of amazing marine life, including: multiple varieties of sharks, rays, sea turtles and whales as well as oodles of species of tropical fish decked out in all colors of the rainbow.

Some of Belize’s most well-known hotspots for snorkeling and diving adventures include: the Blue Hole, Glover’s Reef, Hol Chan, Lighthouse Atoll, Shark Ray Alley(s) (official and un-official), and endless other great local spots (just ask your friendly, licensed guide).

Mayan Ruins and Sites

Belize is also home to more than 900 Mayan sites and ruins. The country’s most popular and significant Mayan sites include Altun Ha, which can be seen on the label of Belize’s national beer, Belikin, Cahal Pech near San Ignacio, and Lamanai. Altun Ha, Caracol, Cerros, Cuello and Lamanai are all among the earliest known Mayan cities. Belize is also a popular point of departure for trips to Tikal in Guatemala.

Rainforest and Jungle

One of the highlights of Belize’s dense, tropical rainforests and environmental conservation programs is the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Stann Creek District. Also commonly known as the Jaguar Preserve, Cockscomb became the world’s first jaguar sanctuary in 1984. In addition to sheltering jaguars, the 200 square mile swath of lush vegetation and wildlife habitat plays home to a wide variety of Belize’s fascinating, exotic animal and plant life, including: pumas, ocelots, armadillos, tapirs, howler monkeys, and keel-billed Toucans, Belize’s national bird.

A few miles north of Cockscomb, the Mayflower Bocawina National Park lets visitors experience the wonders of the tropical forest’s diverse, exotic vegetation while hiking trails that run alongside and lead to the tops of cascading waterfalls.

Environment, Organizations and Volunteering

A host of public and private organizations devote considerable time and energy to environmental conservation programs aimed at protecting Belize’s great biodiversity and rich natural ecosystems. The Belize Audobon Society, one of the most prominent NGO’s in the country, manages nine protected areas in Belize: Actun Tunichil Muknal, Blue Hole, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Jaguar Preserve), Crooked Tree, Guanacaste, Half Moon Caye, St. Herman’s Blue Hole, Tapir Mountain, Victoria Peak.

Travel Logistics

Belize’s natural wonders are readily accessible to visitors to Belize for a Family Vacation from North and South America. While flight times are a bit longer from other parts of the world, the country’s international airport just north of Belize City also welcomes many visitors from Europe, Asia and other regions around the globe.

Once inside Belize, top attractions from Belize’s tropical island cayes to interior Mayan sites can be reached easily within a few hours travel time by boat, plane or rental car.

This article and set of facts about Belize comes from the site Global Sherpa, which publishes articles on current topics in world news, globalization, international development, cities and foreign policy.

Please drop me a line through one of the contact forms on the site with any comments, recommendations, or project ideas.

If you are thinking of a Belize for a Family Vacation check out travel agencies and airlines today

Caribbean art is a rather all-encompassing term considering the huge diversity of artwork that has originated from the region and the number of countries and cultures included under the umbrella of the Caribbean.

In such a context it is almost impossible to “define” Caribbean art, as just like the region itself, the varied influences of the past and its historical development involve a huge melting pot of cultures and races.

Art in the Cayman Islands

In this article we will be looking at art from just one small Caribbean nation, the Cayman Islands. Largely as a result of the boom years on these tiny islands literally only a couple of decades ago, interest in fine art and its place in Cayman society has grown at an amazingly rapid rate. Huge foreign inward investment, a rapid population growth and rise in expatriate workers and residents has seen demand for fine art soar and the islands now support a thriving and active arts scene.

When you think that it was not until 1996 that the country opened its first National Gallery, the progress has been quite astounding and art lovers today are still often surprised at the quality, originality, style and subject matter of the work now being produced by some of the island’s established and emerging artists.

Let you kids see working artists

With such a large expatriate population, many of the working artists in this tiny island nation hail from foreign shores, but Cayman itself has produced a great number of the country’s finest, most respected and sought after painters and sculptors.

At the time of the establishment of the National Gallery, a group of artists came together in a co-operative effort and christened themselves “Native Sons”. This avant guard group became a powerful driving force behind the expansion and modernization of Caymanian art, dedicating themselves to pushing the envelope and educating the public in the field of contemporary fine art.

Faced as they were with a very stereotypical view of what art from a Caribbean island should be, they began to change views and attitudes towards both art and the artists and should really be credited with responsibility for much of the growth and development that has taken place ever since.

Conservative Values in Cayman Islands

A very conservative Christian society such as that in Cayman, was not always receptive to what was perceived as rawness or “risque” depictions in paintings and sculptures, leaning much more towards safety, dependability and traditional values and expectations. In this environment, the emerging consciousness of many artists left them frustrated by what seemed to them, the desire to confine them to painting boats, seascapes and palm trees for tourists.

This was something that these young, respectfully rebellious and forward thinking Caymanian artists, found stifling and in them grew the seeds of artistic revolution. They knew that if art was to have a future, free expression had to be pushed and encouraged for their art and creativity to develop and expand beyond its heretofore staid and restrictive societal constraints.

Of course, many artists in Cayman today still produce a lot of work depicting the natural beauty that surrounds them every day and many of them do some very fine work, but Cayman art by both local and expatriate artists has now become some of the most varied and original in the region. This is not to say that tradition and history have been forgotten.

Indeed the advances in progressive and contemporary art have produced the added bonus of an upsurge in the interest of past traditions and skills and a resurgence of the practice and teaching of traditional arts and crafts. Art education has also benefited greatly from the wave of artistic awareness that is now recognized as such an important part of both the country’s and society’s identity, development and economy.

The growth of fine art as an industry, whilst it has produced many benefits, has also caused corresponding difficulties but these are perhaps best dealt with in a separate article.

Ultimately, for art lovers, the Cayman Islands are a Caribbean haven. The prices for art at the top end of the market remain high, so people wanting to own an original painting by some of the best known talents have to expect to pay upwards of CI$3000 and there really is no upper ceiling.

Bring some Art Home From Your Cayman Islands Holiday

For those of more modest means there are still some true bargains to be found in the original art market, particularly from some of the most talented emerging artists whose work can still be snapped up in the sub CI$1000 range and should still represent good investments in the long term.

Additionally, with more artists now able to take advantage of locally based skilled print makers and the latest in technology, the opportunity of purchasing high quality reproductions of their favourite original paintings for a fraction of the cost, has placed the work of many of the top names within much easier reach for a far greater number of art lovers.

The determining factors of the price of original artwork in the Cayman Islands remain largely the same as anywhere else in the world. The complexity and man hours involved in a piece will have some bearing, the history, desirability, and past commercial success of an artist are major factors and with established artists, the size of a work can also have a major bearing on cost.

Remember to Negotiate With the Locals

Buyers should not be afraid to negotiate but bear in mind that the artists who command the highest prices are, by definition, the least likely to be in a position to discount heavily. The market value of their work has invariably been established over a very long period of time and will not fluctuate too greatly. Theirs is the calibre of work that is justifiably considered an investment in addition to desirability based on its unique beauty.

Arteccentrix Fine Art Services, is an art consultancy, gallery and studio in the Cayman Islands. You can visit the online gallery of Caribbean Art and Cayman Art at the company’s website and learn more about their comprehensive fine art services for private and corporate clients.

From watercolours, acrylics and oils, realism, surrealism, abstract and naive, landscapes and portraits, sculptures in a huge range of materials, beautiful batiks, and the more traditional arts and crafts of the region, if you enjoy any form of art, the Cayman Islands will have something for you.

What continues to surprise many visitors and residents alike however, is the sophistication and truly unique artistic vision exhibited by some of the leading artisans of 21st century Cayman. A look at the best work being produced today illustrates just how far removed they have become from the narrow expectations often and unfairly associated with “Caribbean Art”.

I know this has been a long article but if you do have plans to go with your kids to the Cayman Islands on holiday or vacation then be sure to see the  art in the Cayman Islands