In Belmopan, you can socialize in a restaurant, at a friend’s apartment or at a nightclub. There are art galleries, international cafes and restaurants specializing in food from several countries including China, Lebanon, Argentina, Taiwan, Honduras, Jamaica, Central America, India, Italy and Belize.
Most of the restaurants with affordable prices are Chinese, but you can find Belizean fast food at reasonable prices. There are a lot of public places where you can practice sports, like tennis, rugby, baseball, and especially football and basketball.
One of the major attractions in Belmopan is the beautiful and fresh mountain stream called Roaring River. Students go for a swim or to spend an afternoon picnic at the river about twenty minutes from campus.
There are two cinemas in Belize City.
If you practice a religion, here in Belmopan you can find a vast variety of churches to attend; these include Anglican, Evangelical, Catholic and Baptist.
Belize is a multicultural country of many ethnic backgrounds. During the year the country hosts various celebrations to honor our various ethnic groups. These celebrations make the country a perfect destination for the celebration of culture. Students can travel all over the country to participate or observe the colorful, music filled, celebrations of food, drink, and culture.
Here are a few:
- The La Ruta Maya Canoe Challenge is a four day canoe marathon whose participants paddle for over 170 miles across the breadth of the country.
- The Cross Country Cycling Classic is the premier cycling race of the year and the winner is considered the most popular athlete in the country.
- Garifuna Settlement Day is celebrated on the 19th of November throughout the country but most festively in Dangriga, the historic location where the Garinagu people first came to Belize as immigrants escaping exile in 1823. The celebration includes a re-enactment of the arrival in large canoes filled with staples such as cassava and plantains which they introduced into the Belizean diet. Festival goers enjoy music and can join in on many impromptu drumming and dance celebrations across the town of Dangriga. The experience is highlighted by the many delicious Garifuna foods that are on sale including fried fish and coconut milk soup (Sere), sweet potato pie, mashed boiled plantains (Fufu) and cassava porridge (Sahow).
- Lobster Fest is a gastronomic festival that celebrates the mouth watering delicacy at the start of the fishing season when it's legal to fish lobsters. The Festival takes place on the two largest islands in Belize, San Pedro and Caye Caulker, and in Placencia, and provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy the beauty of our sea, sand, sun and delicious lobster dishes.
- The Annual Agricultural Show is the largest gathering of Belizeans and takes place at the Show Grounds on the outskirts of Belmopan City. Fair goers can partake in fun outdoor activities, buy plants, watch a rodeo, eat a variety of foods, enjoy the largest beer garden in the country, challenge themselves on carnival rides, and/or swim in the river.
- The Taco Festival in Orange Walk Town in the north is a tribute to this unique delicacy that originated in Mexico. Over the years the Belizean palate and cooking skills have changed the typical taco served in Mexico to one in which the meat is stewed with local spices to create a special treat. The meat is rolled in fresh, factory-made corn tortillas and served with an onion and tomato pepper sauce. Belizeans travel north from all over the country to enjoy this delicacy amidst music concerts, cultural dances, and partaking of the many beverages around.
- The biggest show in Belize is also the largest public party in which thousands of Belizeans gather in the old capital, Belize City, for the annual Carnival; the highlight of the September National Celebrations. The first Saturday in the month of September sees children, teenagers and adults take to the streets in Carnival Mass Groups to gyrate to the latest SOCA music and vie for the crown of Best Mass Band. Thousands more line the streets dancing, drinking and eating as they await the carnival parade which runs from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm behind a string of oversized trucks loaded down with speakers spouting dance music as loud as it is evocative. Get ready to let go of your inhibitions as you jump into the public Mass Band at the end of the parade.
