The Blackbird Blog

Celebrate an Entire Month of Independence in Belize

September is truly the month of Belizean Pride! If you are planning a visit to Blackbird Caye in the next few days, it is safe to say you hit the celebratory jackpot. Belizeans will be celebrating all month long because September 21st marks their thirty-eighth year of becoming an independent nation. Now if that sounds young to you, it's because it is. Belize only gained its independence from Great Britain in 1981, the most ironic part about Belize gaining their independence in September is that it is the same month that Great Britain won a Naval Battle over the Spanish to gain Belize as part of their colony in 1798. So although the actual Independence Day on the 21st, Belizeans will begin celebrating on the 10th with music, vibrant clothes, sparkles, feathers, dancing and a whole lot of fun! No matter what day of the week or where you are staying in Belize it is sure to be a party. 

Bring On The Blue Hole

As lovers of underwater exploration, we spend almost all of our time rewriting and rediscovering our top dive site lists. But, even after all those hours in awe beneath the surface, there’s still one destination that continues to stay in the first position—the Blue Hole. We could go on for a while about its otherworldly scale and beauty, but the fact that legend Jacques Cousteau included it amongst his favorite ten in the world says it all. Designated as a UNESCO site, this bucket-list locale rests 50 miles from land’s end with an expedition out here revealing crystal-clear teal and turquoise waters that border a seemingly bottomless expanse of blue. Globally recognized for its unmatched diving (and for good reason—it’s challenging even for expert divers), a visit to Blue Hole still includes something for every type of adventurer. From calm snorkel tours for the easygoing to exhilarating skydiving sure to keep pure thrillseekers on the edge of their seat, there’s countless ways to discover this unbelievable wonder. Looking for a homebase while you see the Blue Hole yourself? Visit us at Blackbird Caye Resort soon and stay in the middle of Belize beauty.

Finally, A Little Elbow Room

At roughly 40 kilometers or 25 miles off the coast of Belize, Turneffe Atoll—home of Blackbird Caye Resort—is pretty far from civilization. When you’re here, you’ll awake to the sound of the ocean instead of the city and stroll on white-sand beaches instead of sidewalks.

It goes without saying that there’s a lot more elbow room here, with only a handful of inhabitants calling our island paradise home. Even then, you can almost guarantee that half of them are underwater at any given time—we’re set in the middle of some of the most highly sought-after dive destinations.

One of which coincidentally speaks to all this space—The Elbow. While only available to visit during calm conditions, due to its location at the intersection of two currents, this advanced drift dive is well worth the wait. As you descend, you’ll quickly spot all the colorful and diverse marine life that awaits below the surface, including nurse sharks, moray eels, and a kaleidoscope of coral. Spend some time going with the flow and admiring all the natural beauty before coming to the surface. After your dive, relax under a tropical canopy of swaying palms—with plenty of elbow room around you, of course.

Something to Belize in

Sandy toes and sun-kissed cheeks set the tone for 2021. Welcome to Blackbird Caye Resort, where you can relax in a hammock or learn something completely new at your own leisure. Here in Belize, we are blessed to be placed in such a perfect position geographically—Mother Nature has graced us with both the sea and the jungle. While on your stay with us in Central America, we have all the resources to teach you how to scuba dive for the very first time or simply give you a refresher course; but also guide you on the nature above surface-level too, by birding or taking excursions inland to see the natural habitat above sea-level. Let your fins thrive or spread your wings to fly. No matter which direction you go, the Black Bird Resort will be here to lift you up and even teach you a thing or two about the place we call home.

Celebrate Carnaval in Ambergris Cay

Ask any Belizean the best time to visit the town of San Pedro, and undoubtedly they will tell you it is the month of February. Not only is the weather to die for and the crowds less invasive, but we are also rearing up for Fiesta de Carnaval. If you’ve never heard of Carnaval lets us explain.

Belize is primarily Roman Catholic, which means that celebrating Easter and Lent is extremely important, but before Lent begins, the country celebrates with the Fiesta de Carnaval as a way to indulge in eating, drinking, dancing and overall partying before the forty-day ritual begins. The Carnaval is celebrated all around South America, but we celebrate ours here in Ambergris Cay on February 23rd. If you plan on attending, you should be ready to dance and celebrate with local Belizean's and tons of visitors from out of town. Help us bring in the next forty days the right way during your stay in Belize! 

Can You Belize We Celebrate Thanksgiving Too?

It may come as a surprise, but did you know that Thanksgiving in Belize is as big of a holiday as it is in Canada and the United States. Just like our northern neighbors, we love a good stuffed bird with different accompaniments such as rice and peas and potato salad. Although it seems like an unlikely place to celebrate your usual Thanksgiving festivities, spending your holiday in Belize may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Spend your morning of thanks walking the shores of the sandy coastline thinking about all the goodness that 2019 has brought to you. Once you've said your morning gratitudes, enjoy a light breakfast surrounded by all of your loved ones. It is truly a special treat to have everyone in one place with nothing on the agenda but to spend time together relaxing. Swim at the pool, go snorkeling, or just catch some rays before it’s time for your annual Thanksgiving Dinner celebrations. Ending all in time for the most important part of the day—your post-dinner hammock nap.