Hopkins (Belize) - village in Stann Creek District, Belize

Hopkins is a small village in Stann Creek in Belize with a long beach and access to the Belize Barrier Reef for snorkeling and diving, garifuna drumming, and nearby nature parks.

Get in

Hopkins is located 4 miles (6.4 km) east of the Southern Highway.

• By car Get to the Southern Highway. The turn off for Hopkins is at mile 10. The gas station is 5 miles (8 km) south at Sittee River. If you're heading to Punta Gorda, make sure you fill up before you leave because there are no gas stations on the Southern Highway between Hopkins and PG.
• By bus Buses going south to PG or Placencia drop passengers off at the junction of the Southern Highway and the road to the town. To get to the town, either pre-arrange a pickup with the hotel or guesthouse you're staying in, thumb a ride (there isn't much traffic so you'll need to be patient), or walk.
• By air Fly to Dangriga. Once there you'll need to arrange a ride to get to Hopkins (your hotel or guest house can arrange a pickup).

By shuttle

Shuttles can pick you up at the airport, or most any other spot, and transfer you much quicker and with much more ease:

• BZ Belize Shuttle (dead link: October 2017) On both side of the village are some amazing Resort, your driver will safely shuttle you to or from the village or these resort like: Almond Beach, Jaguar, Jungle Genie.
• Hopkins Shuttle Service an easy way of getting to and from Hopkins, Shuttle can be done on your time. Shuttle is Reliable and on-time for transfer at Any Resort or Hotel.
• William's Belize Shuttle (dead link: October 2017) best known shuttle provider in the country.
• San Ignacio Shuttle Service Operated by Sergio Paiz, runs to all major shuttle destination in Belize, Located on Burns Ave, San Ignacio Town.

Get around

• Getting around within Hopkins is easy. The town stretches in a straight line along the beach for about 3 miles (4.2 km). Walk or rent a bike (there are a couple of rental shops and some hotels have bikes available). Golf carts are also available at the resort style hotels between Hopkins and Sittee.
• Rent a motorbike that you can use within the village of Hopkins and also to visit the surrounding areas.

See

• On weekends, watch traditional music at the drumming center. Tipping is mandatory, at BZ$10 (Belizean dollars) as of July 2007.

Do

• LeBeha Drumming Center. Take drumming lessons.
• Diving at Glover's Atoll It's cheaper here than in other parts of Belize. This is also the cheapest place to get certification in Belize. February 2017: 3 tank dive at Glover's US$240 - you can dive the Great Blue Hole from Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye for this price. 2 tank dive to the Mesoamerican Reef (not Glover's) US$145.
• Day trips to local parks and wildlife sanctuaries (such as Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary) are possible. Great for hiking and swimming in waterfalls or rent an innertube and float down the river for an hour.
• A snorkeling operation run by local fishermen.
• Windsurfing and kayaking. Are also possible
• At nearby Sittee River, there is excellent birdwatching and canoeing -- including guided night trips up Boom Creek.
• Marie Sharp's Tour, The factory for Marie Sharp's is just north of Dangriga off of the highway. A reasonable day trip from the town.
• Rent a motorbike for a day and visit one of the following: Mayflower National Park, Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve, Dangriga, Gales Point or Placencia. Rentals possible at Alternate Adventures (south end of Hopkins)www.alternateadventures.com
• Mayflower Bocawina National Park is a 20-minute drive from Hopkins. Hiking, swimming, Mayan ruins, and zip lines.
• In season there is a night river tour to spot crocodiles & bioluminescence. US$30 p/p.

Buy

There are various grocery and liquor stores at Hopkins. The only gas station is at Sittee River, about 5 miles (8 km) south of Hopkins. Thong's Cafe sells local handicrafts and Dave of Dave's Wood Carving sells wood carvings that he makes himself with wood from local trees.

Eat

• A local dish called hudut is served here. It is a coconut milk based soup with onions, basil, whole snapper, and unknown ingredients. Mashed plantains are served on the side. It is eaten mid-day and is quite filling.
• Marva's, on the beach on the north side of town. Serves the Belizean standards. On Sundays, go in early to around 10AM and request Hudut or Tapado and it will be prepared in a couple of hours.
• Driftwood Pizza - handmade delicious pizza and bar made by locals. Ask the boys who sit out front to drum for you, they will drum and sing for over 10 minutes for a small tip. And for a special treat, ask them to dance to the drum beats. You won't ever want to leave.
• Innies - Local food at its best. Famous for the coconut crusted fish. Prices are reasonable (about BZ$10 - $15) and atmosphere comfortable on a front paito.
• Frog's Point Cafe is a new but expensive restaurant just north (behind the supermarket) at the junction of the main Hopkins road and the road to the Southern Highway. The menu includes a vegetarian main course.
• Thongs Cafe, a couple of minutes walk south along the main road, has excellent coffee and breakfast. They also sell locally made crafts.
• Taste of India an Indian restaurant next to Hopkins Inn has good Indian food with lots of veggie options.
• Yugadah Restaurant Traditional Garifuna cooking along with fish and meat burgers. Veggie choices are limited (rice and beans or beans and rice!) but worth visiting to chat with Rosie the cook/owner. Half mile from the junction.

Drink

• Windschief, on the beach, with hammocks and chairs. A bar run by expats. Good place to while away the afternoon. Windschief also has the only internet cafe in town.
• If dancing is desired, ask where the local Punta Rock Club is and embarrass yourself trying to dance like the locals.
• There are assorted local bars in town. Look for the Belikin signs.

Sleep

• Belize Vacations Sinsonte Beach Hotel, North Hopkins.. Six private cabanas. Some with kitchenette. Prices from BZ$30 for a thatch cabana to BZ$100 for an upscale beach cabana with cable TV and kitchenette.
• Hopkins Bay Resort, PO Box 49, Dangriga, Belize (Stann Creek District). Private five star luxury villas by the bay.
• LaBeha Drumming Centre, on the north side of town. There are three rooms here. One with a single bed, one with two beds, and one with a private bath. The two with the shared bath were BZ$30 a night. Hammocks and book exchange. The drumming centre is located on the property.
• Windschief. Two rooms here, located on the beach.
• Kismet, on the extreme north side of town.
• There are a number of resorts to the far south of town. There are also assorted other guesthouses located throughout the town.
• Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort. Upscale resort located on a beachside private nature reserve. Offers the largest dive operation in southern Belize and a variety of inland tours. Named 2009 Hotel of the Year by the Belize Tourism Board and winner of multiple service awards from Tripadvisor.com.
• All Seasons Guest House, Main Road (south end of Hopkins), +501 5237209, allseasonsbz@hotmail.com. Individual theme rooms (Jungle Room, Bamboo Room, Butterfly room and Orchid Room), beach apartments and cabana. Included for guests: bicycles, Wifi, Fridge, coffemaker, A/C, babeque pit and lush garden.
• The Funky Dodo Backpackers Hostel, Hopkins village, Stann Creek Belize (Very close to king casava and larubea), +5016683852. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. Run by Will and Amy, this hostel provides comfortable budget accommodation in the spacious 14 bed dormitory in full size single bunk beds, free Wi-Fi, shaded outdoor chill out area with hammocks, well equipped kitchen free of use, new clean bathrooms and a laundry service. Trips, adventures or tours are arranged commission free. Funky Dodo will pick you up free of charge from the junction on Southern Highway. BZ$25
• Hopkins Inn, Hopkins village, Stann Creek, Belize (About half a mile from the junction, next to Windschief). Four cabanas (big and small) by the beach. Run by Greg and Rita, Hopkins Inn is one of the oldest hotels in Hopkins. Breakfast included.
• Mama Noots Bocawina Adventures & Eco-Resort, Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Stann Creek District (On the west side of the southern highway, between Dangriga and Hopkins), 16.92934°, -88.38684°, +501 670 8019, info@mamanootsbelize.com. If you plan to stay in the jungle but relatively close to Hopkins and Dangriga (12 miles away) you can stay at this spacious jungle resort located inside the Mayflower Bocawina National Park. The accommodation goes from budget to deluxe. 99

Go next

To the south of Hopkins are a couple of self-contained resorts, such as Hamanasi and Jaguar Reef. Some of these may be able to book you on tours or dives.

• A bus to Dangriga will come into town in the morning at 7AM. Everyday except Sunday it makes doorstop pickups. If heading south, take this bus to the Southern Highway, and switch there. Check with your guesthouse if a similar bus to Punta Gorda comes into town.