What/Where to Buy

[New cruiser from Atlanta]

I will be in Belize next week and would like some suggestions/recommendations on what to buy and where to get good prices in Belize. Thanks!

[curiousx]

I'll caveat this by saying I am not a big shopper and hate haggling. I also spent no time in the Tourist Village (where the tenders dock) or with the venders immediately outside.

That said, I found good selection and what I thought were good prices at the Belize City National Handicrafts Centre. It's tucked away in a quiet area about 5-10 minutes walk from the Tourist Village. Ask one of the tourist police (the men and women wearing khaki uniforms) to give you directions.

It had beautiful wooden bowls and other carved wooden pieces, small (and large) baskets woven by Mayan women from villages in the hills outside Belize, quality spices and coffee as well as the usual T-shirts. The management was friendly. Credit cards accepted.

Do a search on this board and I am sure you will find other references to this shop.

[KathyHKidd]

We did shop at some of the handicraft places but didn't buy anything. I'm not in acquisition mode, so I wasn't really excited about artifacts.

One great souvenir to buy for people is Marie Sharp's habanero pepper sauce. People here raved about it so much that I bought some for lots of friends, and now they want more. I got the hot and the fiery hot. It has an excellent flavor -- much better than tabasco sauce.

If you go in the shopping area where the ship docks and look at the long and skinny store immediately to the right of where the band plays, they had some great stuff. They had jewelry and very classy gecko refrigerator magnets and some of the hot sauce. They also had Belize Christmas ornaments, which is fun for ornament collectors.

None of this qualifies as authentic Indian art, but it's fun if you're looking for souvenirs. And it is made in Belize!


KHK