Reason 2 – Dangriga is an artisanal fishing town

When the Garifuna people settled onto the shores of Belize on November 19th, 1802, it was partially because of the rich environment. The South Stann Creek River carries nutrients from inland to the coast, and billions of sea creatures and plants feed on this bounty.

The Garifuna immediately set about harvesting fish from small dories (wooden canoes) no more than a few miles offshore. This tradition continues today as can be seen by the numerous small dories pulled up on shore all along the beaches of Dangriga. While outboard motors and skiffs with modern gear allow fishing from further away today, the dory is still the preferred means of transportation for the older fishermen to harvest close by.

Fish markets are plentiful along the river banks in the middle of town, the town market, and the cleaning stalls on the banks of Havana Creek. These fish markets are mainly for the locals, though travellers are welcomed to watch and listen to the Garifuna or Creole languages being used.

Each of these market locations are surrounded by pelicans, terns and frigate birds, quarreling over the skins, guts and bones that are discarded after cleaning the fish. The bird activity is frenetic, while nearby lurk the great egrets or great blue herons, still like statues, waiting for an inattentive small bait fish to swim by on its way to the feast.

Maybe this is one reason why Dangriga is often overlooked as a tourist destination…because it isn’t one. It is a working town in the midst of plenty, waiting for the traveler that is looking for authentic traditions that began over 200 years ago, and continue today.