Day five of my trip to Belize took me from Placencia back to Belize City but not before several amazing stops along the way.
The first of these stops was at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.
This nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary is famous for being the first jaguar preserve. The preserve spans about 128,000 acres and was created to protect endangered species, forests and flora and fauna. Though it is home to approximately 200 jaguars, I did not spot any on my hike. I did however see many beautiful birds, some deer and a monkey.
There is also a traditional, Mayan chocolate factory and store on the property.
Stop in for a chocolate treat or sign up for the chocolate tour which will explain the process of making farm-to-factory chocolate.
I traveled from the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to the quaint, seaside town of Hopkins. The journey took me past gorgeous, lush, mountains, forests and groves.
I stopped at the Barracuda Bar and Grill for lunch.
The restaurant is comfy, casual and has beautiful views of the Caribbean Sea.
Carne asada nachos
This beachside bistro serves delicious food including grilled fish, burgers, handmade pizzas and snacks on its open-air deck.
After lunch, I made one final stop at St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, before reaching Belize City. This Blue Hole is not to be confused with the Great Blue Hole off the coast of Belize, famous for snorkeling and scuba diving. St. Herman's Blue Hole is a jungle pool located close to Hopkins, just off the Hummingbird Highway. The pool is usually bright blue but due to the rain on the day I visited, the color was not quite as brilliant as usual.
I reached Belize City in the evening...
...settled into my hotel, enjoyed the sunset from the rooftop restaurant and took in my last night in Belize.