Carnival in Belize is no timid street parade. It’s a full-blooded, hip-swaying, drum-thundering declaration that life is meant to be lived in technicolour. And if you witness this annual eruption of sound and splendour, you might as well do it properly, from the plush embrace of Fort George Hotel & Spa, where heritage meets hedonism.
This grand dame of Belize City has been around since the early 1900s, when Carnival was a local curiosity rather than the juggernaut of feathers, sequins, and basslines it is today. Over the decades, Fort George has seen it all: from humble street corners where neighbours drummed on biscuit tins to today’s choreographed troupes that turn the city into a pulsing river of rhythm.
The location? Quite frankly, unbeatable. Step outside and you’re in the carnival’s heartbeat — the swirl of dancers, the intoxicating scent of jerk chicken curling through the air, the sudden boom of a steel band that makes you forget whatever you were thinking five seconds earlier. Step back inside, and you’re wrapped in a calm, complete state. You’d swear the festivities were happening in another postcode.
The hotel’s interiors have been refreshed but never stripped of their soul. The high ceilings and timber accents still evoke a colonial grace, yet modern comforts quietly conspire to make your stay indulgent, think plush bedding that forgives late nights and merciful air conditioning in the tropical heat.
And then, the food. The Treehouse Restaurant isn’t just a dining room; it’s a love letter to the Caribbean. Citrus-marinated conch? A tangy little masterpiece. Stewed chicken with mac and cheese? Comfort food with a Belizean swagger. Fresh ceviche at The SeaViche Bar meets rum cocktails at the water’s edge, the setting where you’re not sure whether to toast the view or the bartender.
When your feet can samba no more, salvation is spelled K’IN Spa. Here, ancient Belizean healing traditions are woven into treatments that revive even the most carnival-weary reveller. Herbal compress massages soothe muscles that danced like they were twenty, and energy-balancing rituals restore the inner calm you didn’t realise had gone missing somewhere between parade float number seven and cocktail number five.
Carnival in Belize is an experience that quickens the pulse and leaves an indelible mark on the memory. Experiencing it from Fort George Hotel & Spa doesn’t just put you in the front row — it gives you the luxury of stepping back into another world whenever you wish. And in a festival famed for its boundless energy, that, dear reader, is pure gold.
By Anne Keam
