🏆 Award-Winning Garifuna Cultural Experience 2025 | 📍Hopkins, Belize | Kayaking, Culture, Cuisine, Drumming & Healing | Authentic Afro-Indigenous living heritage. Palmento Grove Eco Cultural and Healing Lodge located on Kalipuna Heritage Island on the north end of Hopkins is truly an Afro-Indigenous cultural gem that have embodied a long history of resilience. Established in 2007 by Uwahnie Martinez with the support of her family they aimed to utilize tourism as a positive tool to empower and inspire indigenous people in their communities. The objective being, to improve the quality of cultural tourism experiences in Belize while helping to preserve culture with economic incentives derived from guests’ engagements. Having risen through the ashes, Palmento Grove has earned its respectful space as Belize’s premier (Garifuna) afro-indigenous cultural tourism provider offering authentic, education, inspiring and entertaining cultural experiences in Belize. Located on a 62 Acres Island of great historical significance the cultural stewards have come to embrace their culture with pride as they live it daily engaging in fishing, farming, beekeeping, agro-processing and cultural tourism. Sustainable livelihood is in full display as Kalipuna Island home to Palmento Grove has been designed to provide guest with nostalgia as they interactively engage in travel and learning about the Garifuna Culture & Garifuna People who are afrodescendants living in Belize. The island showcases indigenous architecture with vibrant painting by Garifuna artist and powered by renewable solar energy. The Martinez family is always glad to share their sacred space, welcoming guests wanting varying degree of immersion experience into a uniquely vibrant black culture that has been proclaimed an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. Cultural & Healing Experiences includes homestay on the island occupying the beautiful rustic jungle accommodations while participating in daily activities such as the signature tour (Garifuna Cultural & Culinary Tour) or simplified experiences of younique interest such as lessons in cooking, food tasting, drumming, dancing, oral language, singing, basket weaving, cassava baking, fishing, kayaking, poultry rearing, beekeeping and more. At Palmento Grove, every guest is treated as family as together the work to preserve the Garifuna Culture for the next generation through many non-profit initiatives like the annual Belize Eco-Cultural Summer Camp for Children and the Belize International Paranda Folkart and Music Fest is possible. Palmento Grove values its purpose in the tourism industry as such continuous effort and investment is placed in ensuring that empowerment and inspiration are provided to others through every interaction.
