Punta Gorda, known locally as P.G., is the capital and largest town of

Toledo District Toledo District is the southernmost district in Belize, and Punta Gorda is the District capital. It is the second most developed region in the country (according to the Human Development Index (HDI)). The district has a diverse topography whic ...

in southern

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

. Punta Gorda is the southernmost sizable town in the nation, with a population of about 5,000 people. Although the town bears a Spanish name, its inhabitants are mostly Kriol/

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-speaking, and are primarily of

Garifuna The Garifuna people ( or ; pl. Garínagu in Garifuna) are a people of mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry that originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and speak Garifuna, an Arawakan language, and Vincentian ...

, East Indian, Kriol, and Maya descent. Punta Gorda is a

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

town on the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

. It was a small fishing village before it was settled by a number of Garifuna emigrants from

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

in 1823. The Garifuna refer to the town as Peini. The town is about fifteen feet above sea level.

Climate

The climate is

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

( Köppen: ''Af''), similar to that found in the

Amazon Basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

, with precipitation being high and with temperatures always above 25 °C on average every month.

Transport

Punta Gorda is the main point of transportation for people visiting the Toledo district and the offshore southern cayes. There is a small

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surface ...

which serves domestic flights from Maya Island Air and Tropic Air. James Bus Line is based in Punta Gorda and offers a regular service to points north such as Independence, Dangriga, Belmopan, and Belize City. Water taxis offer daily crossings to Puerto Barrios and twice weekly service to

Livingston Livingston may refer to: Businesses * Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010) * Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline * Livingston International, a North American custom ...

in Guatemala. Unlike the purpose-built water taxis plying the routes between Belize city and the northern cays, the services from Punta Gorda are provided by small, open boats. Punta Gorda will have railway lines to Dangriga and

Belize City Belize City is the largest city in Belize and was once the capital of the former British Honduras. According to the 2010 census, Belize City has a population of 57,169 people in 16,162 households. It is at the mouth of the Haulover Creek, wh ...

that are currently in the feasibility study being conducted by

CRECG The China Railway Engineering Corporation (CRECG) is a state-owned holding company of China, which is under the supervision of the State Council. The company is the major shareholder of China Railway Group Limited (CREC), its subsidiary. His ...

Tourism

There are several hotels in Punta Gorda that draw tourists with their ocean views. Punta Gorda is also a gateway to several well-regarded jungle accommodations, including

Cotton Tree Lodge Cotton Tree Lodge is a jungle lodge in the Toledo District of Belize. The lodge was built in 2006 and opened January 2007. The property is situated west of the nearest major town, Punta Gorda, between the two Maya villages of Santa Ana and San ...

, The Lodge at Big Falls, Copal Tree Lodge, and Hickatee Cottages. Every May the town hosts the Toledo Cacao Festival, held over the Commonwealth Day holiday weekend, which celebrates Toledo district's ancient and modern-day links with cacao and chocolate.

Notable people

Notable people from Punta Gorda include paranda musician

Paul Nabor Paul Nabor (26 January 1928 – 22 October 2014), born Alfonso Palacio, was a Garifuna singer and musician from Punta Gorda, Belize. He is often credited with popularizing paranda, a style of traditional Garifuna music, and is considered to have ...

, Belize's "Queen of

Brukdown Brukdown is a genre of Belizean music. Its best-known performer and innovator, Wilfred Peters is regarded as a Belizean national icon. The word ''brukdown'' may come from ''broken down calypso'', referring to the similarities between brukdown a ...

Leela Vernon Leela Vernon MBE (21 October 1950 – 19 February 2017) was a Belizean cultural icon noted for her contributions to preserving Creole culture in the country. She was awarded the title "Queen of Brukdown", received the Order of the British Empire ...

and

Destiny Wagner Destiny Evelyn Wagner (born March 8, 1996) is a Belizean author, TV host, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Earth 2021. She is the first Belizean to win the Miss Earth title and the first to win one of the Big Four international beauty ...

, Miss Earth 2021, the first Belizean woman won

Miss Earth Miss Earth is an annual international major beauty pageant based in the Philippines that advocates for environmental awareness, conservation and social responsibility. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, it is one of t ...

title.

Schools

Punta Gorda is served by 3 primary schools: St. Peter Claver School, Bethel Seventh Day Adventist School, and Punta Gorda Methodist School. It also has one high school, the Toledo Community College, and the Punta Gorda campus of the University of Belize.

Religion

St. Peter Claver Catholic parish, with a large elementary school, serves the predominantly Christian-Catholic population of the town.

Health care

The town is served by Punta Gorda Polyclinic, as well as a few private doctors.

Gallery

File:PG IMG 0732.JPG, Punta Gorda Town from Fisherman's Pier. File:PGTBZE2.JPG, Punta Gorda town market File:Punta Gorda Belize-gm.jpg, Boats rest on the shore in Punta Gorda, Belize.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Populated places in Toledo District Toledo East Garifuna communities