Barranco is an isolated Garifuna village, where activities include fishing along the river as well as traveling by dugout canoe up the river into the Sarstoon-Temash National Park to see howler monkeys, hickatees, and iguanas. Return for a refreshing glass of hiu (a spicy drink made of cassava and sweet potato) and an evening of drumming. Get there by bus from the park in Punta Gorda [1], or by boat from the Punta Gorda dock. Ask for times, as transportation is scarce; charter boats can be arranged.
Numerous individuals of Barranco’s 600 inhabitants have traveled far from their village to become some of Belize’s most renowned musicians, painters, and researchers; many have earned advanced degrees in their fields, giving Barranco one of the highest per capita PhD percentages in Central America.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/belize/punta-gorda-and-the-toledo-villages/punta-gorda