Of all the destination towns Belize has to offer, Hopkins is one of the most interesting. A stronghold of Garifuna culture, there is plenty to do there besides swim in the ocean and stretch out on the beach to enjoy the sea breeze and sun.
Starting out from Better in Belize, you could make the journey in three hours if you press the pedal to the metal. But if you take your time and dawdle along, you’ll enjoy the lovely tropical scenery much more – once you get past the round-about where the Hummingbird Highway takes off just outside of Belmopan. For information on the Hummingbird Highway, search this website for the “Hummingbird Highway” post.
The Hummingbird Highway goes from the roundabout at Belmopan to Dangriga on the coast. The Southern Highway breaks away on the right a few miles before you get to Dangriga, and parallels the coast for several miles until you see Hopkins Road on the left.
Turning onto Hopkins Road off the Southern Highway, you’ll drive through the wetlands of the coastal plain few miles before ending up at Hopkins beach at the end of the road. The beach is not your typical tropical beach of wide white sands – instead, it’s lined with continuous drifts of crispy brown seaweed and sea grass which grows in the shallow waters inside the coral reefs and gets swept in by the tides year-round. The more upscale resorts along the beach employ workers to rake the seaweed away so guests will have some lovely white sand to stretch out on. If you want sandy beaches, go to Placencia. But if you want atmosphere, you can’t beat Hopkins, and it’s closer than Placencia.
Hopkins Road End 
Hopkins Beach
Hopkins has an aura of laid-back good humor. It’s generally warm and humid, which promotes an easy-going attitude. The Garifuna culture supports a drumming school where you can learn to drum and dance in the Garifuna style.
Some of the bars also feature drumming and dancing, at least on certain nights. Some other fun activities in and around Hopkins include Garifuna cooking classes, lagoon kayaking and canoeing, and Maya Women’s Coop chocolate-making. Check ahead online to find out when and where and how to experience these.
There are lots of good places to eat, from casual open-front thatched huts offering $10bz meals of rice, beans, fried plantain with grilled chicken or pigtails; to elaborate resort restaurants with more sophisticated menus. Traditional Garifuna food is available if you want to try something new. For some suggestions about good places to eat, search for “Eating Out in Hopkins” on this Friends of BIB website.
Just walking around Hopkins is a delight, with tiny shops featuring all sorts of souvenirs, from bright bags to hammocks and seed bracelets. Local crafts are available, too – sculptures, paintings, Garifuna clothing, slate carvings – and if you are diligent, you might even find an artist at work and willing to show off and sell his or her creations. Wander down side streets and keep your eyes open.
Watch for small surprises like the thatched Herbal Tea shop or the tiny Blossoming Gift Shop. Be sure to strike up conversations with the locals for a more interesting experience – ask for suggestions, advice, or directions.
When you’re ready to head for the beach or your room, there are a number of small grocery stores where you can stock up on water, snacks, drinks and food to consume on the beach.
Blossoming 
Funky Dodo
Or stock up on food to prepare at your digs if you are watching your budget by lodging at a hostel, like the Funky Dodo Backpackers Hostel or one of the hotels with a guest kitchen, like Comfort In Lodge. There are plenty of higher quality hotels, too, if that’s your goal.
Hopkins is a good central base for various day trips. Visit the nearby Serpon Sugar Mill hidden in the jungle a mile in on the access road to the village of Sittee River. Explore the remnants of the awesome steam powered equipment from the 1800s, which once produced 1,700 pounds of sugar a month – all powered by steam – a choice bit of Belize’s history. There’s some good forest bird watching here, as well.
Nearby, the Mayflower Bocawina National Park has some nice hikes, small Mayan ruins, and waterfalls you can visit without a guide. Ziplining, swimming, guided tours and waterfall rappelling are all available through Bocawina Rainforest Resort. And don’t miss the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve where you can enjoy hiking through the protected rain forest habitat. Lots of good birding there, too, and you can tube down a tropical river and swim in a waterfall pool while you bird. Monkey River tours will take you by boat along Monkey River to view wildlife.
groceries 
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On a bioluminescent tour in Anderson’s Lagoon you’ll encounter bioluminescent plankton that lights up with any disturbance in the water, such as fish darting away from predators and the passing of the tour boat. The movement will cause the plankton to light up. Imagine going for a bioluminescent swim…! Tours are somewhat chancy and need to be arranged beforehand because the bioluminescence is seasonal and also affected by moonlight and rainfall.
Seawards, in addition to swimming and beach time, you can take tours that feature reef and mangrove snorkeling or scuba diving, reef or river fishing, island hopping, bird watching, manatee and dolphin spotting.
Remember your insect repellent and sunscreen, a water bottle and hat. If there’s room in your car, consider taking along a couple of folding camp chairs – a super guarantee for getting comfortable on the beach and in your hotel room.
An evening on the internet with this list of items to google should give you some great ideas for structuring your own visit/s to Hopkins.