ridge to reef ...

The Toledo District of Belize and its capital, Punta Gorda, are the last undiscovered corners of "Mother Nature's Best Kept Secret", with a wealth of activities off the beaten track for lovers of nature, adventure, and culture.

Lush green valleys blanket the foothills of the Maya Mountains, with ancient Maya sites and the villages of their descendants dotted throughout the landscape.

Underwater adventure awaits you amongst the hundreds of tiny cayes surrounded by the crystal turquoise water of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and further offshore at the Sapodilla Cayes. Toledo's rivers and national parks provide fantastic hiking, wildlife watching, and kayaking.

Although a relaxed Caribbean backwater, Punta Gorda bustles as Toledans go about their daily activities, shouting friendly greetings in any number of languages as they pass on their bicycles.

The District is home to the most diverse range of traditional cultures found anywhere in Belize, from the Garifuna who originally founded the settlement of Peini (or Punta Gorda as it is now officially known) to the East Indians whose ancestors came to work for the US Confederate setlers, to he Kek'chi and Mopan Maya who dominate the interior, Creoles, Chinese and, more recently, Mennonites.