On November 19 each year, Dangriga celebrates the arrival of the Garifuna people in Belize with one of the most vibrant festivals in Central America. The day begins with the reenactment of the 1832 landing: men in traditional dress paddle dugout canoes up North Stann Creek while crowds line the banks. Then the drumming starts, and it doesn't stop.
The punta rhythm — built on two drums, a bass and a second — is the heartbeat of Garifuna culture, and Garifuna Settlement Day is the place to hear it played with real conviction. Singers perform traditional songs called paranda (a blend of African and indigenous styles). Garifuna food appears everywhere: hudut (fish and coconut milk with mashed plantain), cassava bread, and sere.
If you visit Dangriga only once, visit on or around November 19. The rest of the year the town is quieter, but local drumming groups rehearse regularly and it is usually possible to hear practice sessions in the evenings.