From Flores (Santa Elena) we caught the collectivo public bus to the Belize border, Benque. We then got a cab from the border crossing, to the local bus stop. Three buses later, via a 2hr wait in a town called Dangriga (there are only 2 buses a day) we arrived in Hopkins, 11hrs after we left Guatemala.

Hopkins is a small village with a Garifuna population & culture. It is literally one street, that follows the beach front, with a few places to stay & eat, dotted amongst the locals’ homes.

Despite its sleepy feel & few tourists, Hopkins is not a cheap place to stay.  The amount we were spending on accomodation in Guatemala, gave us fairly nice rooms in small hotels, but our private room in a hostel here, is more than we paid in Antigua.
We choose to stay a the Funky Dodo Backpacker Hostel. It’s probably one of the cheapest places here.

Strangely enough its owned by a guy from Brighton. It has a rustic feel with Caribbean style shacks & hammocks. It is nice to have shared kitchen facility again (that goes with hostel life) although you can eat in the bars nearby.

Although situated on the Caribbean, the sea was murky during our visit. I don’t know whether it is like this all year, or because our visit coincided with the rainy season.

If you are looking for cafes selling lattes, buzzing bars & happening nightlife, you won’t find it here. The most recent update to the village, is the new ATM (Lonely Planet hasn’t been updated yet).

However, If you are looking for an extremely laid back environment, away from the busy tourist routes, & not that bothered about the trappings of modern day life, then Hopkins is the place for you.