The Living Cultural Experience
The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE), a non-governmental organization, was founded in 1997 to meet the growing environmental and development needs of Toledo District, the southernmost district of Belize. In 1999 its subsidiary TIDE Tours was formed to promote eco-tourism opportunities and alternative livelihood programs for the Toledo District. With such rich and diverse cultures to highlight here in Toledo, TIDE Tours partnered with the Belize Tourism Board to develop a Toledo Cultural Trail which will provide for
Monkey River Wildlife Tour & Punta Negra Sweet Stop!
The tour began at 8:00am on a crisp Belizean morning. We all gathered on TIDE’s wooden wharf and one by one we boarded the boat as our captain, Carlos Ramirez (Cash), and tour guide, Martin Ack, held the vessel steady from the soft currents lazily hitting the rocks on the coast. As we each snapped on our life jackets, Martin began to explain the itinerary for the day and cautioned us about the seats we had chosen; seats closer to