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Welcome to Northern Belize

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By Lan Sluder

Razzmatazz and bling are in short supply in northern Belize. Here you’ll find more orange groves than beach bars, more sugarcane than sugary sand, and more farms than restaurants. Yet if you’re willing to give in to the area’s easygoing terms and slow down to explore back roads and poke around small towns and villages, this northern country will win a place in your traveler’s heart. You’ll discover some of Belize’s most interesting Mayan sites, several outstanding jungle lodges, and a sprinkling of small, inexpensive inns with big personalities.

Northern Belize includes the northern part of Belize District and all of Orange Walk and Corozal districts. Altogether, this area covers about 2,800 square miles (7,250 square km) and has a population of around 90,000. The landscape is mostly flat, with mangrove swamps on the coast giving way to savanna inland. Scrub bush is much more common than broadleaf jungle, although to the northwest near the Guatemala border are large, wild tracts of land with some of the world’s few remaining old-growth mahogany trees. The region has many cattle ranches, citrus groves, sugarcane fields, and, in a few areas, marijuana fields.

The only sizable towns in the region are Orange Walk, about 53 miles (87 km) north of Belize City, with about 14,000 residents, and the slightly smaller Corozal, with a population of around 10,000, 85 miles (139 km) north of Belize City. Both are on the Philip Goldson Highway, formerly the Northern Highway, a paved two-lane road that runs 95 miles (156 km) from Belize City up the center of the region, ending at the Mexican border.

Northern Belize gets less rain than anywhere else in the country (roughly 50 inches annually in Corozal), a fact that’s reflected in the sunny disposition of the local population, mostly Maya and Mestizos. Both Orange Walk and Corozal towns have a Mexican ambience, with central plazas serving as the focus of the downtown areas. Most locals speak Spanish as a first language, though most also know some English, and many speak both Spanish and English fluently. Offering little in the way of tourism facilities itself, Orange Walk Town is a jumping-off point for trips to Lamanai and other Mayan ruins, to Mennonite farmlands, and to several well-regarded jungle lodges in wild, remote areas. Corozal Town, next door to Chetumal, Mexico, is a place to slow down, relax, and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of a charming small town on the beautiful Corozal Bay (or, as Mexico calls it, Chetumal Bay).

If you tire of small-town pleasures, the Belize side of the Mexican border has three casinos, including one called Las Vegas that claims to be the largest casino in Central America, and a duty-free zone (though the shopping here is mostly for cheap clothing and appliances, with little of interest to international visitors). Corozal has begun to draw foreign expats looking for inexpensive real estate and proximity to Chetumal, the Quintana Roo Mexican state capital, whose metropolitan population is nearly as large as that of the entire country of Belize. Chetumal offers urban conveniences that Belize doesn’t, including a modern shopping mall, fast food, a multiplex cinema, and big-box stores including Walmart and Sam’s Club. Sarteneja Village, in the far northeastern part of Corozal District, about 35 miles (57 km) from Corozal Town, is a still undiscovered fishing village at the edge of the sea, near the Shipstern Wildlife Reserve. On the way are several pristine lagoons, including the lovely Progresso Lagoon.

Top Reasons to Go to Northern Belize

Mayan Sites: Several of the most interesting Mayan sites in the region are in northern Belize. These include Altun Ha, Lamanai, and Cerros. Altun Ha gets the most visitors of any Mayan site in Belize, and Lamanai, on the New River Lagoon, and Cerros, on Corozal Bay, are notable because of their beautiful locations.

Wild, Open Spaces: This part of Belize has some of the country’s wildest tracts of land. The quarter-million acres of Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area host only a few thousand visitors each year. Although people are scarce, Rio Bravo teems with wildlife. Other large tracts of land include the Gallon Jug lands, 130,000 privately owned acres around Chan Chich Lodge. The Shipstern Reserve is a 22,000-acre expanse of swamps, lagoons, and forests on the Sarteneja peninsula. Huge numbers of birds nest at the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.

Jungle Lodges: Northern Belize is home to several first-rate lodges, including Chan Chich Lodge, a paradise for birders and the place where you’re most likely to spot the jaguar in the wild. Lamanai Outpost, on the New River Lagoon, is a center for crocodile research.

Getting Oriented

The Philip Goldson Highway, a paved two-lane road, renamed in 2012 for a prominent politician (the international airport is also named for him), is the transportation spine of the region, running about 95 miles (156 km) from Belize City to the Mexican border at Chetumal, passing the two main towns in northern Belize, Orange Walk and Corozal. A bypass around Orange Walk provides a way to avoid the congested downtown.

Branching off the Goldson Highway are a number of tertiary roads, mostly unpaved, including the road to Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary; the Old Northern Highway that leads to the Altun Ha ruins and Maruba Lodge and Spa; a road to Shipyard, a Mennonite settlement, which also connects with roads to the Lamanai ruins and to La Milpa ruins and Chan Chich Lodge at Gallon Jug; the San Estevan Road that is a route to Progresso, Copper Bank, and the Cerros Maya ruins, or, via a different branch, to Sarteneja. An additional section of the San Estevan Road from Orange Walk to Progresso was scheduled to be paved in 2012, but as of mid-2013 that is still pending. Another route, unpaved, to Sarteneja runs from Corozal Town and requires crossing the New River and the mouth of Laguna Seca on hand-pulled auto ferries.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. A paradise for birders, this wildlife sanctuary is an “inland island” surrounded by a chain of lagoons, in total covering about 3,000 acres. Traveling by canoe among countless birds, you’re likely to see iguanas, crocodiles, coatis, and turtles.

Altun Ha. Easy to get to from the Northern Cayes or Belize City, Altun Ha is the most visited Mayan ruin in Belize. After the ruins, treat yourself to a cold drink or mud bath at nearby Maruba Resort Jungle Spa.

Northwest Orange Walk District. A fascinating combination of Mennonite farm country, wild jungle, and Mayan sites including Lamanai, La Milpa, and Chan Chich, this remote part of Belize is anchored by two remarkable jungle lodges, Chan Chich Lodge and Lamanai Outpost. Sadly, and almost unbelievably, one of the largest Mayan temples in Belize, Nohmul on private lands near Orange Walk Town, in mid-2013 was bulldozed by a contractor for use as roadfill.

Corozal Bay. It’s so low-key you may doze off occasionally, but for relaxation at modest cost you can’t find a better spot than the shores of Corozal Bay. Copper Bank and Sarteneja are especially laid-back. Corozal Town is an expat magnet.

Planning

When to Go

Corozal Town and the rest of northern Belize get about the same amount of rain as Atlanta, Georgia, so even the “rainy season”—generally June to November—here is not to be feared. It’s hot and humid for much of the year, except in waterfront areas where prevailing breezes mitigate the heat. December to April is usually the most pleasant time, with weather similar to that of south Florida. In winter, cold fronts from the north occasionally bring rain and chilly weather, and when the temperature drops to the low 60s, locals wear sweaters and sleep under extra blankets.

Getting Here and Around

Air Travel

Corozal Town has flights only to and from San Pedro (Ambergris Caye). Tropic Air and Maya Island Air each fly four to six times daily between Ambergris Caye and the airstrip at Corozal, about 2 miles (3 km) south of town off the Goldson Highway. The journey takes 20 minutes and costs around BZ$100 one-way. From Corozal, there’s no direct service to Belize City or other destinations in Belize. Charter service is available to Chan Chich Lodge and the Indian Church/Lamanai area.

Boat and Water-Taxi Travel

Ferry from Corozal. An old, hand-pulled sugar barge ferries passengers and cars across the New River from just south of Corozal Town to the road to Copper Bank, Cerros, and the Shipstern peninsula. The ferry is free from 6 am to 9 pm daily. | To get to the ferry from Corozal, take the Northern Highway south toward Orange Walk Town and look for the ferry sign. Turn left and follow the unpaved road to the ferry landing.

Ferry between Copper Bank and Sarteneja. A second, hand-pulled auto ferry has been added between Copper Bank and Sarteneja, at the mouth of Laguna Seca. | From Copper Bank, follow the ferry signs. Near Chunox, at a T-intersection, turn left and follow the unpaved road 20 miles (32 km) to Sarteneja.

Water Taxi between Corozal Town and Ambergris Caye. A daily water taxi operates between Corozal Town and Ambergris Caye, with a stop on demand at Sarteneja. The Thunderbolt departs from Corozal at the pier near Reunion Park behind Corozal House of Culture at 7 am and also goes from a pier on the back side of San Pedro near the soccer field to Corozal at 3 pm. Fare is BZ$45 one-way. The trip usually takes nearly two hours but may be longer if there’s a stop at Sarteneja, or if the weather is bad. Off-season, service is sometimes reduced and occasionally is discontinued altogether.

Chetumal to San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Two similarly named Belize-based water-taxi companies, San Pedro Belize Express and San Pedro Water Jets Express, provide service direct from Chetumal, Mexico, to San Pedro and Caye Caulker. In addition to water taxi charges, leaving Chetumal you pay a US$5 port fee and 295 Mexican peso (about US$24) tourist tax if you cannot prove you have paid it earlier, for example with your air ticket to Mexico; leaving San Pedro or Caulker you pay BZ$37.50 Belize exit fee plus US$5/BZ$10 port fee.

San Pedro Belize Express.
The San Pedro Belize Express departs from the Muelle Fiscal in Chetumal, Mexico, at 3 pm. It returns from Caye Caulker (the pier on Front St. near the basketball court) at 7 am and from San Pedro (pier on beachfront, near Tackle Box Bar & Grill) at 7:30 am. The advertised rates are US$37.50 (BZ$75) between Chetumal and San Pedro, and US$40 (BZ$80) between Chetumal and Caye Caulker. The water taxi takes about 90 minutes between Chetumal and San Pedro and 2 hours between Chetumal and Caye Caulker. If you are buying your ticket in Chetumal— the ticket office is near the entrance to the pier—you may be able to negotiate a lower price than the advertised rate. Off-season (summer/early fall) service may be reduced. | Beachfront at Tacklebox Bar & Grill | San Pedro Town | 226/3535 in San Pedro, 521/983–832–1648 in Mexico | www.belizewatertaxi.com.

San Pedro Water Jets Express.
The San Pedro Water Jets Express boat departs leaves Chetumal, Mexico, from the Muelle Fiscal (Municipal Pier) daily at 3 pm, arriving at the pier on the back side of San Pedro near the soccer field. The boat continues on to Caye Caulker. From Caye Caulker to Chetumal, the boat departs daily at 7:30 am; from San Pedro to Chetumal, the boat departs daily at 8 am. The advertised rate is US$40 (BZ$80) between San Pedro and Chetumal, and US$45 (BZ$90) to or from Caye Caulker. This water taxi takes about 90 minutes between Chetumal and San Pedro and 2 hours between Chetumal and Caye Caulker. If you are buying your ticket in Chetumal—ticket offices are near the entrance to the pier—you may be able to negotiate a lower price than the advertised rate. In low season (summer/early fall) service may be reduced. | San Pedro Water Jets Express | San Pedro Town | 226/2194 in San Pedro | www.sanpedrowatertaxi.com.

Bus Travel and Shuttle Service

Buses between Belize City and Corozal run about every half hour during daylight hours in both directions, and some of these continue on to Chetumal, Mexico.

Several small bus lines, including Belize Bus Owners Cooperative (BBOC), Chell, Morales, Russell, Tillett, T-Line, Frazer, Valencia, J&J, and others, make the 3- to 3½-hour journey between Belize City and Corozal Town, with service by one line or another approximately every half hour during the day.

Northbound buses from Belize City. Northbound buses depart beginning at 5:30 am, with the last departure around 7:30 pm.

Southbound buses from Corozal. Southbound buses begin at 3:45 am, with the last departure at 7:30 pm.

The cost between Belize City and Corozal is about BZ$9 or BZ$10, or BZ$12 for express service; the cost between Belize City and Orange Walk Town is around BZ$5. Some buses continue on to the Nuevo Mercado (New Market) bus terminal in Chetumal, Mexico. Fare is around BZ$3 between Chetumal and Corozal. As of this writing, none of the Belize buses arrive at or depart from the main bus station in Chetumal, the ADO terminal.

Any non-express bus will stop and pick up almost anywhere along the highway.

TIP Bus service to the villages and other sites off the Goldson Highway is limited, so to reach them you’re best off with a rental car or a guided tour. There is some bus service on the Old Northern Highway and from Orange Walk to Sarteneja. Bus franchises and routes in Belize, which are controlled by the government, are in a state of flux. Ask locally for updates on bus lines, routes, and fares. The Belize Bus Blog (www.belizebus.wordpress.com) is a good source of information on buses and other transportation in Belize.

To Guatemala. In addition to regular buses, a Guatemalan tourism bus operator, San Juan Travel Services, operates a daily bus from the main Chetumal ADO bus terminal, currently leaving at 5 am and going all the way to Flores, Guatemala, near Tikal, with a stop at the Marine Terminal in Belize City. The three-hour trip to Belize City costs BZ$20; it’s a total of about eight hours and BZ$70 from Chetumal to Flores.

Two shuttle services based in Corozal Town, Belize VIP Transfers and George and Esther Moralez Travel, provide inexpensive and handy transportation across the border between Corozal and Chetumal. These services, which cost BZ$60–BZ$70 one-way for up to three or four people, make crossing the border easy and hassle free.

The transfer services also provide shuttles to and from Cancún and other destinations in the Yucatán and in Belize. To or from Cancún, you’ll pay around BZ$800 for up to four persons.

Car Travel

Corozal is the last stop on the Goldson Highway before you hit Mexico. The 95-mile (153-km) journey from Belize City will probably take about two hours, unless you’re slowed by sugarcane trucks. The Goldson Highway is a two-lane paved road in fairly good condition. Other roads, including the Old Northern Highway, roads to Lamanai, Río Bravo, and Gallon Jug, and the road to Sarteneja are mostly unpaved. Because tour and long-distance taxi prices are high, especially if you’re traveling with family or in a group, you likely will save money by renting a car.

Car-rental agencies in Belize City will usually deliver vehicles to Corozal and Orange Walk, but there will be a drop fee, starting at around BZ$150. Two small local car-rental agencies, Corozal Cars and Belize VIP Service, have a few cars to rent, at rates starting around BZ$140 a day, plus tax.

Taxi Travel

To get around Corozal, call the Taxi Association or ask your hotel to arrange for transportation. Fares to most destinations in town are low, at BZ$10 or less, but rates to points outside town can be expensive; agree on a price beforehand. Likewise, in Orange Walk call the Taxi Association or ask your hotel to arrange a taxi.

Emergencies

For dental and medical care, many of Corozal’s residents go to Chetumal, Mexico. In Corozal, visit Bethesda Medical Centre if you need medical care. Bethesda is associated with InterAmerican Medical University, a small offshore med school. The Corozal Hospital, with only limited facilities, is on the Goldson Highway. In Orange Walk, the Northern Regional Hospital doesn’t look very appealing, but it provides emergency and other services. Consider going to Belize City or Chetumal for medical and dental care, if possible.

Money Matters

Although American dollars are accepted everywhere in Corozal and Orange Walk, money changers at the Mexico border and in Corozal Town exchange Belize dollars for U.S. and Mexican currency, usually at better rates than in banks. The four banks in Corozal—Atlantic Bank, Belize Bank, Heritage Bank, and ScotiaBank—have ATMs, and three (all accept Heritage) accept ATM cards issued outside Belize. Look for ATM machines that display the Cirrus or Plus network logos. Orange Walk Town also has branches of Atlantic Bank, Heritage Bank, and ScotiaBank; Atlantic and ScotiaBank have ATMs that accept foreign ATM cards. There are no banks in Sarteneja or the Copper Bank area, or around Altun Ha or near the jungle lodges in remote areas of Orange Walk District.

About the Restaurants

With the exception of dining rooms at upscale jungle lodges, where four-course dinners can run BZ$70 or more, restaurants are almost invariably small, inexpensive, family-run places, serving simple meals such as stew chicken with rice and beans. Here, you’ll rarely pay more than BZ$25 for dinner, and frequently much less. If there’s a predominant culinary influence, it’s Mexican, and many restaurants serve tacos, tamales, garnaches (small, fried corn tortillas with beans, cabbage, and cheese piled on them), and soups such as escabeche (onion soup with chicken). A few places, mostly in Corozal Town, cater to tourists and expats with burgers and steaks. For a quick snack, restaurants on the second floor of the Corozal market sell inexpensive breakfast and lunch items (usually closed Sunday). You can also buy delicious local fruits and vegetables at the market—a huge papaya, two lovely mangoes, and a bunch of bananas cost as little as BZ$2.50 or BZ$3.

About the Hotels

As with restaurants, most hotels in northern Belize are small, family-run spots. In Corozal and Orange Walk towns, hotels are modest affairs with room rates generally under BZ$150–BZ$200 for a double, a fraction of the cost of hotels in San Pedro or other more popular parts of Belize. Generally, the hotels are clean, well maintained, and offer a homey atmosphere. They have private baths and plenty of hot and cold water, and most also have air-conditioning. Hotels and lodges in Crooked Tree, Sarteneja, and Copper Bank are also small and inexpensive; some have air-conditioning. The jungle lodges near Lamanai, Gallon Jug, and Altun Ha, however, are a different story. Several of these, including Chan Chich Lodge, Maruba Jungle Lodge and Spa, and Lamanai Outpost Lodge, are upscale accommodations, with gorgeous settings in the jungle or on a lagoon and prices to match, typically BZ$500 or more for a double in-season; meals and tours are extra. These lodges also offer all-inclusive and other package options that may go for BZ$1,000 and more.

Hotel and Restaurant Prices

Prices in the restaurant reviews are the average cost of a main course at dinner or, if dinner is not served, at lunch; taxes and service charges are generally included. Prices in the hotel reviews are the lowest cost of a standard double room in high season, excluding taxes, service charges, and meal plans (except at all-inclusives). Prices for rentals are the lowest per-night cost for a one-bedroom unit in high season.

Northern Belize Itineraries

If You Have 3 to 5 Days in Northern Belize

If you are starting in Belize City, rent a car and drive to Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, which has great birding and offers the chance to see the jabiru stork, the largest flying bird in the Americas. Spend a few hours here, canoeing on the lagoon and hiking trails. If you have an interest in birding, you’ll want to overnight here at one of the simple lagoon-side lodges, such as Bird’s Eye View Lodge or Crooked Tree Lodge. Otherwise, you could drive on to Maruba, an upscale jungle lodge and spa. The drive from Crooked Tree takes about 45 minutes. While you’re at Maruba, visit the Altun Ha Mayan site, which you can see in a couple of hours. On the second day, drive to Corozal Town, about 1½ hours from Maruba or Crooked Tree. Base here in Corozal Town for two days, at one of the small hotels on Corozal Bay such as Almond Tree Hotel Resort or Tony’s Inn and Beach Resort, making day trips by boat to Lamanai and Cerros ruins (or you can drive). If you have additional days in the north, you can add a visit to Sarteneja or cross the border into Chetumal, Mexico. Alternatively, after the first night in Crooked Tree or at Maruba, drive to the Lamanai Mayan site and spend the night there at Lamanai Outpost Lodge on the New River Lagoon, or, for a different experience, proceed to Blue Creek Village, a Mennonite area, and spend the night at Hillside B&B, or at La Milpa Field Station. Then, continue on through Programme for Belize lands to Chan Chich Lodge and spend the rest of your time in northern Belize at this amazing jungle lodge. If money isn’t much of an object and you want one of the best jungle lodge experiences in Central America, then ditch the car and fly from Belize City to Chan Chich, where you can spend all your time looking for jaguars and listening to the howler monkeys.

If You Have 1 Day in Northern Belize

With only one day, head to Lamanai, which with Caracol in the Cayo District is the most interesting of Belize’s Mayan sites. Although you can drive, the most enjoyable way to get to Lamanai is by a 1½-hour boat trip up the New River. Tour boats (BZ$80–BZ$90 per person) leave around 9 am from docks near the Tower Hill bridge over the New River just south of Orange Walk Town, or from a dock in town. If you’re staying overnight at Lamanai, your hotel can arrange boat transportation.

Safety

Corozal is one of Belize’s safer areas, but petty theft and burglaries aren’t uncommon, so use common sense when traveling through the area. Both Corozal Town and Orange Walk Town have some crack cocaine users. Often, they stand on the street with a pigtail bucket (a 5-gallon bucket) of water and try to earn money by washing car windshields—ignore them if you can.

Tours

Seeing the Ruins

Your hotel in Orange Walk Town or Corozal Town can arrange tours to Lamanai, Cerros, and other sites, starting at around BZ$80 per person. In Orange Walk, Reyes & Sons River Tours, Beyond Touring, and J. Avila & Sons run boat trips (around BZ$80 per person, plus BZ$10 admission fee) up the New River to Lamanai and can help arrange other tours and trips. In Corozal Town, Belize VIP Transfers can arrange tours of Cerros, Santa Rita and elsewhere.

Snorkeling

From Sarteneja, Sarteneja Adventure Tours can take you to Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve and National Park off North Ambergris Caye. Rates are BZ$170 per person for a full-day snorkel tour, including guide, park admission, snorkeling gear, and lunch.

Contact
Sarteneja Adventure Tours. | N. Front St., | Sarteneja | 621/8336.

Visitor Information

An excellent source of general information on northern Belize is the website www.northernbelize.com. For information about Corozal, check www.corozal.com. Local information on Orange Walk managed by the Orange Walk Town Council is at www.owtc.bz.

The Corozal House of Culture houses a museum devoted to the history of Corozal Town and northern Belize, and a visitor information center.

Local Food Festivals

Belizeans love to party, and festivals celebrating lobster, chocolate, cashews, and other local foods give them—and you—the chance to join in the fun. Here are some of the food festivals in Belize. Note that dates can change from year to year.

Cashew Festival, Crooked Tree in early May. Crooked Tree village is named for the cashew tree that often grows in a serpentine fashion, curling and growing sideways as well as up. The yellow cashew fruit, which tastes a little like mango and smells like grapes, ripens in late spring, and the Crooked Tree Festival celebrates the cashew in all its forms: fruit, nut, juice, jam, and wine.

Chocolate Festival of Belize, Toledo in late May. Toledo’s increasingly popular tribute to local cacao celebrates the home of chocolate in Belize, with tours of small chocolate factories in Punta Gorda and nearby, visits to organic cacao farms, and local music and dances. Belikin beer even brews a special chocolate stout for the occasion.

Hopkins Mango Festival and Cultural Jam in late May or early June. New in 2011, the Hopkins Mango Fest is devoted to the sweet, juicy mango, spiced by local Garifuna culture. Events include a Garifuna drumming competition, along with bicycle and canoe races.

Placencia LobsterFest in late June. Belize’s biggest and best salute to the spiny lobster is held in Placencia village, usually on the last weekend in June. Booths sell local lobster grilled, fried, curried, and in fritters, and there’s music, dancing, and lots of Belikin. LobsterFests also are held, typically in late June or early July, in San Pedro and Caye Caulker.

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