• Belize Guide

  • Introduction to Belize
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Public holidays

• Explore Belize

  • Belize City
  • The north
  • The northern cayes and atolls
  • Cayo and the west
  • The south

• Cities

  • Belize City
    

Belize Guide

The north

Northern Belize is an expanse of relatively level land where swamps, savannahs and lagoons mix with rainforest and farmland. For many years this part of the country was largely inaccessible and had closer ties with Mexico than Belize City; most of the original settlers were refugees from the Caste Wars in Yucatán, who brought with them the sugarcane that formed the basis of the Belizean economy for much of the twentieth century. Indian and mestizo farming communities were connected by a skeletal network of dirt tracks, while boats plied the route between Belize City and Corozal. In 1930, however, the Northern Highway brought the region into contact with the rest of the country, opening up the area to further waves of settlers.

The largest town in the north is Orange Walk, the main centre for sugar production. Further north, Corozal is a small and peaceful Caribbean settlement with a strong Mexican element – not surprising, as it lies just 14km from the border. Throughout the north, Spanish is as common as Creole, and there's a distinctive Latin flavour to life.

Most visitors to northern Belize come to see the Maya ruins and wildlife reserves. The largest archeological site, Lamanai, features some of the most impressive pyramids in the country.

The north is also a haven for wildlife, and many of the main reserves in the region offers insight into a specific habitat or conservation strategy. At the Community Baboon Sanctuary in the Belize River valley, a group of farmers has combined agriculture with conservation, much to the benefit of the black howler monkey, while at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a network of lagoons and creeks gives protection to a range of migratory birds, including the endangered jabiru stork. By far the largest and most ambitious conservation project is the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, comprising 970 square kilometres of tropical forest and river systems in the west of Orange Walk District.