If you're planning on being in the northern part of Belize, Corozal can be an interesting place to explore for the day.
Corozal is the northernmost town in Belize and was founded in 1848 by refugees from the Maya Indian uprising against the Spanish in neighboring Yucatan.
A massacre at Bacalar, Mexico finally led to the exodus of thousands to go south and cross the Rio Hondo River. The river now serves as a boundary between Belize and Mexico. Fort Barlee was built in 1870 and parts of the fort are still visiable today as the brick corner supports that surround the post office. While downtown don’t miss the mural on the Town Hall that tells the tale of the history of Corozal which was painted by the Belizean-Mexican artist Manual Villamore.
Make sure to check out the mounds of Cerros located just acrossed the bay. These Mayan ruins are considered one of the most important late preclassic Maya sites because it represented the first experiment with kingship in the Maya world. The remains include a number of temples, plazas, ballcourts, canals, and other minor structures.
Within Corozal can be found another Maya ruin known as Santa Rita. The pyramid site sits atop the remains of a Maya city that dominated the area for more than 2000 years. Jewelry and artifacts from burial sites indicate Santa Rita was most likely part of ancient Chactumal, the Maya capital of the area at the time of the first Spanish contact in the early 16th century.
I enjoyed a great bed at a good rate at Mark Anthony’s Hotel and the food and friendly faces of the family owned business made my stay extra enjoyable. The hotel is located on the bay overlooking a town park which makes it is easy to get around and get the real feel of Corozal Town.
Mark Anthony’s Hotel
Mark Anthony “Butchie” Ramirez
Ph#501-422-3141
2nd Avenue & 4th Street North
Corozal Town
If you're looking for a great book to read on a vacation down to Belize, check out The Mosquito Coast, by Paul Theroux. The novel is about a crazed American man who moves his family to Central America to hack a life out of the jungle.
