The Cayo district lies in western Belize and spans for about 2000 square miles that has some of the most scenic attractions in Belize. Here you’ll find meandering rivers, lush jungles, green hillsides, roaring waterfalls, extensive cave systems, a pine ridge, and Maya ruins. Cayo is rich with wildlife and is a tourist favorite in Belize. For horseback riding enthusiasts, Cayo is the destination for you as its landscaping allows for more horseback riding than in any other part of Belize.

Getting Here

You’ll arrive in Cayo from Belize City via the George Price highway for about an hour-long drive until you arrive in Belmopan (Belize’s capital city).  Belmopan is known for its lively market area filled with fresh produce and people bustling about. There is also a bus terminal nearby as well as taxis that are ready to take you to any part of Belize that your heart desires. In Belmopan, you can also find commercial banks, restaurants, fast food shacks, internet cafes and shops.

From Belmopan, you’ll move on toward San Ignacio where you’ll pass the Mennonite settlement of Spanish Lookout. Spanish Lookout largely resembles a neat rural town in Mid-America. It is a thriving agricultural community with two large supermarkets and several hardware stores.

Continuing on your journey to the heart of Cayo, you’ll proceed west of Belmopan on a beautiful drive pass villages like Ontario, Tea Kettle, Central Farm and Esperanza. Along with these villages, you’ll see large tracts of cultivated farmland and fields of cattle grazing. Cayo provides most of the produce, livestock and grain consumed in the entire country.

After a very scenic 72-mile drive from Belize City, you’ll arrive in the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio which are separate by the Hawksworth Bridge (the country’s only suspension bridge) atop the Macal River. The twin towns are the gateway to Belize’s western border with Guatemala. This area is very popular with tourists. There are many luxury hotels, guesthouses and backpacker hostels in the area along with night clubs, stores, restaurants, cafes, and natural attractions like Mayan ruins and cave tubing.

Things to Do

Visit Benque Viejo del Carmen

Benque Viejo del Carmen is a Mestizo village only two miles away from the Guatemalan Border. Normally very quiet, he village comes to life during its July festival honoring the village’s patron saint with food, presentations and games. Easter is also quite lively with religious rituals taking place on Good Friday where Christians from around the country would come to see the Passion of Christ procession.

Cahal Pech Maya Ruin

Cahal Pech is set atop a hill only a mile from town. It’s a 15-minute hike to the top, but the spectacular views of San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley are very rewarding. There’s a museum at this site with many Mayan artifacts on display. Nearby, down the Bullet Tree Road, is El Pilar Archaeological Reserve which is the site of the annual Mayan Celebration that takes place every April.

Xunantunich Maya Ruins

Xunantunich translates to “Maiden of the Rock” and stands at a whopping 130 feet tall. This Maya site is located 8 miles west of San Ignacio. El Castillo is the tallest structure at Xunantunich and the second tallest in Belize. Climbers who can reach the top can enjoy panoramic views of Cayo and Guatemala.

Retire in Cayo

Cayo has a booming expat retirement community after Corozal and Ambergris Caye. Cayo is a popular choice because it has a low cost of living than Ambergris Caye and a lot more open spaces available for purchase than Corozal.

Cayo has two universities- the University of Belize and Galen University. Galen University is an affiliate of Indianapolis University of the USA. Cayo also has an American School that caters to kids of diplomats and expats just outside of Belmopan.

Orange Walk is about 55 miles north on the Phillip Goldson Highway and 65 miles from Belize City. Orange Walk is affectionately known as “Suga (shu-gah) City” to the locals because one of its main economic sources is sugar cane cultivation in the country. It is home to the country’s only toll booth at its entrance when driving from Belize. When at the toll booth, you’re greeted by two sites – the New River and the Sugar Mill. Orange Walk is known for its cattle and rum production as well as ecotourism.

Orange Walk’s population is just over 40,000 and is Belize’s third most populous district. There is a variety of exotic places to explore in Orange Walk. Visitors enjoy uncovering Mayan Ruins like Lamanai and Cuello; and gliding down the New River enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. With Orange Walk being only 30 miles away from Corozal, more modern attractions and activities across the border in Mexico are very easily accessible.

Lamanai Maya Ruins

The Lamanai Maya Ruins are located on two square miles of land at the edge of a forest reserve. Your journey begins with the travel there, as you need to go by boat uo the New River for about an hour-and-a-half-long ride. But this ride is far from boring. Along the way you can spot beautiful orchids and other exotic flowers, as well as birds and other animals prowling about on the river banks.

Lamanai is also accessible by vehicle, but that is the path less traveled. By road, you’d have to travek for about an hour and fifteen minutes through tiny villages like Yo Creek and San Pelipe, and some unpaved roads.

Lamanai translates to “submerged crocodile” in Maya. Ancient records kept by Spanish Missionaries refer to the ancient Maya city as Lamanai and so the name remained. There are many artifacts at the Maya ruin depicting crocodiles. One of the tallest buildings in the Mayan world is at Lamanai and it stands 112 feet tall providing visitors with breathtaking views. Several hundred buildings have been excavated along with royal ball courts. Once atop the ruins, you’ll have a great view of an abundance of flora and fauna as well as a variety of birds.

If you’re interested in a tour of Lamanai, there are many tour guides available and the Lamanai Outpost Lodge provides accommodations with 24-hour power, hot water, and private bathrooms. The lodge is in walking distance from the Maya ruins and they can arrange for day tours as well as night time river safari tours.

Bird Watching

Aside from its prime location near the ruins, the Lamanai Outpost Lodge is a great base to get rare sightings of birds like the Yucatan Nightjars and Long-tailed Hermit Hummingbird.

If you’re boating down the river, you’ll be joined by unparalleled bird sightings. There have been over 400 bird species recorded to be seen around Lamanai. There are Roseate Spoonbills, Sun Grebes, Long-necked Anhingas and Jabiru Storks to name a few.

Corozal is the northern most district in Belize and only 8 miles south of the Mexican border of Santa Elena which borders Belize and Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Corozal is a quaint sea side town that is filled with remnants of the ancient Mayas, the Cerros and Santa Rita Maya ruins.

Present day Corozal is a booming expat community with excellent fishing in the Bay. The expat community can be found in the northern tip of the district in areas like Consejo Shores, Copper Bank and Chunox. Although Corozal is not a tourist destination, it gives visitors a wide range of nature activities to enjoy like bird watching, wildlife viewing, Maya ruin tours, fishing trips, tours through the nature reserve and shopping trips to neighboring Mexican cities.

Background

If you’re driving to Belize through Mexico, your first taste of Belize will be from Corozal. Once known as the epicenter of Belize’s sugar industry, Corozal is now best known for its Free Zone, developing expat communities and low cost of living.

If you’re wondering what all is there to do when staying in Corozal, this little town is booming with fun activities. Corozal is a great base for day trips across the border to Chetumal, excursions to Maya Ruins and beaches within the Yucatan Peninsula, fly fishing and nature hikes. The largest island in Belize, Ambergris Caye, is only 15 minutes by air from Corozal and is great for diving and snorkeling.

Although Corozal is the northern most district in Belize, you don’t have to miss out on the rest of the country just because you’re based there. Belize City is only 90 miles from Corozal and you’d be able to drive from north to south of Belize in just one day.

The characteristics of a Corozal lifestyle are definitely to go slow and take things easy. On its quiet streets, you can find a few commercial banks, museum, churches, primary schools, gas stations, Chinese grocery shops and restaurants, and a small produce market. All these stores are no more than 10 minutes away from each other.

Unless you’re into outdoor activities, there’s not much to do here. Most activities take place during the week at the Central Park when people are bustling about conducting business. Weekends are essentially very quiet in Corozal when the people take time out to rest, be with family, or travel across the border for shopping in the large Mexican supermarkets.

Living in Corozal

Corozal has the fourth largest population in Belize with over 20,000 residents including locals and a host of American and European retirees. Because of its booming expat retirement communities, Corozal was ranked on AARP’s top retirement destinations in 2010.

Despite attracting a lot of visitors to their Free Zone by the border, the town center isn’t affected and remains slow-paced keeping its charming sea-side feeling all year long. Corozal Town is in the Bay of Corozal with almost 11,000 residents. Spanish is the dominant language here. But like everywhere else in Belize, Corozal has a mixture of cultures ranging from Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite and Asians.

Many residents of Corozal find employment at the Corozal Free Zone. The Free Zone isn’t open to Belize residents and caters mostly to Mexicans from Quintana Roo. Chetumal, Quintana Roo has a larger population that the entire country of Belize and is only a twenty-minute drive from Corozal Town.

The Corozal Free Zone provides customers with casinos, hotels, shopping, arcades, and wholesale depots. Everyday hundreds of Mexicans cross the Santa Elena border to shop in the Corozal Free Zone.

Corozal Attractions

Market

Corozal’s produce market is located along the bay and is a great place to find a wide selection of exotic fruits and vegetables along with lots of friendly faces from the locals.

Museum

Near the market is a 19^th Century Customs house which serves as a little museum in Corozal. It displays Mayan artifacts, a pictorial history of the sugarcane industry, and many other historical and artistic displays.

Corozal Town Hall

The Corozal Town Hall has a graphic depiction of the Yucatan Caste War including the impact of colonial rule on the Mayas sketched in a beautiful mural on its wall. The mural was painted by Manuel Villamor Reyes in 1986.

Maya Ruins

Corozal has two Maya Ruins to explore, Santa Rita and Cerros. Santa Rita Maya Ruin is located on the northern outskirts of town and Cerros is across the Corozal Bay.

Retirement

Corozal is a great place to retire in Belize due to its proximity to Mexico. Being so close makes first world amenities like malls, movie theatres, other first class activities easily accessible to retirees in Corozal.

There are several expat communities in Corozal. The largest is Consejo Shores which is a twenty-minute drive north of Corozal Town facing Chetumal City. Consejo Shores used to be a cane farming and fishing community, but it is now developing with many residential communities.

Majority of the home owners in these residential communities are from North America and Europe who have very modern homes with manicured lawns making the communities very attractive. Although Corozal’s expat communities are developing, there are still lots of land available for development, including sea front properties which do come at a higher price for the view.

Belize’s educational system is based largely on the English system with American influences introduced by immigrating Jesuits. Instead of a grade system from 1st to 12th grade like in the American educational system, Belize’s system is labeled a bit differently.

Levels of Education

The first levels of education in Belize are Infant 1 and Infant 2, which would be equivalent to Kindergarten and 1st Grade in the United States. 2nd grade to 7th grade is called Standard 1 to Standard 6 in Belize. High school classes in Belize are labelled 1st Form through 4th Form, which is the equivalent of 8th Grade through the 11th Grade in the States. Following 4th Form in Belize, students would then go to a Junior College (Sixth Form) for their Associate’s Degree then on to Graduate School  where they complete either a Bachelor’s or Master’s program.

Education Statistics

Most schools in Belize are operated under Catholic, Anglican or Methodist denomination. Almost all primary and high schools in Belize use a uniform. Only Junior Colleges and Universities do not use uniforms.

Most of the better schools with fully trained teachers are located in Belize City and the larger towns in the country. In small southern villages, most teachers don’t have formal training and many of the children in these villages don’t even finish primary school.

According to the 2012-2013 statistics released by Belize’s Ministry of Education, there were approximately 105,221 students enrolled from pre-school to university level. Of that amount, 7,400 students were enrolled in pre-school, 68,812 students were enrolled in primary school, 20,539 were enrolled in secondary school, 3,818 were enrolled in junior college and 4,652 were enrolled in university.

On average, there are 23 students to a teacher in primary school; and an average of 16 students to a teacher in high school.

Discipline in the Classrooms

In 2010, corporal punishment in the classrooms was prohibited in Belize’s Education Act. Part 10 section 41(7 ) of the Act states that “nothing in this section authorises anything to be done in relation to a pupil which contributes the giving of corporal punishment defined as physical punishment and the threat of it to include, but not limited to, hitting the child with the hand or with an object (such as a cane, belt, whip, shoe, etc.); kicking, shaking, or throwing the child, pinching or pulling a child’s hair; forcing a child to stay in uncomfortable or undignified positions, or to take excessive physical exercise; burning or scarring a child; psychological punishment to include but not limited to humiliating or degrading a child through verbal abuse, ridicule, isolation, or ignoring the child”.

National Examinations

Secondary Education in Belize is very competitive and along with a high cost, admission depends largely on students’ grades on a national comprehensive exam – PSE (Primary School Examination). The PSE examination is based on the following subjects: English, Math, Social Studies and Science.

There is another examination all students in the nation need to take when finishing high school, the CXC exams- a regional examination sat by students from across the Caribbean. This examination covers a wide range of subject, about 33 of them. In Belize, students are expected to sit and pass at least 6 for acceptance to a tertiary level institution within the country or larger Caribbean.

Cost of Education in  Belize

The cost of education in Belize can range from ridiculously cheap (public primary schools) to very costly (private schools). Some public schools like St. Joseph Primary School have tuition set at about US $35 per semester. Rates can go up to as high as US $3,000 per year in a private primary school.

High School prices range about US $500 a year for tuition and fees. While Universities charge about US $675 per semester (approximately 15 credit hours).

Higher Education Institutions 

There are many community colleges located all across Belize. In the North there is Corozal Community College and Muffles Community College. Belize City has St. John’s Junior College and Wesley Junior College.  In the West, there is Sacred Heart Junior College, and Toledo Community College in the South. Each of the above mentioned institutions offer two year post -high school programs or Associate’s Degrees; and most are attached to a High School. These institutions are modeled after Britain’s “Sixth Forms”.

To see a full list of all the educational institutions in Belize, visit the Ministry of Education’s website.

Belize is a melting pot of cultures. As such, its bubbling with hints of varied cuisines from all over the world. You can find influences from America, Europe, India, China and other Central and Latin American countries.

These influences are what makes Belizean food so delectable. Visitors fall in love with local favorites like the tamales, chimole, hudut, roti, and of course the famous rice and beans. Tourists flock to Belize every year to get a closer look at the diverse cultures that make up this country through its food.

Get a taste of the delicious Belizean food with these recipes.

Belize Rice and Beans

Rice and Beans is the staple in Belize. You can find this dish selling almost everywhere in the country and its always served the same way- white rice mixed with red kidney beans, stewed chicken, potato salad and fried ripe plantain.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. red kidney beans
• 2 plugs of garlic (crushed)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 2 lbs. cleaned white rice
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 6 – 8 cups of water
• 1 small pigtail/ salt beef/pieces of bacon (optional)

Method

1. Wash the beans and soak for 4 hours in 6 – 8 cups of water. If using distilled water, the beans will only need to be soaked 2 hours to soften.
2. Boil beans with garlic, onion and pig tail/salt beef/ bacon until tender. Note: If you use pig tail or salt beef, you need  to wash the meat and cut off excess fat. You can opt to use a pressure cooker to cut down on cook time.
3. Season beans with black pepper, thyme and sale.
4. Add coconut milk then stir and let boil.
5. Add rice to seasoned beans then stir and cover the pot.
6. Cook on low heat until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. If necessary, you can add more water until the rice is tender. Note: Normally, one cup of rice absorbs 2 cups of water.

Tamales

Tamales is a Mayan dish that made from boiled meat, normally chicken or pork, that is placed atop a soft corn dough called masa which is then covered with a tomato based sauce called “col”, wrapped in plantain or banana leaves and finally boiled .

Recipe yields 12 tamales.

Ingredients

• Plantain or banana leaves
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. annatto
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 2 lbs. masa
• 3/4 cups oil
• 2-4 cups water
• 12 pieces of cooked chicken

Method to make the col:

1. In a medium pot, mix the salt, pepper, annatto, bouillon, onion, garlic and 1 tbsp. oil.
2. Add 1/2 lb. masa and 1 cup of water then bring to a boil, stirring consistently.
3. Remove from flame when the sauce is at the boiling point and set aside.

Method to make the tamales masa base:

1. Mix 1.5 lbs. masa with 3/4 cups oil adding water until the consistency is soft like clay.
2. Form dough into 12 balls.
3. Place each ball on a piece of banana or plantain leaf then flatten ball into a tortilla shape.
4. Add one piece of chicken to the center of each open tamale and top with about 1 tsp. of col.
5. Close the tamale by folding over each side like an envelope, then wrap foil tightly over the enclosed tamale to secure the contents in the leaf while boiling.
6. Add tamales into a pot with some water and boil for about an hour. Do not cover completely cover the pot with tamales while boiling.
7. One they finished boiling, let cool a bit then enjoy.

The weather in Belize can be categorized by two major seasons, the wet and dry seasons. The wet season is between the months of June to November, while the dry season is from December to May. Belize goes under hurricane watch during the wet season but has fortunately, not experienced any major storms for the past few years. The driest month in Belize is in April.

Belize Temperatures

The temperature ranges in Belize from 50 degrees F to 95 degrees F. The coolest times in Belize is between November to February when the average temperature is at 75 degrees F and reaches its hottest time in between May and September with an average temperature of 81 degrees F. Temperatures in Belize are slightly higher inland than they are along the coast. The temperatures in Belize are determined by differences in humidity and temperature rather than difference in temperature.

Average Rainfall in Belize

Average rainfall in Belize ranges from 60 inches in the north to 160 inches in the south. Except for in the southern regions, rainfall in Belize is variable from year to year.

Rainfall is enhanced in southern Belize due to the intrusion of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone as it travels to the north. The wet season starts as early as May in the south and the wettest month is normally in July.

Weather Systems in Belize

The main weather systems that are experienced in Belize are Tropical Waves, Tropical Storms, Hurricanes and Cold Fronts. Tropical Waves are most common during the months of June and July. Tropical Storms peak during September and October. Hurricanes occur mainly during the wet season from June to November, but the number varies from year to year. A cold front passes over the country almost every ten days. Cold fronts are most common between October and April.

Belize’s unit of currency is the Belize Dollar. The basic rate for a US dollar to Belize dollar exchange is set at 2 Belize dollars to 1 US dollar. However, banks may provide a slightly lower rate to include a commission on the exchange.

When visiting Belize, there’s really no need to convert your money from US dollars since the US currency is widely accepted all across the country at a 2 to 1 exchange rate in most shops and restaurants.

However if you do decide to exchange your US dollars for Belize dollars, be aware that Belize dollars isn’t as universally accepted like the US dollar. It is only used within Belize. Should you visit neighboring Mexico or Guatemala, you can exchange Belize dollars for pesos or quetzal. If you’re returning to the US, UK, Canada or Europe, the commercial banks normally convert Belize dollars to all these currencies.

Declaration of Funds Upon Entry to Belize

The Belize law requires every traveler entering Belize to declare any funds they bring with them that is over US $5000 on their disembarkation card upon presentation to the Belize Customs Authority. This US $5000 limit is per travelling adult and is in the form of cash or cheques. Should the excess not be declared, the traveler may be fined up to three times the undeclared amount.

The Belize Currency

The Belize currency is printed at De La Rue Ltd., a British company. As a member of the British Commonwealth, Belize has the Queen of England as its head of state. As such, all local bank notes feature a prominent image of Queen Elizabeth II on the front.

By law, Belizeans are not permitted to hold US currency bank accounts. In order to acquire US dollars for travel, imports or any other expenses, Belizeans must apply for the funds via a permit submitted to the Central Bank of Belize. US dollars are sold in Belize at a rate of 1 USD to 2.0175 BZD. USD is bought at a rate of 1.98 USD = 2 BZD.

The law that prohibit Belizeans from holding a US currency account does not apply to Belize passport holders who do not reside in Belize. However, any money in excess of US $5,000 that is brought into the country must be declared.

Those coming to Belize from Mexico or Guatemala cannot visit commercial banks to get local currency. They have convert their local currencies to Belize dollars with money changers at their respective borders. The commercial banks in Belize only convert local Belize dollars to USD, CAD, GBP and EURO physical currencies, and vice versa.

Security Features of the Belize Currency

When handling any currency, it is very important to be aware of how to spot counterfeits in order to avoid participating in any illegal transactions. In Belize there are 8 security features for each bank note:

1. Watermark – Belize has 3 different versions of currency in circulation, the 1990, 1998 and 2003 version. The 1990 issue has the “Sleeping Giant” watermark on all notes. The 2003 and 1998 versions have a Jaguar watermark on the $100 and $50 notes and the Sleeping Giant remains on the $20, $10, $5 and $2 notes. The 2003 version bank notes also have the value of each denomination in letters as an electrotype below the watermark.
2. Windowed Thread – There is a security thread incorporated in the bank note when it is manufactured. This thread is visible when held up to the light. The 2003 bank notes has a widened thread of 1.5 mm. The thread glows blue and reads “BELIZE” followed by an inverted “BELIZE” under UV light. The 1998 bank notes’ security thread will read “Belize” followed by the notes’ denomination under UV light for the $20, $50 and $100 notes. The 1990 notes thread illuminates under UV light.
3. See-through Feature – Each denomination has a different design for the see-through feature, but all can be found at the same location below the water mark. To verify the note’s authentication, hold it up to the light and the printed design of the back will fit exactly within the unprinted areas of the front of the note.
4. Novel Numbering – This novel numbering appears in black on the right hand side on the front of the 2003 and 1998 bank note versions. The novel numbering shows progressively larger digits in adjacent positions.
5. Printed Metallic Feature – This feature appears in the lower left hand corner on the front of the $100 and $50 notes. It is printed in metallic ink and shows the numeric value of the note along with the initials “CBB” when the note is viewed from different angles.
6. Applied Metallic Feature – This applied metallic feature appears on the $100 and $50 notes. The $100 note has a hologram located on the right of the 2003 and 1998 issues that carries small images of the toucan and the numeral 100 within it. The 2003 version of the $100 note also has an intaglio overprint in the shape of a periwinkle flower as added security. The $50 note has a highly reflective metallic foil in the shape of an angel fish with a jade head printed over it in intaglio.
7. Intaglio – Intaglio printing gives the bank notes their unique feel by depositing a layer of ink of varying thickness on the paper while simultaneously embossing the paper surface.
8. UV Feature – This UV feature is printed on the surface of the notes and is only visible under UV light. The bank notes show two blocks of invisible ink with the numeral of the denomination and the jabiru stork on the front. The back of the note shows one block with the numeral of the denomination.

Below are specimens of the Belize bank notes provided by the Central Bank of Belize on their website.