ORANGE WALK DISTRICT
Why Consider Vacationing In Orange Walk?
Gateway to Chetumal (Mexico), home to the sugar cane industry for Belize, the site of the famous Lamanai Mayan ruins, and much more, can all be found in the Belize Orange Walk District.
Orange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town. Other towns and significant villages in Orange Walk District include Camelita, Guinea Grass Town, San Estevan, San Jose, San Pablo, Shipyard, Indian Church, San Carlos and Trial Farm. Orange Walk District also includes the ancient May ruin of Lamanai, and the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, a large private nature reserve.
Orange Walk district is the third largest district in the country. The capital of the district is Orange Walk Town, also known by the locals as "Sugar City" (pronounced shuga city). The district is home to mostly Maya Mestizo people, descendants of Mexican refugees who fled from the 1840 Caste War. The district's main economic base is drawn from agriculture, with sugar cane being the primary crop. This is slowly being replaced by a combination of alternative crops such potatoes, onions, and soy beans. The district is also the home of two rivers, the Rio Hondo, which also forms part of the border with Mexico, and the New River. In this district you can also find Belize's largest body of water, The New River Lagoon.
It is often overlooked, but this beautiful part of Belize offers some of the best birding in the country. Orange Walk is the home to Lamanai, one of the most exotic Mayan ruins in Belize. Take a river tour and see the lush river banks and native inhabitants such as egrets, roseate spoonbills and colorful jacanas, as well as monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas.
Orange Walk District is a district in the northwest of the nation of Belize, with its district capital in Orange Walk Town. Other towns and significant villages in Orange Walk District include Camelita, Guinea Grass Town, San Estevan, San Jose, San Pablo, Shipyard, Indian Church, San Carlos and Trial Farm. Orange Walk District also includes the ancient May ruin of Lamanai, and the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, a large private nature reserve.
Orange Walk district is the third largest district in the country. The capital of the district is Orange Walk Town, also known by the locals as "Sugar City" (pronounced shuga city). The district is home to mostly Maya Mestizo people, descendants of Mexican refugees who fled from the 1840 Caste War. The district's main economic base is drawn from agriculture, with sugar cane being the primary crop. This is slowly being replaced by a combination of alternative crops such potatoes, onions, and soy beans. The district is also the home of two rivers, the Rio Hondo, which also forms part of the border with Mexico, and the New River. In this district you can also find Belize's largest body of water, The New River Lagoon.
It is often overlooked, but this beautiful part of Belize offers some of the best birding in the country. Orange Walk is the home to Lamanai, one of the most exotic Mayan ruins in Belize. Take a river tour and see the lush river banks and native inhabitants such as egrets, roseate spoonbills and colorful jacanas, as well as monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas.
THINGS TO DO - ORANGE WALK
Top Attractions in Orange Walk
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Getting to Orange Walk
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Things To See & Do In Orange Walk District
Cuello - Cuello is the oldest Mayan site found in Belize. To see this magnificent relic, you’ll need permission from the Cuello family as it’s located on their own private land.
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – If you enjoy bird watching, then you’ll love the sanctuary! Located on 25 square miles, you’ll see over 286 species of birds in their natural habitat of swamps, lagoons, and waterways.
Lamanai Mayan Temple Site – It’s one of Belize’s largest ceremonial centers and means “submerged crocodile”. Found on the New River, the 24 miles of Mayan relics is filled with wildlife, birds, and beautiful scenery. Some of the ruins are: temples, plazas, colonial structures, and a visitor’s center. There is also a colonial sugar mill and the remnants of two 16th century Spanish churches.
Banquitas House of Culture - Located in Orange Walk Town and featuring exhibits on history, industry and culture, this is one of the country's premier museums.
Mennonite Communities – Orange Walk is known for its Mennonite communities. It’s not uncommon to find farmers with their horse-drawn carriages here.
Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area - The area of Rio Bravo is 4% of Belize’s land area and is a protected rainforest. It’s not unusual to see jaguars, toucans, iguanas, and over 400 species of birds living here.
La Milpa – This is the third largest archeological reserve in Belize. At least 85 major structures and 24 plazas have been identified.
Cuello - Cuello is the oldest Mayan site found in Belize. To see this magnificent relic, you’ll need permission from the Cuello family as it’s located on their own private land.
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – If you enjoy bird watching, then you’ll love the sanctuary! Located on 25 square miles, you’ll see over 286 species of birds in their natural habitat of swamps, lagoons, and waterways.
Lamanai Mayan Temple Site – It’s one of Belize’s largest ceremonial centers and means “submerged crocodile”. Found on the New River, the 24 miles of Mayan relics is filled with wildlife, birds, and beautiful scenery. Some of the ruins are: temples, plazas, colonial structures, and a visitor’s center. There is also a colonial sugar mill and the remnants of two 16th century Spanish churches.
Banquitas House of Culture - Located in Orange Walk Town and featuring exhibits on history, industry and culture, this is one of the country's premier museums.
Mennonite Communities – Orange Walk is known for its Mennonite communities. It’s not uncommon to find farmers with their horse-drawn carriages here.
Rio Bravo Conservation & Management Area - The area of Rio Bravo is 4% of Belize’s land area and is a protected rainforest. It’s not unusual to see jaguars, toucans, iguanas, and over 400 species of birds living here.
La Milpa – This is the third largest archeological reserve in Belize. At least 85 major structures and 24 plazas have been identified.
DON'T MISS "ORANGE WALK" TACOS
What To Eat & Drink In Orange Walk District
Treat yourself to some Orange Walk tacos, filled with onion, cabbage, chicken, pork or all of the above. If tacos aren't your thing, try pibil (pork), an authentic dish made by slow-cooking and hearth-searing whole pigs that cook so long, meat falls off the bone. Taste the light side of Orange walk by indulging in ceviche or salpicon and if you've got room for dessert, keep this in mind: Belize has been called the chocolate capital of the region.
Where To Stay In Orange Walk District (Where to Stay)
The town is an excellent place to stop when traveling to Mexico from Belize. One of the top hotels to stay in Orange Walk Town is the fabulous El Gran Mestizo Hotel which is strategically located on the historic New River, just eight minutes from downtown.
Treat yourself to some Orange Walk tacos, filled with onion, cabbage, chicken, pork or all of the above. If tacos aren't your thing, try pibil (pork), an authentic dish made by slow-cooking and hearth-searing whole pigs that cook so long, meat falls off the bone. Taste the light side of Orange walk by indulging in ceviche or salpicon and if you've got room for dessert, keep this in mind: Belize has been called the chocolate capital of the region.
Where To Stay In Orange Walk District (Where to Stay)
The town is an excellent place to stop when traveling to Mexico from Belize. One of the top hotels to stay in Orange Walk Town is the fabulous El Gran Mestizo Hotel which is strategically located on the historic New River, just eight minutes from downtown.
ALTUN HA MAYAN TEMPLE
Altun Ha Mayan Temple Site
This is one of Belize’s most popular tourist attractions where you’ll find the largest ancient pyramid, the Temple of the Masonry Altars. The Temple is 54 feet tall and dates back to the 7th Century. Climb to the top for a spectacular view!
Altun Ha is the name given to the ruins of an ancient Mayan city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Belize City and about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea. The site covers an area of about 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi). Stones from the ruins of the ancient structures were reused for residential construction of the agricultural village of Rockstone Pond in modern times, but the ancient site did not come to the attention of archeologists until 1963. The Old Northern Highway connects Altun Ha to Belize's Northern Highway, and the site is accessible for tourism. The largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids, the "Temple of the Masonry Altars", is 16 metres (52 ft) high. A drawing of this structure is the logo of Belize's leading brand of beer, "Belikin".
This is one of Belize’s most popular tourist attractions where you’ll find the largest ancient pyramid, the Temple of the Masonry Altars. The Temple is 54 feet tall and dates back to the 7th Century. Climb to the top for a spectacular view!
Altun Ha is the name given to the ruins of an ancient Mayan city in Belize, located in the Belize District about 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Belize City and about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west of the shore of the Caribbean Sea. The site covers an area of about 8 square kilometres (3.1 sq mi). Stones from the ruins of the ancient structures were reused for residential construction of the agricultural village of Rockstone Pond in modern times, but the ancient site did not come to the attention of archeologists until 1963. The Old Northern Highway connects Altun Ha to Belize's Northern Highway, and the site is accessible for tourism. The largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids, the "Temple of the Masonry Altars", is 16 metres (52 ft) high. A drawing of this structure is the logo of Belize's leading brand of beer, "Belikin".
TOWER HILL SUGAR FACTORY
Orange Walk Sugar Factory
At present, over 60,000 acres of sugarcane are in production in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. Processing of sugar is conducted at the Tower Hill Factory on the southern outskirts of Orange Walk Town. In 2009, 917,728 tons of cane were harvested in the country. The price per ton of cane in 2011 was $72.17 which meant that over $61 million dollars was paid to farmers. The price paid to Belize per ton of sugar in 2011 was €335.14 or roughly $907. The sugar industry produces white sugar, brown sugar, molasses and electricity from sugarcane. The electricity is produced by the burning of sugarcane bagasse which is used to convert water to steam. The steam is used to turn turbines which produce electricity
At present, over 60,000 acres of sugarcane are in production in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts. Processing of sugar is conducted at the Tower Hill Factory on the southern outskirts of Orange Walk Town. In 2009, 917,728 tons of cane were harvested in the country. The price per ton of cane in 2011 was $72.17 which meant that over $61 million dollars was paid to farmers. The price paid to Belize per ton of sugar in 2011 was €335.14 or roughly $907. The sugar industry produces white sugar, brown sugar, molasses and electricity from sugarcane. The electricity is produced by the burning of sugarcane bagasse which is used to convert water to steam. The steam is used to turn turbines which produce electricity
BANQUITAS HOUSE OF CULTURE
BANQUITAS HOUSE OF CULTURE
Located in Orange Walk Town and featuring exhibits on history, industry and culture, this is one of the country's premier museums. Banquitas House of Culture is a dynamic Community Center which hosts a series of Educational, and Artistic traveling or local exhibition from the country or the region, these are often spearheaded by the Museum of Belize and other NICH institutions. Welcome to Orange Walk and the Banquitas House of Culture - unique space that sits in the historic site of Banquitas (which means "little benches”) along the banks of the New River and in the heart of downtown Orange Walk. We are a House of Culture as well as a cultural center for the northern region of Belize which comprises of Orange Walk and Corozal districts and a school of arts which helps in the development, promotion and conservation of the artistic and cultural dynamics of the people. The Houses of Culture are envisioned as dynamic, creative community centers where neighbors, residents and students can come together to learn, teach, and pursue their favorite cultural activity.
Located in Orange Walk Town and featuring exhibits on history, industry and culture, this is one of the country's premier museums. Banquitas House of Culture is a dynamic Community Center which hosts a series of Educational, and Artistic traveling or local exhibition from the country or the region, these are often spearheaded by the Museum of Belize and other NICH institutions. Welcome to Orange Walk and the Banquitas House of Culture - unique space that sits in the historic site of Banquitas (which means "little benches”) along the banks of the New River and in the heart of downtown Orange Walk. We are a House of Culture as well as a cultural center for the northern region of Belize which comprises of Orange Walk and Corozal districts and a school of arts which helps in the development, promotion and conservation of the artistic and cultural dynamics of the people. The Houses of Culture are envisioned as dynamic, creative community centers where neighbors, residents and students can come together to learn, teach, and pursue their favorite cultural activity.
LAMANAI MAYAN TEMPLE
LAMANAI MAYAN TEMPLE SITE
Visit Lamanai Maya archaeological site where you can work off some of the food you just consumed. Located along the New River Lagoon shore, you can reach this ruin by either boat or car. On your way, enjoy side shows put on by area wildlife. And in case you enter a trivia contest back home, knowing that the Maya name Lamani translates as “Submerged Crocodile” could cement your reputation as a brainiac.
Lamanai (from Lama'anayin, "submerged crocodile" in Yucatec Maya) is a Mesoamerican archaeological site, and was once a major city of the Maya civilization, located in the north of Belize, in Orange Walk District. The site's name is pre-Columbian, recorded by early Spanish missionaries, and documented over a millennium earlier in Maya inscriptions as Lam'an'ain. Lamanai is renowned for its exceptionally long occupation spanning three millennia, beginning in the Early Preclassic Maya period and continuing through the Spanish and British Colonial periods, into the 20th century. Unlike most Classic-period sites in the southern Maya lowlands, Lamanai was not abandoned at the end of the 10th century AD.
Visit Lamanai Maya archaeological site where you can work off some of the food you just consumed. Located along the New River Lagoon shore, you can reach this ruin by either boat or car. On your way, enjoy side shows put on by area wildlife. And in case you enter a trivia contest back home, knowing that the Maya name Lamani translates as “Submerged Crocodile” could cement your reputation as a brainiac.
Lamanai (from Lama'anayin, "submerged crocodile" in Yucatec Maya) is a Mesoamerican archaeological site, and was once a major city of the Maya civilization, located in the north of Belize, in Orange Walk District. The site's name is pre-Columbian, recorded by early Spanish missionaries, and documented over a millennium earlier in Maya inscriptions as Lam'an'ain. Lamanai is renowned for its exceptionally long occupation spanning three millennia, beginning in the Early Preclassic Maya period and continuing through the Spanish and British Colonial periods, into the 20th century. Unlike most Classic-period sites in the southern Maya lowlands, Lamanai was not abandoned at the end of the 10th century AD.
RIO BRAVO CONSERVATION AREA
RIO BRAVO CONSERVATION AREA
Go deep into the northwest to explore this area before continuing to the ruins and lodge at Chan Chich; you'll participate in a variety of research projects at Programme for Belize's field stations. Getting there necessitates a long boat ride, a sturdy truck, or a chartered flight. Measuring more than 360 square miles and comprising approximately 4% of Belize’s total land surface, the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area is the largest nature park. Rio Bravo is composed of different habitats, including pine forests, freshwater lagoons, broadleaf forests, and marshes. Once an area that was heavily logged for mahogany and other hardwoods, Rio Bravo is now an important contributor to the environmental health of not just Belize but also neighboring Mexico and Guatemala.
Go deep into the northwest to explore this area before continuing to the ruins and lodge at Chan Chich; you'll participate in a variety of research projects at Programme for Belize's field stations. Getting there necessitates a long boat ride, a sturdy truck, or a chartered flight. Measuring more than 360 square miles and comprising approximately 4% of Belize’s total land surface, the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area is the largest nature park. Rio Bravo is composed of different habitats, including pine forests, freshwater lagoons, broadleaf forests, and marshes. Once an area that was heavily logged for mahogany and other hardwoods, Rio Bravo is now an important contributor to the environmental health of not just Belize but also neighboring Mexico and Guatemala.
CROOKED TREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
CROOKED TREE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
If you have an interest in visiting Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize and you’ve done your homework, you likely know that the word “mosaic” keeps popping up when travel writers describe this destination. That’s no coincidence. If you’ve seen a mosaic–an artisan’s rendering that’s a harmonious patchwork of shapes, colors and textures–you already know what Crooked Tree looks like from the sky. But you don’t want the aerial view. You want the sights, fragrances and sounds that pervade fascinating destination, so expect to engage all of your senses when you spend time here.
This world of wonder is composed of a huge tract of land that’s peppered with creeks, thickets, marshlands, lagoons and savannas amid a hardwood forest that provides unique habitats for wildlife living in this protected preserve. The variety of animals and birds hanging out in this forest is astonishing; you could even encounter the hemisphere’s largest flying birds: Other-worldly looking Jabiru Storks. Just about everything that crawls, prowls, slithers and roams in Belize is at home here, including black howler monkeys, turtles, iguanas, ducks, crocodiles and too many bird species to get an accurate count.
If you have an interest in visiting Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary in Belize and you’ve done your homework, you likely know that the word “mosaic” keeps popping up when travel writers describe this destination. That’s no coincidence. If you’ve seen a mosaic–an artisan’s rendering that’s a harmonious patchwork of shapes, colors and textures–you already know what Crooked Tree looks like from the sky. But you don’t want the aerial view. You want the sights, fragrances and sounds that pervade fascinating destination, so expect to engage all of your senses when you spend time here.
This world of wonder is composed of a huge tract of land that’s peppered with creeks, thickets, marshlands, lagoons and savannas amid a hardwood forest that provides unique habitats for wildlife living in this protected preserve. The variety of animals and birds hanging out in this forest is astonishing; you could even encounter the hemisphere’s largest flying birds: Other-worldly looking Jabiru Storks. Just about everything that crawls, prowls, slithers and roams in Belize is at home here, including black howler monkeys, turtles, iguanas, ducks, crocodiles and too many bird species to get an accurate count.
LA MILPA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESERVE
LA MILPA ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESERVE
Throughout Belize, there is historical evidence of our Ancient Maya civilization and at La Milpa you can clearly see why Belize holds the title of the Maya Heartland. Explore the over 24 Plazas that makes up La Milpa Archaeological Reserve; your discoveries will be within the lush forest which makes it the perfect day time activity!
Can’t get enough Maya history? La Milpa Archaeological Reserve adds to your understanding of centuries of occupation by Mayans whose civilization was one of the most advanced in the hemisphere. There are 24+ plazas to stroll; each one is hidden amid lush forest that gives visitors an idea of what life was like during the occupation of this ancient society.
Located in the north of the country in Belize’s Orange Walk District, La Milpa is is the third-largest Maya ruin site in Belize. Although excavations continue and much of the site is still being documented, visitors to La Milpa can tour more than 20 courtyards, two ball courts, and explore 85 structures, including four large temple pyramids.
Throughout Belize, there is historical evidence of our Ancient Maya civilization and at La Milpa you can clearly see why Belize holds the title of the Maya Heartland. Explore the over 24 Plazas that makes up La Milpa Archaeological Reserve; your discoveries will be within the lush forest which makes it the perfect day time activity!
Can’t get enough Maya history? La Milpa Archaeological Reserve adds to your understanding of centuries of occupation by Mayans whose civilization was one of the most advanced in the hemisphere. There are 24+ plazas to stroll; each one is hidden amid lush forest that gives visitors an idea of what life was like during the occupation of this ancient society.
Located in the north of the country in Belize’s Orange Walk District, La Milpa is is the third-largest Maya ruin site in Belize. Although excavations continue and much of the site is still being documented, visitors to La Milpa can tour more than 20 courtyards, two ball courts, and explore 85 structures, including four large temple pyramids.