About Corozal

Soothing to the senses, the pale blue-green colored waters of Corozal Bay, which hug Belize’s northern most sizable town, place visitors in a serene state of mind. Founded in 1848 by refugees from the Maya Indian uprising against the Spanish in neighboring Yucatan . It’s no wonder the Maya have treasured the bay’s tranquil turquoise waters for centuries. The town of Corozal is a peaceful place with an even more peaceful pace, it paints a memorable portrait never forgotten.

Sprinkled along the shoreline that curves along the bay are brightly colored buildings, homes, and resorts where visitors retreat for quiet getaways.

Corozal, the Maya Yucatecan (name for the cohune palm tree growing wild in the vicinity) is 84 miles north of Belize City and 8 miles away from the Mexican border. Sugar cane fields cover the entire Corozal District. Sugar is the leading industry in the region with the Papaya seconding.

There is more to Corozal District than sugar cane fields, like a 9 mile stretch of waterfront extending from Consejo village with extreme potential for future tourism resort developments.

Corozal Town is the modern incarnation of a city 4,000 years old, built on the foundations of ancient Maya temple Santa Rita.

The History

This uprising, known as the War of the Castes (from the Spanish “castas” or race), began as a war against the Spaniards, but it eventually became a war against the Mestizos. The Mestizos, half Spanish and half Indian, had proved to be formidable allies of the Spaniards, and were thus mortal enemies of the Maya Indians.

A massacre at Bacalar, Mexico — a Mestizo stronghold about thirty miles north of Corozal Town — finally led to the exodus of thousands of Mestizos from Bacalar and the surrounding area. Between 1848 and 1856 more than 10,000 refugees crossed the Rio Hondo, the river that now serves as a boundary between Belize and Mexico . These immigrants sought refuge in northern Belize , and increased the population of Corozal Town to 4500.

The Mestizo refugees were far from safe in Corozal Town as the Maya Indians from the Mexican base in Santa Cruz Bravo — today Carrillo Puerto — made several incursions in Corozal Town. In defense, Corozal became a garrison town and Fort Barlee was built here in 1870. Today, the brick corner supports of the fort surround the post office complex of the buildings across from the central town square.

The immigrants brought with them Mestizo culture: Spanish and Yucatec Maya language, Catholicism and Maya folklore, the use of alcalde, their family structure and way of life. Soon, there emerged a local replication of the society of the Yucatan within the boundaries of a country ruled by English expatriates.

A sight worth seeing is the vibrant mural in the Town Hall. Painted by the Belizean-Mexican artist Manual Villamore, it surrealistically depicts the rich history of Corozal. Pictured to the right is just a portion of the mural.

Next door to the Town Hall, the Corozal Library houses an unusual collection of books on Belize from past to present. The Library’s cultural, educational and recreational activities are supported by the Friends of Corozal Library. For a small donation, you can obtain a map of Corozal that provides a Self-Guided Nature Walk around town, describing trees and birds. This section on the History of Corozal is taken directly from the map, with permission of the Friends of the Corozal Library.

SANTA RITA RUINS

Within Corozal itself can be found another Maya ruin from the fourteenth century AD. Known as Santa Rita, the pyramid site sits atop the remains of a Maya city that dominated the area for more than 2000 years. Burial sites rich in jewelry and artifacts have recently been unearthed here. Santa Rita was probably part of ancient Chetumal (Chactumal), the Maya capital of the area at the time of the first Spanish attempt to conquer the Yucatec Mayas in the early 16th century. Santa Rita is accessible by public transportation.

CERROS RUIN

Across the bay from Corozal Town are the mounds of Cerros, the first Maya coastal trading center. Cerros is considered one of the most important late pre-classic Maya sites because it represented the first experiment with kingship in the Maya world. The remains include a number of temples, plazas, ball courts, canals, and minor structures. The most interesting artifacts so far discovered are the five jade head pendants. Located on a peninsula across from Corozal Town in the Bay of Corozal south of Chetumal Bay, this site was a coastal trading center during the Late Pre-Classic Period (100 B.C. – A.D. 250). Cerros expressed, in that period new forms art and architecture that proved to be crucial for the formation of classic Maya art and architecture. Its tallest temple rises 72 feet above the plaza floor and offers a spectacular view of Corozal Town and Corozal Bay. Reached by short 20 minute boat ride from Corozal or by road through Copper Bank. Home of jaguars, tapirs, and 250 bird species.

COPPER BANK

Set on Laguna Seca, few tourists make it to Copper Bank, but it charms those lucky enough to discover the hidden paradise. Three idyllic lagoons showcase crocodiles, manatees, dolphins, agoutis, tapirs, woodpeckers, toucans, storks, and countless birds.

SARTENEJA

The eastern Sarteneja Peninsula has prospered for thousands of years. Sarteneja’s Maya name, “water between the rocks”, refers to a massive stone well in the village. Legend claims the well has never run dry. Archaeologists know of 350 ancient sites on the peninsula, especially near the abandoned village of Shipstern, but only one has been excavated. Today the village is home to 1,500 residents who earn their income from fishing in the sea. Visitors should not leave Sarteneja without touring the crocodile farm and the manatee reserve. South of Sarteneja Village, visit the Shipstern Nature Reserve and its Butterfly Breeding Center for a chance to marvel at more than 200 species. All five of the country’s wild cat’s inhabit the reserve’s forests and savannas. Sights and sounds of nature’s tenants are close at hand in Corozal. Wildlife abounds and bird-watching is exceptional in the mostly uninhabited forests and wetlands around the bay. Storks, boat-billed herons, egrets, frigate birds, pelicans and cormorants are numerous in these wetlands and along the shore. Aztec parakeets, bright-orange orioles and yellow kiskadoos fly around mahogany trees; hummingbirds flit around the hibiscus outside your window. Manatees (almost in the bay) can be spotted from the sea wall in town. Take a boat ride on the turquoise bay and be met by playful dolphins. Ferry service from South End Corozal now takes visitors and their vehicles over New River with an opportunity to visit Copper Bank (10 minutes away), Progresso (15 minutes), Warrie Bight, Shipstern Nature Reserve, Sarteneja (11/2 hours) and near-by small villages. The ferry provides 24 hour service. Water taxi to San Pedro Town Ambergris Caye, passenger only is about 2 hours. Sightseeing of the bottle nose dolphin is always appreciated. Some tours include diving, snorkeling and fishing excursions to Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve on Ambergris Caye, site of exceptional reef life and one of the best snorkeling spots in the country.

CONSEJO

On the bay, 7 miles north of Corozal Town, find the quaint fishing village of Consejo, a peaceful resort and retirement community, just 10 minutes by water taxi to neighboring Chetumal border. Boat tours from Consejo start at US$35 to Chetumal. When you visit conjeso, be prepared to fall in love with this peaceful and serene fishing village. The waters of the bay provide endless opportunities for enjoyment. For “da” Fisherman….barracuda, permit, bonefish, tarpon, jack are just a few fish that you can throw in your line for. A 9 hole golf course can be enjoyed at the Consejo Shores retirement community adjacent to the village.

DEVELOPMENTS

At the end of the Northern Highway, a bridge crosses Rio Hondo into Mexico a chance to stop, sightsee and sample authentic Mexican food in Chetumal. One reason Corozal may rock ‘n roll, if it does, is its next door neighbor, Chetumal. The Mexican government and private investors have poured billions into development along the Cancun-Tulum corridor of the Costa Maya and now are moving further south. Cruise ships now dock several times a week in Majahual. Coming soon next to the Corozal Free Zone, Las Vegas Hotel & Casino will open first with 120 rooms and suites; then a second phase with 180 rooms and a steakhouse on the top floor. The 54,000 square foot casino and entertainment center already operates 24/7, featuring 450 slot and video reel machines and 30 table games. More casino action shakes up the Princess Hotel & Casino, offering a chance to meet Lady Luck and see Vegas style shows inside the free zone.