Ruta Maya – Part Nine
This is Part Nine of a series of articles on the Aztec and Mayan pyramids and ruins in Central America. Updated Sep 2022.
Into Belize
The tour of the Ruta Maya continues. Next, we travel south of Mexico to the British Commonwealth country of Belize to take a wonderful boat trip up the New River to the Mayan Ruins of Lamanai.
Belize is an anomaly in Central America. It is the only country in the area where the official language is not Spanish. Although the official language is English, most inhabitants also speak Spanish, but it is the second language, not the main one. Belize is a member of the British Commonwealth, and like Canada, the head of state is Queen Elizabeth II.
All Signs are in English
English speakers will be happy to find all signs, menus, and directions in English.
A Canadian Bank in Belize
Canadians will be pleased to find that Scotiabank is common here, and if you have a Scotiabank debit card, you can make withdraws from bank machines at no charge. (see my post” how to get your money in foreign countries”). The currency here is the Belize dollar, with two dollars equal to one U.S. dollar.
Chetumal
You could fly to Belize City, but the best way to get to Lamanai is to travel to the Belizean town of Orange Walk in the north of the country near the Mexican border. But, first, make your way to the Mexican city of Chetumal on the southern border.
Maya Museum
Before heading into Belize, take a tour of the Maya Museum in Chetumal. Although not as good as the one in Mexico City, it has some interesting displays, including an excellent explanation of the Mayan calendar and statues of Chac Mool that were used in Mayan sacrifices. There are also reproductions of ancient paintings that show what the Mayan ruins looked like when they were new.
Belize Buses
The buses to Belize leave from the old market in Chetumal. (take a taxi and specify the old market, not the new one). Belize buses are ancient school buses that were hand-me-downs from American schools after they became too old for use there. If you look closely, you might find a small metal plate that reads “property of the Seattle, Washington School Board” or something similar.
You can take one of these old buses from Orange Walk to any part of Belize. We travelled all over the country on them. While ageing and rickety and do not have luggage compartments, they get you where you want to go, and the price is just a few Belize dollars between most cities.
The New River
There are two rivers near Orange Walk. This was the second one to be discovered, so they called it the new one. Lamanai is 50 km (30 miles) from Orange Walk.
While the ruins are nice to visit, the boat trip up the New River is lovely in itself. We saw a lot of wildlife along the way. The first animal we saw was Morelet’s Crocodile. There are two types of crocodiles here. The American salt-water Crocodile on the coast is much larger and more aggressive than the Morelet’s. This small croc usually does not get more than 2.5 metres in length and is not aggressive unless you get near its nest.
Next, we saw a Spider Monkey. My first sighting of a monkey in the wild. One was very tame and jumped into the boat, looking for handouts. Some people gave it a banana.
We saw a tree that was covered in small Sac-winged Bats.
We saw several birds, including three new ones for me. These were the Collared Blackhawk, the Mottled Owl and the Ringed Kingfisher. Very nice birds.
You can arrange a tour with your hotel or ask for a tour office at the town square. Ask if your tour price includes lunch. The boat that we took is called the Princes Abigail. If it has not moved since I was there, his office is in the far right-hand corner of the town square when standing with your back to the clock tower. This was a nice tour; he stopped whenever animals were sighted along the river.
The Ruins of Lamanai
Click photos to enlarge.
The Mayan ruins at Lamanai were interesting but not impressive after seeing Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Archaeological exploration of the ruins did not begin until 1974. As a result, some of the ruins are still buried under centuries of dirt and plants.
There is a pyramid and temple, and other structures. The best part is the fantastic carvings of faces at the temple’s base.
I highly recommend this excursion. The boat ride itself is well worth the trip. If you have time, spend a day in the town of Orange Walk. This friendly town is a good place for your introduction to Belize.
My Thatched Hut Travel Tip
Except for Belize City, I found Belize to be a great place to visit whether you go to see the ruins or not. There are nice beaches, friendly people, good food, cheap prices and they even have a couple of Caribbean islands that you can visit. If you like diving, Belize has the second longest barrier reef in the world, after Australia, and many tourists come here specifically for great diving experiences. You can also go offshore and dive at the amazing Blue Hole. If you are not into diving, you can just spend a great day at the beach or snorkelling. Belize is also great for birding, and many people come here to see and photograph the many beautiful birds.
Click here for a list of all the sites of pyramids, and ruins on the Ruta Maya.