Corozal

Corozal Town is a seaside community sitting on the Bay of Chetumal located less than 10 miles south of the Mexican border with a population of approximately 9,000 people. Refugees fleeing from the civil war between the Mestizos and Indians in Mexico, the Caste War of the Yucatan, built the town in 1849, naming it after the cohune palm, a symbol of fertility. However, long before that, the Maya civilization flourished here for centuries, and most current residents have at least some indigenous ancestry. Vistors can still explore the ruins of Santa Rita, a settlement that was more than 3,000 years old when Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1531. Because of its strategic location on important Maya trade routes, Santa Rita and nearby communities were prosperous and powerful. A glimpse of this golden age can be seen during a tour of Santa Rita's main temple and burial tombs.

Old Corozal consisted of adobe and thatch structures loosely organized into a town. Then on September 27, 1955, Hurricane Janet hit Corozal Town. Ten houses were reportedly left standing. Though tragic, it created an opportunity for rebuilding a modern city Today the town is neat and clean and layed out with spacious parks and modern electricity, water, and sewage. Corozal Town may be the only community in Belize planned and laid out by professionals.

Corozal closely resembles a Mexican town with its plaza, Palacio Municipal and a 16th Century Spanish colonial church. It is very pleasant with wide, tree-lined streets and an attractive market building located in the town square. Near the main plaza there are the remains of a small fort, Fort Barley, from the Caste War of the Yucatan. And there is a marvelous mural at the Corozal Town Hall painted by Manuel Villamor Reyes depicting local Belizean history.

You can also visit a 19th century Customs House which used to be used as a museum or a British Colonial House which was once a resting place for the British Governor.

There are some interesting pictures of Corozal from the past found here.

Hotels and Restaurants

If you are planning to stay in Corozal, here are some recommended hotels.

And here are places to eat:

  • Patty's Bistro   Belizean/Mexican food, 4th Ave., just north of A&R
  • Mirasol Restaurant   Belizean food and Mexican specials, 7th Ave. (highway) and San Andres Road
  • Cactus Plaza   Mexican food, #6 6th Street South
  • Al's Cafe   A popular local sidewalk cafe, 4th Ave., south of the park
  • June's Kitchen   A popular Corozal cook serving from her kitchen, on College Road, a few houses from the highway
  • Tony's Inn   American style food, on Almond Drive in the south part of town
  • Chaan San Palace   Chinese food, on 6th Ave., below 3rd St. South
  • Romantic Restaurant   Chinese food, on Fourth Ave., in the Mirador Hotel building