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Belize City - Getting There Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and Village Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary
The Belize District is the largest, with a population of over seventy-four thousand. Belize City itself is no longer the nation's capital, but it is still the largest city in Belize, with a population of just under fifty thousand. It offers the visitor an unusual combination of rustic, old-fashioned Caribbean charm and bustling modernity. Additionally, the steady rise of cruise tourism has changed the face of areas of downtown Belize City in recent years. The country's largest tourist town, San Pedro Ambergris Caye, is located in the Belize District (see separate entry), as well as the famous Mayan ruin of Altun Ha, the Belize Zoo and well-known wildlife sanctuaries. The Phillip Goldson International Airport is located ten miles from downtown, in the neighboring village of Ladyville and several international airlines provide daily flights. The country's largest municipal airport and water taxi connections to all major cayes are located in downtown Belize City. Bus transportation is available hourly and half hourly during peak times to all districts. The Belize District is the heart of Kriol (Creole) culture and some of its villages are as typically Kriol as one can get: Burrell Boom, Isabella Bank, Rancho Dolores and Lemonal are some of the distinctive Kriol communities that exist in the heart of the Belize River Valley. Gales Point Manatee, the district's southernmost village, still retains some of the typical Kriol cultural practices like Sambai dancing, Anancy story telling under huge mahogany trees, and bramming. Belize City itself originated as a logging camp and export center for mahogany in the 1600's. Naturally, because it is the country's largest urban area, one finds all cultural types and mixtures in the city - Kriol, Garifuna, Mestizo, (a mix of Maya and Spanish) commonly referred to as Spanish, Chinese, Lebanese, Hindu and the original East Indian descendants and Maya. The Belize River meanders through the middle of the city; and twice
a day, the city's swing bridge closes for about 20 minutes to allow
sail boats to pass. There are many traditional street vendors selling
fruits, vegetables, arts and crafts in the city's public squares. In
recent years, the cruise tourism industry has changed the face of the
downtown Fort George area on the north side of the river, particularly
on weekdays when at times up to three or four ships dock. This area,
already distinctive for its colonial architecture, now is also the bustling
center for dozens of tour guides, craft persons and other vendors who
have set up in the area around a picturesque tourism village which sits
on the site of the former Customs Wharf area. This area has high security
and is well-maintained with good food, trained souvenir vendors, duty
free shops and the like. Tour operators whisk away interested tourists
to day trips at surrounding sanctuaries and Mayan ruin sites and snorkeling
sites. Over the bridge down past the business center is a landmark of the colonial period, the former Government House, now the Belize City House of Culture. It offers classes and seminars in activities like visual and performing arts, music, photography and ceramic art. A permanent exhibit consists of a Silverware and Glass Collection which features a wide variety of authentic silver pieces dating to late 17th and early 18th century, including Tureens, Teapots, Crystal Wine Glasses. There is also a Furniture Collection which features English domestic furniture of simple and complex design within the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The Government House itself is an exhibit, built in the early 1800's, it is a combination of Caribbean Vernacular and English Urban architecture. Just across from the House of Culture is the historic St. John's Cathedral where, between 1812 to 1824 several Mosquito Coast kings were crowned. This is the oldest Anglican Church in Central America. It was constructed of red brick brought as ballast from European sailing ships. Also on the attractive Southern Foreshore, sits the recently renovated Bliss Institute, named, like the Lighthouse, after an English Baron who visited Belize, fell in love with the country, and willed his $2 million fortune in trust for the Belizean people. For years it housed the Belize Arts Council, library and a museum of Mayan artifacts taken from archeological sites in Belize - its recent renovation sees its role as the primary performance arm of the Museum of Belize instead of the multi-purpose site it has traditionally been. The Belizean government has made the restoration of Belize City, severely
damaged by hurricanes in 1961 and 1978, a priority. It was Hurricane
Hattie's destruction in 1961 that led to the eventual relocation of
the capital inland to Belmopan by the middle of the 1970's. The recent
spate of major hurricanes in 1998, 2000 and 2001 wrecked damage more
to the district's cayes and rural communities than it did to the city.
Additionally, the city has expanded into its "outskirts" over
the past decade, and a number of suburb-type communities have emerged.
The downtown business district houses most of the country's attorneys
and accountants, many of whom are becoming specialists in Belize's growing
offshore incorporation industry. Five major banks (Belize Bank, Atlantic
Bank, Scotia Bank, Barclay's Bank and Alliance Bank) offer a full panoply
of local and international banking services. There are numerous non-governmental
organizations engaged in environmental and development work in Belize
with headquarters in Belize City. Several beautiful old colonial mansions on the waterfront have been converted into guest houses and hotels, such as the Bellevue Hotel, well known for its tavern and weekend entertainment. Belize City has many simple budget hotels, including the Mopan Hotel, located on Regent Street in the business district (the owners are great sources of information about anything Belizean, and go out of their way to assist travelers). The Bakadeer Inn, Grant's Guest House, Chateau Caribbean Hotel and The Great House are other popular hotels. Expensive luxury hotels such as the Radisson Fort George, The Princess Hotel and Casino and the Belize Biltmore/Best Western cater to international business travelers as well as tourists. About 10 minutes from the Phillip S.W. Goldson International Airport
is Belize River Lodge, a self-contained mahogany fishing lodge on the
banks of the Old Belize River. The Lodge caters to fishing enthusiasts
- specialty and variety fishing is easily arranged: snook, tarpon, permit,
bonefish, barracuda, snapper and other species pose no problem and live-aboard
fishing trips and vacation cruises are all part of the services offered.
Belize River Lodge also offers river cruises, manatee-watching, wildlife
tours and visits to Mayan ruin sites. It's a cozy atmosphere, served
up in a fun and professional manner. With its two airports and many car rental agencies, Belize City is an excellent starting point for visitors wishing to explore the country by car (or 4-wheel drive). There are several major tourist attractions an hour's drive or less from Belize City, such as the culturally rich Gales Point Manatee Lagoon, the Belize Zoo, Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, the Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary, and the Mayan ruin site at Altun Ha which is also near to the Maruba Resort and Jungle Spa. Horseback riding, canoeing, jungle trails, personal training, spa facilities and tours to just about anywhere in Belize can readily be arranged at Maruba Resort and Jungle Spa.
Fort Street Restaurant, The Wet Lizard, Smokey Mermaid, a recently opened steakhouse, a novel stone-grill restaurant addition at the Radisson Fort George Hotel, and the Chateau Caribbean Hotel all surround the Tourism Village and offer an exotic array of dishes. Some other cuisine-specific restaurants exist, which offer Lebanese and Indian food, and numerous Chinese restaurants abound. Belizean food - in a range from the national dish of rice and beans, to Spanish favorites of escabeche and chimole, to Garifuna hudut and Creole sere, boil-up and cow foot soup can be had in several restaurants that dot the downtown area. Popular district dining sports include Cheers and JB's on the Western
Highway between Belize City and Belmopan, and Maruba Resort and Jungle
Spa in Maskall Village along the old Northern Highway. Gales Point, about 25 miles south of Belize City, is accessible by boat or by car. Either way is a wonderful opportunity to view wildlife. The boat option will take you through canals, a river and two lagoons, and your best opportunity for manatee-watching in Belize. A secluded beachfront cabana resort, The Shores, offers accommodations, meals and a variety of activities, including diving, snorkeling, fishing, river boating and inland tours.
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center The Belize Zoo, which is located about 30 miles west of Belize City was founded in 1983 by Sharon Mazola, who had been hired to manage a menagerie of local animals collected for a wildlife filmmaker who had come to Belize to make nature films. The filmmaker lost his funding, and the animals were suddenly out of a "job" with nowhere to go. Because they had lived for some time in captivity, they were ill equipped to survive in the wild. Matola, who had grown to love the wild cats, peccaries and other animals, began what has now become the much visited Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center. She began by putting up signs in front of the cages and publicizing
the zoo and asking for donations to feed the animals. She also began
visiting schools to show slides of the animals and issue invitations
for teachers to bring the children on field trips to the zoo at no charge.
The Belizean public responded with interest and a zoo was born! The Belize Zoo is unlike any other zoo you may have seen. Each species
of animal (there are over 100 animals resident at the zoo) lives in
a lush jungle habitat. In front of each habitat area is a hand-lettered
and painted sign with a message from the resident animal describing
the animal and reminding the visitor of the need to protect its existence
in the wild. The zoo is a favorite tourist destination, but its primary constituency
is the children of Belize, several hundred of whom visit daily free
of charge. All visitors receive personal guided tours from the well-trained,
enthusiastic staff. The zoo's public education program includes slide
shows, children's books and a lecture series, all aimed at developing
public support for wildlife conservation. The zoo has developed a captive
breeding program aimed an ensuring the continuation of its healthy animal
population, which is frequently augmented by donations of animals who
used to be someone's pet. Some animals are being bred with the intention
of releasing the offspring into the wild. In the early days of the Zoo, April the Tapir became a well-known and
beloved resident whose birthday was yearly celebrated by hundreds of
schoolchildren at the Zoo. The tapir is Belize's national animal - of
the four species of tapir in the world, the one found in Belize is Baird's
Tapir, often called the mountain cow. Also popular with both Belizeans
and tourists are the various wild cats (jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays
and jaguarundis). In 1993, after several years of planning, fund-raising, and building, the zoo moved to its new location--a 1,000-acre site constructed with a master plan donated by an architectural firm in Seattle, Washington. The zoo has an adjacent picnic area, an outdoor amphitheater, a library, a gift shop and the adjacent Tropical Education Center, with nature trails, a library, a guest dormitory, presentation rooms and an office. Adult tourists pay $7.50 US for admission (1/2 price for kids) to the
zoo and a personalized guided tour. The zoo is accessible by car and
by bus. Many package tours include a visit to the zoo in their itineraries,
particularly those tours with Cayo District road destinations. Visitors
should bring insect repellant, camera and film. If you're an animal lover interested in becoming a member of the Belize
Zoo, you can contact the Belize Zoo at P.O. Box 474, Belize City, Belize.
Membership includes copies of the "Belize ZooLetter," which
keeps supporters abreast of zoo events and plans. Several membership
categories are available. The Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is located off the Western Highway a mile and a half past the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center turnoff. It is a privately owned 1,070 acre reserve. Its ecosystems include pine and palm savanna, tropical forest, freshwater wetlands and lagoons. Monkey Bay is a haven for bird-watchers (over 250 species of birds have been sighted, including toucans, parrots, storks and the redstart warbler) and jaguar, puma, deer, peccary, coatimundi, crocodile and iguana have also been sighted within the reserve. The reserve is financially supported by conservation organizations
in Belize, the United States and Japan. Their projects include an environmental
outreach program for Belizean schoolchildren, an archeological excavation
along the Sibun River, and the planting of native fruits and hardwood
seedlings. There is a field research station for visiting scientists.
There are two miles of river frontage, including a secluded beach for
swimming, picnicking and launching canoes. Admission to the sanctuary
is free; campsites can be arranged by writing to Monkey Bay Wildlife
Sanctuary, P.O. Box 187, Belmopan. The Mayan ruin site of Altun Ha is 31 miles north of Belize City; via a right-hand turnoff from the Western Highway at 18.9 miles. Altun Ha is one of Belize most well-known ruin sites; excavation has been going on since 1957. There are restrooms and picnic areas for visitors, who are charged a small entry fee to the site. The site covers approximately 25 square miles, most of which is jungle, and is a good place for birdwatchers, who can venture onto several jungle trails branching out from main plaza. There are thirteen structures surrounding the two main plazas; archeologists have uncovered 250 structures to date. The Sun God Temple is the tallest building, rising 59 feet above the plaza floor. Archeologists found over 300 jade jewelry pieces at the site, much of which was found in the Temple of the Green Tomb. Near the right hand of the man buried there - who must have been someone of great importance - was found a solid jade head weighing nine pounds and six inches in height. This treasure, which is the largest jade carving found at any Mayan site, is on display at the Museum of Belize. Researchers working with a community of Mayan families who have been
living near Altun Ha for several centuries estimate that the city was
constructed 1,500 to 2,000 years ago. A trail from the ruins leads to
what was once a large reservoir, created when Mayan engineers re-routed
a small creek and dug and plastered a deep hole. Archeologists have
determined that the city was destroyed and rebuilt several times, but
are unable to determine whether its eventual abandonment was the result
of a decrease in the available water supply, a war, or a peasant revolt
against the religious-political-military hierarchy. The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is 33 miles northeast of Belize
City, via a left-hand turnoff at the sign located at mile 31.2 on the
Northern Highway. Crooked Tree, a world-class birdwatcher destination,
was established in 1984 with funding from several environmental organizations,
and is maintained by the Belize Audubon Society, which gratefully accepts
contributions from nature lovers worldwide. The sanctuary is six miles
long and three miles wide, and is actually an island connected to the
mainland by a mile-long causeway. It's made up of a network of inland
lagoons, swamps and waterways, some of which can be traversed by boats
(during Belize's logging days, the waterways were used to float logs
out to sea for shipment overseas). The baboon sanctuary (so named because in Belize, black howler monkeys
are called "baboons" even though they have little in common
with African baboons) is off the Northern Highway, via a left-hand turnoff
just past milepost 13; it's about 8 miles west, including a Belize river
bridge crossing. It's a short trip from Belize City and can easily be
combined with a visit to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Return to the Regional Tour of Belize Page Return to the Belize Online Tourism and Investment Guide Home Page
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