Corozal

Introduction

Corozal in northern Belize lies on the Caribbean Sea, 15 kilometres from the Mexican border. It has a population of approximately 8,100, and is the capital of the district of Corozal. The people tend to be very friendly. Corozal is a small and sleepy town with great views of the bay. If you want to rest, this is a great stop. If you arrive on Sunday, you'll find most businesses closed, although a few of the small restaurants and general stores will be open. There are very few tourists, so it is a good place to see Belize off the beaten track, and consequently accommodation, food and drink, and other items are cheaper than in better known places.

Sights and Activities

• Corozal Town Square
• Corozal Town Park
• Visit a nearby butterfly farm
• Visit the small Maya Ruins of Santa Rita, minutes away.
• Boat trips to nearby islands (Some leave from the Thunderbolt Dock)
• Visit the Cerros Ruins across Corozal Bay. The easiest way to reach the ruins is by boat, usually hireable at the main dock east of downtown, but the site can also be reached by road. Follow the Cerros Ruins signs on the road to Copper Bank and Sarteneja, but be careful, it is about a 10-mile dirt road which can be very washed out following bad weather, especially hurricanes. The direction to Cerros may also not be terribly well marked, but if you take the left path at major forks in the road, you should find it fairly easily. Again, hiring a boat in Corozal will definitely be quicker and easier, but taking the road will give you a chance to ride one of the hand-cranked ferries seen throughout Belize (no charge for the ferry, but feel free to tip or buy juice or snacks the ferry pilots have for sale).

Events and Festivals

PanAmerican Day

PanAmerican Day honors the Mestizo culture of Belize in Corozal and Orange Walk with revelry, music, dancing, parades and some serious partying every October 9th. Horse races and all kinds of fun run for a week in both towns.

Getting There

By Plane

Tropic Air and Maya Island Air offer flights on smaller prop-driven aircraft between Corozal and Belize City, San Pedro, and Caye Caulker, as well as many other less-traveled Belize towns.

By Bus

Very regular buses are available between Corozal Town and Chetumal in Mexico, running about every 20 or 30 minutes during the day. The journey lasts about 1 hour and costs around US$1.25.
Fairly regular and inexpensive buses are also available to and from Belize City and Belmopan, as well as other destinations in the country.

By Boat

The Thunderbolt Ferry runs between San Pedro and Corozal (also stopping in Sarteneja if requested), leaving Corozal Town 7:00am and returning about 5:00pm. The trip takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Getting Around

Corozal is small enough to go around on foot. There are also taxis at the bus station.

Eat

• June's Kitchen, located on College Road, homemade Belizean breakfast and lunch daily. Served on June's veranda dining room. Just ask the locals for directions if you can not find it.
• Cactus plaza Mexican food, 6 6th street, ☎ +501 4220394, +501 4220281. #. editFriday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from 6 til 9.
• Patty's Bistro, Belizean and Mexican food #13, 4th Avenue, Tel:4020174.
• Venky's Kabab Corner, 5th Avenue, tel: 4020 536. Provides vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian food in large quantites. BZ$15 (US$7.50) for more than one person could eat. Opposite the immigration office, within a couple of blocks of 4th Street, not far from the Hok'ol K'in Guest house.
• Marcelo's Pizza, 25 4th Avenue. # tel:4223275. Delivery.
• Al's Cafe. Belizean and Mexican.
• Marisol, beside Esso Gas station. Mexican.
• RD's Diner, ☎ +501 422-3796, e-mail: [email protected]. 7AM to 10PM, Closed on Sundays. All foods prepared with EVO and high grade vegetable Oil. All foods are prepared fresh as you order. Dine in an air conditioned, elegant and non-smoking atmosphere. Situated on #7-4th Avenue Corozal town. Accepts all major Credit cards.

Drink

There are several bars around the town, beers cost up to US$2.50 for a half English pint bottle (284ml).

Sleep

As Corozal is easily reached from Mexico, many travellers from Mexico will cross the border to here, in order to re-enter Mexico and obtain a new tourist visa for additional time there. Corozal therefore has a very large amount of accommodation relative to its size and attractions. Since the town is not very big, one is sure to find several places after wandering around the center for a few minutes.

• Corozal Guest House: One of the cheapest accommodation in the town, and located opposite the bus station. A double room costs around BZ$45 (US$23), but if it's quiet you can haggle this down. The rooms are fairly clean, if basic and somewhat run down. You may get bitten by mosquitoes during the night, so if you find a lizard in the room, leave it there to eat them.
• Sea Breeze Hotel, 23, 1st Avenue, ☎ +501 422-3051, e-mail: [email protected]. Located on the shoreline, this friendly hotel has 6 rooms with queen-size beds, en suite bathrooms with hot water, Internet WiFi and, upstairs, a beautiful wooden bar and a balcony where you can enjoy the view of the Corozal Bay while having your breakfast. Double from BZ$35 (Belizean dollars), breakfast BZ$9.
• Mirador Hotel, ☎ +501 4220189, e-mail: [email protected]. A new hotel in front of the bay offers clean and spacious rooms at very reasonable prices. A room for a couple with fan cost US$35, and air conditioning US$50. All rooms have private bath (hot/cold), television, and free wireless internet access. 24 rooms. Facilities: restaurant, tours arranged, internet cafe, terrace, free wake up service, parking, and phone booth. edit
• The Hok'ol K'in Guest House costs BZ$90 (US$45) for a double with air conditioning and a view of the bay. Clean, quiet, and friendly, right on the street that runs along the waterfront. 89 4th Avenue, www.corozal.net, 422-3329.
• Corozal Bay Resort, ☎ +501-422-2416, e-mail: [email protected]. Waterfront, thatched-roof cabaña rooms. Air-conditioned, cable TV, mini-fridge, private bath with hot water and walk-in showers, private veranda, high speed WiFi internet, swimming pool, sand beach. US$55.00.
• Copper Bank Inn, Copper Bank, Corozal District, ☎ +501 662-5281.

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés can be found at most major tourist destinations around Belize. Wi-Fi is also increasingly common, and many hotels are offering it for free. Rates at cybercafes run between BZ$2 and BZ$10 per hour.

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The general emergency number is 911. The country calling code to Belize is 501 and to make an international call from Belize, the code is 00.
Belize has a standardized seven-digit phone numbering system. There are no city or area codes to dial from within Belize.

Payphones are the most common public phones and accept pre-purchased phone cards.

If you bring your own cell phone, avoid roaming charges, as the bill for internet can add up quickly. Instead, use only wifi or buy a local SIM card.
Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) and their cellular division DigiCell have a virtual monopoly on cellular service in Belize. Luckily, DigiCell does have affordable packages for SIM card activation.

Post

Belize's postal service provides services throughout the country. Services are not very reliable though and it might take weeks for a postcard or letter to arrive at your destination. Post offices are generally open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with a one hour lunch break starting around noon.
Most hotels will post a letter for you, and there are post offices in the major towns. It costs BZ$.80 to send a letter to the United States, and BZ$1 to send a letter to Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost BZ$.40 and BZ$.50 respectively. If you want to send a package, it's better to use international companies like TNT, DHL, UPS or FedEx, as they are fast, reliable and not too expensive.

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