The New River

Lamanai can be reached by road, but almost nobody does it that way, because the river trip is better than the destination for a good many visitors. Boats leave Orange Walk and run about fifty kilometres up the New River, narrow and overhung at first, through jungle where the guide stops for spider monkeys, howlers, crocodiles, iguanas basking on branches, bats under overhangs and the Jesus Christ lizard sprinting across the surface. Bird numbers are high. The river then opens into the New River Lagoon and the ruins appear on the western shore. The trip takes about ninety minutes each way and is done at speed with regular stops.

What you actually see

• The jungle stretch - narrow overhung river with constant wildlife stops.
• Morelet's crocodiles - basking on the banks and in the shallows.
• The Jesus Christ lizard - running across the water surface.
• The lagoon - opening out before Lamanai appears on the shore.

When to go

December to April is the dry season with the best wildlife viewing along the banks. Boats leave in the morning and return in the afternoon. The trip is done as a day tour from Orange Walk, Belize City or the cayes.

Honest expectations

The boats run fast between stops and it is loud, windy and wet at the front; sun exposure on the open water is severe. Day trips from the cayes involve a very long day with hours of transfer. The river passes a sugar mill and industrial stretches near Orange Walk. Wildlife stops depend entirely on the guide.

Nearby

Lamanai is at the top of the river; Orange Walk is the departure town.