Orange Walk Town

Orange Walk runs on sugar: cane trucks queue through the town in season and the mill at Tower Hill processes most of the country's crop. It is the centre of Belize's Mestizo north, and the food follows, with tacos, salbutes, garnaches and panades sold from stands around the central park in the evenings. Boats to Lamanai leave from the New River just outside town, which is what brings most visitors through.

History

In Maya times the area was known as Holpatin, and the Maya here came into contact with Europeans in the 1530s, after which the two fought over the land. The town grew from a logging camp on the New River where logwood, mahogany and chicle workers stopped on their way to the sea, and from 1848 it grew quickly with an influx of Maya and Mestizos fleeing the Caste War of Yucatán; in 1872 it was the scene of the Battle of Orange Walk, and through the 19th century it remained a small township of thatched and wooden houses, mostly on the west bank of the river (Wikipedia, Orange Walk Town).

What to look for

• The New River dock - where boats leave for the run up to Lamanai.
• The evening food stands - tacos, salbutes and panades around the central park.
• The sugar industry - cane trucks and the mill that the town runs on.
• The Banquitas House of Culture - a small museum on the district's history.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Cane harvest runs roughly from December to July and puts heavy truck traffic on the roads. Evenings are when the food stands open.

Good to know

The town itself has little sightseeing and most visitors pass through for Lamanai. Cane truck traffic in season is heavy and slow. Accommodation is limited and basic.

Nearby

Lamanai is up the New River, and Rio Bravo is west.

Key facts