Orange Walk District - Orange Walk District

Division of Belize by districts
Overview Orange Walk District
Maya temple in Lamanai

The Orange Walk District located in Belize and borders in the north Mexico and in the west Guatemala

Regions

Sugar cane harvest in the Orange Walk District

The Orange Walk District borders the to the west Corozal District and Belize District. In the north it borders Mexico, with the Rio Hondo marking the boundary here. The border line with Mexico and Guatemala in the west leads straight through the rainforest. The south borders the Cayo District. In the northeast is the Northern Highway surrounded by farmland and the larger settlements and the capital Orange Walk. The Northern Highway continues south into the Belize District and is surrounded by marshland and lagoons. Other larger settlements stretch west along the border with Mexico. Most of the area of ​​the southwest is covered with tropical rainforest.

places

Orange Walk With 15,000 inhabitants, it is by far the largest town and capital of the district. Although the place is not particularly worth seeing, it is the best starting point for exploring the district.

The other places have far fewer than 10,000 inhabitants and are located directly or near the Northern Highway or near the border with Mexico. Worth seeing here are:

Other goals

Of course there are also Mayan ruins to visit here. Accessible to tourists and recommended are:

  • Chan Chich - In the middle of the rainforest and lodge in the middle of the ruin
  • Cuello - The oldest Mayan city ever found so far
  • La Milpa - With approx. 50,000 inhabitants one of the largest metropolises of the classical period
  • Lamanai - Picturesque location and inhabited until the 18th century AD
  • Nohmul - Larger ruin north of Orange Walk

Furthermore, Belize can also offer a lot here with pure nature in the form of protected areas:

background

The history of the settlement of this district begins as early as 2000 BC Cuello the first Mayans their first city. This is often referred to as the birth of the Maya culture. But soon a number of Maya settlements formed in the marshland of Orange Walk, which gradually grew into cities. In the pre-classical era, the first kingdoms emerged here, and they developed into metropolises here as well. Particularly noteworthy are here La Milpa and Lamanai. The latter was able to benefit from its strategic location on the New River, which was one of the most important trade routes from inland to the coast. Many settlements and cities sprang up around this river. At the end of the Classical period, many cities fell victim to drought, war and general political changes. But unlike e.g. in the El Peten survived here the two largest metropolises Lamanai & La Milpa. When the Spaniards arrived, they were able to come with them in 1544 Lamanai occupy the most important metropolis of the region, but they were able to shake off the rule of the Spaniards 100 years later. The first English lumberjacks found both cities still inhabited. But diseases brought in by the Europeans ultimately led to the collapse of the Maya culture here as well. The rest of the work was done by the British pirates and loggers who advanced from the south in search of hiding places and wood a few years later. At the beginning of the 19th century, this region was finally almost deserted. But that changed in the course of the Caste Wars. Numerous refugees from mestizos and Mayans fled across the border to start a new life here. Most of the cities come from this time. Larger groups of Mennonites followed.

climate

The climate here is a little more humid than in the classic Yucatan. But the amounts of rain are comparatively low compared to the south. Most of the rain falls in the rainy season between June and November. It is mostly dry between February and May.

JanFebMarchAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec  
Mean highest air temperature in ° C293132333433333333323029O31.8
Mean lowest air temperature in ° C181819212224232323222019O21
Precipitation in mm8040405010020020020018018010080Σ1450

language

English is of course the official language here, which is also spoken by the majority of the population. However, similar to the three largest ethnic groups, Spanish, Maya or Plautdietsch (a dialect of East Low German) are often spoken in addition to English.

getting there

Whether by car or bus: Orange Walk is the central traffic junction. There are good road connections in the via the Northern Highway Corozal District and Mexico and continue towards the southern districts. Most of the major settlements are directly connected to this traffic axis. The cities on the Mexican border can be walked towards via one of Orange Rio Bravo Conservation Area can be achieved.

Another way to get here is by plane. The provider Tropic Air flies to Tower Hill Airport, just a few miles south of Orange Walk.

mobility

The central connecting road is the Northern Highway. There is also the possibility of moving by boat across the New River.

Tourist Attractions

  • nature - Swamp landscapes with lagoons in a tropical atmosphere on the one hand and the rainforest on the other. Here everything is close together and provides a good retreat for a rich fauna. Especially those Rio Bravo Conservation Area can convince here with numerous observation options.
  • Mayan ruins - It's safe to say that here in Cuello the birthplace and with Lamanai one of the last retreats of the classical Maya culture can be found. In addition, the latter destination can convince with its picturesque location and access by boat across the New River.
  • Mennonites - There is in here Blue Creek Village the only way to stay overnight in a Mennonite city and to get to know their life.

activities

  • Nature observation - There is hardly an animal living on land in Belize that cannot be found in the rainforests to the west of Orange Walk. The best address here is undoubtedly this Rio Bravo Conservation Area. With over 400 species of birds, it is also an excellent area for bird watching. Those who are more interested in water birds and crocodiles should take the boat trip Lamanai not to be missed.
  • Discover - Especially the Mayan ruins invite you to discover them. While Lamanai (also rightly) attracts large tourist groups, the other ruins are rather off the beaten track. And whether former metropolis like La Milpa or smaller city ruins on a company site like Cuello. The discovery factor is high. Here you will find some of the ruins in the same state as they were discovered a few years ago.

kitchen

The restaurants are usually simple and only differentiate between fish, chicken or meat. But that doesn't usually reduce the quality. On the contrary, true delicacies are served here at good prices, especially in small towns. Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce is not missing on any table in Belize. This extremely hot sauce has eloquent names such as "No Wimps Allowed" (roughly "forbidden for wimps") or "Beware" (caution). Fish is highly recommended.

nightlife

The nightlife here is rather spartan. Only in Orange Walk there are a few options. If you really want to let it rip, you should head to San Pedro (Belize) or Belize City hit.

security

The crime rate is negligibly low, especially in the smaller towns. Nevertheless, especially in Orange Walk keep an eye out for tricksters.

There are also crocodiles and poisonous snakes here, so careless handling is certainly not appropriate. But in view of the fact that humans are not on the menu of these animals, careful behavior appropriate to the rainforest and appropriate clothing should guarantee sufficient protection. The "most dangerous" here are almost the mosquitoes, so mosquito repellent should not be dispensed with. Dengue fever, which is occasionally transmitted by mosquitoes, cannot be prevented by vaccination. However, other diseases can be prevented:

  • Malaria prophylaxis should be carried at least in an emergency
  • A typhoid vaccination should be carried out beforehand
  • The hepatitis A, B, tetanus and rabies vaccination should be refreshed

Web links

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