3 Best Sights in Northern Belize, Belize

One of Belize's oldest inland villages, established some 300 years ago, Crooked Tree is at the center of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. With a population of about 900, most of Creole origin, the community has a church, a school, and one of the surest signs of a former British territory: a cricket pitch. There are many large cashew trees around the village, the serpentine growth pattern of which gave the village its name. The cashews are highly fragrant when in bloom in January and February, and when the cashew fruits ripen to a golden yellow color in May and June, they taste something like mango and smell like sweet grapes. The cashew nuts require roasting to make them edible. Villagers make and sell cashew wine. A Cashew Festival is held annually in early May.

The architecturally elegant old Corozal Cultural Center, for many years the main Corozal market, was completely renovated and is now the Corozal House of Culture. Located in one of the oldest buildings in northern Belize (other than ancient Maya structures), the House of Culture was built in 1886. It's operated by the National Institute of History and Culture (NICH) as an art gallery and museum devoted to the history of Corozal Town and northern Belize. NICH operates other museums including ones in Belize City, Orange Walk Town, San Pedro, San Ignacio, and Benque Viejo, along with many Maya archaeological sites.

The history of Corozal, including a graphic portrayal of the brutality of colonial rule on the indigenous people, is depicted in a strikingly beautiful mural by Manuel Villamor Reyes on the wall of the Corozal Town Hall.