We spent the final days of our road trip around Belize in Orange Walk. This is the busy main town of the Orange Walk district and perfect if you are in need of facilities such as banks or shops. I was in desperate need of new sun screen and found the largest selection I’ve seen in Belize. Other than that, there is not a lot to see in Orange Walk. Visiting Lamanai Mayan site was the main reason for staying there.
Lamanai is amongst the larger Mayan sites in Belize. Like with most Mayan cities in Central America, the larger part of the site remains unexcavated today. Nonetheless, amongst the visible structure are three impressive temples. Visitors are allowed to climb them and are guaranteed good views of the New River, meandering nearby. Lamanai’s strategic location as a trade post on the New River brought prosperity to the city from the 4th century BC onwards. That said, the site was occupied as early as the 16th century before Christ and not abandoned until the 17th century.
A boat trip on the New River is the best way to reach the site. The alternative is a long, bumpy 4×4 ride. Here’s all you need to know for organising your trip and visiting Lamanai Mayan site.
ORANGE WALK TOWN & ACCOMMODATION
Orange walk is one of the larger towns of Belize and mostly a commercial centre. The sugar cane industry is booming in the area, which explains why this town near Belize City has developed significantly. Unlike Belize city, Orange Town felt very safe. We arrived at night (due to poor planning earlier on the day) and had to stop a few times to ask for directions, which was all fine. We walked around the town for a couple of hours, but that time was mainly spent on practical things such as getting cash our and going to the supermarket.
We stayed two nights in the family-owned Lamanai Riverside Retreat in Orange Walk. This accommodation is located far enough from the town to make you feel surrounded by nature. At the same time, it is still close enough that you can easily walk or drive to the centre. I loved our wooden cabin, with a deck overlooking the New River. Everything was clean and well-maintained. Amazingly, there was even air conditioning! Be aware though that the environment is rustic – we had to use our mosquito net at night and some salamanders made their way from the river into our cabin. Some ducks spent the night in the area underneath our cabin. This was somewhat scary the first night as we couldn’t tell whether the rustling noise came from inside or outside.
Freshly cooked breakfast is included and you also have the option to dine in the laid-back restaurant. The owner and his family were super friendly and chatty. They all chip in looking after the place and running the restaurant.
GETTING TO LAMANAI & PRACTICAL TIPS
For visiting Lamanai Mayan site, you can choose between two options: an organised boat trip or a bumpy drive. Typically, I am all in favour of doing things independently and avoiding organised tours. However, the boat trip sounded exciting and having driving around the rocky roads of Belize for almost 10 days, I was looking forward to not getting in the driver’s seat for a change. Not to mention the fact that my backside was pretty badly burnt after some snorkelling the day before. Here are the details for both options so you can decide for yourself.
VISITING LAMANAI BY BOAT
Before our arrival, I contacted the family at Lamanai Riverside Retreat to ask for information about the boat tour. They were kind enough to organise the tour for us. Not only this made things super easy, we also found out that we got a better rate than the other people on the tour. If need be, you can also book the trip to Lamanai yourself via one of the many operators. Ours was Lamanai River Tours and they were very good.
The tour to Lamanai lasts about six hours (roughly 0900 – 1500). The boat made two stops to pick up more people. Since we visited in the shoulder season, there were only five of us in total and the trip was very relaxed. Getting from Orange Walk to Lamanai takes close to two hours, so we spent a lot of the six hours in the boat. The boat trip was fun though. We were lucky to have a knowledgeable guide with a great eye for wildlife. We spotted crocodiles, turtles and a variety of birds along the way.
DRIVING TO LAMANAI
Only a handful of roads in Belize are paved and the road to Lamanai isn’t one of them. However, the road quality sounds much better compared to other Belizean roads I took to Caracol and Barton Creek. In speaking to the owner at Lamanai Riverside Retreat, I gathered that the drive takes one hour to 90 minutes. The recommended road is through the Mennonite community of Shipyard and the point to aim for is Indian Church, the village nearest to Lamanai.
Even though several small villages are listed on the map, there are no services on the road to Lamanai. There may be some stalls with fruits and other produce, but this is not guaranteed. Fill up your tank before you leave and take enough food and water.
In my opinion, driving to Lamanai has one big advantage. You can opt for spending the night close to the ruins and get them completely to yourself at sunrise or sunset. Lamanai Outpost Lodge is the only option and I would have loved spending a night in this jungle retreat.
VISITING LAMANAI MAYAN SITE
Add to the boat trip three beautifully excavated Mayan temples (and several other structures) with very few visitors and you know that visiting Lamanai Mayan site was a success. Only a fraction of the former city has been excavated. Researched estimate that more than 700 structures remain buried.
When we docked our boat at Lamanai, one other boat had just arrived. Our guide took us quickly to the first structure, the Mask temple, so we stayed ahead and could enjoy the site in peace and quiet. The Mask temple at Lamanai is one of the best examples I’ve seen of “juxtaposition” – the practice whereby newly appointed rulers build a new temple on top of the previous ruler’s to show their respect. The masks on this temple have been beautifully replicated and give a good impression of what the temple used to look like.
When I say peace and quiet, that’s not considering the howler monkey families roaming the site. We spotted several groups in the trees around us throughout the visit and heard their screams almost continuously.
Next was the High Temple, aka El Castillo. With 33 metres, this is the highest structure of Lamanai. Despite the heat, I made my way up to the top where views of the New River and the various temple mounts hidden in the jungle awaited. The final big structure, the Jaguar Temple, can also be climbed, but I decided to skip this one as the heat was getting to me by the time we got there.
After visiting Lamanai Mayan site, we enjoyed a delicious picknick lunch. This was included in the tour package. Afterwards, we had time to visit the museum before gathering at the dock for the return trip.
BONUS SITE: CERROS MAYA
We wouldn’t have visited Cerros Maya archaeological site if it weren’t for the enthusiastic German chap on the Lamanai tour raving about it. The site is tiny compared to other Mayan sites we visited, but the seafront setting makes it unique. Although you can’t see this, a significant part of the site is now under water which I found a fascinating thought. Although not many structures have been excavated, those that have are rather special. They feature masks and decorations and clearly show how floor were added to the temples throughout generations of rulers.
Driving from Orange Walk to Cerros Maya means more than an hour on unpaved roads. However, the quality of the roads is relatively good. You’ll come pass sugar cane plantations and small villages and will likely get a peak into the local Mennonite community. The location of the site is excellent if you are heading for the Mexican border and are looking for a fun final stop in Belize.
Are you up for visiting Lamanai Mayan site after reading this post? Don’t forget to also check out my 10 day itinerary with other sites to visit in Belize and places to stay.
