Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hummingbird Highway branches off the George Price Highway, it was named to
combine “Belize” and “Mopan”, the language spoken by the Maya of Cayo. Belmopan
was originally seen as symbolizing the country's new independent era, and its initial
population of five thousand was expected to increase to thirty thousand. Few Belizeans
other than government o
cials (who had no option) have moved here, however, so the
population currently stands at around twelve thousand.
Other than
Guanacaste National Park
, immediately northwest, Belmopan holds no
sights to speak of, so unless you need to visit an embassy or government of,
ce, there's
really no reason to come here. Most of its daily activity is concentrated around the
bus
terminal
at the western edge of the centre. Assorted food and other stalls do a thriving
trade immediately east of that, although the main
market
has migrated a mile away
from the town itself, to the open ground that adjoins the intersection of the George
Price and Hummingbird highways.
Laid out to house far more people than it actually holds, Belmopan spreads across a
surprisingly large area; walking anywhere beyond the immediate centre is liable to take
longer than you might expect. A ring road circles its administrative heart, but there's no
road straight through the centre. Only if you explore on foot, therefore, will you see
the
government buildings
at its core, which were modelled on the ground plan of a
Maya city; the
National Assembly
even incorporates a version of the traditional roof
comb, a decorative stonework and stucco crest. Now grey and ageing, when first
constructed these concrete buildings won their British architect an award.
Guanacaste National Park
Intersection of George Price and Hummingbird highways, 1 mile northwest of Belmopan • Daily 8am-4.30pm • Bz$5 •
W
belizeaudubon
.org • Buses stop at the entrance
Belize's smallest protected area, at just 52 acres,
Guanacaste National Park
is also the
easiest to visit, with its entrance at the junction of the Cayo district's two main roads.
It takes its name from an enormous
guanacaste
tree, which escaped the loggers because
its trunk divides into three separate sections. A tall, spreading hardwood tree, it
supports around 35 other plant species, including bromeliads, orchids, ferns, cacti and
strangler figs, which blossom spectacularly at the end of the rainy season. Traditionally,
the guanacaste's ear-shaped fruit - hence the name by which it's known in the US, the
Elephant Ear Tree - ends up as cattle feed, while its partially water-resistant wood is
used to make feeding troughs and dugout canoes.
After signing in at the national park's
visitor centre
, which holds a superb exhibit on
the life cycle of leaf-cutter ants, and admiring the courtyard orchid display, you can
follow three short
trails
through lush rainforest at the confluence of Roaring Creek and
the Belize River, with the chance to plunge into a lovely swimming hole at the end of
your visit. There's a large wooden deck for picnicking and sunbathing, but be sure to
bring mosquito repellent.
Other botanical attractions include young mahogany trees, cohune palms, a
ceiba
(the sacred tree of the Maya, also known as a silk-cotton tree) and quamwood, while
the forest floor is a mass of ferns and mosses. Although the chances of seeing four-
footed
wildlife
are slim so close to the road, agoutis, jaguarundis and the like have been
spotted, and howler and spider monkeys use the park as a feeding ground. Around one
hundred species of
birds
are present, among them blue-crowned motmots, black-faced
ant-thrushes, black-headed trogons, red-lored parrots and squirrel cuckoos.
4
ARRIVAL AND TOURS
BELMOPAN
By bus
Belmopan's bus terminal is in the town centre,
where Constitution Drive meets Bliss Parade.
Destinations
Belize City (at least hourly, 6.30am-9.30pm;
1hr-1hr 30min); Benque Viejo del Carmen, for the
Guatemalan border (at least hourly, 5.30am-11pm; 1hr
30min); Dangriga (hourly, 6.15am-7.30pm; 1hr 45min);
Independence, for Placencia (hourly, 6.15am-5pm; 2hr
45min); Punta Gorda (hourly, 6.15am-5pm; 4hr 15min);
San Ignacio (at least hourly, 5.30am-11pm; 1hr).
Tours
Belmopan's best adventure operators, Maya Guide
