13km (8 miles) N of Belize City; 50km (31 miles) N of Orange Walk Town; 13km (8 miles) S of the Mexican border
Corozal is a quiet seaside town, located just south of the Río Hondo (Hondo River), which forms the border between Mexico and Belize. Set on a crystal-clear bay, Corozal was an important point on the early Mayan trading routes, and the evidence remains in the ruins of Cerros and Santa Rita. During the mid-1800s the modern town was settled with a large population of refugees from Mexico's Caste War. In 1955, Hurricane Janet paid a visit and left few of the town's wooden buildings standing. The rebuilding relied heavily on cement and cinderblock construction. Today, Corozal is home to a growing expatriate community. While not part of the traditional tourist circuit, Corozal Town makes a good base for fishing excursions in the calm bay; bird- and wildlife-viewing tours into nearby Shipstern Nature Reserve; shopping trips to neighboring Chetumal, Mexico; and explorations of the aforementioned Mayan ruins. New attractions in this area are a couple of swank casinos and shopping centers located just on the Belizean side of the Mexico-Belize border.
