My Corozal, Cerros Mayan Adventure. The Journey.

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My Corozal, Cerros Mayan Adventure. The Journey.

DH
Jan 6, 2019
2 min read

Central America is filled with Mayan ruins. Belize is no different. Interestingly, Belize has not uncovered much of its Mayan treasures buried underground. That makes the Cerros site special. It has large uncovered ruins in a non-touristy area. Cerros was a Mayan community that existed in the now Corozal district in 250 B.C. Corozal is the northernmost district in the country.

Getting to Cerros requires time and patience and perseverance and mosquito spray. The payoff is worth it. You step into a real-life postcard. Seriously though, don’t forget the mosquito spray.

You are surrounded by trees and lush greenery throughout most of the journey. Once outside of town, the roads to Cerros are unpaved. Dirt roads in most areas. The drive takes less than 90-minutes from Corozal Town to Cerros. Oh, and one hand cranked ferry. You heard me. Hand cranked. Video in the Video section.

Sidebar: The ferry was a surreal, time warp like experience for me. The ferry is free and holds about 4 cars. You must wait in line as the ferry approaches your side of the river bank. The ferry is available 24 hours, I’m told. Community members often help the ferrymen with the hand crank to move us along faster.

The drive will take you through the town of Copper Bank. Take a 5-minute detour and drive along its bayside. It is minimally disturbed. There are fishing boats and old docks. It’s just incredibly peaceful. It will also give you a break from the drive.

The moment you get tired of being on the road, add five minutes and you’ll arrive at Cerros. You are greeted by a clearing where you park and with welcome signs and instructions. You may see a smoldering little fire expelling citronella scented smoke. There are tall trees that guide your path to the Welcome Center. The grounds are amazing.

While the Welcome crew was kind, they simply provided quick direction to the nearby Information Center, charged our entry fee ($5 Belize) and pretty much retreated. The Information Center is filled with incredible details and great artifacts. Exiting the Information Center, there is a long dock over the clear water. The views are just ridiculous. You can see Corozal and Chetumal, Mexico from the dock.

The dock is also the one place the mosquitoes can’t get you! Cerros has a serious amount of mosquitoes. If you do not bring mosquito spray, prepare to run back to your car or the restroom. The restrooms are to the right of the Information Center. They are new and very clean.

Walk along the path to the ruins. The ruins are gorgeous. Unsurprisingly, much of Cerros remains unexcavated. I can only imagine how magical Cerros will be once we see the wonders beneath our feet.