In Spanish, the term “Mestizo” means “mixed” as in mixed race, but this is not a very apt description for the Mestizo people of Belize. In reality, the Mestizos were originally immigrants that began arriving in Belize after fleeing from a race-based civil war in neighboring Mexico in the 19th century called the Caste War.

Initially, the Mestizos brought much of their original culture with them, including the Catholic faith and the Spanish language. Over time, however, the Mestizos have integrated into the wider Belizean society, many having adopted other Christian faiths as well as being bilingual in both English and Spanish.

Today, the Mestizos are primarily located in the two northernmost districts of Belize, Corozal and Orange Walk, as these border regions were largely uninhabited in the mid-19th century. The Mestizos were instrumental in Belize’s burgeoning agricultural sector, especially sugarcane production. The Mestizos now form the second-largest cultural group in Belize after the Creoles.

Mestizo culture is rich with a blend of Catholic and indigenous traditions. Perhaps their most well-known story tells a tale of Xtabai (pronounced ish-ta-buy) who was a powerful spirit that lives in the jungle. According to legend, the Xtabai waits at night on the edge of town for an intoxicated or lost man to wander by. The Xtabai then lures the man into the jungle, sometimes just to taunt them, but sometimes to hurt or even kill them. During the day, however, the Xtabai takes the form of a tree or a snake.

Mestizo music is heavily influenced by Spanish traditions. No Mestizo gathering would be complete without some guitar music, especially a song called the Serenata (Serenade) that was traditionally sung by young men outside the bedroom window of their beloved. Mestizo music often recalls the rollicking rhythms of flamenco, rumbia, and salsa with lyrics that tell stories of rural life, love, and death. Other typical Mestizo musical instruments include harps, trumpets, and violins.

Mestizo cooking is similar but distinctly different than Mexican food. Mestizo villages often have a large communal kitchen where tasty treats are made such as tortillas, tacos, and tamales. Mestizos are also renowned for their textile work and handicrafts that feature simple yet elegant floral designs.

The lovely beach resort of Chabil Mar on the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize is a great place to stay for visitors who want to learn more about Belizean culture and people, including the Mestizos.

The Maya Ruins of Caracol

Caracol is one of the most interesting and well-preserved ancient Maya sites in Belize. Previously known as Uxwitza (“Three Water Hill”) to the ancient Maya, the current name of the site was coined in 1938 when the local British head archeologist dubbed it Caracol (Spanish for “Snail Shell”) on account of the curving access road that leads to the site.

Far bigger than even Belize City, Caracol once housed up to 180,000 people at the height of the city’s power. Caracol dominated the ancient Maya geopolitical world, variously allying or fighting against other city-states, including Naranjo and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal that is currently located just across the border in neighboring Guatemala.

The most famous building in Caracol is the Canaa (“Sky Palace). An enormous period that contains four palaces and three temples, Canaa is still the tallest building in the country at 141 feet (43 meters) high. Other important buildings and items discovered in Caracol include 24 religious altars, three large ball court, five big plazas, 24 carved stelae, reservoirs, causeways, and a very advanced astronomical observatory. A total of 35,000 lesser buildings have also been identified in Caracol along with more than 100 tombs.

Due to its enormous footprint (some 75 square miles), much of Caracol is still awaiting further excavation. A 2009 aerial survey was used to create a 3D map of how the city stands, including large sections of causeway and agricultural terraces that still lie buried in the jungle. The remote location of Caracol in the foothills of the Maya Mountains in southwest Belize also add to the difficulty of performing large-scale archeological work.

Caracol rose to the height of its power during the Maya classic period but the city seems to have been abandoned around the year 1050 for unknown reasons relating to the wide scale collapse of Maya civilization in the area. Once reclaimed by the jungle, the city was accidentally rediscovered in 1938 by a local logger named Rosa Mai who was in the area searching for mahogany trees.

Today, Caracol is located approximately 25 miles south of San Ignacio in the western Cayo District of Belize. The site of Caracol is within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and is surrounded by both primary and secondary tropical rain forest. The abundance of carved stelae, altars, markers in ball courts, walls, and capstones have allowed archaeologists to accurately document the history of the city, including a monumental military victory of Tikal in the year 562 AD.

Chabil Mar in Placencia Belize & Caracol Mayan Ruins

Chabil Mar resort on the Placencia Peninsula is close to all of the most exciting mainland destinations in Belize. Guests of the resort can include a visit to Caracol Mayan Ruins as part of one of Chabil Mar’s fantastic Belize Reef & Jungle vacation packages.

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Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

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In this blog post, we bring to you 20 amazing facts about beautiful Belize.

Belize Fact#1

Belize is the only Central American Country where English is the official language. Apart from English, there are many recognized regional languages: Kriol, Spanish, Garifuna, and Mayan.

Belize Fact#2

September 10 in Belize is celebrated as the National Day or St George’s Caye Day. On this day in 1798, Spanish forces were repelled by the British in the Battle of St George’s Caye, with no reported casualties on either side.

See also: 7 Reasons Why You Have to Travel to Belize this Summer

Belize Fact#3

Belize has a private enterprise economy that is largely dependent on agriculture, agro-based industry and merchandising. However tourism and construction and the recent discovery of oil field have presented new prospects for the country. The estimated GDP of the country is 1.354 billion dollars and the major trading partners are the United States of America, Mexico, Central America and the European Union.

Belize Fact#4

Belize obtained its independence from the United Kingdom on September 21, 1981. George Cadle Price was the first prime minister of Belize and he served from 12 September 1981 to 17 December 1984.

Belize Fact#5

The currency of Belize is Belize dollar and its ISO 3166 code is BZ. Since 1978, the official value is pegged at 2 BZD = 1 US dollar.

See also: Chabil Mar, Placencia’s Only Guest Exclusive Resort

Belize Fact#6

Belmopan is the capital of Belize and its name derives from the union of two words: “Belize” and “Mopan”. After the devastating Hurricane Hattie destroyed the former capital, Belize City, in 1961, the government was shifted to Belmopan in 1970.

Belize Fact#7

Belize has the only Jaguar reserve in the world which is known as Cockscomb Basin Wildlife sanctuary.

Belize Fact#8

The islands in Belize are called Cayes (pronounced “keys”) and total around 450 including those on the outer atolls.

Belize Fact#9

Belize has around 900 Maya temple sites.

Belize Fact#10

The largest city of Belize is located at the mouth of the river Belize River and is known as Belize City. It has an estimated population of 79,600 and is the main port and the industrial hub of the country. It was discovered in the mid-17th Century by British lumber harvesters and was the capital of British Honduras.

Belize Fact#11

The total land area of Belize is 8,867 square miles or 22,700 square kilometers.  The country’s greatest length, north to south, is 170 miles (274 km) and its greatest width, east to west, is 68 miles (109 km).  Using an offshore territorial limit of 20 km, the country covers 46,620 km2 (18,000 sq mi), of which only 49% is land.

See also: 25 Things You Need to Know Before You Travel to Placencia Belize

Belize Fact#12

Belize is in the Central Standard Time zone and does not observe daylight saving time.

Belize Fact#13

Belize is subtropical, with a mean annual temperature of 80^o F.

Belize Fact#14

The first people to inhabit Belize were the Maya around 1500 B.C.E. As shown in archeological records, they established a number of settlements such as Caracol, Lamanai and Lubaantun.

Belize Fact#15

Belize’s Black Howler Monkeys are one of the top 10 loudest animals in the world.

See also: 12 Incredible Belize Vacation Photos

Belize Fact#16

Some of the exotic names for Belize’s natural wonders include the Owl-Eye Butterfly, the Blue Morpho Butterfly, the Swallow Tail Cattle Heart Butterfly, the Peanut-Head Lantern Bug, the Red-footed Booby Bird, the Lady-of-the-Night Orchid and the False Vampire Bat.

Belize Fact#17

Close to 1 million tourists’ visit Belize annually of which 70% of are Americans.

Belize Fact#18

Belize is one of the least populated countries in the world.

Belize Fact#19

Ambergris Caye, which is 25 miles long, is Belize’s largest and most developed island.

Belize Fact#20

More than 400 species of fish live in the waters of Belize’s 185-mile long Barrier Reef.

Visit our website Chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize and Chabil Mar, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call & chat with us via WhatsApp Free Worldwide: +501-633-7547, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

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