The town of Corozal in Northern Belize lies on the Caribbean Sea, 9 miles from the Mexican border. It has a population of approximately 8,100.

The peaceful Caribbean coast

Understand

The people tend to be very friendly. If you are young or have long hair you are likely to be offered marijuana regularly, some people may even offer to take you back to their plants in the jungle for smokes and beers. They may seem to be a little insistent, but don't worry about telling them no, or "not in Belize", they are just being friendly, and are not part of some huge drug cartel.

Get in

• Very regular buses are available between Corozal and Chetumal in Mexico. The journey lasts about 1 hour and costs around US$4.
• Buses run to and from the Mexican border every 20 or 30 minutes during the day.
• Fairly regular and inexpensive buses are also available to and from Belize City and Belmopan, as well as other destinations in the country.

See

Do

Buy

The town has a fairly wide selection of shops, it is possible to buy clothing, food, kitchen and garden equipment, electronic goods, bicycles and more. During the day there is a market close to the bus station selling a variety of local products, such as fruit.

There are three banks in Corozal, two of them foreign with ATMs, but these will only accept Visa or Mastercard. The local 'Belize Bank' also has an ATM and will accept other cards such as Maestro, but it's reliability is questionable; you may end up having to wait inside the bank for an hour before they give you back your card and tell you its not working today. Within the banks you are likely to find very long queues.

It is possible to change Mexican and Belizean money on the street here, and this is legal and certainly safe if you do it next to the border checkpoint. You can also change money inside the customs office, but the rates are often less good, cash advances on credit cards are available here but a large "handling" fee is charged. If you are leaving the country and need to pay the exit tax it is a good idea to take money out in Corozal instead. Without a credit card you will have to withdraw money at the Belize Bank in Corozal or take out Mexican Pesos on the other side of the border, and change this into Belize dollars.

Eat

There is only one restaurant that opens late in the town, a Chinese that is close to the market. The food is quick, cheap and edible, though nothing special.

Drink

There are several bars around the town, beers cost around $2 BZD for a half English pint bottle (284ml).

Sleep

As Corozal is easily reached from Mexico, many travellers from Mexico will cross the border to here, in order to re-enter Mexico and obtain a new tourist visa for additional time there. Corozal therefore has a very large amount of accommodation relative to its size and attractions. Since the town is not very big, one is sure to find several places after wandering around the center for a few minutes.

Budget

• Corozal Guest House: The cheapest accommodation in the town, and located opposite the bus station. A double room costs around $45 BZD ($23 USD), but if it's quiet you can haggle this down. The rooms are fairly clean, if basic and somewhat run down. You may get bitten by mosquitoes during the night, so if you find a lizard in the room, leave it there to eat them.

Medium

There are several hotels offering double rooms for $60 - $80 BZD.

Splurge

Contact

There is at least one internet cafe in the town, which is open during the day.

Get out

• The area next the Mexican border, 9 miles from the town features a large casino and hotel, as it is free of some taxes.