TOLEDO DISTRICT - Information

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Toledo is Belize's southern most district. The Toledo district is bordered to the west and south by Guatemala. Its terrain ranges from coastal swamp to rocky hills. It is very rainy and prone to floods. Land developed for agricultural purposes is mostly for rice and banana production.

The Toledo District is the southernmost district of Belize and runs from the Belize-Guatemala border north to the general area of Monkey River Village.

Here the Rio Blanco flows through wide, shallow pools and gentle cascades formed of smooth slabs of mudstone and sandstone, before pouring over a 15 foot ledge into a deep pool. A smooth stone ledge at the end of the trail from the parking lot, covered with a layer of scattered snail shells, rises steeply about 20 feet above the pool. This is a favorite jumping spot for local thrill seekers. Beware that the climb back up is not as easy as the drop down.

  The District's main population center is Punta Gorda Town ("PG" as it's known in Belize), which fronts on the Bay of Honduras. Some people describe Toledo as the "end of the earth" -- but so what -- the fewer people - the more fish. Toledo is Belize 's southern most district. The Toledo district is bordered to the west and south by Guatemala. Its terrain ranges from coastal swamp to rocky hills. It is very rainy and prone to floods. Land developed from agricultural purposes is mostly for rice and banana production.
       Toledo is strewn with small villages that rely on subsistence farming. The residents of Toledo are mostly Mayan Indians who are direct descendants of the great Mayan civilization which collapsed several hundred years ago.
       The land is blanketed with some of the most pristine rainforest in Belize. The uplands to the Northwest, consist of the foothills of the Maya Mountains bordered by limestone outcrops - rugged, unexplored territory. The coastal lowlands consist of softer

grounds, formed from the flood deposits of the many rivers draining the uplands. Towering riverine forests line the rivers and flood plains, while pine ridge savannahs and mangrove surround coastal lagoons.

Lamanai had the longest continual occupation of any ruin, extending from 500BC until Spanish missionaries arrived in the 16th century and built a church at the site. Archaeologists guesstimate the peak population at a million people. The artifacts left behind suggest that the residents were merchants. The vistas of the surrounding jungle and lagoon from atop the 112 foot high pyramid are just wonderful. This pyramid was constructed in 100BC and is thought to have been the largest pyramid in the Maya world at the time. Lamanai translates to 'submerged crocodile', in deference to their healthy numbers found in the lagoon at the base of the ruins. The on-site museum has an impressive collection. You'll certainly hear, if not see, roving troops of howler monkeys and spider monkeys. The birding here is great and the ruins are remote enough that all types of wildlife roam the parameters. This is one of the better day trips, combining ruins, jungle and wildlife. Day trips emanate from Belize City, San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Although you can reach the ruins by road, it is quicker and much more pleasurable to catch a boat at the Tower Hill Bridge outside of Orange Walk for the 25 mile journey through waterways to the ruins.

There is an abundance of unexplored and underdeveloped country for the adventurous traveler. There are also a number of unexcavated Mayan ruins such as Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit.
GETTING THERE: The ride to Punta Gorda by Road is rough and long. There are also scheduled flights on Tropic Air and Maya Airways, the flight is about 1 hour.

THINGS TO DO: • Lubaantun Maya Ruin • Moho Caye • Santa Cruz Falls

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Ambergris Caye	Belize City	Corozal	Cayo	Orange Walk	Outer Island	Stann Creek	Toledo