Corozal Town, Belize

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buildings, and the town has since been rebuilt in the classic Mestizo style; a grid pattern around a central plaza. Much of the town's wood and cinderblock architecture dates from the late 1950s.

Corozal is a prosperous farming town since the area's fertile land and climate create favorable agricultural conditions. Sugarcane is the leading crop cultivated in the area. The town offers many amenities including hotels and restaurants and is a popular stop with travelers en route to Mexico. Corozal is situated on the Bay of Corozal and water sports such as sailing and windsurfing are popular activities.

Corozal Town has been built on the foundations of a Mayan ceremonial center once called Chetumal, and now called Santa Rita. Ruins can be seen on the northern outskirts of town, however most of Santa Rita's structures were not elevated, and excavations in the 1980s revealed that more than 50% of the site's structures lie under the Corozal Town. Mayans had been living in the area since 1500 BC. The Caste War refugees named modern Corozal after the Spanish word for cohune palm, a strong symbol of fertility.