Orange Walk Town, Belize Tourism

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Orange Walk, as the mechanized sugar industry mixes with traditional Mexican customs as well as the Mennonite presence found in the town.

While British mahogany farmers first settled Orange Walk, the town saw a major rise in population resulting from an influx of Mestizo refugees fleeing the Yucatán during the 1850s War of the Castes. In 1872, Orange Walk Town was attacked by a huge army of Icaiche Mayans led by Marcus Canul, who was killed by Orange Walk's British settlers. Little remains of the town's two British forts that were built in defense of the Caste War's raiding Mayan armies. This battle marks the armed resistance of the Maya in Belize.

Today, most of Orange Walk's residents are Spanish-speaking Mestizos, and their culture is reflected in the tacos and tamales sold on the streets of Orange Walk. The town is not highly developed for tourism, but options for lodging, dining and shopping are available.