Belize · Corozal District

Corozal.

Cerro Maya and Santa Rita

2 places
2 unconfirmed
checked Oct 2026
12 sources

Before you go,
understand the place.

Corozal gathers two NICH Maya sites: Cerro Maya, at the south-eastern end of Corozal Bay, and Santa Rita, in Corozal Town itself.

Best time to go: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, although a cyclone can form outside that period (Government Press Office, 28 May 2026). The United Kingdom advises following warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. Canada places the rainy season from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads; the United Kingdom mentions flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there: This guide does not calculate road routes or travel times and offers no arrival points. Morales Transports lists buses from Corozal Town to Belize City, Belmopan, San Ignacio and Benque Viejo on an undated page, and Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly to Corozal, according to the airlines (Maya Island Air’s website was last updated in February 2023). For Mexico, the crossing managed by the Border Management Agency is the Northern Border, in Santa Elena (Corozal); the Border Management Agency says taxis are available at the borders. If you cross a land border, Canada advises using only official crossings, allowing for delays and not travelling after dark. The Border Management Agency identifies four entry points it manages: Northern Border in Santa Elena (Corozal); Western Border in Benque Viejo del Carmen (Cayo); San Pedro in Ambergris Caye; and Punta Gorda in Toledo. This is the agency’s list, not an inventory of every entry point in the country. Its FAQ, with no visible date, lists 24 hours for the northern and western land borders and 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily for San Pedro and Punta Gorda. Current hours are unconfirmed and secondary sources give different times. Check the applicable hours before travelling; these are not boat schedules.

Get your bearings before you set out

Destination map

2 places with their status. Open a pin for details and sources, or use the list.

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Status unconfirmed

Groups: the number in the middle is the total of places; the ring shows their statuses. Open a group to see the breakdown.

The “Open and seasonal” filter covers open (0) and seasonal (0) places. Check dates and conditions on each place.

Map: © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

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2 places
Cerro Maya and Santa Rita
NICH’s two Maya sites in Corozal, with unconfirmed status.
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The place, in context

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Showing 2 of 2 · 2 unconfirmed, flagged

Living culture · 2

CultureStatus unconfirmed
Cerro Maya
At the south-eastern end of Corozal Bay, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological reserve in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.3.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
non-resident adult BZ$15
Hours
Daily 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Booking
Not stated
A Maya site that was part of an important coastal trading network between the New River and Chetumal Bay; research suggests its architecture served as an astronomical observatory, according to NICH.
Status not confirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, undated, and no dated confirmation of visits was read. Check before you go.
Source: NICH – Cerro Maya, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · 2026 · +1
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$15 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$5, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
Tip: NICH advises bringing insect repellent and asks for footwear for rough ground and to stay on the trails; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.
Nearby: Santa Rita (6.8 km)
Sources: NICH – Cerro Maya, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita (consultada oct. 2026)
CultureStatus unconfirmed
Santa Rita
In north-western Corozal Town, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.3.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Entry
non-resident adult BZ$15
Hours
Daily 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Booking
Not stated
A Postclassic Maya site in present-day Corozal Town: few structures remain visible, but it was a thriving community placed to serve as a trade and communication centre, according to NICH.
Status not confirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, undated, and no dated confirmation of visits was read. Check before you go.
Source: NICH – Santa Rita, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · 2026 · +1
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$15 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$5, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails, to use the handrails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.
Nearby: Cerro Maya (6.8 km)
Sources: NICH – Santa Rita, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita (consultada oct. 2026)

Corozal · Practical guide

Practical tips

NICH tickets are paid in Belize dollars; each is valid for a single visit to the site named, within six months of purchase, and is non-refundable; NICH only considers exchanging it for another site or date in case of closures due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, according to its terms.
No official source on how to reach Cerro Maya was read: ask in Corozal before you go.
At Cerro Maya, NICH advises bringing insect repellent.

Safety and precautions

Canada (15 June 2026) advises a high degree of caution throughout Belize due to high levels of violent crime and to avoid non-essential travel to Southside Belize City, south of the Haulover Creek, due to gang and drug-related violence. It notes higher crime in border areas such as Melchor de Mencos and Chetumal, and near the Caracol ruins, close to the border with Guatemala.
Spain (update of 19 May 2026) recommends travelling with extreme caution and avoiding certain areas: the adjacency zone with Guatemala and the border crossings with Mexico, because of organised crime; and strongly advises against using the Flores–Belize road at night.
Emergencies: 911 (Belize Police Department); 922 for anonymous reports. The United Kingdom also lists 90 for ambulance, fire and police.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the entry to Cerro Maya?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$15 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$5.

How much is the entry to Santa Rita?

The same as Cerro Maya: non-residents BZ$15 and residents BZ$5, according to NICH’s official shop.

Is the Corozal Free Zone a place to visit?

It has no card: it is a free zone whose businesses focus on wholesale and retail trade, according to its website, which publishes no visiting hours.

Corozal · Practical guide

Sources consulted

Information checked in October 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.