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Stepped stone temple surrounded by trees at Lamanai.

Orange
Walk

Lamanai, Crooked Tree, the New River and Honey Camp

Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0

Before you go, understand the place.

Orange Walk gathers Lamanai, NICH’s Maya site on the banks of the New River, and Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, the country’s largest wetland, run by the Belize Audubon Society. Also here are the New River Lagoon, on whose west shore Lamanai stands, the Banquitas House of Culture, in the centre of Orange Walk Town, and Honey Camp Lagoon, whose waterfront the ancient Maya used for ceremonial purposes.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • Lamanai and Crooked Tree

    Lamanai is a Maya site run by NICH and Crooked Tree is a bird sanctuary run by Audubon. Neither has a confirmed status.

    Open the full guide

  • New River, Banquitas and Honey Camp

    The New River Lagoon is on the way to Lamanai. The status of that lagoon, the Banquitas House of Culture and Honey Camp Lagoon is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

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). Follow the warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. The rainy season runs from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads and flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there
Buses on the northern route link Belize City with Orange Walk and Corozal, according to Visit Dangriga. Lamanai, on the banks of the New River, has a boat dock, according to NICH: ask operators about river trips.

Tips and precautions

  1. 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.
  2. Lamanai has a boat dock, according to NICH.
  3. At Crooked Tree, in the dry season the water drops and concentrates fish and invertebrates, which draw thousands of wading birds, according to Audubon.

Safety and precautions

  • 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 Lamanai?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$10.

How much is Crooked Tree?

BZ$8 per day for non-nationals, according to the Belize Audubon Society; for nationals, BZ$2 according to Audubon and BZ$2.50 according to the sanctuary’s website.

Where is Lamanai?

By Indian Church Village, in Orange Walk District, on the banks of the New River, according to NICH.

Sources

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

  1. NICH – Lamanai, entradas y horario (tienda oficial)2026
  2. NICH – Lamanai (2 jun. 2024)2024
  3. NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita2026
  4. Belize Audubon Society – Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary2026
  5. Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – Visitor Information2026
  6. Programme for Belize2026
  7. Belize Police Department2026
  8. Visit Dangriga – Transportation2026

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Showing 5 of 5 · 5 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

  • Crooked Tree Wildlife SanctuaryCephas · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

    WildlifeStatus unconfirmed

    The first wildlife sanctuary designated by the Government (1984) and the country’s first Ramsar site (1998): its lagoon system is the largest wetland in Belize and draws thousands of wading birds, including the jabiru, according to the Belize Audubon Society.

    Status unconfirmed: Audubon publishes fees and hours.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-nationals BZ$8 per day and nationals BZ$2, according to the Belize Audubon Society; the sanctuary’s website gives BZ$2.50 for nationals.
    Hours
    8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to Audubon and the sanctuary’s website.
    Source
    Belize Audubon Society – Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary · 2026 · +1

    Tip: Some buses run to Crooked Tree village (Monday to Saturday from Belize City, according to the sanctuary’s website); regular buses between Belize City and Orange Walk stop at the junction, a 3-mile walk from the village, so it is best to arrange transport from there, according to Audubon.

    Nearby: Lamanai (13.9 km)

    Sources: Belize Audubon Society – Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary · Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary – Visitor Information

    33 miles from Belize City, off the Phillip Goldson Highway; from the highway it is 3 miles on a dirt road to Crooked Tree village, according to Audubon. The pin is the sanctuary in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.12.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Orange sunrise over a lagoon, with a boat and backlit silhouettes.stbraun · CC BY-SA 3.0

    Honey Camp Lagoon

    NatureStatus unconfirmed

    A lagoon whose waterfront the ancient Maya used for ceremonial purposes between AD 1000 and 1500, according to the Tourism Board.

    Status unconfirmed: the only official information is a 2024 Tourism Board page, which gives no manager, access points or visiting conditions.

    Practical details and sources
    Source
    Belize Tourism Board – 5 Must-Dos in Orange Walk (act. 28 oct. 2024) · 2024

    Nearby: Banquitas House of Culture (13.3 km)

    Sources: Belize Tourism Board – 5 Must-Dos in Orange Walk (act. 28 oct. 2024)

    About 20–30 minutes by car from Orange Walk Town, according to the Tourism Board. The pin is the lagoon in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.21.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 1

Living culture · 2

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