Boat trip
Early morning.
Cephas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernt Rostad — CC BY 2.0 · Bernt Rostad — CC BY 2.0 · Bernt Rostad — CC BY 2.0
One of Central America's most important waterbird sanctuaries, covering about 6,600 hectares of lagoons, creeks, swamps, forest and savanna, where thousands of resident and migrating birds gather in the dry season as the water drops and fish concentrate. Its star is the jabiru, Central America's largest flying bird, a huge white stork with a black head and red neck that nests in the sanctuary. Visitors also see many kinds of heron, ducks, kingfishers and hawks. Black howler monkeys, river turtles and crocodiles live there too. The best way to visit is an early-morning boat trip on the lagoon with a village guide who knows where the birds are. The quiet old village, reached by a long causeway across the lagoon, has walking trails, observation towers and cashew trees whose fruit ripens in spring. The best season is February to May, when the water is low and the birds plentiful. Heat and humidity are high and mosquitoes plentiful, so carry water, repellent and a hat.
Early morning.
The largest bird.
A lagoon causeway.
Crooked Tree village, about an hour north-west of Belize City
February to May, when the water is low and the birds gather; early morning is the best time of day.