Corozal

Introducing Corozal

This gateway to Mexico (and the northern cayes) is far enough from the border to have the best of both worlds – that fascinating mix of cultures that border towns have, without the associated sleaze and hassle.

Corozal is a pretty place, with many parks and seaside promenades. South of town, retirees from the USA are moving in fast, attracted by the climate and easy-going lifestyle.

Though Maya have been living around Corozal since 1500 BC, modern Corozal dates from only 1849. In that year, refugees from the War of the Castes in Yucatán fled across the border to this safe haven. They founded a town and named it after the cohune palm, a symbol of fertility. For years it had the look of a typical Caribbean town, until Hurricane Janet roared through in 1955 and blew away many of the old wooden buildings on stilts. Much of Corozal’s cinderblock architecture dates from the late 1950s.

Last updated: Oct 20, 2009