Orange Walk Town

 It's affectionately called "Sugar City" locally. Located about 55 miles north along the northern Highway, Orange Walk is a drive of about 65 minutes from Belize City . The country's only tollbooth signals the entrance to Orange Walk Town , and after paying the small toll of about US.35cents, one immediately notices two distinctive sites: the scenic New River with its tour guide operators hugging its banks and the smokestacks of the sugar mill. Sugar, though, no longer reigns supreme in Orange Walk.

In addition to the economic boost from ecotourism, there has been agricultural diversification in recent years. This, for example, has seen the recent introduction of fields of soybean planted. The year 2002 saw farmers who had diversified into soybean production looking to harvest two million pounds for the year. Orange Walk is also important for its production of dairy products, citrus fruits, beef and rum production.

The Orange Walk District, with a population of just under forty thousand, is Belize 's third largest populated district and is much more than sugar, soybean and honey country. Orange Walk provides exotic places to visit. The sights and sounds of nature abound here, either at the famous Mayan ruins of Lamanai and Cuello, or at various places along the New River for the jungle river adventurer. And, with over 400 species of birds recorded in this district, more so than anywhere else in the country, the Orange Walk District is truly a birder's paradise.