San Carlos, Belize

The village of San Carlos is located in the North of Belize, in Orange Walk District, on the northern bank of New River and surrounded by jungle. It is four miles from Indian Church, and can be accessed by road from Orange Walk Town, or along New River.

San Carlos is small, with a population of about 200 of Mestizo ethnicity. The village was set up by a group of families around 1970 from the larger town of Guinea Grass Town. Other inhabitants are originally from Guatemala, immigrating to Belize during the tumultuous years of the Civil War. The village is as of yet technologically primitive. Water is pumped from wells, and electricity is only used as a luxury by use of a generator in the evening, primarily for light and to power the communal television.

Its economy revolves around agriculture, although a number of men are currently employed at the Maya ruins at Lamanai in order to restore some of the temples. Agricultural pursuits include a host of fruits and vegetables, including onions, habanero peppers, bananas and watermelons.

A future prospect for San Carlos is to acquire capital for a jetty out into the picturesque lagoon which is currently too muddy for swimming to be enjoyable, in order to profit from Belize's booming tourism industry as it would allow visitors to the ruins at Lamanai to visit this friendly community.