Belize // The west //


At Guanacaste, the Hummingbird Highway splits from the Western Highway and heads south to Belmopan (and eventually, Dangriga). The city was founded in 1970, after Hurricane Hattie swept much of Belize City into the sea. The government decided to use the disaster as a chance to move to higher ground and, in a bid to focus development on the interior, chose a site at the geographical heart of the country. The name of the city combines the words “Belize” and “Mopan”, the language spoken by the Maya of Cayo, and the layout of the main government buildings is modelled loosely on a Maya city, with buildings grouped around a central plaza. When built, Belmopan was meant to symbolize a new era, with tree-lined avenues, banks, embassies and communications worthy of a world centre. Few people, however, chose to move here, and Belmopan remains the world’s smallest capital city. And although the population is growing slowly, there’s little reason to stay any longer than it takes your bus to leave.