Honey Camp Lagoon: This Quiet Place Belongs to the Ages

September 1, 2020
by denidimchev@webohub.com +

Wildlife preserves, zip lining and repelling into caves are all exciting, but for most of us, a quiet day spent communing with Mother Nature could be the restorative journey needed to keep up that daunting pace!

Forget pricey spa services. You need a way to unwind and calm down, and no destination matches the one that begins in Orange Walk and leads you to Honey Camp Lagoon in Belize. This remote camp has remained a well-kept secret among Belizeans who head there when the need for quietude can be satisfied only by visiting a place known by locals to rejuvenate mind and body.

Don’t look for the waterway feeding this isolated body of water. There is none. Instead, find this quasi-lake encircled by undeveloped property and one gathering place: Playa Coral beach. A wonderland of coconut palm trees form a shady canopy, but you probably won’t focus on them once you catch glimpses of herons and egrets sharing shallow waters with the snail kites that call this area home.

You could run into ancient spirits at Honey Camp Lagoon

Once upon a time, the periphery of this languid lagoon was settled bythe Maya people and used for ceremonial and residential purposes, say archaeologists who fix the time of their occupation at between 1000 AD to 1500 AD. Social scientists refer to this period as the Classic/Early Postclassic era.

Close your eyes and imagine everyday life for these Meso-American people, living together along Honey Camp Lagoon banks so many centuries ago. Why this area? Perhaps they discovered the hidden hot spring that delivered water and energy from beneath the earth’s surface. This natural wonder still bubbles up today.

What to bring for your lagoon adventure?

A picnic lunch. Sunscreen and sunglasses. A blanket. Refreshing drinks and perhaps a book. There’s a $5 entry fee to gain access to the lagoon, but there may not be a local on hand to collect it! Don’t be surprised if you can feel an aura of peace the moment you arrive.

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While there is a small shop on the lagoon’s southwest side, you will find yourself in a vendor-free environment, so bring the provisions you need for a delightful day. It goes without saying that as a steward of the earth, you should always make sure you leave the area as pristine as you found it.

Intrigued? Fascinated?

Whether you’re the curious sort and want to find that hidden hot spring or you and a friend could use some serious time away from life’s stressors, you’ll find the 45-minute drive fromOrange Walk Town to Honey Camp Lagoon to be scenic as you decompress. Because the road to Honey Camp Lagoon is still used by sugar cane workers, it’s bumpy and rugged, so make sure the shock absorbers on your vehicle are operational!

Travel around 12.4 km and look for the Honey Camp Lagoon sign indicating two turn-offs directly ahead. Take the second turn and find yourself on a road bordered with stately trees that gets you to the community center and beach for the double dose of tranquility you crave before you return to your hectic schedule!