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Across Chetumal Bay from Corozal, the largely uninhabited
Sarteneja peninsula is covered with dense forests and swamps
that support an amazing array of wildlife. The only village is
SARTENEJA , a quiet, Spanish-speaking lobster-fishing centre. A
couple of new hotels have been built (there's also
accommodation at the reserve), and guides are available to
take you to the lagoons and beyond. The best place is Fernando's
Seaside Guest House (tel 423-2045; US$25-40), on the seafront,
which has thatched rooms with private bath and a restaurant. The
Northern Transport bus to Sarteneja from Belize City leaves
at noon and 1.30pm; the Venus bus to Sarteneja departs at 12.30pm
(both Mon-Sat; 4hr; US$6), stopping at Zeta's store on Main St in
Orange Walk ninety minutes later. Buses return from Sarteneja at 5am
and 6am.
The Shipstern Nature Reserve (daily 8am-5pm; US$5 including
guided walk), established in 1981, covers an area of eighty square
kilometers. The bulk of the reserve is made up of what's technically
known as "tropical moist forest", and includes some wide belts of
savanna - covered in coarse grasses, palms and broad-leaved trees -
and a section of the shallow Shipstern Lagoon, dotted with mangrove
islands. Taking the superb guided walk along the Chiclero Trail
, you'll encounter more named plant species in an hour than on any
other trail in Belize.
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 Belize
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Shipstern is also a bird-watcher's paradise:
the lagoon system supports blue-winged teal, American coot, and huge
flocks of lesser scaup, while the forest is home to fly-catchers,
keel-billed toucans and at least five species of parrot. Other
wildlife in the reserve includes crocodiles, coatis, jaguars,
peccaries, and an abundance of wonderful butterflies.
All buses to Sarteneja pass the entrance to the
reserve, 5km before the village. You can stay at the
headquarters near the visitor centre, where there are two neat
four-bed dorms (US$10 per person) with cooking facilities, and a
two-roomed house for rent (US$40).
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