'''Crooked Tree''' is a city in Belize District, Belize.

Get in

Crooked Tree is about halfway between Belize City and Orange Walk on the Northern Highway. The exit is well marked. You will leave the surfaced road for the packed dirt road of the causeway that leads to the village. The distance is about 2-3 miles.

You can also take buses between Belize city and Orange Walk and get off at the Crooked Tree stop. You will then have to walk into town.

Get around

The roads in the village are sandy and hard to drive in good conditions and awful in heavy rain, which is not uncommon. Unless you have a 4WD vehicle leave your car at the entrance to the village near the causeway and walk.

See

There is a '''visitor center''' as you enter the village right after the causeway. Be sure to stop in to get information on the local goings on.

The '''Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary''' is open daily and is USD $8. Where "it" is is a bit hard to define but the village proper sits within the Sanctuary.

Crooked Tree's main feature is '''birdwatching'''. The village sits off an inland lagoon and there are hundreds of species of exotic birds to be seen with almost no effort. Local guides can take you to the best spots to see the highest variety. The highlight is the Jabiru stork which is the largest flying bird in the Americas.

You can also do some boating about the lagoon. Rental prices can be high but the views are generally excellent and afford you the opportunity to see even more of the bird species. Again, local guides are available.

'''Chau Hiix''' is a Myan site that is being excavated. It is about a 3 hour canoe to trip each way from the village. When they are about, usually the dry season, on-site archealogists can give you a tour.

Do

  • During the first week of May Crooked Tree has the annual '''Cashew Festival'''. the village grows a lot of cashews and during this festival to mark the start of harvest they put on quite a show. Cashews are turns into a variety of products including juice, jelly and cakes.
  • Eat

  • '''Bird's Eye View Lodge''' offers home cooked meals, you will eat in the kitchen, for USD $10-$12. There is no menu selection you will get some sort of chicken or fish dusted with a local spice mix with fried plantains, rice and black beans typically. Very hearty and good.
  • Drink

    The patio on the roof of the Bird's Eye View Lodge is an excellent place to take in a drink and to watch the wildife on the lagoon as the sun sets.

    Sleep

  • '''Bird's Eye View Lodge''', sits about 50 feet from the lagoon, tel: 011-501-203-2040. The lagoon gets a lot closer if it rains so be sure and park well away from the water's edge. Rates are reasonable at USD $40-$80. The rooms are clean but a bit spartan. A/C is not in all rooms and the heat and humidity can be a bit much if you are not used to sleeping without it in the tropics. The staff is very friendly. There are signs pointing you to the Lodge and everyone in the village knows the location anyways. The roads to the lodge are poor, at best, and any heavy rain will render them impassable to anything less than a 4WD. Even then, typical rental cars like the Suzuki Grand Vitara have gotten stuck in the roads. The Lodge takes all major credit cards.