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Latest update: 27 February 2023
Only a few tourists have found their way to northern Belize. If you want to travel off the beaten track, you’re in the right place. I end up in the sleepy fishing village of Sarteneja and get to know it through the stories of the inhabitants.
Shipstern Nature Park or Mud Masters?
In Sarteneja, you have two flavors: dry and dusty or wet and muddy. The weather conditions allow me to enjoy the latter. I’m really disappointed because the plan was to go to Shipstern National Park. This nature park is under the protection of the Dutch zoo Burgers’ Zoo. Imagine swamps, mangroves, lagoons, miles of bushy land, and lots of wildlife. But with the almost constant rain, visiting this nature park can best be compared to participating in Mud Masters. So with pain in my heart, I skip this part of the peninsula.
Horse Cottage: stay in the middle of nature
So what do you do in Sarteneja when it rains? Of course, sleeping and chilling. I do that at Horse Cottage. It was still called Backpackers Paradise when I visited. It was then a back-to-basic, camping-like stay. But owner Nathalie has given the rooms a massive upgrade now. She came to Sarteneja almost twenty years ago for an internship to study the Shipstern nature reserve and has stayed.
Gradually she has placed several simple houses on her property. She shares the terrain with her boyfriend, a few dogs, and horses. The horses roam freely on the grounds. I really like Nathalie. She’s chatty, talks about her ambitions as a DJ duo, knows a lot about the village, and makes me feel very welcome.
I rented a small hut with a double bed, a private (hot!) shower and toilet, and a bedside table. It was simple and friendly priced. There is a common area for cooking and hanging out in a hammock. But now it all looks much nicer; take a look.
Walking tour in Sarteneja
When new guests are at Nathalie’s, guide Leo Verde comes by. He offers different tours. I take advantage of his walking tour of the village. Leo seems disappointed, maybe because it’s the cheapest tour. He tries to think of some extra activities, but I don’t want to with the rain. So a tour of the village it is!
Personal stories
I find it very interesting to see the village through Leo’s eyes. He shows me the many churches, points out the men who make commissioned fishing boats, shelters for hurricanes (in 1955, Hurricane Janet raged here and caused a lot of damage), and much more. In the meantime, he talks a lot about his life and turns out to be a gossip king. I hear about love intrigues, disputes between expats and the government, and especially about Leo’s hopes for his future. He dreams of a lovely wife, expanding his tropical farm, and enjoying life with his children. I wholeheartedly hope it all happens for him.
Life is simple
With the rain, it all seems dreary, and everyone seems to have locked themselves in their house. But still, I feel that life is simple here all the time. Material things don’t matter that much – maybe out of necessity. I enjoy our walk and discover that the village is much bigger than I thought. I had yet to get further than the coastline and the surrounding streets. However, there appears to be much more, and I also get to see Leo’s house and the soccer field where he trained to become the champion of Belize. And I end up for lunch at his niece’s newly opened restaurant with no name. Everyone knows everyone in Sarteneja.
Restaurants in Sarteneja
The restaurant offer in Sarteneja is limited. Most restaurants are living room restaurants. Opening hours are very, very flexible. I do as the locals do and start my day at Morning Glory. There I eat three tacos for 1 BZ$. But even I need multiple servings of that. Martineja (Google Maps location) turns out to be a hit for lunch. Owner and chef Vanessa serves me a delicious peanut curry. She also has a selection of pizza, salads, sandwiches, and nachos.
How to get to Sarteneja
Sarteneja is quite an isolated village. The Mexican influences are stronger than those of Belize. Many people fled from Mexico to Belize during the Caste War around 1849. Sarteneja has a challenge in terms of accessibility. The road to Sarteneja is quite bad. There are 2 to 3 buses per day. It takes about 3.5 hours to Belize City and 1.5 hours to Orange Walk.
With the Thunderbolt boat, it is half an hour to Corozal or over an hour to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Take your travel sickness pills on time! I reach Sarteneja with the Thunderbolt from Corozal – what a horrible journey. The boat is bouncing like crazy, it smells like gasoline, it’s cramped, it’s leaking water, it’s stuffy. You don’t do this for fun.
Tip! Need more information about which boats sail in Belize? Check: How do you get from A to B in Belize by boat?
More Belize travel inspiration?
Useful links for your Belize trip
- Accommodation. All-time favorite is Booking.com. Book hostels via Hostelworld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator.
- Bus. Book buses in Belize through Busbud, Omio, or 12Go.
- Car rental. My go-to car rental companies are EasyTerra and Sunny Cars as they have all-inclusive / worry-free offers. You could also use Discover Cars to compare prices.
- Flights. Compare all your options! For sure check Momondo, Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Money. Your debit and credit cards may not get accepted everywhere. You could opt for a Revolut card as an additional card when you travel.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? Not many Dutch travel companies offer trips to Belize: try Sawadee or Shoestring.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel gear. Buy your gear at Bever or Decathlon, or simply at Bol.com.
- Travel guides. I love the practical guidebooks by Lonely Planet. You can buy them at Bol.com and Amazon.
- Yoga retreat. Or, book a lovely yoga retreat in Belize!
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First published: May 2018. Updated since.
