The Lamanai Visitor Center is an on site museum at one of the most popular destinations in Belize, the ancient Maya site of Lamanai (submerged crocodile). Lamanai is one of the oldest sites in the Maya world and boasts a continuous occupation of 3,300 years plus. First occupied around 1500 B.C., Lamanai was still occupied even after the Maya Postclassic, and evidence of two Spanish churches that were erected and destroyed by the Maya in 1600 is still found at the site.

Occupation at the site continues until A.D. 1875 when the British introduced a sugar mill factory to process the expanded acreage of cane sugar planted in the area. The new center contains an extensive collection of artifacts. At least 2400 years of human activity at the site is recorded in ceramics, and artifacts. Stela 9, which records the life of the historically significant Lord Smoking Shell, dating to March 10th, 625 A.D., is now on display.

The site of Lamanai and the Visitor Center located on the banks of the New River lagoon in the Orange Walk district, and approximately 2 km from the village of Indian Church.

(IR ARRIBA)