This is Belize's northern city abuts Mexico to the west and the Yucatan Peninsula to the north. A quick tour through town will do to discover a blend of mongrel, Mayan and Mexican cultures easily seen in its streets and buildings. Ethnical influence is also contrasted in the array of hotels and restaurants offering a varied menu of Mexican, Caribbean, American and Creole cuisine, just the best in the region. Pretty close to the Corozal Bay, travelers will find the Cerros and Santa Rita Ruins, two major archeological sites. Come to Shipstern Nature Reserve, a unique protected area that embraces hardwood forests inhabited by a huge variety of mammals, 200 bird species and many-colored butterflies, and the shallow Shipstern Lagoon, inside the very nature reserve, only navigable for canoes and other small boats. And last but not least, there's Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a major migratory bird haven south from Belize City down the Northern Highway.