Did you know that it is estimated that more indigenous Maya lived on Ambergris Caye than our current population of 20,000? Can you imagine the island dotted with thatched huts, salt processing sites, and coasts bustling with fishermen and dugout canoes laden with goods to trade? How about the day, decades later, when our Caribbean waters brought Spanish explorers and pirates to our beaches? All this, along with the fascinating historical timeline of Ambergris Caye, comes to life when you explore the Eco-Museum.
Founded by a lover of culture and local historian extraordinaire Mito Paz, this collection of island history is curated within an acre of landscaped trails that chronicle the island’s history. In tours guided by Paz, visitors are immersed in a sense of re-living the past, where artifacts, displays, and interpretive signage transport you back in time.
The trail begins with the ancient Maya, the island’s first known inhabitants, with archaeological evidence dating to the Late Preclassic period, over 2,000 years ago. Along the way, their lifestyle is explored through a series of exhibits, where we learn about them as fishermen, traders, salt makers, hunters, and farmers and some of the gods they worshipped, Chaac Uayab Xoc, the Maya god of fishing and fishermen, and Ek Chuaj, the god of commerce and cocoa.
History progresses along the trail, transitioning from the Maya to the Spanish conquest of the Americas, to the days of the Baymen and pirates, and the mid-1880s when the Blake/Andrade family settled on the island. The logging and chicle (chewing gum) industry follows, and we learn about the coconut plantations that started on the island in the late 1800s. The economy of Ambergris Caye shifted from coconuts to fishing, beginning in the late 1940s and now to modern-day tourism. Other exhibits display the origin of the island’s name, “AMBERGRIS,” the interesting Talking Cross (La Cruz Parlante), the Maya Cross (Maaya Katab Che’), and more.
The trail is not only an enchanting outdoor museum but also an opportunity to learn about the lush (and endangered) Littoral Forest and the local creatures such as the Yucatan Jay and Yucatan Squirrel. But the fun doesn’t end there! The Eco Museum offers a variety of educational activities, such as authentic traditional Maya food cooked on an open-fire hearth (fogón), hands-on coconut husking and coconut oil-making, preparing traditional local meals, arts and crafts using coconut shells, and learning about Maya herbal medicine, to name a few.
The Eco Museum is a registered charity that helps to bring the history of Belize and Ambergris Caye alive. Visitors, school trips, educational workshops, and groups are welcome to visit the Eco Museum BY RESERVATION ONLY. Your small donation to the registered Non-profit Organization Green Reef Environmental Institute helps support the museum.
For further information, please visit their website at www.ecomuseumbelize.org, email [email protected], or call +501 650-6601.
