Border Crossing Belize to Guatamala
 

Hi All, In Mexico at the moment, and going great, planning on going up to the Yucatan shortly and instead of coming back down the loop to La Mesilla, was thinking about crossing into Belize and then Guatamala in the North East, Has anyone gone that way, and if so have you encountered any problems? I have heard stories of endless paperwork and no existant border posts etc.

It's a straight forward crossing. If one can like border crossings, you will like that one...:)

irishkevbordercrossing
 

there is a hurricane heading for the yucatan penn right now i would be very careful klrcal

Belize Guatemala border
 

Like Lonerider says it is a very straightforward bit of border crossing : enter BZ at Subteniente Lopez just outside of Chetumal ,Mexico and then only a single choice to enter Guatemala at the west end of the Western Highway of Belize to Melchor de Mencos ,GT
Note that when you enter BZ they ask where you are going so tell them specifically your route plan and the time you plan to cross the border. You MUST buy Belizean insurance for the entire time you will spend in the country, sold right at the border in BZ.Do not tell them you are going to Guatemala and then spend a week getting there via all manner of detours, they tend to get a bit uppity at the exit if you do not stick to your stated route plan and will slap you with a fine if your insurance has expired.
klrcal makes a good point about tropical hurricane DEAN now aiming for the YUCATAN, where it will hit tonight. If you are not already in the area hang back a while to see where the damage occurs so you can avoid problems.

There's 30 kms of mud (or dirt if it's been dry and you're lucky) at Melchor de Mencos on the Guat side. And the mud isn't the real problem, the last 2 hills covered with it are. I crossed there in Dec. 2006 and spent allot of time picking up my bike. The good news is that there's a good pressure wash in Flores.

Take care and good luck,
Daren

I was there in Jan this year and there was construction going on....and it probably will be for a v e r y long time. :)

Some of that clay is slicker than you know what.

BZ to GT
 

Irishkev , give us a status report once you do get into Guatemala on how the south of the Yucatan fared after DEAN went through. Looks like Chetumal got pummelled but was spared a direct hit .The forests to the north took a bad beating south of Felipe Carillo Puerto according to news reports.
Also , is the roadsurface west from Melchor de Mencos still clay? Early April '07 I came through there and they were excavating and gradiing the last 24 km which demotorider is referring too. It was in preparation for the paving of this last remaining section of loose surface road, but I don't know if they got the asphalt down yet.

Thumbs Up Kev!
 

Reports here show Cancun and other areas north of Belize and Guate got blown hard with some damage but not a disaster. Lots of water...which makes serious mud. If that road to Mel. de Mencos is still mud it will be tough. Unfortunately it may take a month to dry out.

Locals or recent passerby should be able to verify condition of that section.

i've been through Belize a couple times. The border guys are a bit officious and are not fond of white people...but if you are patient and have a good sense of humor you may win them over. Being Irish is a real plus. (can you guess why?)

Be sure to try the Conch Fritters in the Belize City market (right on the water in mid town)

Hope you have time to write up a report on the crossing and ride. Tikal is a
must see. Better than Macha Pichu IMO.

Patrick
:mchappy:

Hey Guys thanks for the info, Still in Guadalajara at the moment so will miss Dean, but still planning on heading up that way in about a week or two, so keep a watch on this space for a status update on the area, and what the roads are like! think we will try the BZ route also, useful info on not telling them about Guatamala. from what i heard there is still border dispute going on between the two.

Kev (Estaban El Loco Rojo)

GT was carpet bombing the entire N-S border last week using DC-3s taken from drug runners. BZ has blockaded Puerto Barrios, and is using hunter subs they aquired from the Chinese last year......... :)

GT-BZ borderconflict
 

Lonerider are you sure they still have the Chinese subs?
I thought they had to be returned due to excessive lead levels in the paint and were exchanged for subs from the Swiss navy.

Belize and Guat have history of annimosity. Guate claim Belize as their territory. Britain continued to maintain troops and Harrier jets there long after
Belize was fully independent. Don't know it the Brit commandos and Harriers I saw there in the late 70's are still there today. Perhaps Sjoerd knows. I spent a month in Belize, mostly on Caye Caulker, diving. :Beach:

The only reason Guate. has not invaded Belize is pressure from the US State Dept. Carrot/Stick diplomacy, a US speciality :nono:


Patrick

Belize used to be called British Honduras before independence, but is still a member of the British Commonwealth, coins carry the cameo of the English monarch.
For years Guatemala required that all road maps , even those not issued by the government , carried a stamp saying that the border with Br.Hon. and then with Belize was still under dispute. In the 1990s an agreement of sorts was reached which had Guatemala recognize the legitimacy of the border.
I have never seen the Harrier jets but there is always a British military presence, choppers and land troops based near the airport south of BZ City who use Belize as a tropical training ground and provide the military muscle to discourage any tendency for a resurgence of Guatemalan claims which might arise.

Hey Irish
 

Hey man. I am off to Guatemala tomorrow through Copan. The ruins here were cool.

We should meet each other in Belize, I'd imagine. Take care man.

Kev

You staying with garrydymond in Mex City next week, ariving Wednesday? He mentioned some Irish guy. Must be you?! Might bump into you then. I'm arriving tomorrow, I hope, and will probably push off next week to do Guatemala then Belize. maybe our paths will cross...?

Al