Bullet Tree Falls is a village located along the

Mopan River The Mopan River is a river in Central America spanning the Petén Department of Guatemala and the Cayo District of Belize. It merges with the Macal River at Branch Mouth, Belize, forming the Belize River, which ultimately discharges to the Caribbea ...

Cayo District Cayo District is a district located in the west part of Belize. It is the most extensive, second-most populous and third-most densely populated of the six districts of Belize. The district's capital is the town of San Ignacio. Geography Being ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...

. It lies approximately five kilometers (three miles) northwest of San Ignacio. According to the 2010 census, Bullet Tree Falls has a population of 2,124 people in 426 households. The population consists mainly of Spanish-speaking

mestizo (; ; fem. ) is a term used for racial classification to refer to a person of mixed Ethnic groups in Europe, European and Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous American ancestry. In certain regions such as Latin America, it may also r ...

s, along with a smaller number of Yucatec

Maya Maya may refer to: Civilizations * Maya peoples, of southern Mexico and northern Central America ** Maya civilization, the historical civilization of the Maya peoples ** Maya language, the languages of the Maya peoples * Maya (Ethiopia), a populat ...

and Creoles.

Government

Bullet Tree Falls is governed by a seven-person village council. As of 2019, the chairperson of the council is Sabino Pinelo.

History

Bullet Tree Falls was originally settled by loggers, and by the late 1800s had attracted a small number of Maya families. After the

Caste War of Yucatán The Caste War of Yucatán (1847–1915) began with the revolt of Native Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula against Hispanic populations, called ''Yucatecos''. The latter had long held political and economic control of the region. A lengthy w ...

numerous Maya refugees from the north settled in the area. During the early 20th century, an influx of mestizos migrated to the village from

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. The first Creoles settled in Bullet Tree Falls in the 1950s, arriving from San Ignacio. During the early days of the

chicle Chicle () is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products. It is collected from several species of Mesoamerican trees in the genus ''Manilkara'', including '' M. zapota'', '' M. chicle'', '' M. staminodella'', and '' ...

and

timber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

industries in Belize, the village was an important trading post. In 1961,

Hurricane Hattie Hurricane Hattie was one of the strongest and deadliest tropical cyclones of the 1961 Atlantic hurricane season, reaching a peak intensity as a Category5 hurricane. The ninth tropical storm, seventh hurricane, fifth major hurricane, and secon ...

caused significant damage to the village, destroying a school building and church. In 1988, the Salvador Fernandez Bridge was completed, replacing an older wooden bridge.

Attractions

Tubing down the Mopan river in Bullet Tree Falls

Bullet Tree Falls has developed a small tourist economy facilitated by its location between San Ignacio and the

El Pilar El Pilar is an ancient Maya city center located on the Belize-Guatemala border. The site is located north of San Ignacio, Belize and can be accessed through the San Ignacio and Bullet Tree Falls on the Belize River. The name "El Pilar" is Span ...

Maya archeological site. The village hosts several lodges and a small botanical garden. Buses between Bullet Tree Falls and San Ignacio run several times a day and taxi service is available to San Ignacio and El Pilar.

Gallery

Bullet Tree Falls Community Center.jpg, The Community Center Bullet Tree Falls bus stop.jpg, The main bus stop May 2017 Bullet Tree Falls aerial 16b.jpg, Aerial view of the village May 2017 Bullet Tree Falls aerial 13a.jpg, The Salvador Fernandez Bridge and

References

External links

{{commons category, Bullet Tree Falls
Bullet Tree Falls
at Belize LocalWiki
Map of Bullet Tree Falls
at OpenStreetMap Populated places in Cayo District Cayo North