Santa Cruz is a village in

Stann Creek District Stann Creek District is a district in the south east region of Belize. According to the 2010 census, the district had a population of 32,166 people. Its capital is the town of Dangriga, formerly known as "Stann Creek Town." Stann comes from "stan ...

, Belize. It is located 24 miles northwest of the

Placencia Placencia is a small village located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. History Prior to the European colonization of the Americas, the Placencia Peninsula was inhabited by the Maya. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Maya in this area ...

peninsula.

History

The village was formed as a result of the combined efforts of the people who lived in what was called “Old Santa Cruz“, Banana farm workers and Fisherman of the area. “Old Santa Cruz” was made up of a few houses situated about 2 miles north of the Placencia junction on the Southern Highway, it was demolished for the extension of a banana plantation in the year 2005 by a local developer. What is now Santa Cruz Village, was first settled by various ethnic groups which includes

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 ...

, Maya, and

Belizean Creole Belizean Creole (Belizean Creole: ''Belize Kriol'', ''Kriol'') is an English-based creole language spoken by the Belizean Creole people. It is closely related to Miskito Coastal Creole, San Andrés-Providencia Creole, and Jamaican Patois ( Lim ...

. The origin of the name dates back to the beginning of this New century at the time the village was established. Many residents of Santa Cruz Village commute for work daily to the nearby Banana Farms (Belize’s productive agricultural heartland), Shrimp Farm Factory and also to the popular " The Placencia Peninsula” as it is home to significant tourist destination. Most Santa Cruz’s Residents speak Spanish and English very well.

Etymology

Santa Cruz (Santacruz) is originally a Spanish term meaning “Holy Cross” and referring to the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The name was first used by Levi Flores, one of the first settlers of this village, to identify this place and thereafter villagers followed by making it the official name of this village.

Geography

A ten-minute drive from Santa Cruz Village lies the Maya King Waterfalls, bounded by the

Maya Mountains The Maya Mountains are a mountain range located in Belize and eastern Guatemala, in Central America. Etymology The Maya Mountains were known as the ''Cockscomb'' or ''Coxcomb Mountains'' to Baymen and later Belizeans at least until the mid-2 ...

to the west and The Caribbean Sea to the east. The

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature reserve in the Stann Creek District of south-central Belize. It was established to protect the forests, fauna and watersheds of an approximately area of the eastern slopes of the Maya Mountains. ...

is a notable nature reserve within the range. It is also bordered by Santa Rosa Village to the south and Riversdale to the southeast. During dusk or on a day that is not overcast, Belize’s highest peak, Victoria Peak, can be seen from Santa Cruz over the

in the horizon. The most prominent river within the skirts of Santa Cruz Village is the South Stann Creek River, which drains from the Maya Mountains and flows to the Caribbean Sea.

References

{{reflist Populated places in Stann Creek District