Located just one mile from the Guatemalan border, Benque Viejo del Carmen is a quaint little town offering Spanish-influenced shops and restaurants right along the Mopan River.
Its proximity to Xunantunich Maya site makes it a nice detour destination where you can stroll through the narrow streets and visit Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church.
Benque Viejo del Carmen was voted not only the cleanest town in Belize, but also the safest.
Apart from the normal stares I get here in Belize, and throughout Mexico, mainly because I am a tall, very pale redhead, I felt perfectly safe wandering the streets taking pictures.
All the people in the town were very friendly and the schoolchildren close to the church were quite enthralled with me, pointing from the windows at the “man taking pictures.”
For more on travel photography, go to my post Travel Photography Tips and Planning.
