Burrell Boom

Burrell Boom, a tranquil riverside community, located approximately sixteen miles north of the Belize international airport epitomizes rural Belize where residents maintain a peaceful coexistence with the vastly unspoiled natural environment. Flora and fauna abound. Multi-colored species of tropical birds including the yellow-headed parrot, redheaded woodpecker, yellow-tailed oriole, several types of hummingbirds and herons inhabit the orchards, marshlands, and riverbanks of the countryside. Vibrant yellow cashews, rich custard apples, deep purple and red mangos, berries of various shapes and color, and a surplus of tropical plants complete the setting while providing the key ingredients for an array of local dishes and beverages.

The "boom" in Burrell Boom is intimately associated with the logging industry that shaped the area during the 1700s. The Boom refers to the iron chains that was extended across the river to hold back logs set afloat from mahogany camps higher up on the Old Belize River. There, the logs would hit against each other creating a booming sound throughout the day.

The village is famous for its assortment of fruit wines and preserves all made from organic ingredients. At locally-owned wineries, wines brewed from fruits harvested in the area are fermented in an assortment of large hollow barrels, resulting in a superb blend of rice, sorrel, potato, berry, and cashew wines to suit every taste.

Around March 9 of every year, the true flavor of village life is put on display when the La Ruta  Maya, Belize River Challenge, an internationally renown canoe race, arrives in the village. The four-day, 180-mile river challenge starts in San Ignacio Town and canoeists and support teams overnight in Burrell Boom before continuing the final leg of the challenge to Belize City.

On the average day the river bank is a popular swimming and picnic area for locals and a busy marketplace for cruise ship and other visitors, who are not only treated to wines, preserves, and other souvenirs but also to the blurry spectacle of curious spectators (howler monkeys) scurrying through the trees.

The most amazing spectacle of the village's natural splendor is experienced at sunrise and shortly after sunset. The typical morning breaks with a magnificent blaze of orange, red, magenta, and yellow beaming over the seemingly endless horizon of lush vegetation. An echoing melody of birdsong, the occasional flutter of wings, and the tapping of tiny beaks against glass paned windows announce a new day.

The nighttime air is saturated with an equally melodic rhythm of animal chatter. The cooling night breeze combined with a natural incense of fruit aroma mixed with the distant vapor of burning bush generates a meditative atmosphere. The sound of chirping crickets, the frequent coo of birds nestling in their nocturnal hideaways, and far-off calls of howlers ring out into the night air just as it did back in the 1700s when trapped logs were rocked by the river's currents and a family named Burrell stood watch from their nearby house.

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