Belize History – European Settlement

The region probably had its first contact with Europe in the early 1500s, when the Spanish began to inhabit the Central American region. The Spanish were interested in Belize for its large quality of logwood – a wood valuable as a dye in Europe.

But because of its fierce Maya and inhospitable terrain, Belize was never a priority for the Spanish, who were more interested in the gold and silver that could be more easily taken from neighboring Honduras and Mexico.