San Antonio, Toledo

San Antonio is a village in the Toledo District of Belize. It is the largest Maya settlement in Belize, with a population of approximately 1,000 people, predominantly Mopan Maya.^[2] About 88% of the inhabitants are Catholic, with 8% belonging to other Christian denominations, and 4% being non-denominational.^[2] Along with 29 other mission parishes in the Toledo District, it is pastored by Jesuits from St. Peter Claver church in Punta Gorda.

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San Antonio
Roman Catholic Church in San Antonio
San Antonio
Coordinates: 16°14′40″N 89°01′25″W / 16.24444; -89.02361][[Category:Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas]]"},"html":"Coordinates: </templatestyles>\"}' data-mw='{\"name\":\"templatestyles\",\"attrs\":{\"src\":\"Module:Coordinates/styles.css\"},\"body\":{\"extsrc\":\"\"}}'/>16°14′40″N 89°01′25″W / 16.24444°N 89.02361°W / 16.24444; -89.02361"}">
Country	Belize
District	Toledo
Constituency	Toledo West
Population  (2010)
• Total	1,204[1]
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central)
Climate	Af

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The village was founded in 1883 by Maya fleeing persecution in Guatemala.^[3] This was a part of a larger migration which also included Q’eqchi’ from Alta Verpaz who settled further south in the Crique Sarco, Dolores, and later Sarstoon, Temash, and Moho River areas.^[4]

Economic development came to San Antonio in the early 1950s with the founding of a credit union and cooperative that enabled villagers to market their own produce. Fr. William Ulrich, S.J., spearheaded this movement.^[5]

San Antonio features several attractions, including San Antonio Falls, a stone church built in 1950, and ecotourism guest houses.^[2]