▁plant ation ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁a ▁local ▁developer . ▁ ▁What ▁is ▁now ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Village , ▁was ▁first ▁settled ▁by ▁various ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁which ▁includes ▁ ▁M est izo , ▁May a , ▁and ▁ ▁Bel ize an ▁Cre ole . ▁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 ▁comm ute ▁for ▁work ▁daily ▁to ▁the ▁nearby ▁Ban ana ▁Far ms ▁( Bel ize ’ s ▁product ive ▁agricult ural ▁heart land ), ▁S hr imp ▁Farm ▁Factory ▁and ▁also ▁to ▁the ▁popular ▁" The ▁P lac encia ▁Pen ins ula ” ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁significant ▁tour ist ▁destination . ▁Most ▁Santa ▁Cruz ’ s ▁Res idents ▁speak ▁Spanish ▁and ▁English ▁very ▁well . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁( S ant ac ru z ) ▁is ▁originally ▁a ▁Spanish ▁term ▁meaning ▁“ H oly ▁Cross ” ▁and ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁cross ▁on ▁which ▁Jesus ▁was ▁cru c ified . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁first ▁used ▁by ▁Le vi ▁Fl ores , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁sett lers ▁of ▁this ▁village , ▁to ▁identify ▁this ▁place ▁and ▁there after ▁vill agers ▁followed ▁by ▁making ▁it ▁the ▁official ▁name ▁of ▁this ▁village . ▁ ▁Geography ▁A ▁ten - min ute ▁drive ▁from ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Village ▁lies ▁the ▁May a ▁King ▁Water falls , ▁bounded ▁by ▁the ▁May a ▁Mountains ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁and