Founder of World Famous Hummingbird Highway Tamales Passes

Bertha Lisbey

Her tamales have been featured on CNN, Afar dot com, right here on Channel Five, and even have reviews on Trip Advisor. But the lady behind the famous tamales has passed on. Seventy-eight year old Bertha Lisbey, one of the most popular tamales vendors in Belize, passed away on Sunday, February first, at the Southern Regional Hospital. She has been selling tamales for decades, so much so that she has become a highlight for travelers, both local and international, when taking a trip down the Hummingbird Highway. When covering the news in the south, our news teams always look forward to getting some of Bertha’s tamales. But while her tamales are what she is known for the most, News Five found out much more about the lady behind it all. We take a look back at a story we did in 2010.

{News Feature on Bertha’s Tamales…}

Bertha passed away with her family at her side around one thirty in the afternoon on Sunday. She will be laid to rest on Saturday, February seventh, in San Ignacio.