Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
as “R&R packages”, where you can just while away the days
sunbathing and splashing in th
e Caribbe
an waters. All-
inclu
sive. Fishin
g packages from
US$3950
; dive packages
from
US$2595
Turneffe Island Resort
Coco Tree Caye, southern tip of
Turneffe Atoll
T
532 2990,
W
turnefferesort.com.
Get
away from it all at this luxurious resort - one of the most
upscale in the Turneffe Atoll - with swank a/c cabins on the
beach. The resort caters to upmarket fishing and diving
groups, w
ith all-inclusive, four-night packages. From
US$3000
Lighthouse Reef and around
About fifty miles east of Belize City is Belize's outermost atoll,
Lighthouse Reef
, made
famous by Jacques Cousteau, who visited in the 1970s. Its two main attractions are the
Blue Hole
, which drew Cousteau's attention (he cleared the passage through the reef ),
and
Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
. Also here is
Long Caye
, a private island on the
atoll's southwestern side, which is being developed as an “eco-village” (
W
belizeisland
.com), with eco-friendly homes for sale. Some tour operators, including Slickrock
Adventures (
W
slickrock.com), also make trips here.
3
The Blue Hole
Bz$80, includes Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
he
Blue Hole
is technically a “karst-eroded sinkhole”, a shaft about 984ft in diameter
and 442ft deep that drops through the bottom of the lagoon and opens out into a
complex network of
caves and crevices
, complete with stalactites and stalagmites. It
was formed over a million years ago when Lighthouse Reef was a sizeable island - or
even part of the mainland. Investigations have shown that caves underlie the entire reef,
and that the sea has simply punctured the cavern roof at the site of the Blue Hole. Its
great depth gives it a peculiar deep-blue colour, and even swimming across it is
disorienting as there's no sense of anything beneath you. Unsurprisingly, the Blue Hole
and Lighthouse Reef are major magnets for
divers
, offering incredible walls and
drop-offs, bright corals and tropical fish. Most dive operators in the cayes offer trips
here, from day-trips to overnights.
In summer 2013, Belizean teenager
Rowan Garel
became the first blind person to dive
the Blue Hole, a feat covered across the country by the Belizean press - and picked up
internationally as well.
Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
Audubon Society visitor centre: Daily 8am-4.30pm • Bz$20 •
T
223 5004,
W
belizeaudubon.org
he
Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
, the first marine conservation area in Belize,
was declared a national park in 1982. Its lighthouse was built in 1820 and has not
always been effective: several wrecks, including the
Ermlund
, which ran aground in
1971, testify to the dangers of the reef. The medium-sized caye is divided into two
distinct ecosystems: in the west, guano from thousands of seabirds fertilizes the soil,
allowing the growth of dense vegetation, while the eastern half has mostly coconut
palms growing in the sand. A total of 98 bird species have been recorded here,
including frigate birds, ospreys, mangrove warblers, white-crowned pigeons and - most
important of all - a resident population of four thousand
red-footed boobies
, one of
only two nesting colonies in the Caribbean. The only accommodation on the caye is
the
Island Expeditions
base camp (
W
islandexpeditions.com); the caye is included on its
Lighthouse Getaway trip (starting at US$600) for three days.
