Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The northern cayes and atolls
Belize's spectacular Barrier Reef, which begins just south of Cancún and runs
the entire length of the Belize coastline, is the longest in the western
hemisphere. Its dazzling variety of underwater life and string of exquisite
islands - known as cayes (pronounced “keys”) - is the main attraction for
most first-time visitors to the country. One of the planet's richest marine
ecosystems, it's a paradise for scuba divers and snorkellers, who come
for the incredible coral formations teeming with hundreds of species of
brilliantly coloured fish. Such is the importance of this astonishing
marine life that virtually the entire reef, including the portions surrounding
the outlying atolls, and all of Belize's marine reserves - known jointly as the
Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System - were declared a World Heritage Site in
December 1996.
Most of the cayes lie in shallow water behind the shelter of the reef, with a limestone
ridge forming larger, low-lying islands to the north and smaller, less frequently visited
outcrops - often merely a stand of palms and a strip of sand - clustered towards the
southern end of the chain. Though the four hundred cayes themselves form only a tiny
portion of the country's total land area, and only around ten percent have any kind of
tourism development, Belize has more territorial water than land, and the islands'
lobster-fishing and tourism earnings account for a substantial proportion of the
country's income.
More than anywhere in the cayes, the town of
San Pedro
, on
Ambergris Caye
,
has experienced a major transition from a predominantly fishing-based economy
to one dominated by tourism. There are still some peaceful spots on Ambergris,
however, notably the protected areas of the island, including
Bacalar Chico
National Park
in the north and
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
in the south.
Caye
Caulker
, south of Ambergris Caye and home to another marine reserve, is
smaller and more Belizean in feel. The budget-friendly caye has long been
dubbed the “backpacker isle”, but it has also expanded into a more high-end
market. Further south still, the original Belizean capital of
St George's Caye
holds a celebrated place in the nation's history and has some fine colonial houses
along with an exclusive diving resort.
Swallow Caye
, near the tip of Belize City,
is protected as a manatee sanctuary. Many of the other cayes are inhabited
only by tiny fishing communities whose populations fluctuate with the season;
a few have just a single luxury lodge offering diving and sport-fishing to
big-spending visitors.
Beyond the chain of islands and the coral reef are the
atolls
: the
Turneffe Atoll
and
Lighthouse Reef
. In these breathtakingly beautiful formations, a ring of coral just below
3
Hurricanes
p.91
Safeguarding the coral reef
p.92
Island fiestas
p.94
Diving and snorkelling around
Ambergris Caye
p.96
Step back in time at Marco Gonzalez
p.97
Inland tours and trips
p.100
Diving and snorkelling around Caye
Caulker
p.109
Caye Caulker orientation
p.110
Sun, sand and sustainability
p.114
