The Cayes and Atolls: Places to Explore

At 25 mi (40 km) long and 4½ mi (7 km) wide, Ambergris (in Belize pronounced Am-BURR-griss) is the queen of the cayes. On early maps it was often referred to as Costa de Ambar, or the Amber Coast... Read more

A half hour away from San Pedro by water taxi and sharing essentially the same reef and sea ecosystems, Caye Caulker is very different from its big sister island, Ambergris Caye. It's smaller, with a population... Read more

Named after the pirate John Glover, this coral necklace strung around an 80-square-mi (208-square-km) lagoon is the southernmost of Belize's three atolls. There are five islands at the atoll. Visitors... Read more

If Robinson Crusoe had been a man of means, he would have repaired here for a break from his desert island.... Lighthouse Reef is about 18 mi (29 km) long and less than 1 mi (2 km) wide and is surrounded... Read more

This is one of our favorite underrated spots in Belize. The 15-acre South Water Caye has good off-the-beaten-reef diving and snorkeling in a stunning tropical setting, and the beach at the southern end... Read more

A few miles off the coast of Stann Creek District are several small islands with equally small tourism operations. If Placencia and Hopkins aren't far enough away from civilization for you, consider an... Read more

Just a stone's throw from Belize City, this small caye is steeped in history. The state of Belize had its origins here, as St. George's Caye held the original British settlement's first capital. In 1798... Read more

If you don't want to pay a lot for your place in the sun, Tobacco Caye may be for you. It's a tiny island—barely 4 acres, and a walk around the entire caye takes 10 minutes—but it's right on... Read more

The largest of the three atolls, Turneffe, is the closest to Belize City. It's one of the best spots for diving, thanks to several steep drop-offs. Only an hour from Lighthouse Reef and 45 minutes from... Read more