Belize offers coral reef diving, Maya ruins in jungle settings, and cave systems that served as ceremonial sites. The country contains 900 islands, the second-largest barrier reef in the world, and archaeological sites that predate European contact by more than a thousand years.
The Belize Barrier Reef runs 300 kilometers along the coastline. Charles Darwin visited in 1842 aboard the HMS Beagle and described it in "The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs." UNESCO designated the reef system a World Heritage Site in 1996. Divers and snorkelers visit sites including Shark Ray Alley off Caye Caulker, where southern stingrays and nurse sharks congregate in shallow water. The reef contains 70 hard coral species and 36 soft coral species. Water temperature ranges from 26 to 29 degrees Celsius year-round.
The Great Blue Hole lies 70 kilometers from Belize City. This circular marine sinkhole measures 300 meters across and drops 125 meters to a floor covered in limestone stalactites. Jacques Cousteau brought the Calypso research vessel here in 1971 and declared it one of the top ten diving sites on Earth. The hole formed during quaternary glaciation when sea levels were lower and rainwater dissolved the limestone cave system. When ice melted and oceans rose, the cave roof collapsed. Recreational divers descend to 40 meters. Four species of shark including Caribbean reef sharks and bull sharks circle the upper rim.
Glover's Reef sits 45 kilometers offshore in the open Caribbean. This atoll measures 30 kilometers long and 13 kilometers wide. UNESCO included it in the Barrier Reef World Heritage designation. The atoll wall drops from 15 meters to over 2000 meters. Hawksbill and loggerhead turtles nest on the cayes. Spotted dolphins feed along the outer reef. Live-aboard boats make the crossing from the mainland in four hours. Weekly supply boats reach the research station on Middle Caye.
Turneffe Atoll lies 40 kilometers east of Belize City. At 50 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide, it is the largest of three atolls off the Belize coast. More than 200 mangrove cayes lie within the atoll rim. American crocodiles inhabit the interior lagoons. The atoll became a marine reserve in 2012. The Elbow, a southern point where ocean currents meet, concentrates fish including permit, tarpon, and barracuda. Divers see eagle rays and hammerhead sharks at depths of 20 to 40 meters.
Ambergris Caye stretches 40 kilometers along the northern coast. The Maya cut a channel at the southern end to create a trading route between the Bay of Chetumal and the Caribbean. San Pedro, the main settlement, grew from a fishing camp to a town of 16,000. Golf carts and bicycles are the primary transportation. The reef lies 400 meters offshore. Hol Chan Marine Reserve, established in 1987, covers 18 square kilometers and prohibits fishing. Snorkelers drift through a channel in the reef where schools of yellowtail snapper and horse-eye jacks swim through staghorn coral.
Caye Caulker lies 11 kilometers south of Ambergris Caye. A hurricane cut "The Split" through the north end of the island in 1961. The swimming area at The Split attracts visitors in afternoons. No cars operate on the island. Streets are sand. The village contains fewer than 2000 residents. Lobster fishing provided the primary income until tourism expanded in the 1980s. Lobster season runs from July 1 to February 28 annually. During closed season from March through June, fishermen collect conch and fish for snapper and grouper.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave opens in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve near San Ignacio. The name means "Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre" in Maya languages. Maya priests conducted ceremonies inside this cave between 700 and 900 CE. Archaeologist Jaime Awe began formal excavation in 1989. The cave contains 14 skeletal remains and more than 1400 ceramic vessels. Visitors wade and swim through an underground river for 45 minutes to reach the main chamber. Calcite deposits have crystallized over pottery and human remains. Tour groups limited to eight people enter the cave with licensed guides. Photography is prohibited after a tourist dropped a camera on a skull in 2012.