| Other Islands & Atolls
Travelers searching for postcard-perfect beaches, enticing warm waters and a laid-back Caribbean style will find the cayes of Belize to be their perfect haven.
More than 200 islands dot the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea off Belize’s eastern coast. In Belize, islands they are called “cayes” - pronounced “keys”. The cayes range in size and type from sprawling mangrove-covered masses to small areas of sand and coral rubble used as temporary fishing camps; from privately owned cayes with individual resorts to larger islands with towns like Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
Caye Caulker is one of Belize’s larger cayes and is known for its motto, “go slow.” And, “go slow” is the perfect description for the atmosphere visitors will encounter on their retreat to any of the cayes.
Most of the cayes lie within the shelter of the Barrier Reef which stretches from Belize’s most northern caye past the country’s most southern point. The Barrier Reef protects the cayes and mainland from the rolling breakers coming from the greater Caribbean Sea making for calmer waters within the confines of the inner lagoon between the reef and mainland coast.
Beyond the Barrier Reef, three of the Caribbean’s four atolls are found. Atolls are ring-shaped coral islands which reach up from the ocean floor to surround beautiful lagoons sprinkled with fish and coral gardens.
Eight marine protected areas reside within Belizean waters attesting to the region’s remarkable biodiversity as well as Belize’s commitment to the management and protection of its marine ecosystems.
|
