- Address: Belize City, Belize;
- Length: 280 km;
- Sightseeing: Glouces Reef, Big Blue Hole, Sapodilla-Caye, Half Moon Cay, Hol-Chan.
Belize is the cherished dream of many tourists. And it attracts travelers not so much this small country in Central America, as its main attraction is the Belize barrier reef, located just a few kilometers from the coast.
The Belize barrier reef today
The total length of the Belizean coral stub is 280 km. It is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world.
The Belizean reef is included in the list of 7 underwater wonders of the world and is protected by UNESCO. Unfortunately, it is listed in yet another list - a list of world sights, which are predicted to disappear before 2030. Therefore, our generation can be the last to see this extraordinary natural creation.
The reef consists of several protected protected areas. The main ones are:
- Glovers reef - marine reserve;
- A large blue hole is a unique geological formation in the form of an ideally round hollow with a depth of 120 m;
- Sapodilla-Caye - a protected area in the sea;
- Half Moon-Kay ("bird island") - a natural monument, where about 100 species of birds nest;
- Hol-Chan is another marine reserve.
The best place for diving is the island of Ambergris .
Why visit?
Annually more than 140 thousand tourists come to Belize. Someone for a rich exotic holiday, but there are those who want to become famous, having made a real scientific discovery. After all, only 10% of the total natural wealth of the Belize barrier reef has been studied today.
The ecosystem of the reef is incredibly rich and diverse. Here you can see:
- more than 100 species of corals (70 solid and 36 soft);
- manatees;
- turtles (including endangered species: bisce, tadpole and green marine);
- winged crocodiles;
- about 500 species of fish;
- sharks (nannies, caribbean).
If you are going to visit the Belize barrier reef, Belize will welcome you cordially. On the beach and islands are hotels and diving centers. Hotels can not be classified as "Luxury", they all can be compared to three-star European hotels, but believe me, you will not have time to spend time in your room.
When is the best time to come?
For traveling to the Belize barrier reef, any time of the year is suitable. In winter, the water temperature does not fall below + 23 ° C, and in summer reaches + 28 ° C.
Interesting Facts
- The blue (blue) hole is a rather unsafe place for swimming (at the time of the tide it turns into a funnel with a whirlpool, and with the beginning of the ebb, it starts to flow, throwing everything out);
- The first one to investigate the Great Blue Hole was Jacques-Yves Cousteau;
- at resorts of the Belizean reef, unusual unusual gambling is popular - "chicken lotto" (chickens are let out of the chickens by the flat squares, and players make bets - they choose the square on which the chickens will leave most of their products of vital activity; before the prize is received, the winner must remove that which brought him luck).
How to get there?
If your main goal of visiting Belize is just a reef, then when choosing a flight, it's better to choose the destination of Philippe S.W. Goldson airport. It is located 15 km from the port city of Belize , from where it is most convenient to travel to the islands by sea. There you can book a one-way sea transfer if you intend to live in island hotels, or take one-day tours (you will be taken to any resort on a reef and brought to the mainland in the evening).