BelizeCaribbean

OUR TOP 10 IN BELIZE (part 2)

By April 8, 2023 No Comments

A couple weeks ago I shared an article I wrote about the Top 10 in Cuba and it was picked up by All At Sea as the beginning of a month Top 10 series in their magazine. Below is the continuation of the second article I wrote for that series. I hope you enjoy the preview!!!!!

5) Glover Atoll – This is the second atoll making the list and it is the least visited of the three. There are three entrances into the atoll. The southern entrance is fairly straightforward and is right next to the posh Manta Resort. The second entrance is midway up the eastern side and is tricky, but the wall dive is unbelievable. The third entrance is at the north end and should not be attempted. In the lagoon of Glover Atoll you will find over 600 coral heads and each of them are good snorkeling spots in their own right.

4) Sapodilla Cays – The Sapodilla Cays Marine Park is the southernmost group of islands on the barrier reef and it has everything you could want…except for other boats. The Tom Owens Cays have several excellent snorkeling opportunities including a 30-foot wall dive off East Tom Owens Cay and a large patch reef SW of West Tom Owens Cay. Frank’s Cay has excellent shallow snorkeling on the southern part of the entrance of the reef protecting the bay. Nicholas Cay has the best beach. Hunting Cay is the headquarters and source of any info you need. Lime Cay has another beach and good snorkeling around it. Ragged Cay is in open water and surrounded with reefs that can be snorkeled if the seas and weather are calm enough.

3) ATM Cave – This is another Mayan ruins, but totally different than any other. You start off wading deep into a cave. Then you climb up roughly 20 feet to a large cavern where you are shown over 100 years’ worth of ceremonial rituals including hundreds of pots and at least five human remains. This is a day trip from Belize City or Placencia.

2) Placencia – This is the best town in Belize. It started out as a little fishing town on a peninsula that has turned into a hidden gem for those in the know. There is a nice protected beach at the south end and another wilder one on the east side of town. Plus, you can find protection for your boat from any wind direction in the anchorage or lagoon. But the highlight of Placencia is to simply walk up the mile long sidewalk, which originally served to connect all the fishing huts back in the day, and back down the only street. There are several nice beach bars and restaurants to choose from, but make sure to get some gelato at Tutti Frutti for dessert!

1) Great Blue Hole – No list about Belize can be complete without mentioning the blue hole in the middle of Lighthouse Atoll. As you enter the 1043-foot-wide hole you go from the 10 feet deep water of the atoll straight down to the bottom at 407 feet deep. Back in the 1970’s Jacques Cousteau brought his science vessel Calypso here and discovered it was formed in four stages 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago when sea levels were lower due to ice ages. While the Great Blue Hole gets all the credit on Lighthouse Atoll, there is also the beautiful Half Moon Cay with a bird sanctuary on it.

There you have it. Our top ten favorite things in the Belize. No matter what you do, you will love it in Belize, because, as you will see written all over the country, it is unBELIZEable.

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