Belize Barrier Reef

Other Caribbean

Turks and Caicos Islands · Dominican Republic · Puerto Rico · Jamaica · Cayman Islands · Aruba · Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) · Curaçao · Belize · Honduras · Guatemala · Panama · Colombia

Everything in the Caribbean west and south of the Bahamas and the Eastern Caribbean chain, strung along the 'Thorny Path' and the Western Caribbean loop. Turks & Caicos is a Bahamas-style shallow-bank country: Providenciales, the 40-mile Caicos Bank crossing to South Caicos, then deep Turks Island Passage (over 2,200 m deep) to Grand Turk's wall and sleepy Salt Cay. Hispaniola's north coast offers the hurricane hole at Luperón and Samaná Bay, a humpback-whale breeding ground beside Los Haitises' mangroves and karst islets; the southeast has Punta Cana, Isla Saona and Catalina. Across the Mona Passage, Puerto Rico's south and west coasts (Boquerón, La Parguera's bioluminescent bay and cays, Ponce, Salinas, Caja de Muertos) are a protected US-territory staging ground. Jamaica (Port Antonio's twin harbours, Montego Bay) and the three Cayman Islands (Stingray City, Bloody Bay Wall) are open-ocean stops between the Windward Passage and Central America. In the south, the ABC islands sit below the main hurricane belt: Bonaire's mandatory-mooring marine park, Curaçao's landlocked Spanish Water and Willemstad, and windy Aruba. The western Caribbean is reef country: the Belize Barrier Reef (about 300 km, UNESCO since 1996) with Ambergris and Caye Caulker in the north, three offshore atolls (Turneffe, Lighthouse Reef with the Great Blue Hole, Glover's) and Placencia's southern cayes; Honduras' Bay Islands (Roatán, Utila, Guanaja); and Guatemala's Río Dulce, a jungle-gorge river and the region's classic hurricane-season hideout. Panama's Guna Yala (San Blas) is roughly 365 palm islands run by the Guna people, with legendary anchorages at the Lemmons, Holandes Cays, Coco Bandero and Chichime; Bocas del Toro is a mangrove archipelago near Costa Rica. Cartagena, Colombia is the walled-city gateway, with the Rosario and San Bernardo islands as its day-sail playground.

Top of the list

1. 1Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool)The San Blas signature: turquoise 'swimming pool' between palm cays inside the outer reef, with nurse sharks, rays and the Guna selling molas and lobster from ulus.
2. 2East Lemmon Cays AnchorageThe most sociable San Blas anchorage, a short hop from Porvenir, with reef-ringed islets and a cruiser beach bar.
3. 3Coco Bandero Cays AnchoragePostcard palm islets on a reef shelf in the eastern Holandes area, quieter and some of the clearest water in Guna Yala.
4. 4Chichime Cays AnchorageTwo palm cays with a Guna family settlement; the first anchorage for many boats arriving from Cartagena or Portobelo.
5. 5Great Blue Hole (Lighthouse Reef)Near-circular 318 m wide, 124 m deep marine sinkhole made famous by Cousteau in 1970 — Belize's bucket-list dive.
6. 6Half Moon Caye Natural MonumentLighthouse Reef's red-footed booby colony, white-sand anchorage and the wall dive next door.
7. 7Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray AlleyAmbergris Caye's reef-cut reserve, with nurse sharks and southern stingrays in a few feet of water.
8. 8South Water Caye Marine ReserveTiny resort cay perched on the barrier reef within the World Heritage reserve system — reef snorkeling off the beach.
9. 9Glover's Reef AtollRemote atoll and marine reserve: a reef-ringed lagoon studded with patch reefs, with wall diving outside.
10. 10Bonaire National Marine Park Moorings (Kralendijk)Overnight visitor moorings off Kralendijk lie directly over one of the Caribbean's healthiest reefs; anchoring is replaced by moorings and there are 86 public dive sites.
11. 11Klein BonaireUninhabited islet across the channel ringed by protected reef, with No Name Beach and boat-access dive sites.
12. 12Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao)The ABC islands' great all-weather inland lagoon anchorage, with Caracasbaai, dive shops and a dinghy to provisioning.
13. 13Stingray City Sandbar (North Sound)Stand in about 3 ft of water among southern stingrays inside Grand Cayman's North Sound reef.
14. 14Bloody Bay Wall (Little Cayman)A legendary vertical wall that starts in shallow water — the Caymans' finest dive and snorkel.
15. 15Samaná Bay Humpback Whale WatchingOne of the Caribbean's great humpback breeding grounds each winter, with Los Haitises' karst islets across the bay.
16. 16Los Haitises National ParkMangrove channels, bird-nesting islets and caves with Taíno pictographs on the south side of Samaná Bay.
17. 17Luperón Harbor AnchorageMangrove-lined, landlocked harbor that has served generations of cruisers on the Thorny Path as a hurricane hole.
18. 18Sapodilla Bay Anchorage (Chalk Sound, Providenciales)Providenciales' cruiser anchorage and port of entry, steps from the vivid turquoise of Chalk Sound.
19. 19Grand Turk WallThe reef drops vertically into Turks Island Passage within easy reach of Cockburn Town; humpbacks pass in winter.
20. 20Bahía Fosforescente (La Parguera)Puerto Rico's bioluminescent bay, amid a maze of mangrove cays and reef on the south-west coast.
21. 21Río Dulce GorgeSail up through towering jungle-walled limestone canyon from Garifuna Livingston to the marinas of Fronteras and Lago de Izabal.
22. 22Cayos Zapatilla (Bastimentos National Marine Park)Two uninhabited palm cays and reef in Bocas del Toro's marine park.
23. 23Islas del Rosario National ParkCorales del Rosario coral park, about 20 km from Cartagena — the first night out of the walled city.
24. 24Cartagena Old Walled CityUNESCO colonial city with ramparts, plazas and the Club Náutico/Manga anchorage on its doorstep.
25. 25West End Moorings (Roatán Marine Park)Roatán's dive-town strip with marine-park moorings over the Mesoamerican Reef.

When to go

Broadly December through April/May for the northern and western Caribbean: dry, trade-wind sailing with northers (cold fronts) occasionally reaching Turks & Caicos, the DR, the Caymans, Belize and the Bay Islands. Belize's charter season is November–April (dry season December–May per The Moorings). San Blas/Guna Yala: mid-December–April brings strong 'Christmas winds' (NE trades, sometimes 20–30 kn) and rough passages from Cartagena; May–November is calmer with afternoon squalls and lightning and the area is generally outside the hurricane track. Bocas del Toro has its own pattern, with drier windows January–April and late August–October. The ABC islands enjoy steady E trades year-round. Plan Turks & Caicos and the DR north coast for winter/spring; many boats spend June–November in Río Dulce, Panama, Colombia or the ABCs.

Weather and hazards

Reef navigation is the main hazard everywhere: travel in good light with the sun high or behind you on the Caicos Bank, inside the Belize Barrier Reef, through the Bay Islands reefs and in Guna Yala (charts there can be offset from GPS; use proven waypoints, e.g. Bauhaus guide, and satellite overlays). The Caicos Bank is a 2–3 m-deep coral-head-strewn crossing done in daylight only. The DR's north coast is best transited at night/early morning using the katabatic night lee ahead of the afternoon trade build; the Mona Passage has the Hourglass Shoals off Cabo Engaño. Northers in winter bring strong N–NW winds to Belize, the Bay Islands and the Caymans, making Caribbean-facing anchorages and Lighthouse Reef untenable. The Colombian coast between Santa Marta and Cartagena (off the Magdalena River) is one of the windiest stretches in the Caribbean in winter, with heavy seas and floating debris. Panama's rainy season brings intense lightning. Strong currents: the Caribbean Current sets west; the Yucatán Current accelerates north off Belize/Mexico. Security varies: check current reports (e.g. Caribbean Safety and Security Net) for the Honduras/Nicaragua coast, Jamaica and the Colombian mainland.

Hurricane season

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with peak activity from late August through September (midpoint about September 10). Turks & Caicos, the DR, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Caymans, Belize and the Bay Islands are all in the hurricane belt; The Moorings notes August and September as Belize's most likely months. Traditional refuges: Luperón (DR), Río Dulce (Guatemala), and the low-latitude ABC islands, San Blas, Bocas del Toro and Cartagena, which lie south of most storm tracks (rarely hit but not immune). Check your insurer's named-storm latitude box.

Entry and clearance

Each country clears separately; carry ship's papers, passports, outbound clearance (zarpe/despacho) from the last port and crew lists. Turks & Caicos: pre-arrival notice via SailClear at least 24 hours before arrival and departure (mandatory since February 1, 2023); ports of entry are Grand Turk South Dock, Providenciales (Blue Haven Marina, South Bank Marina, South Dock, Southside Marina, Sapodilla Bay) and South Caicos (Cockburn Harbour). Dominican Republic: clear in with Navy (Armada), Customs, Immigration and agriculture at a port of entry (e.g. Luperón, Puerto Plata Ocean World, Samaná, Cap Cana, Casa de Campo); a despacho is required for every move between DR ports — verify current procedures. Puerto Rico is US territory: US vessels and citizens report via CBP ROAM app; foreign vessels need a cruising license. Cayman Islands: hail Port Security on VHF before entering and clear at George Town (Grand Cayman) — confirm current procedures with Cayman Customs & Border Control. Bonaire: overnight visitor moorings require registration at the Customs office and Harbour Village Marina before use. Belize, Honduras and Guatemala: clear at a port of entry (Belize: e.g. San Pedro, Belize City, Big Creek/Placencia, Punta Gorda; Honduras Bay Islands: Roatán, Utila, Guanaja; Guatemala: Livingston). Guatemala/Honduras/El Salvador/Nicaragua share the CA-4 visa area for persons. Panama: Caribbean ports of entry include Porvenir (Guna Yala), Bocas del Toro, Shelter Bay/Colón and Linton Bay; a Panama cruising permit plus immigration stamps are required. Colombia: foreign yachts clear through a licensed agent (Cartagena is the usual port). Curaçao: anchor only in the six designated areas with a Harbour Master permit - Spanish Water (max 90 days), Fuik Baai, Santa Martha, Santa Cruz, Piscadera Baai and Klein Curaçao (max 3 nights each); not St Anna Bay, Westpunt, Caracasbaai or Boka Sint Michiel (Curaçao Ports Authority via Noonsite, August 2025). Aruba: all yachts must clear in at the Barcadera customs dock, not Oranjestad (Noonsite, March 2026). All procedures change frequently — verify locally before arrival.

Permits and fees

Turks & Caicos (Border Force, current page): inbound clearance USD 50, outbound USD 50, overtime outside working hours; cruising permit USD 300 valid 90 days, bought from the Proper Officer at the first port of arrival, renewable. Belize (The Moorings area guide): mooring buoys roughly USD 15–25/night and marine park fees about USD 10 per person per day in protected areas; sport-fishing licence about USD 25/week; lobster closed season February 14 – June 15 — verify locally. Bonaire: the STINAPA nature fee is mandatory for all users of the Bonaire National Marine Park and Washington Slagbaai and is valid per calendar year (pay at bonairenaturefee.org); visitor overnight moorings take boats up to 18 m, public day moorings up to 13 m with a two-hour limit. Panama: cruising permit plus immigration and the Guna Yala Congress fee collected in San Blas, with additional per-island anchoring fees in some communities — verify locally. Colombia: agent fees for clearance. Dominican Republic: per-port despacho charges and clearance fees — verify locally. Marine park fees also apply in the Cayman Islands, Bay Islands (Roatán Marine Park moorings) and Rosario Islands.

Tides and currents

Tides are small throughout (Belize about 11–23 inches per The Moorings; ABCs and San Blas well under a meter), but currents and wind-driven water levels matter more: strong tidal flows through Caicos Bank cuts and Turks Island Passage edges; the Mona Passage; the west-setting Caribbean Current; and river outflow at Río Dulce (bar at Livingston, transit on high water) and in Cartagena's Bocachica. Tide predictions: NOAA Tides & Currents (tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov) for Puerto Rico and US-referenced stations across the region (e.g. Magueyes Island PR; Grand Turk; Port Royal Jamaica; George Town Grand Cayman); Rijkswaterstaat/meteo services for the ABCs; IDEAM/DIMAR for Colombia.

Money

US dollar in Turks & Caicos, Puerto Rico, Bonaire and (alongside the balboa) Panama; Dominican peso (DOP); Jamaican dollar (JMD); Cayman Islands dollar (KYD, pegged to USD); Aruban florin (AWG); Caribbean guilder in Curaçao (replaced the Netherlands Antillean guilder in 2025 — verify); Belize dollar (BZD, pegged 2:1 to USD); Honduran lempira (HNL); Guatemalan quetzal (GTQ); Colombian peso (COP). Guna Yala trade is cash-only in USD.

Radio and phones

VHF 16 for hailing throughout; marinas and port control usually work 16 then a working channel. Local cruiser nets exist in several hubs (e.g. Luperón, Río Dulce, Roatán, Bonaire, Curaçao Spanish Water, Bocas del Toro, Cartagena, and the Panama Connection SSB/radio net) — verify current channels and times locally. Cellular data works across the inhabited islands; San Blas has patchy coverage near larger Guna villages, so many boats use satellite internet. Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet.org) publishes incident reports.

Charter bases

• Placencia, BelizeLaru Beya Marina, Placencia Peninsula, southern BelizeThe Moorings (bareboat and crewed catamarans; 7-, 10- and 14-day itineraries)
• San Blas / Guna YalaCartí, Porvenir and Linton Bay/Portobelo, PanamaMostly skippered/crewed catamaran charters and Cartagena–San Blas passage boats — verify operator licensing locally
• CartagenaClub Náutico / Manga and Bocagrande marinasSkippered day and term charters to the Rosario and San Bernardo islands — verify operators locally
• ProvidencialesBlue Haven, South Side and Turtle Cove marinasDay-sail and skippered charters; few if any bareboat fleets — verify locally

Getting there

• Providenciales International Airport — PLSMain gateway to Turks & Caicos with many US/Canada flights.
• JAGS McCartney International Airport (Grand Turk) — GDTInter-island and limited regional flights to Grand Turk.
• Gregorio Luperón International Airport (Puerto Plata) — POPClosest major airport to Luperón and Ocean World Marina.
• Samaná El Catey International Airport — AZSFor Samaná Bay and Puerto Bahía.
• Punta Cana International Airport — PUJFor Cap Cana, Punta Cana and Isla Saona.
• Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (San Juan) — SJUMain Puerto Rico gateway; about 1.5–2.5 hours' drive to Salinas, Ponce or the south-west.
• Sangster International Airport (Montego Bay) — MBJJamaica's tourist gateway; Montego Bay Yacht Club nearby.
• Owen Roberts International Airport (Grand Cayman) — GCMMain Cayman gateway; inter-island flights to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
• Queen Beatrix International Airport (Aruba) — AUAAruba gateway.
• Flamingo International Airport (Bonaire) — BONClose to Kralendijk's moorings and marina.
• Curaçao International Airport (Hato) — CURFor Willemstad and Spanish Water.
• Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (Belize City) — BZEInternational gateway; domestic hops to Placencia and San Pedro.
• Placencia Airport — PLJDomestic airstrip near The Moorings base.
• Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport (Roatán) — RTBBay Islands gateway with some US flights.
• La Aurora International Airport (Guatemala City) — GUAFor Río Dulce: several hours by road to Fronteras.
• Tocumen International Airport (Panama City) — PTYFor San Blas (road to Cartí), Linton Bay, Portobelo and Shelter Bay.
• Bocas del Toro Isla Colón International Airport — BOCDomestic flights from Panama City to Bocas Town.
• Rafael Núñez International Airport (Cartagena) — CTGCartagena gateway, close to Bocagrande and Manga marinas.

Charts and guides

• Bruce Van Sant, 'The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South: The Thornless Path to Windward' (Turks & Caicos, DR, Puerto Rico)
• Frank Virgintino, Free Cruising Guides (freecruisingguides.com) — Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Cayman, ABC, Colombia, Panama and more
• Stephen J. Pavlidis, 'The Turks and Caicos Guide' (Seaworthy Publications)
• Freya Rauscher, 'Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast'
• Eric Bauhaus, 'The Panama Cruising Guide' (San Blas, Bocas, Colombia with surveyed waypoints)
• Explorer Chartbooks (Turks & Caicos coverage in the Far Bahamas Explorer)
• NOAA charts for Puerto Rico; NGA/UKHO (Admiralty) charts elsewhere; Navionics and satellite overlays (OpenCPN/Google Earth KAP) strongly recommended for Guna Yala and Belize

Sample routes

• 7-day Placencia southern cayes loop, Belize (distances approximate)Day 1 · Laru Beya Marina (Placencia) → Laughing Bird Caye National Park · 12 nmCharter briefing, provision in Placencia village, first snorkel in the national park.Day 2 · Laughing Bird Caye National Park → Pelican Cayes · 14 nmMangrove 'ponds' with dense coral and sponges; moorings.Day 3 · Pelican Cayes → South Water Caye Anchorage · 10 nmSnorkel the barrier reef straight off the beach.Day 4 · South Water Caye Anchorage → Tobacco Caye · 5 nmTiny fishing-village cay on the reef; sunset beach bar.Day 5 · Tobacco Caye → Lark Caye · 25 nmRemote cay, fishing and quiet anchorage.Day 6 · Lark Caye → Ranguana Caye · 10 nmPrivate-island beach and snorkel.Day 7 · Ranguana Caye → Laru Beya Marina (Placencia) · 18 nmReturn sail, Placencia sidewalk dinner.
• 12-day San Blas / Guna Yala explorer from Linton Bay (distances approximate)Day 1 · Linton Bay Marina → Chichime Cays Anchorage · 40 nmEarly start for good light on arrival through the reef entrance.Day 2 · Chichime Cays Anchorage → Porvenir Anchorage · 7 nmClear in at Porvenir (immigration, port captain, Guna Congress fee).Day 3 · Porvenir Anchorage → East Lemmon Cays Anchorage · 6 nmCruiser hub, snorkel, beach bar.Day 4 · East Lemmon Cays Anchorage → West Lemmon Cays Anchorage · 2 nmQuieter side; mola vendors by ulu.Day 5 · West Lemmon Cays Anchorage → Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool) · 12 nmNurse sharks and rays, BBQ island.Day 6 · Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool) → Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool) · 0 nmDinghy to Hollandes outer reef and the wreck at Banedup; lobster from Guna fishermen (in season).Day 7 · Cayos Holandeses Anchorage (The Swimming Pool) → Coco Bandero Cays Anchorage · 5 nmPostcard palm islets and clear water.Day 8 · Coco Bandero Cays Anchorage → Green Island Anchorage · 4 nmCalm, protected anchorage; paddleboard over reef.Day 9 · Green Island Anchorage → Río Diablo / Nargana Anchorage · 6 nmFresh water, small stores, dinghy up the river.Day 10 · Río Diablo / Nargana Anchorage → Carti Sugtupu Anchorage · 24 nmGuna village life, museum, crew changes by road.Day 11 · Carti Sugtupu Anchorage → Chichime Cays Anchorage · 10 nmLast snorkel, staging for the coast.Day 12 · Chichime Cays Anchorage → Linton Bay Marina · 40 nmReturn to Linton Bay or on to Portobelo.
• 10-day Turks & Caicos crossing (distances approximate)Day 1 · Turtle Cove Marina → Sapodilla Bay Anchorage (Chalk Sound, Providenciales) · 25 nmClear in (SailClear filed 24 hours ahead); Taylor Bay beach.Day 2 · Sapodilla Bay Anchorage (Chalk Sound, Providenciales) → West Caicos Anchorage (dive moorings) · 10 nmWest Caicos wall diving, Molasses Reef area.Day 3 · West Caicos Anchorage (dive moorings) → French Cay Anchorage · 14 nmBird sanctuary cay, nurse sharks.Day 4 · French Cay Anchorage → Long Cay Anchorage (South Caicos) · 40 nmDaylight-only Caicos Bank crossing with good light to read coral heads.Day 5 · Long Cay Anchorage (South Caicos) → Cockburn Harbour Anchorage (South Caicos) · 3 nmFishing town, wall diving, conch and lobster fleet.Day 6 · Cockburn Harbour Anchorage (South Caicos) → Cockburn Town Anchorage (Grand Turk) · 22 nmCross Turks Island Passage; humpbacks in season.Day 7 · Cockburn Town Anchorage (Grand Turk) → Gibbs Cay (stingrays) · 5 nmStingray encounter and snorkel.Day 8 · Gibbs Cay (stingrays) → Salt Cay Anchorage (Deane's Dock) · 10 nmSalt-raking history, whale watching Jan–Apr.Day 9 · Salt Cay Anchorage (Deane's Dock) → Cockburn Town Anchorage (Grand Turk) · 9 nmGrand Turk Wall dive, Cockburn Town museum.Day 10 · Cockburn Town Anchorage (Grand Turk) → Cockburn Town Anchorage (Grand Turk) · 0 nmClear out via SailClear and Border Force.
• 8-day ABC downwind run Bonaire to Aruba (distances approximate)Day 1 · Bonaire National Marine Park Moorings (Kralendijk) → Bonaire National Marine Park Moorings (Kralendijk) · 0 nmRegister at Customs and Harbour Village Marina; buy the STINAPA nature fee.Day 2 · Bonaire National Marine Park Moorings (Kralendijk) → Klein Bonaire · 2 nmDinghy dives and No Name Beach.Day 3 · Bonaire National Marine Park Moorings (Kralendijk) → Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao) · 35 nmDownwind to Curaçao; clear in at Willemstad.Day 4 · Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao) → Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao) · 0 nmProvisioning and Willemstad's Handelskade by bus.Day 5 · Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao) → Klein Curaçao · 12 nmLighthouse, shipwreck and turtle snorkel (day stop).Day 6 · Spanish Water Anchorage (Curaçao) → Santa Cruz Bay Anchorage · 25 nmWest-coast beaches and turtles.Day 7 · Santa Cruz Bay Anchorage → Renaissance Marina (Oranjestad) · 54 nmClear out of Curaçao; downwind to Aruba.Day 8 · Renaissance Marina (Oranjestad) → Surfside Anchorage (Aruba) · 2 nmAruba anchorage near the airport; Palm Beach by bus.