Snorkel· Sapodilla Cayes· Other Caribbean
Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve
16° 8.8′ N · 88° 16.9′ W
The southern tip of the Belize Barrier Reef: a J-shaped chain of 14 palm and mangrove cayes about 40 miles east of Punta Gorda with fringing reef, spawning sites and Belize's second most important hawksbill nesting beaches - a favourite weekend escape for Guatemalan and Honduran boats.
Practical
Reserve declared 1996 and expanded to 321,623.5 acres (TIDE); TIDE lists it among the protected areas it manages. All boats entering must check in and pay visitation fees at Hunting Caye (management plan); a noforeignland review reports BZ$190 for two people for a five-day transit stay including immigration. Spawning aggregation sites at Nicholas Caye, Rise and Fall Bank and Seal Caye are protected. Belize administers the cayes, but Guatemala and Honduras both claim them (Wikipedia). Easter brings crowds and camping on Lime, Hunting and Nicholas cayes. Fishing restricted; no-take zones.
Best for
Remote reef snorkelling at the end of the Barrier Reef
Season
Avoid Easter crowds; settled trades
Nearby
- Hunting Caye Anchorage & Ranger Station2.2 NM away
- Easter Holiday Boat Crowds (Southern Cayes & Atolls)2.3 NM away
- Lime Caye2.8 NM away
- Ranguana Caye13.5 NM away
- Monkey River Tour17.6 NM away
- No Name Point Anchorage (Monkey Caye)18 NM away
- Laughing Bird Caye National Park18.5 NM away
- New Haven Bight Anchorage19.1 NM away