Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve, Marine reserve and national park on Ambergris Caye, Belize
The protected area covers 15,530 acres of marine territory and 12,640 acres of land, featuring coral reefs, mangroves, and coastal lagoons.
Maya traders created a canal separating Ambergris Caye from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, establishing settlements throughout the region during their occupation.
The reserve maintains essential connections to Maya and Garifuna communities, who continue traditional fishing practices within designated sustainable zones.
Visitors reach the park exclusively by boat from San Pedro or Caye Caulker, with tours available for snorkeling, hiking, and wildlife observation.
The reserve houses five species of wild cats, including jaguars and pumas, while serving as a nesting ground for loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles.
Location: San Pedro
Address: W2CP+3XQ, Ambergris St, San Pedro, Belize San Pedro San Pedro
GPS coordinates: 17.92021,-87.96252
Latest update: March 4, 2025 16:12
Belize protects over 300 miles of the second largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and a substantial number of pre-Columbian Maya sites, many located deep within rainforests. The country combines marine protected areas, archaeological remains, and extensive nature reserves within a relatively compact territory. Visitors can explore the Great Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef, a circular sinkhole roughly 1,000 feet (305 meters) across and 410 feet (125 meters) deep, one day and walk through the ruins of Caracol the next, the country's largest Maya site with pyramids rising over 140 feet (43 meters). The islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker provide direct access to the reef and stretches of sandy shoreline. The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary preserves approximately 150 square miles (390 square kilometers) of rainforest as a protected area for jaguars and other mammals. Underwater protected areas like Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve safeguard coral gardens, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests that support marine life. Archaeological sites such as Xunantunich, Lamanai, and Altun Ha showcase different building styles and periods of Maya civilization. Actun Tunichil Muknal cave combines geological formations with archaeological artifacts and is accessed by wading through underground rivers. The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve offers pine forests, waterfalls, and limestone formations in the western highlands.
Great Blue Hole
81.2 km
Belize Barrier Reef
73.8 km
Lamanai
75.7 km
Altun Ha
43.6 km
Taam ja’ Blue Hole
80.6 km
British Army Training Support Unit Belize
55.5 km
Turneffe islands
48.7 km
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
7.1 km
Belize Zoo
89.1 km
Swing Bridge
52.9 km
Government House, Belize
53.6 km
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
65.3 km
Baron Bliss Light
53.1 km
Jardín Zoológico Payo Obispo
76 km
Museum of Belize
52.5 km
Bliss Institute
53.1 km
Shipstern
50.5 km
English Caye Light
66.6 km
Half Moon Caye Light
91.6 km
Mauger Caye Light
40.3 km
Zona Arqueológica Oxtankah
81.7 km
Robinson Point Light
67.8 km
BlueKay Beach
93.5 km
Government House
53.6 km
Half Moon Caye Light
91.6 km
Banco Chinchorro
93.1 km
Mexico Rocks
9.7 km
Friends of Swallow Caye
20.3 kmReviews
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