Half Moon Caye
Half Moon Caye Natural Monument
A small island at the southern end of Lighthouse Reef, Belize's first marine protected area, with a red-footed booby colony, white sand beaches and a lunch stop on the Great Blue Hole tour.
Half Moon Caye was designated a Natural Monument in 1982 and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site. On the western side of the island, in coastal woodland, roughly 4,000 red-footed boobies nest alongside frigatebirds, and an observation platform at the end of the wooden boardwalk lets you look almost eye-level into the nests. On the eastern side lies a dazzling white crescent beach, and just offshore is Half Moon Caye Wall, a famous reef wall dive site. Most visitors come on a day trip to the Great Blue Hole and stop here second. A protected area fee applies to land on the island. There is no accommodation, and camping must be arranged separately.
Opening hours
Daytime, boat tours only
Nearby sights
- Great Blue Hole
- Turneffe Atoll
- Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary
- Caye Caulker
- Shark Ray Alley
- Hol Chan Marine Reserve
- Marco Gonzalez Maya Site
- San Pedro Town