Mesoamerican Barrier Reef

The world's second-largest coral reef system, stretching from the Yucatán Peninsula along Belize to Honduras's Bay Islands, with the Great Blue Hole, Cozumel and Roatán as diving meccas.

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (also called the Maya Reef) begins at the northeastern tip of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula and runs along the Quintana Roo coast, Belize and Guatemala to Honduras's Bay Islands. About 1,000 km long, it is the world's second-largest barrier reef system after the Great Barrier Reef, and the Belize section is a World Heritage Site. Main highlights: in Mexico, wall and drift diving off Cozumel, diving with bull sharks near Playa del Carmen, and whale sharks off Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox (Jun–Sep); in Belize, Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker (Hol Chan Marine Reserve, snorkeling at Shark Ray Alley) and the Great Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef (dive it or see it from a small plane); and in Honduras's Bay Islands, Roatán and Utila (among the cheapest places in the world to get dive certified, with whale shark encounters possible in Mar–Apr). A classic plan is to stay on one island for 5–7 days of diving or certification, or to island-hop across borders along the Cancún – Tulum – Belize – Roatán route over 2–3 weeks. Getting there: from Cancún, take a bus or ferry to northern Belize, then a water taxi from Belize City to the cayes; Roatán has international flights. Marine park fees apply in protected areas. To protect the coral, use reef-safe sunscreen and do not touch the coral.

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