Introducing The Northern Cayes
Daydream a little. Conjure up an image of your ultimate tropical island fantasy – the postcard ‘paradise’ that you always dreamed about. With over a hundred enticing isles and two amazing atolls, chances are that one of the northern cayes can bring your fantasy to life. If you imagined stringing up a hammock on an otherwise deserted beach, there is an outer atoll with your name on it. Pining to be pampered? You have your choice of an ever-growing glut of ritzy resorts on Ambergris Caye. San Pedro is prime for sipping cocktails and dancing the night away to a reggae beat; Caye Caulker moves at a slower pace, exuding a friendly village vibe.
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But this is only the beginning. The richest resource of the northern cayes lies below the surface of the sea. Only a few miles offshore, the barrier reef runs for 80 miles, nearly uninterrupted. For snorkelers and divers, Belize offers unparalleled opportunities to explore caves, canyons and coral gardens, to come face to face with nurse sharks and stingrays in their natural habitat, and to swim with schools of fish, painted every color of the palette. Much of the reef is protected by various marine sanctuaries, ensuring the continued vibrancy of this underwater world.
You might be shocked by prices in the northern cayes (especially Ambergris), which are noticeably higher than the rest of Belize. But it’s not outrageously expensive compared with other destinations in the Caribbean. Anyway, that’s the price you pay for paradise.
Last updated: Oct 20, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Itinerary suggestion - what do you think?
by LanSluder 20 March 2011
I'm a little confused about the Belize cayes/Petén part of your trip: Assuming you want to visit the northern cayes (Caye Caulker or…
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RE: Which way round?
by LanSluder 20 February 2011
I also like to end trips on the northern cayes, as it's easy and quick to get from Caulker or San Pedro to the international airport,…
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RE: Scuba Diving in Belize
by hopefulist 29 January 2011
The reef can be accessed from the northern cayes - Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker - and from southern cayes like Tobacco Caye and Southwate…
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The Northern Cayes
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The Northern Cayes Overview
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Our Top Picks For The Northern Cayes
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1 North Island and Beach n’ Kitchen
Cycling up the sandy coast of the North Island on Ambergris Caye and stopping for a refreshing smoothie at Beach n’ Kitchen
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2 Shark Ray Alley
Being surrounded by nurse sharks and stingrays at Shark Ray Alley
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3 Driftwood Lodge
Watching the sun set while relaxing on the upper deck of the Driftwood Lodge on Caye Caulker
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4 Swallow Caye
Catching sight of a West Indian manatee frolicking in the shallow waters off Swallow Caye
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5 Blue Hole Natural Monument and Half Moon Caye
Cruising out to Lighthouse Reef to descend into the darkness of the Blue Hole Natural Monument and spying on the rare red-footed booby at Half Moon Caye
Our favourite The Northern Cayes Blogs (beta)
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Live-Aboard Life (the diving) – Aggressor III, Belize
Blog: Trans-Americas Journey - 2 September 2011
We think SCUBA diving under practically any conditions is great. Then we got on our very first live-aboard dive boat with The Aggressor Fleet in Belize and learned that on a live-aboard conditions are always perfect. Yeah, the Aggressor III and staff spoiled us. Here’s how. 11 reasons live-aboards rule 1. No elbowing the diver next to you. The Aggressor III has a very roomy dive deck with plenty of space to stow and dry your gear and ample room for suiting up (hey, it requires plenty of room to get into and out of a wet suit). 2. No freaking out about basic gear.
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Live-Aboard Life (topside)- Aggressor III, Belize
Blog: Trans-Americas Journey - 31 August 2011
We love SCUBA diving and we’ve managed to do a lot of it, racking up almost 400 dives between the two of us in some of the best dive destinations in the world including bucket list toppers like Palau and Sipidan. Yes, we’re lucky. And, yet, we still have SCUBA dreams. Specifically, we dream about getting on a live-aboard dive boat–a dream we finally fulfilled in Belize.
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La Isla Bonita – Ambergris Caye
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 7 June 2011
We decided to head over to Ambergris Caye as despite finding Caye Caulker absolutely charming we wanted to find a little more beach and see the other island. That night we headed to Capricorn which is a wonderful beach-side restaurant on the north shore with amazing food. It is a great way to try some [...]
