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Four hundred square kilometers of the bay and coast north of Punta
Gorda are now protected as the Port Honduras Marine Reserve,
partly to safeguard the many manatees living and breeding in
this shallow water habitat. The cayes and reefs here mark the
southern end of Belize's barrier reef, and the main reef has started
to break up, leaving several clusters of islands, each surrounded by
a small independent reef. The closest of these islands to Punta
Gorda are the Snake Cayes, a group of tiny islands in the
mouth of a large bay whose shoreline is a complex maze of mangrove
swamps. Further out in the Gulf of Honduras are the Sapodilla
Cayes , now a marine reserve, of which the largest Caye,
Hunting Caye, is frequented by Guatemalan as well as Belizean
day-trippers. Some of these islands already have accommodation, and
more resorts are planned, though at present the cayes and reserve
receive relatively few foreign visitors and are fascinating to
explore. |
 Belize
travel guide
Caribbean
guide
South of Punta Gorda the coastline is flat and sparsely populated,
with rivers meandering across a coastal plain covered in thick
tropical rainforest. These include the Temash River, lined with the
tallest mangrove forest in the country, and the Sarstoon River,
which forms the border with Guatemala. The only village here is
Barranco, a small, traditional Garífuna settlement of two
hundred people which you can visit through the village guesthouse
programme arranged by Nature's Way. |
Belize
Belize City
Where to go
When to go
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and drinking
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communications
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and festivals
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souvenirs
Belize city
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Explore Belize City
North side
South side
Cayo and the west
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Belize city
to San
Ignacio
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Belize zoo
-
Belmopan
Practicalities
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Guanacaste
Park
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Caracol Ruins
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
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San Antonio
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San Ignacio
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Arrival
Restaurants
Kayaking,canoeing
Xunantunich, San Jose
Corozal, Orange Walk
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Travel details |
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