Belize
EN
My trip
View my trip
Pier over the sea beneath sunlit clouds in Ambergris Caye.

Ambergris
Caye

Hol Chan, the Great Blue Hole, Secret Beach and Bacalar Chico

Serge Melki from Indianapolis, USA · CC BY 2.0

Before you go, understand the place.

From Ambergris Caye, operators visit the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and its Shark Ray Alley zone, run by the Fisheries Department, and, on Lighthouse Reef atoll, the Great Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye, co-managed by the Belize Audubon Society and the Government. On the island are Secret Beach and, at its northern end, Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, co-managed by the Fisheries and Forest Departments.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • Marine reserves and atoll

    Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley lie off Ambergris Caye, and the Great Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye on Lighthouse Reef atoll. The status of all three is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

  • Secret Beach and Bacalar Chico

    The status of Secret Beach and of the national park and marine reserve at the island’s northern end is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, although a cyclone can form outside that period (Government Press Office, 28 May 2026). Follow the warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. The rainy season runs from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads and flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there
Water taxis from San Pedro Belize Express and Caribbean Sprinter, which link Belize City, Caye Caulker and San Pedro, and Tropic Air and Maya Island Air flights arrive here, according to the operators (Maya Island Air’s website was last updated in February 2023). San Pedro Belize Express also runs the international route between San Pedro and Chetumal (Mexico): customs and immigration officers are present at both ends and the Belize departure fee, BZ$40 or US$20, is paid separately and in cash only, according to the operator. The Border Management Agency identifies four entry points it manages: Northern Border in Santa Elena (Corozal); Western Border in Benque Viejo del Carmen (Cayo); San Pedro in Ambergris Caye; and Punta Gorda in Toledo. This is the agency’s list, not an inventory of every entry point in the country. Its FAQ lists 24 hours for the northern and western land borders and 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily for San Pedro and Punta Gorda. Current hours are unconfirmed and secondary sources give different times. These are not boat schedules.

Tips and precautions

  1. Ask your operator whether the trip price includes the reserve fees: Hol Chan charges a day pass and Audubon charges separately for the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye.
  2. To dive or snorkel in Hol Chan’s recreation zones you must register, according to the Fisheries Department; scuba diving is not allowed at Shark Ray Alley.
  3. Half Moon Caye has a visitor centre, picnic area and campground; the Blue Hole has no land or facilities, according to the Belize Audubon Society.

Safety and precautions

  • The United Kingdom (June 2026) notes that Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world and that gang violence is concentrated in Belize City, particularly south of the Haulover Creek (Southside); tourists are not normally the targets, but anyone nearby could be affected. It warns of theft from tourists in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and San Ignacio, and of armed criminals in remote forested areas near the border with Guatemala, which are patrolled by the Defence Force, with no reported incidents involving tourists.
  • The United Kingdom reports injuries and deaths in activities such as snorkelling and diving, mainly through inadequate precautions and bad weather, and advises checking the forecast and using only registered and licensed operators.
  • Emergencies: 911 (Belize Police Department); 922 for anonymous reports. The United Kingdom also lists 90 for ambulance, fire and police.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the entry to Hol Chan?

According to the reserve’s shop: BZ$30 for non-Belizeans aged 13 or over, BZ$5 for Belizeans aged 13 or over and free for children 12 and under. Its booking calendar did not offer dates after 31 July 2026.

How much is the Great Blue Hole?

BZ$60 per day for non-nationals and BZ$2.50 for nationals, according to the Belize Audubon Society; Half Moon Caye costs BZ$20 and BZ$2.50.

Can I scuba dive at Shark Ray Alley?

No: the Fisheries Department prohibits scuba diving in the exclusive recreation area of Shark Ray Alley; only guides feed the sharks from the boat.

Sources

Information checked in . Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

  1. Hol Chan Marine Reserve – Day Pass (tienda oficial)2026
  2. Hol Chan Marine Reserve – About us2026
  3. Belize Fisheries Department – Hol Chan Marine Reserve2026
  4. The San Pedro Sun – Nueva tarifa de Hol Chan desde el 1 ago. 2024 (1 ago. 2024)2024
  5. Belize Audubon Society – Blue Hole Natural Monument2026
  6. Belize Audubon Society – Half Moon Caye Natural Monument2026
  7. Belize Audubon Society – Protected Areas, preguntas frecuentes2026
  8. Reino Unido (FCDO) – Belize: safety and security (12 jun. 2026)2026
  9. Belize Police Department2026
  10. San Pedro Belize Express (11 feb. 2026)2026
  11. San Pedro Belize Express – FAQ2026
  12. Caribbean Sprinter2026
  13. Tropic Air – Belize City (TZA)2026
  14. Maya Island Air (8 feb. 2023)2023
  15. Border Management Agency – Points of Entry (21 oct. 2022)2022
  16. Border Management Agency – FAQs2026

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Showing 5 of 5 · 5 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

  • Half Moon Caye Natural Monumentdronepicr · CC BY 2.0

    Half Moon Caye Natural Monument

    NatureStatus unconfirmed

    A caye on Lighthouse Reef atoll with possibly the only viable breeding colony of white-phase red-footed boobies in the western Caribbean; it is the rangers’ base and has a visitor centre, picnic area and campground, according to the Belize Audubon Society.

    Status unconfirmed: Audubon publishes fees and hours, and the visit depends on operators and sea conditions.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-nationals BZ$20 per day and nationals BZ$2.50, according to the Belize Audubon Society.
    Hours
    Every day, including weekends and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the Belize Audubon Society.
    Source
    Belize Audubon Society – Half Moon Caye Natural Monument · 2026 · +1

    Nearby: Great Blue Hole (Blue Hole Natural Monument) (12.3 km)

    Sources: Belize Audubon Society – Half Moon Caye Natural Monument · Belize Audubon Society – Protected Areas, preguntas frecuentes

    Lighthouse Reef atoll, 55 miles east of Belize City, according to Audubon. The pin is the natural monument in OpenStreetMap; it is not a dock.56.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Water channel between mangroves beneath a cloudy sky.panza.rayada · CC BY-SA 3.0

    Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve

    NatureStatus unconfirmed

    A national park and marine reserve at the northern end of Ambergris Caye, from Chetumal Bay to the Caribbean: more than 28,000 acres, with a land part that includes Bacalar Lagoon (Laguna de Cantena) and a marine part on the reef. Created in 1996, it is part of the reef World Heritage Site and is co-managed by the Fisheries and Forest Departments; there is a visitor centre at San Juan, according to the Fisheries Department.

    Status unconfirmed: the Fisheries Department publishes the reserve’s rules, but no fee.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Not confirmed
    Source
    Belize Fisheries Department – Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve · 2026 · +1

    Tip: In the conservation zones boats may only tie up at the marked moorings, divers must register with the reserve and only certified divers or those in training may scuba dive; no water activity is allowed in the preservation zone, according to the Fisheries Department.

    Sources: Belize Fisheries Department – Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve · Belize Tourism Board – Bacalar Chico (act. 23 mar. 2026)

    Northern Ambergris Caye, next to the border with Mexico; reached only by boat, usually from San Pedro or Caye Caulker, according to the Tourism Board. The pin is the national park in OpenStreetMap; it is not a dock.52.9 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Sea, beach and reef · 1

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 2

Keep exploring Belize