Map of Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye, pronounced "am-BER-gris", is the largest
island of Belize located northeast of the country in the Caribbean Sea.
Though administered as part of the Belize District, the closest point
on the mainland is part of the Corozal District.
Link: Large Birthview of Ambergris Caye
The Caye (pronounced as "key", meaning an island, derived from the
Spanish language "cayo") is about 25 miles long from north to south,
and about one mile wide. It was named after large lumps of ambergris
which washed ashore here.
The Belizean island, where it has not been modified by
man, is mostly a ring of white sand beach around mangrove swamp in the
centre.
A Maya community lived on the island in Pre-Columbian
times, and made distinctive polished red ceramics, most notably small
well molded figurines of animals.
San Pedro Town
is the largest settlement and only town on Ambergris. There are also a
number of small villages and resorts. Captain Morgan's and Mata Chica
resorts north of San Pedro played host to the first season of Fox's
Temptation Island in 2000, aired in 2001. More recently, the
availability of skydiving during the winter has become a draw for
tourists so inclined.
Tourism development of Ambergris Caye began in the early 1970s and grew
considerably in the later years of the 20th century. The main
attractions are the Belize Barrier Reef and its beaches. That barrier
reef is the second largest in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef
of Australia. The caye has a small airstrip, and can be reached by
plane from Belize City as well as by numerous fast sea ferries.
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