Caye Caulker What Is Known For

Snorkelers have a reef-sheltered world of corals and sponges to explore (maybe inspiring a scuba certification course), but the real underwater drama here can be found about 50 miles offshore at the famed collapsed sea cave known as the Blue Hole. Located at the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the Blue Hole is about 1,000 feet across and more than 400 feet deep. At about 110 feet down this geological wonder, you'll find massive stalactites up to 40 feet long...and, oh, yes, this is also a first-rate shark dive. No wonder Jacques Cousteau liked the place...

Windsurfers sometimes sail to the islands on the horizon off Caye Caulker, but for a little more comfort, charter a sailboat for an easy trip to the fishing-famous Turneffe Islands, Lighthouse Reef Atoll (and the Blue Hole), or into more southern waters and the uninhabited cayes off Placencia. And if you've always wanted to learn the ropes, dinghy sailing on the protected waters inside the reef at Caye Caulker is a perfect introduction.

Shallow, white-sand flats stretching more than 40 miles offer some of the best tarpon fly-fishing in the Caribbean from early summer through fall (peaking in July and August). Tarpon in the 100-pound range are not uncommon. Winds can be a factor, requiring a certain skill with long casts. However, calmer lagoons provide opportunities to try for bonefish and, occasionally, permit, even on windy days. And for deep-sea fishermen, another world (wahoo to marlin) awaits outside the barrier reef...