Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize. It is in the northeast of the country in the Caribbean Sea. It is administered as part of the Belize District. The closest point on the mainland is part of the Corozal District. Caye is pronounced as "key". It means an island. The Caye is about 40 kilometres (25 mi) long from north to south, and about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) wide. It was named after large lumps of ambergris which washed ashore here. The Belizean island 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. They made polished red ceramics. San Pedro Town is the largest settlement and only town on Ambergris. There are a number of small villages and resorts. The main attractions are the Belize Barrier Reef and its beaches. The barrier reef is the second-largest in the world. Only the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is bigger. References