The Blue HoleMata Rocks, Ambergris Caye46The CayesThe Cayes, a series of small islands surrounded by extensive coral reefs, are simply stunning. Tranquil and secluded with white, sandy beaches lapped by turquoise waters, and a laid-back Caribbean vibe, this is Belize at its most relaxing. You can spend your days lazing by the pool or snorkel, dive or fish in the clear seas.Most of the cayes are uninhabited or home only to local fishermen, but the largest, Ambergris Caye, is the most developed with some lovely beachfront properties. From Belize City you fly to the town of San Pedro where you travel by motor boat or buggy to your accommodation. Although the town itself is great for nightlife and delicious seafood restaurants, most people prefer to stay in the more secluded parts of the island.Apart from relaxation, the main attraction is swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving on the pristine reefs. The soft and hard corals here teem with extraordinary sealife and at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve you can swim with rays and small nurse sharks. Alternatively take a boat trip to search for massive but languid manatees as they rummage through the mangroves. If you are interested in learning how to dive we can pre-arrange dive courses for you. Experienced divers can take advantage of world-famous dive sites such as the spectacular Blue Hole or take day trips to the staggeringly beautiful Lighthouse Reef, Half Moon Caye and the Turneffe Islands. Victoria House, Ambergris CayeVictoria House offers a mix of laid-back ambiance and great service making it a fabulous place to stay. There are 42 air-conditioned guest bedrooms, ranging from thatched casitas to luxurious suites and private villas, all set in lush tropical gardens with tall, swaying palm trees, sweeping views of the reef and access to a white-sand beach. The restaurant serves a wide range of delicious meals in the evening and lunch can be taken in the bar or by one of the pools. The hotel is a few minutes walk from the town of San Pedro and runs its own dive and activity centre offering trips to the magnificent nearby coral reefs.Victoria House, Ambergris Caye

Matachica, Ambergris CayeBeach, Ambergris CayeHouses on stilts, Ambergris Cayewww.audleytravel.com/belize l 01993 838 690 l Belize 47 Mata Rocks, Ambergris CayeJust over one kilometre south of San Pedro, Mata Rocks is a great value small hotel with just 17 simple but spacious air-conditioned rooms. All are decorated in Caribbean colours accented with native hardwoods and most offer glorious ocean views. San Pedro is a short walk away along the beach, or can be reached by bicycle or golf cart. The hotel has a swimming pool and beach bar overlooking the turquoise waters. Matachica, Ambergris CayeReached by a 30-minute motor boat journey from San Pedro, Matachica is a beautiful getaway set on a secluded stretch of white-sand beach on Ambergris Caye's northern coast. This utterly tranquil escape offers 24 individually decorated, air-conditioned rooms, enhanced by contemporary Belizean furnishings. The hotel has a wonderful, relaxed charm, a lovely restaurant, and can arrange a number of island activities.Diving and snorkelling in BelizeBelize's barrier reef, the second longest in the world, is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and home to a rich abundance of marine species. A fantastic destination for diving and snorkelling where five species of turtle, a plethora of brightly coloured fish, a handful of shark species, including nurse and white tip, and corals make the reef their home. Thanks to its proximity to the coastal mainland and the Belizean Cayes, the reef is easily accessible. For those keen on snorkelling, the renowned sites of Shark Ray Alley and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve offer excellent variety.For the more experienced divers the mid-ocean atolls of Turneffe Island, Lighthouse Reef and Glover's Reef present opportunities for world-class wall, drift and coral garden diving. Perhaps the most famous dive site of all, and reserved only for advanced divers, is the Blue Hole. It is the largest ocean sinkhole in the world, visible from outer space, and made famous by Jacques Cousteau who, in the 1970s, declared it one of the world's top ten dive sites. Gladden Spit in southern Belize is also a world renowned location for seeing the elusive whale shark which can frequent these waters from April to May and are best seen around full moon.Brittle sea star on red spongeDiving Belize's Barrier ReefGirl cycling in Ambergris Caye