Ambergris Caye is unique. Palm-fringed beaches,
tropical breezes, and turquoise-colored waters set the stage. A laid
back casual atmosphere sets the pace. The island's friendly, untroubled
environment makes it enjoyable for the young, and the young at heart.
Twenty-eight miles long, the caye
(pronounced "key") is the largest of Belize's 200 offshore islands. It
is also the country's most popular destination. Long and slender, it
stretches south from the Yucatan Peninsula, parallel to the Belize's
famed barrier reef. Only the skinny Boca Bacalar Channel separates the
island from the southern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, making it closer
to Mexico than any other part of the country. The reef and its
incredible marine life lie about one-quarter mile to the east. Close
proximity makes it clearly visible, and provides year round protection
from the Caribbean Sea.
While the reef is a rugged, mountain
like range of spectacular walls and coral canyons, the sun-drenched caye
is flat and easy to traverse. The surrounding waters are a mecca for
scuba divers and water-sports enthusiasts. The vibrant waters also
played an integral role in the chronicles of Ambergris Caye.
Rich in history and proud with
tradition, the island is an interesting story of Mayas and Mexicans,
buccaneers and seafaring men. Historian say 10,000 Maya may have lived
here at one time. They dredge the narrow channel that eventually
separated the caye from the southern tip of the Yucatan. While the Maya
dug the channel centuries ago to open trading route between the Bay of
Chetumal and the Caribbean, their influence is still present.
Years after the Maya mysteriously
disappeared, whalers came from the New World. The warm offshore waters
were said to be prolific. While the success of whaling has been debated,
it is believed the whalers named the caye. They called it "Ambergris"
after the waxy, grayish substance (mainly cholesterol) commonly formed
in whale intestines. It is typically found floating at sea or washed
ashore, and is used as a fixative in perfumes.
After whaling, came buccaneers,
explorers and coconut plantations. At one time in the late 1800s, the
island was sold to an Englishman named James Hume Blake for only $625.
He acquired the island during a bankruptcy auction from the British
government. With Blake came a new way of life: coconut plantations.
Residents were now husking nuts instead of cleaning fish. In the 1900s,
after the coconut business was milked, locals returned to fishing.
The lure of the sea has never
diminished. Hearts have always been moored there. Today, more boats than
ever ply the waters, but they're just as likely hauling tourist as fish.
The attraction of the sea is big business on this little caye. Visitors
came by the thousands to explore the reef and enjoy the water-sports.
The mighty barrier reef is the longest, and most prolific, in the
Western Hemisphere. It is second only to Australia's barrier reef, but
is considered number one in its profusion of marine life.
Although the caye is quite long, most
of the activity is centered on its only town, the seaside village of San
Pedro. Situated on the southern part of the island, it's named for Saint
Peter, the patron saint of fisherman. Founded in the mid-1800s, it was
refuge for Mestizos (people of mixed Spanish and Indian bloodlines)
fleeing the Yucatan's War of Caste.
