Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
Archaeology » Heritage sites» Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System
Location
Belize

Country
Belize

Year of Research
1996

Culture
  • The Belize Barrier Reef is a array of coral reefs straddling the coast of Belize, roughly 300 meters (1,000 ft) offshore in the north and 40 kilometers (25 mi) in the south within the country limits.

  • The Belize Barrier Reef is a 300 kilometers (186 mi) long section of the 900 kilometers (560 mi) long Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, which is extended from Cancún on the northeast tip of the Yucatán Peninsula through the Riviera Maya up to offshore Guatemala, making it the second largest coral reef system in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, popular for scuba diving and snorkeling.

  • It is Belize's top tourist destination, enchanting almost half of its 260,000 visitors, and vital to its fishing industry.