Only snorkeling is allowed at this perennially popular spot, which is in a shallow part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Shark Ray Alley was traditionally a place for local fishers to clean fish, and the creatures attracted to the fish guts soon became a tourist attraction. As the name implies, the area is known for the big southern stingrays and mooching nurse sharks that come right up to the boat when it first arrives. Horse-eye jacks also abound.
Shutterstock / Lucie Petrikova
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.51 MILES
At the southern tip of Ambergris, the 6.5-sq-mile Hol Chan Marine Reserve is probably Belize's most oft-visited diving and snorkeling site. It offers…
27.47 MILES
This modern museum in the Fort George District provides an excellent overview of the story of Belize, told through exhibits housed in the country's former…
27.74 MILES
This heart and soul of Belize City life, crossed by just about everyone here just about every day, is said to be the only remaining manually operated…
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Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve
23.91 MILES
At the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, Bacalar Chico is a Unesco World Heritage Site made up of 41 sq miles of protected land and sea, accessible only via…
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10.32 MILES
This snorkeling site, 15 minutes from San Pedro and with a maximum depth of just 8ft, is a unique patch reef towards the northern end of the island…
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0.9 MILES
Four miles south of San Pedro, this part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is famous for its dramatic canyons and ample sea life, including eagle rays,…
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27.74 MILES
The country's most innovative and exciting art gallery stages new exhibitions and hosts regular book launches, usually of work by Belizean artists…
24.18 MILES
Altun Ha, the Maya ruins that have inspired Belikin beer labels and Belizean banknotes, stands 31 miles north of Belize City, off the Old Northern Hwy…
Nearby Ambergris Caye attractions
0.51 MILES
At the southern tip of Ambergris, the 6.5-sq-mile Hol Chan Marine Reserve is probably Belize's most oft-visited diving and snorkeling site. It offers…
0.9 MILES
Four miles south of San Pedro, this part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve is famous for its dramatic canyons and ample sea life, including eagle rays,…
2.98 MILES
Due to chumming, this San Pedro dive site was once the spot to see nurse sharks and grouper. The feedings have stopped and the fish have moved elsewhere,…
3.41 MILES
About 1.6 miles south of San Pedro, this dive site is marked by deep grooves and a long, narrow tunnel. This high-walled passage leads to an opening at…
4.77 MILES
About a mile offshore from downtown San Pedro, this great site offers big, steep coral grooves. There are swim-throughs in many places along the drop-off…
4.94 MILES
Find out more about the fascinating culture found in San Pedro at this cultural center near the football field. Frequently changing displays celebrate…
7. Caye Caulker Forest Reserve
4.96 MILES
The northernmost 100 acres of the island constitute the Caye Caulker Forest Reserve, declared in 1998. Birdlife is prolific in the reserve, particularly…
5.03 MILES
San Pedro's modern Catholic church has a central location on the waterside and is a local landmark.