The busiest and most socially active destination is San Pedro town on Ambergris Caye. That being said, this twenty five mile long island less than a mile from the reef, is still pretty laid back by most standards. Ambergris has the largest selection of restaurants, bars and water activities in Belize. The majority of the services are located on the southern end of the island, close to San Pedro town. Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley (swim with docile nurse sharks and spotted eagle rays) are the islands most popular aquatic attractions. Snorkelers and divers can take advantage of full day boat trips to Turneffe and Lighthouse Atolls (Blue Hole). The area also offers great fishing, kayaking, sailing and windsurfing. You can rent bikes, jet skis or golf carts to explore the island and arrange day trips to the mainland for Lamanai, Altun Ha or Tikal Maya ruins, go horseback riding, caving or view wildlife.

If you've never experienced an ancient Mayan city, make a trip to Altun Ha. It's not Belize's most dramatic site -- Caracol takes that award -- but it's the most accessible and thoroughly excavated. People resided here for nearly two millennia; the first inhabitants settled before 900 BC, and their descendants finally abandoned the site around AD 900. At its height the city was home to 10,000 people. A team from the Royal Ontario Museum first excavated the site in the mid-1960s and found 250 structures spread over more than 1,000 square yards. At Plaza B, in the Temple of the Masonry Altars, archaeologists unearthed the grandest and most valuable piece of Mayan art ever discovered -- the head of the sun god Kinich Ahau. Weighing nearly 10 pounds, it was carved from a solid block of green jade. The head is kept in a solid steel vault in the Bank of Belize's central branch. COST: BZ$10. OPEN: Daily 9-5pm.

Bacalar Chico Marine & Nature Reserve - On Ambergris Caye, but the far north of the island remains pristine. At the top of the caye, butting up against Mexico, Bacalar Chico Marine & Nature Reserve spans 105 square km (41 square mi) of land, reef, and sea. Here you may cross paths with white-tail deer, ocelots, saltwater crocodiles, and, according to some reports, pumas and jaguars. A small visitor center opened in 2003. There are excellent diving, snorkeling, and fishing opportunities, especially off Rocky Point. You'll need a boat and a guide to take you here. An all-day snorkel trip to Bacalar Chico costs around BZ$170. COST: BZ$5.

Address: North end of Ambergris Caye, Belize
Who would have believed that visitors would one day be heading to Belize for a whale watching vacation? Amazing giants of the deep, these majestic whales congregate in southern Belize two months every year. Researchers such as Rachel Graham investigate this wonderful natural phenomenon. Meanwhile, whale watching vacation packages prepared in conformance with accepted eco tourism guidelines are a new attraction for those visiting Belize and the Caribbean.