In the 17th century, pirates scoured Belize's vast network of small coastal cayes (pronounced "keys") for that ever-elusive Spanish galleon gold. Today, the country's nearly 200-mile-long, reef-sheltered coastline offers a different kind of bounty: clear, calm waters, steady winds, and an endless maze of cayes, coves, and atolls, conditions that make Belize the most alluring sailing destination in Central America. Its popularity is further enhanced by the coastline's prized asset: the Belize Reef, the longest coral reef system in the Western hemisphere, which attracts legions of scuba and snorkeling enthusiasts.

Until recently, access to the coral reefs was limited to large-scale live-aboard or single-day excursions. However, a slew of bareboat catamaran rental agencies have recently cropped up on the tiny island of Ambergris Caye, offering a stylish alternative to the powerboats cluttering the reef's more popular dive sites.

More