Bacalar Chico National Park (BCNPMR) is composed of a 15,000-acre marine reserve and a 12,000-acre terrestrial reserve, and has been named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). It is located in northern Ambergris Caye overlooking the Bay of Chetumal and Mexico.

Bacalar Chico covers 130 km2 of pristine Belize Barrier Reef and Rocky and Robles Points. It is the only place on the mainland where Belize’s barrier reef touches the coastline. The beach front of the reef, including extensive mangrove lagoons, serves as the principal Belizean nesting area for Loggerhead and Green turtles, breeding grounds for marine and coastal birds, and an indispensable nursery for many reef fish. The Bacalar Chico channel functions as the park’s northern boundary and narrowly separates Belize from Mexico.

BCNPMR’s marine habitats include extensive tracts of mangrove and sea grass beds, patch and barrier reef, and the largest lagoon on the island of Ambergris Caye, Laguna de Cantena. It is the perfect location to begin ancient Maya discoveries as it was once a trading zone for the Maya.