ACTIVE  Remarkable 5.788-Acre Beachfront Property On Turneffe Atoll, Belize | Near Belize Dive Haven

5.788 Acres of Caribbean Beachfront on Turneffe Atoll: Where the Reef Begins at Your Shore

Few places on earth put you this close to so much reef. This 5.788-acre titled parcel sits on the southeastern shore of Turneffe Atoll, Belize’s largest coral atoll and the largest atoll in the entire Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. Roughly 404 ft of beach looks straight out over turquoise flats to the reef crest, only about 1,155 ft (352 m) offshore. Beyond that, the sea drops into deep blue water.

A world-unique location

Belize has the second-largest barrier reef on the planet. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is renowned for its remarkable reef structures. Belize also has three of the four true coral atolls in the Western Hemisphere. Turneffe is the largest and the closest to the mainland. From this property, you can reach the atoll, the barrier reef, the Great Blue Hole, and Half Moon Caye.

Turneffe Atoll

The atoll is about 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. It has more than 150 mangrove cayes and a maze of flats, creeks, and lagoons. Turneffe has been a protected marine reserve since 2012 and is co-managed by a sustainability association. It is home to more than 500 species of fish, 65 species of stony coral, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, American crocodiles, and seabirds. It is also a nursery for conch and spiny lobster, with several fish spawning aggregation sites.

Diving, snorkeling, and fishing

– Diving: More than 60 known dive sites, from shallow coral gardens to dramatic walls. The famous ‘Elbow’ at the atoll’s southern tip, minutes from the parcel, is known for eagle rays, reef sharks, turtles, and big schools of jacks and snapper.

– Snorkeling: Shallow, clear reef flats start right off the beach.

– Fishing: Turneffe is one of the world’s top saltwater fly-fishing destinations. Anglers come for bonefish, permit, and tarpon, with many attempting to catch all three in a day. Deeper water offshore holds snapper, grouper, wahoo, and other blue-water species.

The Great Blue Hole: About 23 miles away on Lighthouse Reef, this world-famous marine sinkhole is approximately 1,040 ft wide and 400 ft deep. Made famous by historical exploration, it is renowned for its dramatic underwater formations and marine life. From southeastern Turneffe Atoll, the Blue Hole is accessible by boat in roughly 1–1.5 hours.

Half Moon Caye: About 22 miles due east sits at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, becoming Belize’s first wildlife sanctuary in 1924 and the first marine protected area in Central America in 1981. Its nesting colony of about 4,000 red-footed boobies shares the island with magnificent frigatebirds. Offshore, the Half Moon Caye Wall drops into the deep.

Neighbors and access

– A full-service resort is just to the north. It features waterfront residences, two pools, a long dock, a marina, and its own airstrip, with charter flights from the mainland.

– A well-known fishing lodge at the southern Elbow has been in operation since 1962 and was one of the first offshore fishing lodges in the area.

– Other notable fishing and dive lodges are located elsewhere on the atoll.

– The nearest international airport is about 37 miles away in a straight line. The trip is roughly 1.5 hours by boat from the mainland, or a short charter flight to the nearby airstrip.

The property:
– 5.788 acres, surveyed and registered
– About 404 ft of Caribbean beach frontage on the atoll’s eastern (windward) side
– The barrier reef is about 1,155 ft offshore
– Pristine and forested, ready for development
– Access by boat, with close proximity to an airstrip and marina

Ideal for a private island home, a boutique dive or fly-fishing lodge, eco-retreat villas, or a long-term land hold in one of the Caribbean’s most protected marine environments. Turneffe Atoll is a marine reserve, and development is subject to permitting and reserve guidelines. Distances are approximate straight-line measurements.