Half Moon Caye is a crescent of white sand and coconut palms on the edge of Lighthouse Reef, the most remote of Belize's three atolls, some eighty kilometres out into the Caribbean, and the one honest thing to say first is that you cannot ride there. The bike stays on the mainland, and you go out by boat for a long day trip or a few nights of diving.
The island is protected as a natural monument, the first in Belize, and it exists mainly for the birds. Its western half is covered in littoral forest where a colony of red-footed boobies nests in the trees, alongside magnificent frigatebirds, which steal food from the boobies in mid-air. A viewing platform lets you look out at eye level across the canopy full of nesting birds. On the ground, iguanas and lizards bask, and sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beaches. An old lighthouse stands on the eastern end, a reminder of the many ships that came to grief on the reefs here.
Underwater, the atoll is famous. The Great Blue Hole, a perfectly round marine sinkhole over three hundred metres across and more than a hundred metres deep, lies in the middle of the lagoon and was made famous by Jacques Cousteau, and the wall dives along the edge of the reef near Half Moon Caye drop away into deep blue water, with turtles, rays, reef sharks and big schools of fish. Snorkelling in the shallows is excellent, too. All of this is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, listed by UNESCO in 1996.
On the mainland, riding in Belize has its own pleasures. The Hummingbird Highway, from Belmopan toward Dangriga, is the country's favourite ride, a winding road through citrus groves and jungle-covered limestone hills, with cave systems, rivers and swimming holes along the way. The Western Highway to San Ignacio and the Maya ruins is straighter and busier. Watch for speed bumps in every village and for unpredictable driving.
Trips to the atoll leave from Belize City and the cayes, usually very early in the morning, and the crossing can be rough when the trade winds blow, so a calm-weather day is worth waiting for. Bring sun protection and water, and leave nothing behind on the island. Fuel, food and secure parking for the bike are best arranged in Belize City or wherever you start the boat trip.