Beginner

Victoria House is located on the island of Ambergris Caye about two miles south of charming San Pedro Town. The hotel has 42 rooms and offers guests a variety of accommodations, including thatch-roofed casitas, beachfront and poolside villas and spacious suites, all in a tranquil colonial setting.

The first thing you’ll notice here is the coral — an explosion of color as vivid as the splatters on a paintball bunker. The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, spanning from the Yucatan Peninsula to Honduras, swings 25 miles offshore in some places. This buffer largely insulates the structure from the stresses of land, preserving these eye-popping species.

Fly to the Bay Islands and you’ll likely trade dive tales with a seatmate before take-off. Here, scuba is affordable — and tourism’s biggest draw. Most dive shops have perfected the art of keeping groups on schedule in the morning, then letting individuals choose their own adventures come afternoon. If you’re looking to fill a logbook, check to see if your resort has a house reef (many do). Topography ranges from sheer walls to gradually sloping drop-offs, but no matter what, inclines are noticeable enough to simplify navigation.

Aqua Cat Cruises offers shark, blue hole, swift drift, wall and reef dives — up to 26 per week. Cruise in luxury from Nassau to the remote Exumas. Sink your toes into sugar sand, snorkel or dive among sharks and stingrays, or hike. No crowds, no set itineraries — just sit back, relax and choose from an incredible variety of activities, including scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, sunbathing and island exploring.