Mahahual is a village on the Costa Maya. Previously a fishing village, it is now a rapidly developing tourist center. The village of Mahahual is only about 3 kilometers away from the Costa Maya cruise port, and cruise ships can easily be seen from the village. Mahahual has soft sand beaches, grass thatched palapas, and a coral reef a short distance off-shore called Banco Chinchorro, as well as several bars, restaurants, and shops.

Roatán is the largest of Honduras’ Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan. It is approximately 77 kilometres (48 mi) long, and less than 8 kilometres across at its widest point.

Belize is the only country in Central America whose official language is English, though Belizean Creole (Kriol) and Spanish are also commonly spoken. With 22,800 square kilometres of land and as of 2014 a population of 340,844, Belize has the lowest population density in Central America. The country’s population growth rate of 1.97% per year (2013) is the second highest in the region and one of the highest in the Western Hemisphere.