The Bay Islands (Spanish: Islas de la Bahía; pronounced [ˈislas de la βaˈi.a]) is a group of islands off the Caribbean coast of Honduras. Collectively, the islands form one of the 18 departments of Honduras. The departmental capital is Coxen Hole, on the island of Roatán.
___Mesoamerican_Barrier_Reef_System_q.jpg)
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Bay Islands (department) in the context of Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS), also popularly known as the Great Mayan Reef or Great Maya Reef, is a marine region that stretches over 1,126 kilometres (700 mi) along the coasts of four countries – Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras – from Isla Contoy at the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula south to Belize, Guatemala and the Bay Islands of Honduras. It is the second-longest reef system in the world.
It includes various protected areas and parks including the Belize Barrier Reef, Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park, Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Belize), Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve, and the Cayos Cochinos Marine Park. Belize's coastline, including the Belize Barrier Reef, is home to approximately 30% of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.
In this Dossier
Bay Islands (department) in the context of Coxen Hole
Coxen Hole is the largest city on the island of Roatán, and the capital of the Bay Islands department of Honduras, with a population of 8,307 as of the 2021 census. It is also the location of the island's Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport.
Bay Islands (department) in the context of Cayos Cochinos
The Cayos Cochinos or Cochinos Cays consist of two small islands (Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande) and 13 smaller coral cays situated 30 kilometres (19 mi; 16 nmi) northeast of La Ceiba on the northern shores of Honduras. Although geographically separate, they belong to the Bay Islands department and are part of the Roatán municipality. The population numbered 108 at the 2001 census. The total land area measures about 2 km (0.8 sq mi).
The islands are a Marine Protected Area and are managed by the Honduras Coral Reef Foundation. The coral reef here is part of the world's second largest coral reef system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef. There is a scientific research station on Cayo Menor, the smaller of the two main islands in the system.