Cayo

Cayo is a term with multiple uses in geography, language, and naming. In Spanish, cayo designates a small island or reef-formed landmass, a meaning that parallels the English words cay or key. In nautical charts and coastal cartography, cayo is used to label low-lying islets and shallow banks, particularly in Caribbean and Latin American regions.

As a proper noun, Cayo appears in place names and can be found in various Spanish-speaking countries. One prominent example is Cayo District in Belize, a land area in the west-central part of the country. The district includes notable Maya archaeological sites such as Caracol and Xunantunich, and contains towns like San Ignacio and Santa Elena, which serve as its commercial and administrative centers. The landscape features jungle, river valleys, and cave systems that attract tourism and researchers.

Beyond Belize, the word occurs in other toponyms that reflect coastal geography and island clusters. It also functions as a surname in Spanish-speaking communities and, less commonly, as a given name.

Cayo’s usage in both geographical terminology and proper names illustrates how language and place interconnect, with the term serving as a descriptor of physical form as well as a cultural identifier.