AC in early/mid September - is it a bad idea?

[PriusDrIVER]

My fiancee and I are looking to plan our honeymoon to Belize, we are getting married Labor Day weekend and would be looking to travel later that week. We were thinking of staying on AC for the first part of the trip (at Mata Chica maybe?) and then going back to the mainland for some excursions before returning home.

The laying in the sun and enjoying relaxation is easy to find it seems. I was planning on doing a few essential dives, some of on the reef and the blue hole so I can check that box For diving, I plan on bringing my BPW, regs and computer...not sure on the underwater housing for the camera, but likely.

While I will be doing some diving, as a non-diver she will spend that time sunbathing on the beach or at the spa.

Now for my questions.
- Is Mata Chica (assuming they have availability) a good spot? Any others that are similar in accommodations on AC?
- What are the must dive spots? I'm sure it will all be amazing compared to the dark waters of the PNW.
- What are the must see mainland sites? If we wanted to visit Tikal, is it best to spend a night there? I'm a bit of a photographer, so I plan on taking it in as much as I can. I assume ATM is on the list of musts as well.
- What options are there for storing excess luggage (e.g. dive gear) safely in Belize City while on mainland trips (e.g. Tikal, etc)?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[PriusDrIVER]

Well, as it turns out Matachica is closed for the month of September for their own vacation/holiday.

In general, is it a bad idea to go in September? Is it better to wait until November-January? Maybe I can get my fiancee to hold off by going to Hawaii for a short trip and then going to Belize later on.

 

[peterbj7]

This warrants a long reply but I don't have the time!

You'll find quite a lot closed around then, because it is the time of the year when hurricanes are the most likely. But don't let that stop you, as the likelihood of a hurricane is actually very slight. Make sure you buy good trip insurance though, and buy it well in advance - once the storm season starts insurance companies may raise their rates or decline cover.

As to where to go, there are lots of medium upmarket resorts you could consider. In northern AC give Portofino a try. Look at Belize Vacations, Tours, Resorts, News, Hotels, Travels, Flights, Weather, Maps, Real Estate for lists and basic descriptions of resorts.

Don't just consider this area. For a honeymoon I find it hard to think of anywhere more idyllic than Thatch Caye, a private island in central southern Belize. From there you can do your diving and make virtually any land-based tours. Local diving is in the Southwater Caye Marine Reserve and is absolutely superb, and from there you can easily get to all three atolls (from AC Glovers is out of reach). They don't (or didn't) have a spa, but check them out anyway - you'd both love it there.

Tikal is not in Belize and that raises logistical and cost issues. In any case, you really want not just one night there but two. I'd leave it to another visit. You'll have no difficulty in filling your time, I assure you!

You shouldn't need to store any gear in Belize City, and I'd recommend avoiding the place like the plague.

 

[CarlosCabanas]

You can always try us up at Tranquility Bay Resort as well. We get a lot of honeymoon couples and the diving is pristine! We have one of the nicest beaches on the island. Unfortunately we don't have a spa but we can arrange spa treatments in your own Cabana. Our prices are a lot lower than Mata Chicas but don't let that fool you! We are closing from Sept 27th to Oct 24th.

Carlos