staylor924
New
Hey, I was thinking about staying in Belize City so we'd be closer to some of the eco-tours. Is there any good places to stay there and can I find any good diving from that location. Thanks
Belize City
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I stayed at the Raddison (right on the water) in Belize city for my last Business trip there....It is very nice, has its own marina with dive boats, and good restaurants.
I think the normal dives from here go to Caulker, but others on this board would know more about what is "regular" here.
Dan
Damselfish
Contributor
You can dive and do tours from Belize City - people do it from the cruise ships all the time. But for a vacation it's a lousy compromise - far for both diving and tours, and Belize City is not a nice place you really want to stay on vacation. (Yes, the Radisson is nice enough, and I've heard of maybe one other nice place to stay. But for the most part you're not going to want to leave those places except to go diving or take a tour. There is an area of shops that cater to cruise ship passengers that are mostly open only when a cruise ship is in, and a few other decent shops I might walk to during the day that are within a few blocks of the Radisson, but that's about it. )
You could stay in one of the areas with better dive access (like Ambergris, or Turneffe or some of the other island resorts) and do some whole day trips for the other stuff - which I imagine is what you were trying to avoid. If you want to dive and do land tours, I think the best way is to split up your trip. Stay someplace for part of your trip strictly to dive, or better yet if you have enough time do one of the liveaboards which will get you to the best diving. Then stay someplace else inland for a few days like around San Ignacio, to do the jungle and cave stuff. We did this very thing last summer and it made a great trip. I think it's best if you have at least 3-4 nights to spend inland, as even from there a lot of the trips and activities tend to be whole day affairs, or at least enough of the day that you'll only fit one in. It's just not a quick place to get around.
You could stay in one of the areas with better dive access (like Ambergris, or Turneffe or some of the other island resorts) and do some whole day trips for the other stuff - which I imagine is what you were trying to avoid. If you want to dive and do land tours, I think the best way is to split up your trip. Stay someplace for part of your trip strictly to dive, or better yet if you have enough time do one of the liveaboards which will get you to the best diving. Then stay someplace else inland for a few days like around San Ignacio, to do the jungle and cave stuff. We did this very thing last summer and it made a great trip. I think it's best if you have at least 3-4 nights to spend inland, as even from there a lot of the trips and activities tend to be whole day affairs, or at least enough of the day that you'll only fit one in. It's just not a quick place to get around.
DeputyDan
Contributor
Do what Damselfish said!
OP
staylor924
New
Great info, thanks for the heads up.
Downing
Contributor
Another decent place to stay in Belize City is at The Great House, right across the street from the Radisson.
I prefer it to the Radisson as imho TGH has more Third World-type charm and character. On the other hand, it doesn't have a pool or many amenities other than The Smoky Mermaid restaurant, which is in a very pleasant outdoor setting in what would be TGH side yard, and a few shops on the first floor.
And it doesn't have an elevator, either, so be prepared to carry your luggage up and down the stairs.
But still, I like the place. And I also like to walk around Belize City, although obviously not at night and never off the main thoroughfares.
I prefer it to the Radisson as imho TGH has more Third World-type charm and character. On the other hand, it doesn't have a pool or many amenities other than The Smoky Mermaid restaurant, which is in a very pleasant outdoor setting in what would be TGH side yard, and a few shops on the first floor.
And it doesn't have an elevator, either, so be prepared to carry your luggage up and down the stairs.
But still, I like the place. And I also like to walk around Belize City, although obviously not at night and never off the main thoroughfares.
I'd search on this forum for comments on Belize City. I think you'll decide not to stay there.
Downing
Contributor
Yeah, I should probably clarify my above post. Belize City is a jumping off point, not a destination in and of itself. As someone said recently, I think on this board, BC is a port city, not a tourist city.
We fly in, spend the night, then move on. Next summer I'm thinking we may spend three nights there so we can do a cave tubing run and a Lamanai trip before moving on to Turneffe Island Lodge for a week of scuba diving.
But Belize City has a few interesting things to see at least once. There's the Swinging Bridge, the downtown square, the Supreme Court Building, St Johns Cathedral and the Governors Mansion, all within walking distance of the Radisson and The Great House. It's pretty rough but safe enough as long as you're in broad daylight and stick to the main streets.
We fly in, spend the night, then move on. Next summer I'm thinking we may spend three nights there so we can do a cave tubing run and a Lamanai trip before moving on to Turneffe Island Lodge for a week of scuba diving.
But Belize City has a few interesting things to see at least once. There's the Swinging Bridge, the downtown square, the Supreme Court Building, St Johns Cathedral and the Governors Mansion, all within walking distance of the Radisson and The Great House. It's pretty rough but safe enough as long as you're in broad daylight and stick to the main streets.
I visited a lawyers office just outside the downtown area recently, on a normal Friday. At 11am my business was done and I wanted to get to the bus station to go to Cayo. I was going to walk, about a mile, but I was told that that was far too dangerous, even in daytime. Even getting a cab they said it's best to phone for one, as some of the "cabs" cruising the streets are scams and they will rob you.
I don't go there very often and after hearing that I'll go there even less frequently.
It is rarely necessary to stay in Belize City no matter what time your international flight lands. If you've prebooked with Tropic Air to fly to (eg.) San Pedro they will have a plane waiting and will take you, even if your incoming flight was 3 hours late and well after dark. This happened to me once.
I don't go there very often and after hearing that I'll go there even less frequently.
It is rarely necessary to stay in Belize City no matter what time your international flight lands. If you've prebooked with Tropic Air to fly to (eg.) San Pedro they will have a plane waiting and will take you, even if your incoming flight was 3 hours late and well after dark. This happened to me once.
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
An alternate is to go to Placencia. It is probably the fastest growing tourist destination in Belize and has the best beaches in Belize. There is lots of accommodation to fit any budget, lots of adventure tours from there, diving and snorkeling with a national marine park close by and several marine reserves.
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