Best diving in Belize?

[dvankirk]

Best thing about the trip to the Blue Hole is the other nearby divesites.

I agree, I preferred the wall dive at Half Moon Caye. You just have to decide if it is worth the 3 hour ride out and 3 hour ride back (from Ambergis or Placencia).

 

[lindenbruce]

I too am thinking about Belieze later this winter, but want to stay somewhere were there are some good restaurants away from the resort? I have done Cozumel four times and want to try something else. I enjoy a good reef system and wrecks. Any suggestions? Bruce

 

[Ralph Capeling]

I too am thinking about Belieze later this winter, but want to stay somewhere were there are some good restaurants away from the resort? I have done Cozumel four times and want to try something else. I enjoy a good reef system and wrecks. Any suggestions? Bruce

There are lots of good restaurants in the village of Placencia. Go to Placencia.com and you can find a list of them.
Regards
Ralph

 

[dvankirk]

Detatch is one of my favorites in Placencia. Great food and casual atmosphere. Singing Sands has a great restaurant too if you can get up to Maya Beach. There are lots of good places to eat around the village, though.

 

[Downing]

Placencia has its share of great restaurants, that's for sure. Detach is probably my favorite for dinner. There's also a great lunch spot right at the tip of the village where you can watch the new pier going up. Can't remember the name but the sandwiches are first rate and they make fantastic smoothies.

Above Grounds is my favorite coffee shop in Belize. An oasis of good coffee in an otherwise cafeine-barren wilderness.

 

[Hostage]

Belize has changed a lot in 10 years. I was there in late 99 and late last year and it changed a lot between those years. TBH I think the snorkeling is world class, though the diving might leave a little to be desired. We stayed at the Victoria House, which is very costly. I would stay else where, but as we went with a lot of family and my mom likes the nicer things, we ended up staying there. My mom acted like I destroyed a family heirloom, when I suggested that I should stay at a different place.

I am going back next week to Belize for my sister's wedding, though I have the feeling we will be only diving off the reef as it is deep enough to dive, everything else you can get away w/ just a snorkel. I really can't tell you how things are in the further places or the live aboards as we do a max of 2 dives a day as we have to get back to family. Unless you are bound by family or want to have a vacation instead of a dive trip, I would highly suggest a live aboard or go some where else.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Magda's restaurant is called The Shak. I will tell her you remembered her sandwiches and smoothies.
Regards
Ralph

Placencia has its share of great restaurants, that's for sure. Detach is probably my favorite for dinner. There's also a great lunch spot right at the tip of the village where you can watch the new pier going up. Can't remember the name but the sandwiches are first rate and they make fantastic smoothies.

Above Grounds is my favorite coffee shop in Belize. An oasis of good coffee in an otherwise cafeine-barren wilderness.

 

[Downing]

That's it!

Remind her that I'm the guy who complained loud and long when they were closed for a week because she got stuck somewhere on a business trip.

 

[Barry Goode]

How long does it take to get out to the good dive sites from Placencia? What is Placencia like? Was there much to do there? Was it safe? Is it less expensive than staying on a caye or atoll?

Thanks!

You could stay in Placencia and get out to Glover's reef and a couple of other sites from there. I think that they are even running a trip once a week to the Blue Hole & Lighthouse Reef. I stayed a week in San Pedro and a week in Placencia. I enjoyed diving from both, but I think that I preferred Placencia because it was more remote and less populated.

 

[Downing]

How long does it take to get out to the good dive sites from Placencia? What is Placencia like? Was there much to do there? Was it safe? Is it less expensive than staying on a caye or atoll?

Thanks!

You might want to take a look at my Long Overdue trip report--Placencia in June.

I've been to Placencia twice and used Splash Dive Center, a ScubaBoard sponsor, both times. Typical boat rides out to the sites and back are about an hour each way. Some folks think that's too long, but I enjoyed them. Lots to look at as well as yakking with the crew, other divers and snorkelers. If you're determined to make it to the Blue Hole/Lighthouse Caye, Splash runs a "Grand Slam" overnight trip which works its way up the coast stopping at dive sites along the way, spends the night on a caye, then dives the Blue Hole and other sites on the way back.

Placencia is an interesting mix of Belizean fishing village meets American fishermen/scuba divers/beachcombers tourism. You can go as big or as small as you want: $2,500 a night to sleep in Francis Ford Coppola's personal villa to $20 for a bunk in what amounts to a youth hostel. And all points in between.

As far as stuff to do, I head up the penisula to the mainland. Mayan sites, jungle trails, sightseeing, Garifuna and Mayan villages and on and on. It's hard for me to imagine running out of stuff to do there. I've been to Belize four times in the last five years and there's still plenty left on my bucket list.

I think of Placencia and Belize in general as safe but it's always prudent to take the usual precautions. Belize City, not so much, but you're probably like most of us and will fly in and out without actually seeing much of the "city." BC has some interesting stuff to see but sadly don't venture out at night and stick to the main streets and where the crowds are in the daytime.

Unless you go big, Placencia is definitely less expensive than staying on the atoll and is probably about the same as staying on AC within the same range of prices.