North AC in February

[get10wet]

My husband and I are planning our second trip to Belize. A couple years ago we went to Placencia for Christmas and wished we were closer to the reef. In February, we are planning a combination trip to Ambergris Caye and somewhere inland. The plan is to spend 6-7 nights on North AC (kayaking, diving, exploring) and 3-4 more nights in the rainforest (hiking, caving, visiting ruins). We don't do meal plans or all inclusive as we enjoy eating in different restaurants and sampling the beach bars and palapa bars. Both of us like to explore and enjoy the "real" Belize as opposed to organized trips and tours. Because we typically like the "off the beaten path" options, it's necessary to gather some ideas from fellow SB travelers...

We have our sights on Portofino, Captain Morgan's, and Costa Maya. Has anyone stayed at any of these resorts? Are there other, comparably priced accommodations on North AC (beach front) that we should consider?

Where can we rent kayaks, and where are the best places to explore by water? (picturesque mangroves, reef, inlets or lagoons, etc.)

Is it worth getting a room with a small kitchenette? Can we even buy groceries in North Ambergris Caye? Likely we'll be traveling by foot or pedal most of the time.

Portofino tells us their Dive Op is not currently running dives. Does anyone know why? Where else shall we seek a good DO? Our favorite dives were on Glovers Reef and Round Caye during our last visit. We are hoping to commission some diving similar to Glovers. Blue Hole is really not top on the list but would be okay.

We think Portofino has a package partnership with Chaa Creek for the rainforest portion of the trip. Has anyone done this or stayed at Chaa Creek? Any other suggestions for inland rainforest/ruins stays that have moderately priced, clean accommodations and nearby adventure activities? (Can you tell I can't sit still for long - even on vacation??)

Thanks in advance for the assistance and ideas.

 

[peterbj7]

There are groceries available at one or two shops on N.AC but expect high prices and low choice/availability (though to be fair I haven't actually been into any of the shops). You will probably find yourselves using boats for transport - the road is virtually impassable in sections, and walking or cycling the beach is fun but not every day and not after dark. But that's no problem - ferry services are good and not especially expensive. And yes, I'd get at least a small kitchen, if only so you can do your own breakfast.

I didn't know the dive op at Portofino (a satellite operation of Ecologic) weren't currently operating (they may be by February), but good ops in the general area are White Sands (based at Journey's End/las Terrazzas) and Belize Academy of Diving (based at Costa Maya). Either will give you excellent diving. If you want an atoll dive trip (Blue Hole etc) you'll need to do that with either Amigos del Mar or AquaDives, but the op you're using for local dives can arrange that for you.

There are lots of other resorts up that way. You could consider two that are a long way from town but which have a lot to commend themselves in their own right - and the local diving is superb. They are Sueno del Mar and Tranquility Bay. TB has its own on-site dive operation, which you'd also use from Sueno. You'll find a useful information resource on accommodation at http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/lodge/lodging.html, and elsewhere on that site you'll find useful maps.

 

[get10wet]

You will probably find yourselves using boats for transport - the road is virtually impassable in sections, and walking or cycling the beach is fun but not every day and not after dark.

Thank you for the information and the link to the website. Is there a concern in general with walking around after dark outside of town? We found the grocery selection to be sufficient (though costly) in Placencia as well. We appreciate the input on alternative dive ops and accommodations. Do you have any "off the beaten path" recommendations for an inland trip?

 

[peterbj7]

I'd say AC is safer than most places you're likely to go to. Not perfectly safe of course - nowhere is that - but with a modicum of common sense you can wander around at any time of day or night. I'm currently in Legends Burger Bar a little north of the bridge and am about to set off to town in the pitch dark, by myself!

I hesitate to recommend "off the beaten track" trips here, as they'll soon cease being just that. But one day trip that everyone who does finds deeply memorable is to visit Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM). A long day trip from AC. Look it up - I'll write more about it if you need me to.

 

[get10wet]

I hesitate to recommend "off the beaten track" trips here, as they'll soon cease being just that.

Point well-taken. We were considering ATM (which we missed last visit to Belize) and perhaps cave tubing. We aren't really into most of the touristy attractions, so were looking for some experiences more in tune with the true nature of Belize. Last trip inland we ended up making a bunch of stops so the tour guide could run errands which resulted in our seeing a banana plantation, buying fruit from a street-side vendor, and taking several smaller hikes to swimming holes and caves in between a scheduled trip to Xunantunich. This is more our style than a zoo for example.

Just wondering if this information is accurate... The person we rented a house from says the docks are shared by everyone on Ambergris Caye. Is this true? Do people access each other's docks for water taxis and dive op pick-ups? Can visitors not staying on resorts walk on the beaches, or are all resort properties considered "private" including beach and dock access?

 

[peterbj7]

The beach here is classed as "Queen's Land" and is public. That can often be a nuisance - you're lying on the beach in front of you own expensive tropical retreat and someone walks or cycles by. But you can't stop them - they have as much right to be there as you do. Motorbikes are another matter, and although often used on the beach, especially in the north where there's only a nominal road, their use is illegal.

Docks may be erected by private people/businesses but they cannot prevent access by the public for reasonable purposes. You can't tie up a boat overnight without permission, I'm not sure about fishing although that is in practice often banned, and sunbathing on a dock is generally subject to permission, but using a dock to get on or off a dive boat or ferry is specifically a legal right and cannot be banned - though some dock "owners" do try it on.

There's much more pressure on land out here on AC than there is inland. You may have difficulty seeing the "natural Belize" out here, other than what is visible from the beach.