Point me in the right direction?

[DeltaWardog]

Hi all! I'm in the early stages of planning a trip to.... well I dunno. Somewhere we haven't been before. The wife and I have been divers for about 7 years now, and are around 70-80 dives. Our son will most likely be joining us and he's currently around 25 dives I think. We've been to Cozumel many times and Bonaire once. We decided it's time to see some place new.

We are looking for good diving first and foremost, but we also want to get to know the culture of wherever we go. We are all about getting to know the place and people we're visiting. In other words, not really looking for a resort in the middle of nowhere or a liveaboard. We are leaning heavily towards Belize or Costa Rica right now but are open for pretty much anything in Central America that fits the bill.

I like to do my own research, and will happily read whatever sites, posts, or tomes you point me at, but with so many options I don't really know where to begin this time. Can anyone recommend a good starting point (or three)? Even just a good city, village, or area that would have both great diving and the opportunity to spend afternoons and evenings immersing ourselves in local culture? We are averse to touristy spots, cruise ship shopping wastelands, chain restaurants, and not much else.

If there's anything I can add that will help, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[diversteve]

Look into Placencia, Belize and the area just north of it - Hopkins etc. Late next spring/early summer there's the opportunity to dive with Whale Sharks off Gladden Spit - boats go out there from Placencia, as well as the resorts like Hamanasi or Inn at Roberts Grove and the Atoll resorts like Blackbird Cay, Turneffe Island Resort etc.

Placencia is a quiet little town but within an hour of the inland Belize attractions like the Mayan Ruins, Howler Monkeys, Iguanas, river tubing, Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve etc. If you stay out on the Atolls, they don't go to the mainland much. And are pretty isolated. Closer to the better diving though.

My friends used Splash Dive in Belize a couple years ago. Start here: Facts & Information|Splash Dive Center|Placencia Belize They also bundle packages with many area resorts. We kind of liked the looks of Laru Beya - sort of an AI on the beach. I think Splash will pick you up there. If you don't bundle a pkg. with someone, factor in the cost of the local flights from Belize City - with 3 that will be significant.

Since the barrier reef is farther out from the mainland you'll have most afternoons free - my friends did.

 

[zeppelindiver]

Take a look at Roatan. The diving on the south shore & east end areas of the island is outstanding, extremely healthy reefs and terrific variety of marine life, the key is to stay away from the heavily dived reefs off West End & West Bay. There are many excellent resorts & dive operations in almost every price range, the island is beautiful & once you get away from the touristy western end much of it is untouched. There is a mixture of cultures that is quite fascinating and areas like Port Royal, Henry Morgan's old stronghold, are full of great history as well as terrific diving on pristine reefs. If you are looking for shore-based activities in addition to diving the range is impressive, the biggest problem on Roatan is deciding what to do or not to do if you only have a week.

Good luck with your search!

 

[DeltaWardog]

Thank you guys for your suggestions! Much appreciated. I am now focusing in on those two places for additional research. Do you mind if I hit you up with more questions after I've done some reading?

 

[zeppelindiver]

My pleasure, feel free to contact me directly at zeppelinsail@gmail.com if that is easier with any questions you may have about Roatan and the dive operations here. There is also a lot of info about the island on our website Zeppelin Dive & Sail | Roatan Live Aboard Sailing & Diving Charters.