Does it cover the dive sites to? Depth etc?
Suggestions where to dive and stay in belize for this coming April 2014
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Downing
Contributor
Belize Insight Guide is one of my all-time favorite travel books. Not a lot of specific dive site information but chock full of color photographs and information about what to see and do in Belize.
You might want to consider Placencia as a base of operations. You can dive from there, Splash Dive Center runs an excellent operation, and there are lots of mainland activities like Mayan ruins, Cockscomb Basin, Monkey River Town, that are just a few minutes away. Patty Ramirez, Splash co-owner and operator, can help with logistics to all of those places. Diving off Placencia is easy, typically not deep and with very little current.
The accommodations in Placencia run the gamut from very expensive, like Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn, to youth hostels and all price points between.
There is some night life going on but nowhere near as much as San Pedro in Ambergris Caye.
I think I still have a Belize Dive Site book at home. I'll check when I knock off work and will post the title if I find it.
---------- Post added March 12th, 2014 at 06:25 PM ----------
Never mind. Turns out my Belize dive site book is the same as Chilly's: Diving & Snorkeling Belize, which must be out of print because it cost me $25 per the sticker on the back but is currently offered at ridiculous prices on Amazon: Used $42, New $108 - $663!.
You might want to consider Placencia as a base of operations. You can dive from there, Splash Dive Center runs an excellent operation, and there are lots of mainland activities like Mayan ruins, Cockscomb Basin, Monkey River Town, that are just a few minutes away. Patty Ramirez, Splash co-owner and operator, can help with logistics to all of those places. Diving off Placencia is easy, typically not deep and with very little current.
The accommodations in Placencia run the gamut from very expensive, like Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn, to youth hostels and all price points between.
There is some night life going on but nowhere near as much as San Pedro in Ambergris Caye.
I think I still have a Belize Dive Site book at home. I'll check when I knock off work and will post the title if I find it.
---------- Post added March 12th, 2014 at 06:25 PM ----------
Never mind. Turns out my Belize dive site book is the same as Chilly's: Diving & Snorkeling Belize, which must be out of print because it cost me $25 per the sticker on the back but is currently offered at ridiculous prices on Amazon: Used $42, New $108 - $663!.
Last edited:
mmarichalar
Registered
Hi,
I also don't mean to hi-jack the advice, but I am also thinking of going to Belize, but in August. So I'm kinda also needing advice/suggestions on different options. I have been reading site after site and looking at map after map, that I think I am starting to confuse myself on what I am wanting. Blackbird Caye seems to be a great choice for a perfect getaway on the beach, and with short boat times to the dive sites.
...But then I started to think about how it would be nice to go to a couple of shops and maybe check out some local restaurants/bars. I just came back from a weekend at Bananarama in Roatan, and it was the perfect stay. Right on the beach, with a couple of shops, restaurants and street(beach) vendors nearby. So, I've been looking at Palencia and either Maya Beach or Laru Beya. Maya Beach list Glovers Reef, South Water, and Laughing Bird as potential dive sites. I know the boat trips will be further, but they still list up to 3 dives for 2 of these sites and the shopping and walking would be only a small need (just a few locations). Are the longer boat trips similar to the ones in Cozumel (I was picked up in downtown) or are they much much longer?
Also, would it be hard to get to the shopping areas from the beach area in Palencia? I'll would be flying in on a local charter (want to experience landing on that small dirt air stip
), so I won't be able to ask a driver to stop somewhere along the way (that I can tell).
Any advice or suggestions? I also hope this helps the original poster with suggestions as well.
I also don't mean to hi-jack the advice, but I am also thinking of going to Belize, but in August. So I'm kinda also needing advice/suggestions on different options. I have been reading site after site and looking at map after map, that I think I am starting to confuse myself on what I am wanting. Blackbird Caye seems to be a great choice for a perfect getaway on the beach, and with short boat times to the dive sites.
...But then I started to think about how it would be nice to go to a couple of shops and maybe check out some local restaurants/bars. I just came back from a weekend at Bananarama in Roatan, and it was the perfect stay. Right on the beach, with a couple of shops, restaurants and street(beach) vendors nearby. So, I've been looking at Palencia and either Maya Beach or Laru Beya. Maya Beach list Glovers Reef, South Water, and Laughing Bird as potential dive sites. I know the boat trips will be further, but they still list up to 3 dives for 2 of these sites and the shopping and walking would be only a small need (just a few locations). Are the longer boat trips similar to the ones in Cozumel (I was picked up in downtown) or are they much much longer?
Also, would it be hard to get to the shopping areas from the beach area in Palencia? I'll would be flying in on a local charter (want to experience landing on that small dirt air stip
), so I won't be able to ask a driver to stop somewhere along the way (that I can tell). Any advice or suggestions? I also hope this helps the original poster with suggestions as well.
Last edited:
Ralph Capeling
Contributor
Hi,
I also don't mean to hi-jack the advice, but I am also thinking of going to Belize, but in August. So I'm kinda also needing advice/suggestions on different options. I have been reading site after site and looking at map after map, that I think I am starting to confuse myself on what I am wanting. Blackbird Caye seems to be a great choice for a perfect getaway on the beach, and with short boat times to the dive sites.
...But then I started to think about how it would be nice to go to a couple of shops and maybe check out some local restaurants/bars. I just came back from a weekend at Bananarama in Roatan, and it was the perfect stay. Right on the beach, with a couple of shops, restaurants and street(beach) vendors nearby. So, I've been looking at Palencia and either Maya Beach or Laru Beya. Maya Beach list Glovers Reef, South Water, and Laughing Bird as potential dive sites. I know the boat trips will be further, but they still list up to 3 dives for 2 of these sites and the shopping and walking would be only a small need (just a few locations). Are the longer boat trips similar to the ones in Cozumel (I was picked up in downtown) or are they much much longer?
Also, would it be hard to get to the shopping areas from the beach area in Palencia? I'll would be flying in on a local charter (want to experience landing on that small dirt air stip
Any advice or suggestions? I also hope this helps the original poster with suggestions as well.
There are more than two 3 tank dive destinations from
The Placencia beach is arguably 16 miles long. I am not sure what you mean by shopping areas but if you mean hotels, restaurants and grocery stores, they are all within walking distance from the beach in the village of Placencia. The hotels you mention or very good but they are not near the shopping areas.
Regards
Ralph
Downing
Contributor
I hate to burst the bubble, but the dirt airstrip is now a paved airstrip.
The landing strip is still pretty cool, though, as it's on a very thin piece of the peninsula so there's the ocean on one side of the strip and the lagoon on the other. They literally have to stop vehicular traffic for the planes to land and take off to avoid potential collisions.
You can check it out on YouTube.
I haven't stayed at either hotel, but I have eaten at the Maya Beach Bistro. Great food and very nice atmosphere. Not exactly formal but you want to dress nicely.
A typical ride to the reef takes about an hour but there's lots to see on the way out and back as you pass a number of cayes to get there. My favorite dives were probably the ones off the Silk Cayes, which is the furthest of all, I think.
Placencia is a different experience from staying on the atoll. How to decide? Easy, just make two trips.
The landing strip is still pretty cool, though, as it's on a very thin piece of the peninsula so there's the ocean on one side of the strip and the lagoon on the other. They literally have to stop vehicular traffic for the planes to land and take off to avoid potential collisions.
You can check it out on YouTube.
I haven't stayed at either hotel, but I have eaten at the Maya Beach Bistro. Great food and very nice atmosphere. Not exactly formal but you want to dress nicely.
A typical ride to the reef takes about an hour but there's lots to see on the way out and back as you pass a number of cayes to get there. My favorite dives were probably the ones off the Silk Cayes, which is the furthest of all, I think.
Placencia is a different experience from staying on the atoll. How to decide? Easy, just make two trips.
bradells
Contributor
I hate to burst the bubble, but the dirt airstrip is now a paved airstrip.
The landing strip is still pretty cool, though, as it's on a very thin piece of the peninsula so there's the ocean on one side of the strip and the lagoon on the other. They literally have to stop vehicular traffic for the planes to land and take off to avoid potential collisions.
You can check it out on YouTube.
I haven't stayed at either hotel, but I have eaten at the Maya Beach Bistro. Great food and very nice atmosphere. Not exactly formal but you want to dress nicely.
A typical ride to the reef takes about an hour but there's lots to see on the way out and back as you pass a number of cayes to get there. My favorite dives were probably the ones off the Silk Cayes, which is the furthest of all, I think.
Placencia is a different experience from staying on the atoll. How to decide? Easy, just make two trips.
Silk is pretty close (45min in the small boats - no dock at Silk)
Glovers is 1 1/2-2hrs?
Lots of sun and breeze, and on quite a few of my trips out, dolphins.
Shoppig on Placencia, well there's no mall or box stores, but lots of hand craft vendors, and the usual 'utility' stores (convenience, bank, pharmacy, etc). Lots of food and drink though.
BRad
Geez Downing, aren't those prices ridiculous! Who would pay that kind of money for an outdated book on dive sites? It's not like it was written by Jacques Cousteau. (Shaking my head over here)
mmarichalar
Registered
Thanks for the advice from everyone. This definitely sounds like the type of area I would like to be at. Sorry for not clarifying the "shopping" reference, but thanks Brad, I did mean the hand craft vendors just to pick up a few fun souvenirs to remember where I've been. It's also good to know that there are some convenience stores since I do tend to forget things.
Thanks Ralph and Downing for the info on the boat times. I think that is within a comfortable amount of time for me, on average, so that is reassuring.
The hotels did mention that a taxi ride to Palencia is about $10US each way, but is it really that easy to get there from the more northern hotels, lets say, for a last day trip? I don't expect to want to go there frequently, but would want to check out the town at least once.
(Darn about the airstrip, but yeah, still sounds like fun )
Oh, are there any similar hotels that are recommended that are in Palencia (in the village) that are similar to Maya Beach or Laru Beya and same price ranges. I leaning toward Maya Beach. More rustic.
Thanks Ralph and Downing for the info on the boat times. I think that is within a comfortable amount of time for me, on average, so that is reassuring.
The hotels did mention that a taxi ride to Palencia is about $10US each way, but is it really that easy to get there from the more northern hotels, lets say, for a last day trip? I don't expect to want to go there frequently, but would want to check out the town at least once.
(Darn about the airstrip, but yeah, still sounds like fun
)Oh, are there any similar hotels that are recommended that are in Palencia (in the village) that are similar to Maya Beach or Laru Beya and same price ranges. I leaning toward Maya Beach. More rustic.
lthomas132
Contributor
Sign at "airport" in Placencia
Downing
Contributor
Ha ha. Great sign.
As far as a comparable hotel in the village, Laru Beya is pretty high end so I'm guessing maybe Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn? It's not quite in the village, just south of the airport and just north of the village. Probably more expensive than LB but maybe in the same range. Be warned, though, that there's no air conditioning. I once heard a story about an Italian millionaire who stayed one night at TI, then checked out and moved his family into a much more modest hotel just because of TI's lack of air conditioning.
It's easy to get around Placencia because there's really only one road, with smaller streets running off to either side.
As far as shopping, there are a couple of souvenir shops in the village that are easy to find but I like the smaller shops and vendors along the sidewalk. You can find the sidewalk by going to the end of the peninsula, turn left and look for the end of the sidewalk between Splash Dive Center's original shop and a sandwich place whose name I forget but has fantastic sandwiches and smoothies. It's kind of hit and miss with the vendors.
As an aside, the best souvenir shop I've found in Belize is on the Western Highway between Belmopan and San Ignacio, The Orange Gallery. The place is huge and has all sorts of handmade gifts and souvenirs from trinkets to furniture, along with some junk, too. Worth stopping in if you're ever up that way. No matter what you buy, they'll ship it home for you.
Here are two of my favorite signs in Belize:
As far as a comparable hotel in the village, Laru Beya is pretty high end so I'm guessing maybe Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn? It's not quite in the village, just south of the airport and just north of the village. Probably more expensive than LB but maybe in the same range. Be warned, though, that there's no air conditioning. I once heard a story about an Italian millionaire who stayed one night at TI, then checked out and moved his family into a much more modest hotel just because of TI's lack of air conditioning.
It's easy to get around Placencia because there's really only one road, with smaller streets running off to either side.
As far as shopping, there are a couple of souvenir shops in the village that are easy to find but I like the smaller shops and vendors along the sidewalk. You can find the sidewalk by going to the end of the peninsula, turn left and look for the end of the sidewalk between Splash Dive Center's original shop and a sandwich place whose name I forget but has fantastic sandwiches and smoothies. It's kind of hit and miss with the vendors.
As an aside, the best souvenir shop I've found in Belize is on the Western Highway between Belmopan and San Ignacio, The Orange Gallery. The place is huge and has all sorts of handmade gifts and souvenirs from trinkets to furniture, along with some junk, too. Worth stopping in if you're ever up that way. No matter what you buy, they'll ship it home for you.
Here are two of my favorite signs in Belize:
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