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martinetti

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Location
Canada
# of dives
25 - 49
Hello all,

My wife and I are planning a trip to Belize in february 2011. We are relatively unexperienced OW divers with 21 dives each.

We would like to get suggestions regarding sites and dive ops.

Our plan is to start with 4 days diving, then tour inland and then finish with another 3 days diving. We would like to visit two different regions offering varied and mostly easy diving. We want something relatively low budget (ops and accomodations).

Thank you.
 
You haven't said what area you want to visit, and that makes a big difference. The main diving areas in Belize are the northern cayes, the Southwater Caye marine reserve, and the three atolls. Most people who dive the atolls travel there each day from one of the other areas, but there are well-regarded resorts and dive operations actually on the cayes.

Splitting your time as you say would be difficult if you were to stay on the atolls though, as often transport arrangements allow only for complete weeks. In any case, it makes more sense to do your inland exploring after you've done all your diving, as you should leave 24 hours after your last dive before you fly. You might want to reconsider that aspect.

The northern cayes comprise Ambergris Caye (San Pedro), the principal tourist destination in the country. Offers good quality diving on the barrier reef just 1/2 mile offshore, and has several very cheap options as well as lots that aren't so cheap! The other caye is Caye Caulker, 15 miles south but another world. Very quiet, generally cheap and popular with backpackers. Lots of dive centers on Ambergris Caye, just three on Caye Caulker.

One of the main centers for diving the Southwater marine reserve is Placencia. A long way from the reef so diving days tend to be long and quite expensive, but well placed for inland jungle tours. Probably people more familiar with that area will post here. You can also dive those waters from a number of small cayes inside the barrier reef; the best known budget one is Tobacco Caye, accessed by a private ferry from Dangriga.

From the northern cayes it is common to take a day trip to the outer atolls, either Lighthouse (which includes the famous Blue Hole) or Turneffe, well known for the Elbow dive site at its southern tip. From these cayes it is too far to visit Glover's Atoll, the third of the Belizean atolls (there is only one more in the entire northern hemisphere, and that is nearby in Mexican waters). That can be visited from the southern places I've mentioned.

Travelling within Belize takes surprisingly long and is surprisingly costly. You should think carefully about what you want to do and plan accordingly. My suggestion is that for a week you may already be planning too much. Remember that from the northern cayes it is possible to take day trips to the mainland, and that at Placencia you are already pretty close to some very wild jungle and notable Mayan sites.

It sounds as if you might benefit from looking at some maps and doing general reading. You have ample time for both, because although February is in our "high season" I do not expect any many places to be sold out next February. Have a look at Belize Maps, Ambergris Caye, San Pedro, Caribbean and Central American Maps and associated pages, but don't hesitate to ask more questions here.
 
February is still cold front season where we usually get rain and northerlies that can get nasty. You have a good plan to dive, do inland then dive again. That gives you a better chance of getting some good diving. Belize City is the hub for both inland and marine adventure. The best diving during cold front season will be at Turneffe Atoll on the East and Southeast side which offer protection from the winds. It's all wall diving starting at about 50 feet though it is shallower as you follow the canyons away from the wall. The "winter" season is also busy season and when most properties offer their highest rates so you have to do a little research on prices and accommodations. I recommend you get an operator with a covered boat for the ride to and from the dive sites since it can be raining and/or cold making the ride uncomfortable if exposed to the elements. Bring a sweatshirt as well to use during surface interval and for the boat ride back. Are you looking for a lots of nightlife, laid back, lodge, privacy? Post some more info and let us know.

We are also on Facebook and on the cover of this month's Dive Training Magazine
 
Hi Martinetti

Please check out my site where I have a list of dive sites and explanations from multiple areas of Belize including Ambergris Caye, Turneffe, Lighthouse Reef, and more.

I have also wrote several articles on Dive sites of Belize and had them published on many dive websites onlin,e here are a couple I wrote which you may find useful in your trip planning.

Dive Belize Do it RIGHT

Ambergris Caye's Top 5 Dive Sites

Gaz Cooper
 
If you can afford time on one of the atolls, do it. I've spent a week each on Glover's Atoll in 2003 and 2009 and the diving (and snorkeling from shore!) was phenomenal; we're talking about a return in 2011. We stayed at Glover's Atoll Resort which is paradise to us but basically camping in a hut without electricity or running water, so not for everyone. To stay budget friendly you have to commit a week. There are much spendier options on Glover's Atoll and the northern atolls.

We stayed on Caulker (loved it, too) and I dove just 1 day there last summer; from that limited experience and my research I can say that there are some wonderful dive sites and lots of big stuff and I'd love to dive more there. That said, the general color, variety, and condition of the reef is mind blowing on Glover's.

I'd be curious about your inland plans, too, and happy to help. You can check out what we've done and where we've stayed on my flickr site (travelogue/blog links on the main page of each collection).

Happy trails!
 
Placencia is probably the place that would best meet your needs of diving a variety of sites and seeing inland Belize. About 40% of Belize is protected by reserves and parks. Most of these are in the south as are the Maya ruins. Placencia is located on the beach and has good access to these. There are several very good inland tours close to Placencia and the ones further away are more accessible from Placenecia than most diving destinations. Monkey River is 30 minutes away by a fun boat ride through the mangroves where you sometimes see manatees. At Monkey River village you guide takes you up river where you see crocociles, huge iguanas, and lots of birds in pristine rain forest. You take a short hike into the rain forest to find howler monkeys. Cockscombe Preseve (on hour drive from Placencia) has the highest concentration of big cats in the world and is a great spot for hiking either with a guide or on your own and you can swim under the waterfall or try river tubing. The southern Maya ruins (Nim Li Punit and Lubaantun) along with Blue Creek Cave are about 2 hours away by car.
The dives we do from Placencia include Laughing Bird Caye (national park and world heritage site), Silk Cayes and South Water Caye (marine reserves) and Glover's Atoll. There are dive sites at all of these that would fit your experience level. You can check us out at Splashbelize.com
 

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