About the country
Belize is a small country between Mexico and Guatemala. Between untouched rainforest, Mayan temples and the Caribbean’s great barrier reef, it takes pride in its famous blue hole. Belize offers some really beautiful dives, among the best in the Caribbean !
There are three main atolls for diving : Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef in the center, and Glover’s Reef to the south. For the central atolls, a dive cruise is the way to go, since it takes several hours’ navigation from Belize City. Glover’s Reef is accessible from Dangriga by boat; once on Glover’s Reef there are a few guesthouses and the dive sites are easy to reach.
Here’s a map of the dive spots and a description of the atolls : .
Our opinion
Difficulty
Visibility
Diversity
Atmosphere
Practical
In May 2015.
Our very first dive cruise, with Aggressor Sundancer 2 out of Belize City : 5 days of “eat sleep and dive” with 4 nitrox dives a day and an extra night dive whenever the weather allowed.
The boat is ultra comfortable and almost the whole crew dives too (20 guests max, mostly American).
At Glover’s Reef : every island resort has its own dive club. We dived with Isla Marisol resort, the guides were good, the seabed gorgeous, but their only dive boat was under repair while we were there, so we had to make do with a boat that wasn’t set up for diving (no tank racks or ladders, …), the dives were drift dives, and we were disappointed by the captain’s lack of surface safety.
In May 2015.
Casa Blanca Guest House in San Ignacio, a charming guest house, a great base for visiting Mayan country. It’s possible to book tours with very good local guides.
Isla Marisol Resort, Robinson Crusoe style. The restaurant and huts are basic, as is the welcome. Meal times aren’t adapted to diving, which remains the resort’s only activity. The resort was overrun with sand flies when we were there.