Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TOUR OPERATORS IN BELIZE
If there's one thing Belize has no shortage of, it's tour companies. A huge variety of them,
based in cities and towns across the country, can plan trips, from Maya sites to wildlife refuges
to zip-lining and diving. We list relevant, recommended tour companies individually
throughout this Guide, but to get you started, here's our pick of Belize's top established
companies running trips throughout the country.
Belize Trips
in the
US
T
561 210 7015,
W
belize-trips.com.
Run by the very knowledgeable Katie Valk, who is a fount of
information on Belize, and able to arrange and connect you with
tours throughout Belize, often with a luxury bent.
Dave's Eco Tours
T
205 5597,
W
davesecotours.com.
Friendly, knowledgeable company, based in Belize City, that offers
trips around the country, from the cayes to Cayo.
Destinations Belize
T
523 4018,
W
destinationsbelize
.com. Full-service tour company based in Placencia, with
customized itineraries around the country.
Discovery Expeditions
T
671 0748,
W
discoverybelize
.com. From jungle tours to scuba diving, this well-run company
offers tours on land and sea.
S & L Travel and Tours
T
227 7593,
W
sltravelbelize.com.
Long-running tour operator with excellent tours, including
canoeing and birding and trips to Maya sites.
Slickrock Adventures
in the US
T
800 390 5715,
W
slickrock.com. Adventure company offering sea-kayaking,
windsurfing, snorkelling and river expeditions in Belize, from a base
on Long Caye, Glover's Reef.
one way, or Bz$35 round-trip), each with eight to
ten departures a day (see p.52). The water taxis are
open speedboats that can generally hold forty to
fifty passengers; some have covered areas, to
protect from the rain. Caye Caulker Water Taxi boats
(
W
cayecaulkerwatertaxi.com) to San Pedro and
Caye Caulker depart from near the Swing Bridge in
Belize City; San Pedro Belize Express boats (
W
belize
watertaxi.com) leave from North Front Street near
the Tourism Village. It's a 45-minute ride to Caulker
and 75 minutes to San Pedro. Boats also stop on
request at Caye Chapel. In addition, San Pedro
Belize Express boats travel at least once daily to
Chetumal from San Pedro (90min).
Thunderbolt
is
another ferry that travels between Corozal and San
Pedro (2hr; Bz$45 one way), with a stop at Sarteneja,
on request. In the south, Dangriga is the departure
point for boats to the central cayes, as well as to
Honduras (see p.182).
You can buy tickets online via the boat websites,
or at the terminals and other select locations
(hotels, travel agencies) either a few days before or
on the day of travel. If the latter, it's wise to show up
at least fifteen minutes prior to departure; at busy
times, one or two extra boats will be on hand for
overflow, so it's unlikely you won't find space. Note
that you need to buy tickets to Chetumal at least 72
hours prior to departure to guarantee a seat.
Many
tours
include boat transport in their itiner-
aries, often to destinations public routes don't
serve, such as outlying cayes and atolls. Interna-
tional boat routes include Punta Gorda to Puerto
Barrios, Guatemala; Punta Gorda to Lívingston,
Guatemala; Dangriga and Placencia to Puerto
Cortés, Honduras. It's best to book ahead for inter-
national departures by contacting the boat
operator or its agents at least one day before. Also,
Belize has a number of charter boat companies,
including Tropic Ferry (
W
tropic
ferry.com), which travels between the airport and
your resort or hotel (Bz$170), with the bonus of rum
punch served on board.
By car
Driving is a popular option with visitors, and Belize's
main roads
offer relatively easy motoring. If you
plan to conduct further exploration, you'll need
high clearance and probably four-wheel drive. Main
roads, and even most unpaved side roads, are
typically well maintained and passable except in
the very worst rainstorms, though mud, dust and
the occasional massive pothole can be a problem
at any time. Distances in Belize are usually
measured in miles.
When planning your journey,
bear in mind that petrol stations may be scarce
outside towns.
Tra
c is generally light outside Belize City, but
driving standards are fairly poor and fatal accidents
are high relative to tra
c density. The busiest
stretch of road is on the George Price Highway
between Belize City and Belmopan. Road signs are
becoming more noticeable along the main
highways, but you'll have to watch out for
speed
bumps
of variable height; these are occasionally
signed, but every new driver in Belize is bound to
be caught unaware at least once - with potentially
disastrous consequences. Look for them on
entering and leaving any settlement along the
highways, as well as shortly before bus stops.
