Below is the second part of another article I wrote and am hoping a magazine will pick up, but i wanted to share it with you guys first. I am actually hoping a magazine want to run a monthly article about different places to charter. Keep your fingers crossed and enjoy! – Shane
Southern Belize
Day 1 Pickup or join the boat in the town of Placencia. When ready to go, head toward the Pelican Cays, which are a group of mangrove islands and reefs in a big circle with 70+ feet inside and outside the circle. Here you can snorkel several reefs and take a mangrove tour in your dinghy. Hideaway Cay rents moorings, which is very helpful, and is a great place to have dinner. (14 NM)
Day 2 Take a wonderful sail north to South Water Cay where you will be in a deep water channel for most of the sail until you cross the 15-20 foot bank. Here you can snorkel the barrier reef, hang out on a beach, or take a walking tour of the island where you will find one of the houses within 100 feet of the barrier reef’s drop off. (10 NM)
Day 3 Sail south, almost back to the Pelican Cays and then past it, in deep water channels until you reach Hatchet Cay, which is a resort that is now called Ray Cay. They have a lovely beach bar, that welcomes cruisers and charters, and the snorkeling is great around the island. If you are lucky, they will let you use the 20-foot slide and jumping platform. (23 NM)
Day 4 Ranguana Cay is south of Hatchet Cay and is a perfect little tropical paradise. The beach is great, the bartender is personable, and the snorkeling is top notch. You will have trouble pulling yourself away from this gem. (10 NM)
Day 5 The next two days will be in the Sapodilla Cays Marine Park and the northern islands are the Tom Owens Cays. Here you anchor between them in 10 feet of water with the barrier reef providing protection. There are several excellent snorkeling opportunities including a 30-foot wall dive off East Tom Owens Cay and a large patch reef SW of West Tom Owens Cay. (10 NM)
Day 6 Spend the day exploring the Sapodilla Cays, which has everything you could want…except for other boats. Nicholas Cay has the best beach, Frank’s Cay had excellent shallow snorkeling at the entrance of the reef protecting the bay, Hunting Cay is the headquarters and source of any info you need, Lime Cay has another beach and snorkeling around it, and Ragged Cay is in open water and surrounded with reefs that can be snorkeled if the seas and weather are calm enough. (7 NM)
Day 7 Sail back to Placencia in the morning so you can enjoy all this little fishing town turn tourist hidden gem has to offer. There is a nice protected beach and another wilder one, but the highlight of Placencia is to simply walk down the mile long sidewalk that served to connect all the fishing huts back in the day, and one street. Make sure to get some gelato at Tutti Frutti! (23 NM)
Day 8 Since you are already back in Placencia, take a relaxed morning before you have to disembark.
There you have two very different itineraries for two different weeks of charter all within the same country. Want to give Belize a try now?
I hope you enjoyed the article. Please feel free to share this with anyone you want. Thank you. Tomorrow I will post a new Top 10 for Belize.
