Belize Lighthouse Reef: 7 Days / 6 Nights Itinerary
Laurel Jaques
Lighthouse Reef
Group Size: 6-22 people per trip
Guides: 2-6 guides per trip
Activities: Swimming, Stand-up Paddle Boarding, Snorkeling, Sea Kayaking (Paddling), Sea Kayak Sailing, Scuba Diving, Archeology, Mayan Ruins, Hiking, Fishing, Birding, Yoga on select departures
Accommodations: Bird’s Eye View Lodge, Half Moon Caye Basecamp, Belize Biltmore Plaza
Please find PRICE and DATES Here (Belize Main Page)
The Adventure
![Maps-LH[1]](https://wildernessadventures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Maps-LH1.jpg) |
We begin our trip with an introduction to the inland waterways of the crooked tree wildlife sanctuary, here we experience, close at hand, the astounding diversity of birds and wildlife for which Belize is renowned.
Located 33 miles northwest of Belize city the sanctuary provides both the abundant food sources and the safe resting areas necessary to support a large and diverse population of birds. The best time for viewing resident and migrant birds is December until June, during Belize’s dry season. --Read More-- |
The Setting
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Lighthouse Reef: Our journey to Lighthouse Atoll takes us 60 miles offshore to Belize’s most remote and spectacular atoll. On our way to Lighthouse we weave our way through channels and picturesque islands within Belize’s Barrier Reef then, after crossing the reef wall, we enter a keyhole passage and wind through narrow mangrove-lined channels to reach the eastern Coral Wall of Turneffe Atoll and then continue another 20 miles to the world-renowned Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Half Moon Caye.--Read More-- |
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| Note About the Ecology…The Flora: The Mesoamerican Coral Reef stretches from Cancun, Mexico through Belize to Honduras.
It is the largest reef in the western hemisphere and the second-largest in the world. In Belize, this reef is a well-formed wall extending 185 miles (300 km) along the coastline. Approximately 35 miles beyond the Barrier Reef lies one of Belize’s most spectacular atolls – Lighthouse Reef Atoll. These circular-shaped reef systems climb up from the ocean floor and surround a central lagoon. The reef structure is primarily made up of two kinds of coral, the hard hydro-coral (reef-forming coral) such as brain coral or elkhorn coral, and the soft corals, such as sea fans and feather plumes. The lagoon shelters one of the world’s most diverse sea environments; harboring an extensive community of fish, shellfish, and patch reefs. One mile off the eastern shore of the atoll and the shallow waters of the lagoon the reef wall drops precipitously over 3000 feet to the ocean floor below The interaction between the deeper open waters of the Caribbean and the sheltered lagoons of the atoll results in diversity and abundance of marine life, which is unsurpassed for sea kayaking, snorkeling, and diving. |
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| The Fauna: On Half-Moon Caye there is a diverse range of marine life and birds. While snorkeling in the area there are opportunities to see grouper, bonefish, angel and parrotfish, stingrays, conger eels, and goatfish – just to name a few. Some of the birdlife includes osprey, terns, red-footed boobies, frigate birds, and mangrove warblers.
Half Moon Caye has one of the Caribbean’s most important nesting colonies of red-footed boobies. Around the atoll and the Reef, there are nesting sites for loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles, and often we see them while out snorkeling or kayaking. |
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Typical Daily Itinerary:
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Day 1:
Accommodation: Bird’s Eye View Lodge, Meals: Dinner is included on this night. Arrive at the Belize International Airport where a company representative will meet you and welcome you to the country. You’ll be taken to the Bird’s Eye View Lodge in the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Today is the day to meet your fellow travelers and acclimatize to your new tropical environment. .--Read More--
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Day 2:
Accommodation: Half Moon Caye Basecamp Meals: B, L, D Coffee is served at sunrise. With your binoculars in hand, you’ll enjoy the sounds and sights of the awakening wilderness. There are usually several hundred birds of many species feeding in front of the lodge along the shores of the Crooked Tree lagoons. After a healthy Belizean breakfast, you’ll embark by boat to explore the surrounding areas. |
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Throughout this adventure, our aim is to provide you with tremendous birding and wildlife opportunities.
Turtles, parrots, ibis, Morelet’s crocodiles, and Iguanas are frequently seen.--Read More--
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Day 3-5:
Accommodation: Half Moon Caye Basecamp Meals: B, L, D “If there’s a heaven on earth, then this must be it” one guest wrote of Halfmoon Caye. You’ll find empty beaches, a rare bird colony, untouched coral reefs and sleep with breathtaking views of a billion stars stretching over the ocean. Over these 3 perfect days we snorkel the Blue Hole and Aquarium, paddleboard, sail our kayaks and venture outside of the reserve for Belizean style fishing expeditions. This ecosystem offers some of the best kayaking, snorkeling, and diving in the Caribbean. To begin, our guides will provide professional instruction – teaching you the fundamentals of sea kayaking, snorkeling, and safety in the waters of the tropics. |
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Over the next few days, you’ll have many options to explore, including a shipwreck, which looms just north of the Caye.--Read More--
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Day 6:
Accommodation: Belize Biltmore Hotel Meals: B, L For your last morning at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the choice is yours. Snorkel your favorite patch reefs, walk the island trails, swing in a hammock or beach-comb along the immaculate island beaches. After lunch, a motor charter arrives, and you’ll begin to prepare for your trip back to the mainland. --Read More-- |
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Day 7:
Accommodation: N / A Meals: N / A Waking up in the Belize Biltmore Hotel you can have breakfast by the pool and go for a last swim before heading to the airport for your flight home. If you are planning to stay in Belize longer to explore its beautiful countryside or many interesting attractions then this will be a travel day for you to your next location. Many of our guests will share a taxi to the airport this morning. |
Due to the remote location of the Lighthouse Reef Basecamp, the activities on the reef portion of this trip are weather-dependent.
bring a spirit of adventure with you, we cannot direct the winds but we can adjust our sails.
Accommodations….
When beginning our itinerary with the Reef component on ‘Day 1’, we will be staying at the Bird’s Eye View Lodge at Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.
While out at Half Moon Caye, we are “Basecamping”, sleeping in tent-walled cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents have ample headroom to walk around and are on raised wooden floors with double or single beds, with all linen provided. On the island, we have a fully equipped kitchen, a fresh-water collection system for drinking water, fresh-water showers, and modern composting toilets. We also have a large dining area and resource library lounge.
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| Night 1: Bird’s Eye View Lodge | Nights 1-5: Half Moon Caye Basecamp | Night 6: Belize Biltmore Hotel |
Transportation…At the start of the trip, we pick you upon arrival at the Belize International Airport on Day 1. On the last day of the trip, we can drop you off directly at the Belize International Airport or the Biltmore Plaza Hotel. All transportation by land and water from Day 1 to Day 6 on the trip is included.
Equipment…While at our base-camp on Half-moon Caye, our guests have unrestricted use of the following equipment: Double Kayaks (outfitted with special sails), Single Kayaks, Stand-up Paddle Boards, Complete Research Library, On the island, we are in communication with the mainland via satellite phone and VHF Marine radio.
What’s Included…1. Comprehensive pre-trip information package
2. All meals, accommodation, and transfers described in the itinerary 3. Professional Guiding Services 4. Unlimited use of our Equipment and facilities 5. Government Fees & Taxes |
What’s Not Included…1. Post-trip transfer to Belize International Airport
2. Gratuities 3. Fishing Licences 4. Scuba Diving 5. International Flights and Airport Departure Tax 6. Extra costs due to late arrivals, lost baggage and other circumstances beyond our control |
Fishing… Lighthouse Reef is now a reserve and therefore there is a 1 mile exclusion zone for fishing. There will be a day on your trip when a guide will be available to take you out on our motor skiff to fish outside the exclusion zone with hand lines which is a very exciting way to catch a fish for the table. If you’re a fly-fisher then Glover’s Reef is the trip you want to do. Here there is no exclusion zone and you can fish right off the shore or from a kayak.
Scuba Divers…
The Belize Barrier Reef offers great wall dives, as well as gentle slopes. 
Optional diving is available for certified divers on certain days of the trip.
There are some great opportunities to scuba dive at Lighthouse Reef including diving the Great Blue Hole if you are a PADI certified Advanced Open Water Diver or have an equivalent certification.
Please let us know in advance. --Read More--
Many of our guests travel on their own. Our style of trip is ideal for single travelers combining the benefits of group camaraderie and group security with lots of individual flexibility in what you want to do each day. Single supplement options vary by trip style. Standard trip pricing is based on double occupancy. Solo guests can request either to share twin accommodations with another traveler or request single accommodations for an additional fee. If you are willing to share and we are able to match you up – no problem and no extra cost. If we cannot match you up then we have a simple, affordable $175 USD supplement fee for trips of 6 nights and longer. Please Note that the shared accommodation option is not available during Covid. Please see the Private Room Rare below.
Should you prefer private accommodations, we can provide you with your own room and the following charges apply:
Private Room: Lighthouse Reef – $350 USD
NOTE: The number of single rooms available on most departures is limited, and may not be available at each location. If we are not able to provide your own room throughout the trip, we will pro-rate the supplement fee.
Recommended Tour-books:
Eltringham, Peter. 2002. Belize: The Rough Guide, London. Penguin Publishers. Perottet, Tony. 2000. Belize: Insight Guide Singapore. Houghton Mifflin Publishers. -Great photographs and written by a Belizean!
Recommended Reading:
Rabinowitz, Alan. 2000 Jaguar, One Man’s Struggle to Establish the First Jaguar Sanctuary New York. Island Press.
GETTING TO BELIZE
Direct Flights from Canada to Belize
Direct non-stop seasonal (Nov to Apr) flights to Belize are available with Air Canada from Toronto, and with WestJet from Toronto and Calgary.
Direct Flights from USA to Belize
Direct non-stop flights to Belize are available with United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Airlines.
Direct non-stop seasonal (Nov to Apr) flights to Belize are available with Sun Country Airlines and Southwest Airlines.
Direct Flights from Cancun to Belize
Tropic Air has 2 daily flights from Cancun to Belize International that offer good connecting opportunities.
Seamless Flight Connections from the UK and Europe to Belize
American Airlines also offers a flight that does not require an overnight connection. This flight departs London Heathrow and has a short connection in Miami before landing in Belize City.
Tips on Searching for the Best Flight Deals to Belize
Be sure of your flight dates. Call or email us to check trip availability and to confirm your arrival and departure dates. Being flexible within one to two days each way is often a good way to find the best prices.
The internet is the main place to find the best prices and routes for airfare. Google Flights is a great place to start, it is non bias and produces all available routes and prices. Online Travel Agents (OTAs) such as Expedia and Orbitz are also popular.
Airline Website Directly: We find that searching the airline websites directly will give you the best possible fare. Here are links to the major airlines that fly directly into Belize City (airport code BZE). All other cities route through these gateways.
Air Canada – Departs & Returns Toronto on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
WestJet – Departs & Returns Toronto on Wednesdays and Saturdays and weekly on Fridays from Calgary
American Airlines – daily via Miami, FL or Dallas, TX
United Airlines – daily via Houston, TX and Newark NJ
Delta Airlines – via Atlanta GA and weekly from Los Angeles CA
Southwest Airlines – via Houston Hobby TX, Ft. Lauderdale FL, Denver CO
Sun Country Airlines – via Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
Avianca Airlines – via San Salvador, El Salvador
Copa Airlines – via Panama City, PA
Tropic Air – via Cancun, Merida, Roatan, San Pedro Sula, Flores MX and Belize In-Country Flights
Maya Air – Belize In-Country Flights
We recommend you purchase flight cancellation insurance. Almost all flights purchased these days are considered non-changeable/non-cancellable so please consider coverage.
Still have questions? Please give us a call toll free in North America at: 1-866-383-9453 or email us at wildernessadventures1@gmail.com
Booking: The booking requires a 30% deposit by Visa or MasterCard with the balance due 60 days prior to trip departure.
The trip dates do sell out so please book early to get the trip dates you want.