Best of Belize

Day 1

Welcome to Belize! After clearing Belize Immigration and Customs you will exit into the arrival area and be met by your Trip Leader. We’ll transfer to our hotel and get checked in. We’ll have introductions and enjoy a delicious welcome dinner as we get to know our road sisters. Overnight Belize City.

Day 2

After breakfast, we’ll journey to the coastal town of Dangriga for a meaningful cultural immersion. Our first stop is the Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery, a colonial-era home and creative space of the renowned Garifuna artist and Punta Rock pioneer, Pen Cayetano. Here we meet our Belizean local Trip Leader who will join us for the rest of the trip. At the gallery, we explore vibrant paintings, local art, and captivating textile pieces by Ingrid Cayetano. Enjoy a guided gallery tour, join in on an interactive drumming session, and deepen your understanding of the Garifuna people through stories, music, and hands-on experiences. The visit includes a traditional Garifuna meal. This is a rich and unforgettable opportunity to connect with the art, rhythm, and soul of Belize. After this cultural experience, we will drive south into the rainforest and check in at Bocawina Rainforest Resort. We have some time to settle into your room and explore the resort grounds or nearby hiking trails at your leisure. Just don’t wander too far – we’ll be gathering later for a Happy Hour followed by dinner. Overnight Bocawina Rainforest Resort.

Day 3

After breakfast, the rainforests of the Maya Mountains are a stunning backdrop for incomparable adventure. The Mayflower Bocawina National Park was first established in 2001 to protect and manage the archaeological site and surrounding rainforest biodiversity. Mayflower Bocawina National Park is a haven for hiking enthusiasts, offering a captivating network of trails suitable for various skill levels. The park features the easy to moderate Bocawina Falls Trail, ideal for a leisurely hike, and the more challenging Antelope Falls Trail, renowned for its breathtaking views. Stepping out the front door of your own room, you have a kaleidoscope of adventures awaiting within what feels like our private 7000 acre National Park. We’ll start the day with a 2 hour zipline and hiking tour. The series of ziplines will carry you through the beautiful canopy of the rainforest, with hiking between each launch ramp. It is more challenging than it sounds, and provides a good workout along with all the fun of ziplining. We’ll enjoy lunch at the wonderful Wild Fig on property then the afternoon is free to explore 9 miles of hiking trails, 7 waterfalls, natural swimming holes, and wildlife & birdwatching. Or grab a book, hop in your hammock, and just chill with a cold beverage. We’ll meet back up for dinner. Overnight Bocawina Rainforest Resort.

Day 4

After breakfast, we travel early this morning in a scenic 20 minute flight from Dangriga to Belize City.  After that, we travel by boat 56 miles out to sea, passing through mangrove ranges, white sand cayes, arriving at Belize’s furthest island group, on Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Half Moon Caye is an island and natural monument of Belize located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. This natural monument was the first nature reserve to have been established in Belize under the National Park Systems Act in 1981, and first marine protected area in Central America. Upon arriving at Half Moon Caye, we will be met by the resort guide team that will orient us to the island camp to and get settled into our accommodations. We enjoy a late lunch and then a session of snorkeling instruction before heading out on the water. We’ll swim among hundreds of fish species: blue tangs, horse-eyed jacks, colorful parrotfish, octopus, lobster, anemones, and many more, not to mention the impressive coral formations. Perhaps a beautiful sea turtle grazing on the sea grass will catch your eye. Belize is known for its commitment to protecting the marine environment and the barrier reef, which runs from the top of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula south through Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. If snorkeling isn’t your thing, there are other activities to enjoy like kayaking, wildlife photography, yoga, swimming, and more. Overnight Lighthouse Adventure Basecamp at Half Moon Caye.

Day 5 and 6

Due to its isolated location from the mainland, the waters of Lighthouse Reef are exceptionally clear with the most abundant fish populations and colorful coral reefs in Belize. This rich ecosystem offers access to some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean. You will have ample opportunities to learn from our guides about the marine reef ecology, the local flora and fauna, as well as the island’s coconut and littoral forest (more common to the interior of the mainland). Half Moon Caye is a beautiful and rich 45-acre nature preserve, hosting a red-footed booby colony as well as a magnificent frigate bird rookery. We tour the viewing platforms built by the Belize Audubon Society to observe the many nesting sites on the island. We travel to the world renowned Great Blue Hole. A huge collapsed sinkhole formation that was discovered and made famous by ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau. We motorboat (or paddle) the 6-mile journey to this perfectly circular formation bejeweled with soft and hard corals of many different colors. After a full day of exploring, you’ll return just in time for a wonderful dinner prepared especially for you by our cooks. After dinner, we have a cultural presentation of drumming and dancing to celebrate the last night at Half Moon Caye. All meals are included. Overnight Lighthouse Adventure Basecamp at Half Moon Caye.

Day 7

After breakfast, the choice is yours for our last morning at Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Snorkel your favorite patch reefs, walk the island trails, and swing in a hammock or beach comb along the island beaches. After lunch, a motorboat charter picks everyone up for the return trip to the mainland. This return journey takes you through Turneffe Atoll across the Great Barrier Reef, and we’ll arrive at the Belize City Biltmore Hotel usually by late afternoon. We’ll check into our hotel for our last night in Belize and enjoy this lush hotel. Our farewell dinner is served while we laugh and chat about our wonderful winter escape in beautiful Belize! Overnight Belize City.

Day 8

We’ll enjoy a relaxed final morning in Belize City – whether that means taking a dip in the pool or simply soaking up the last bit of Belizean sunshine. We’ll arrange your transfer to the international airport, ensuring you arrive approximately three hours before your scheduled departure – or stay and play in beautiful Belize!

• 8 days/7 nights fully guided tour with an English-speaking local Trip Leader and a US Canyon Calling Representative
• All transportation as outlined in this itinerary
• Lodging including your own room and tent
• All meals from dinner on Day 1 through dinner on Day 7
• All activities, excursions, and activity gear as outlined in this itinerary
• All activity guide gratuities
• All entrance fees, permits and taxes

• Transportation to and from Belize City, Belize (airport code BZE)
• Alcoholic beverages and items of a personal nature, unless otherwise noted
• Optional travel insurance and gratuity to your Trip Leader at the end of the tour