Belize yacht charter
A long barrier reef, small cayes and three coral atolls with the Blue Hole: shallow, warm and quiet. The main season is December to May. It suits divers and keen snorkellers most.
Belize has a long barrier reef a few miles off its coast, protected as part of a World Heritage site. Inside it are hundreds of small cayes, and beyond it are three coral atolls in the open Caribbean. It is shallow, warm and quiet, a place for snorkelling, diving and small islands with a handful of houses on them. It is also less developed than most of the Caribbean, which is the point of going.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
Belize suits families with older children who swim and snorkel well. The water inside the reef is shallow and calm, and there are rays, turtles and reef fish in the marine reserves. Ashore is simple: there is less to do for children who do not like the water.
Couples and honeymoons
Small cayes, empty anchorages and very little traffic. Placencia and Ambergris Caye have the good restaurants.
Friends and celebrations
It suits a group of divers or keen snorkellers, or anglers who want to fish the shallow flats. Nightlife is in San Pedro and little else.
Less suited to a large yacht. Much of the water inside the reef is shallow, and the captain plans the route around the yacht's draft. It is also less suited to anyone who wants the polish of St Barths.
The areas
Belize is one of the reef and wildlife coasts on our Central and South America page.
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
In the north. San Pedro town, and the reef off it for snorkelling. Caye Caulker is smaller and slower.
Turneffe Atoll
Mangroves, flats and walls for diving.
Lighthouse Reef and the Great Blue Hole
The furthest atoll. The Blue Hole is a round sinkhole in the reef, best seen from the air or by divers. Half Moon Caye, a natural monument, protects a nesting colony of red-footed boobies and magnificent frigatebirds.
Glover's Reef
The southern atoll, a marine reserve with patch reefs and a few small resorts.
The southern cayes and Placencia
South Water Caye and Laughing Bird Caye, with the village of Placencia on its long peninsula.
When to go
The main season is December to May, the months outside the Atlantic hurricane season.
From June to November it is wetter, with the Atlantic hurricane season (officially 1 Jun–30 Nov), with most activity from mid-August to mid-October.
Whale sharks come to Gladden Spit, off Placencia, at certain times of the year. We can tell you when.
The trade winds blow steadily from the east for much of the year. Inside the reef the water stays calm; crossing to the atolls is more open.
What it costs
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate. Her page shows it "from", which is her lowest season. Each yacht's rate is in its own currency, often US dollars; the Belize dollar is pegged at two to one.
- Tax: where Belize's General Sales Tax applies to the charter, it is added to the fee and shown in the quote.
- APA, the Advance Provisioning Allowance, is paid with the balance. The captain holds it for fuel, food, drinks, berths and similar costs, spends it on your instructions, and accounts for it at the end; anything unspent is returned. Budget up to 40% of the charter fee; long or remote passages can need more.
- Any marine reserve or park fees are paid from the APA.
- A yacht that comes from Mexico or elsewhere for the charter can add a delivery fee.
Our guide sets out what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
North to south
This one-way week runs from Belize City to Placencia, along the reef and out to the atolls. The yacht's draft, the wind and the sea state decide the real route.
Board in the afternoon, and make the short passage north for a quiet evening.
Snorkel on the reef in the morning, and have dinner in San Pedro.
Out through the reef to the atoll's flats and walls.
The Blue Hole for divers, and Half Moon Caye's birds.
A longer passage south, with snorkelling on the patch reefs.
Back inside the reef, and a small caye with a sandy beach.
A last swim, then disembarkation.
The yachts that cruise here
We arrange crewed yachts in Belize and look across the market for the ones that fit each enquiry. Belize is served by larger yachts that come for the season, and by smaller yachts better suited to its shallow water. The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Which airport do we fly to?
Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), at Belize City. Domestic flights go on to San Pedro and Placencia.
Is Belize good for diving?
It is one of the best places in the Caribbean for it. The atolls have walls and clear water. Tell us who in your party dives, and we look for a yacht set up for it.
Can a large yacht cruise here?
Partly. Much of the water inside the reef is shallow, so the captain plans the route around the yacht's draft, and the tender does more of the work.
When is the hurricane risk?
The official season is 1 June to 30 November, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. Most yachts are elsewhere then.
What currency is used?
The Belize dollar, fixed at two to one to the US dollar.
Do we need a visa?
That depends on your passport. Check your government's travel advice before you book.
Can we combine Belize with Mexico?
Mexico's Caribbean coast is just to the north. A one-way charter can link the two, with the formalities of leaving one country and entering the other.
Is it good for fishing?
Yes, especially fly-fishing on the shallow flats. The crew or a local guide arranges whatever is needed.
If you are also weighing the Bahamas
Both are shallow, warm and clear. The Bahamas have more yachts, more cays and easier access from the US. Belize has the reef and the atolls, and more nature with fewer people.
See the Bahamas.
Belize | The Bahamas | |
|---|---|---|
Known for | The barrier reef, three atolls, the Blue Hole | Many cays, close to the US |
The water | Shallow and warm; calm inside the reef | Shallow and warm |
Nature and people | More nature, fewer people | More yachts, easier to reach from the US |
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family adventure, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
Plan
Belize.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.