Flight from Belize to San Pedro

[LuvtheBeach10]

We are on the Conquest in June, booked an excursion to Shark Ray Alley Snorkeling that includes a "short flight" from Belize to San Pedro. Anyone taken this flight and if so, what kind of plane should we be expecting and how rough of a flight?

[flames9]

If ur flying tropic air--it will be the darker one. Maya Island air is the lighter colored/smaller one!!

 

Very short flight, maybe 15 minutes! We made like 6 trips on the tropic air one in Feb (we were not there on a cruise)

 

I know tropic air flies out of the International airport as well as the smaller city airport. Many, many flights throughout the day!

[LuvtheBeach10]

Thank you for the pics, very helpful. I'm guessing from the number of flights, you felt very safe so I do feel better about it!

[flames9]

Thank you for the pics, very helpful. I'm guessing from the number of flights, you felt very safe so I do feel better about it!

 

I was in the Canadian Air force working the Electronics gear on a CP 140 (google P3C) and we would be as low as 100 feet off the water,lol

 

Did I feel safe? Yes. My wife is not a big fan of flying and she was ok. It did get a bit bumpy at time, but was fine!

 

The way I look at things--Tourism is a HUGE business for them--a plane mishap would be very bad for their industry.

 

I quite enjoyed the flight, took a lot of pics. Just keep in mind it is a smaller plane that you (and most) are used to flying, it will be ok, and it is very short in duration

[TGillman77]

What company did you use to book your excursion, Ecotours, Grumpy/Happy or someone else...? We are looking to do a snorkeling trip to Shark Ray and it seems the only reasonable way to go is by plane... Let us know how your trip turns out, I am hoping it will be great and we can book it for September...

[pdmlynek]

The flights from TZA (downtown Belize City) to SPR (San Pedro) is 15 minutes (17 minutes back). Both Maya Air and Tropic Air operate Cessna Caravans on this flight. Both take off from TZA at bottom of every hour, with 7:30 being the first flight out and 17:30 being the last plane out. They return at top of the hour.

 

Depending on how many pax are flying out of TZA, they may fly from TZA to BLZ (the International Airport about 15-20 miles west), and pick up pax there as well. The departure time is at 40 after the hour. Yes, the Caravan closes the door, taxis, takes off from TZA, lands in BLZ, and lets on more pax, all within 10 minutes.

[2manyBagsLady]

We are on the Conquest in June, booked an excursion to Shark Ray Alley Snorkeling that includes a "short flight" from Belize to San Pedro. Anyone taken this flight and if so, what kind of plane should we be expecting and how rough of a flight?

 

Can you please share your tour details/plans. I'm on the Conquest in July and would like to look into the tour you're describing. thanks!

[mdrobtx]

Did this tour. I have a complete video tour of this excursion on youtube. Search youtube for Ambergris Caye excursion Michael Robinette.

I cant get the playlist to load using my phone. I'll try to remember to get the link when I'm on my desktop.

 

Here's the video of the takeoff from Belize municipal.

 

And some friends on the way to shark ray alley.

[mdrobtx]

Also if you'll search my posts in this forum back around the first few months of 2010, you'll find a complete written review of taking this excursion off a Carnival cruise with Ecotours Belize.

[mdrobtx]

Check page 12 of this thread and I think my review is there. If this link doesn't take you directly to it.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1069185

 

By the way, we enjoyed San Pedro so much, that we went back the next year and spent a week there. The closest I've seen to what the Caribbean must have been like 20-30 years ago.

[bowbiter]

Took a scuba tour with the flight to San Pedro this past December. The plane is small but safe. Claustrophobic people would probably not fare well. Leg space is extremely limited too. But ut us a short flight. the pictures I got were pretty awesome. And the diving was great.we booked through eco tours. Trip was great but they forgot to pick us up at the airport when we returned. Make sure you get a phone number or be willing to pay for a cab yourself. Its only a 12 min ride to the port.

[wadethegringo]

What company did you use to book your excursion, Ecotours, Grumpy/Happy or someone else...? We are looking to do a snorkeling trip to Shark Ray and it seems the only reasonable way to go is by plane... Let us know how your trip turns out, I am hoping it will be great and we can book it for September...

 

Grumpy and happy are the best for custom tours. Flying is the best way to get to San Pedro.

[mdrobtx]

Here's the link to my video tour of Ecotours excursion. It's 19 video's long and they'll play back 2 back automatically.

Sorry about my continual mispronounciation of "caye". Rookie! :-)

 

[TGillman77]

Grumpy and happy are the best for custom tours. Flying is the best way to get to San Pedro.

 

That is the company we really wanted to go with but they are out of our price range, $1000 for a 4 person snorkel trip is a little much and still try to do stuff in other ports...:(

[TGillman77]

Here's the link to my video tour of Ecotours excursion. It's 19 video's long and they'll play back 2 back automatically.

Sorry about my continual mispronounciation of "caye". Rookie! :-)

 

 

Thank you very much for sharing, I will watch it when I get home tonight... When was your trip ? I'm sorry if I am jumping the gun and it is posted on the video. I am about 95% sure this is the tour we will be taking... It is less than half the cost of a couple of other company's that fly you over to San Pedro...

[mdrobtx]

Thank you very much for sharing, I will watch it when I get home tonight... When was your trip ? I'm sorry if I am jumping the gun and it is posted on the video. I am about 95% sure this is the tour we will be taking... It is less than half the cost of a couple of other company's that fly you over to San Pedro...

 

Your welcome. Shore excursion trip was in Jan 2010 and we went back in Sept 2011.

[LuvtheBeach10]

Can you please share your tour details/plans. I'm on the Conquest in July and would like to look into the tour you're describing. thanks!

 

Sorry for the delayed response, if you google shore excursions group, they had a large variety of excursions to choose from for very reasonable prices. I chose them because they were recommended by CruiseExperts.com who I use to book my cruises. I'll let you know how it goes once we get back!

[2manyBagsLady]

That is the company we really wanted to go with but they are out of our price range, $1000 for a 4 person snorkel trip is a little much and still try to do stuff in other ports...:(

 

I agree with you about "Grumpy and Happy"- I'd like to book them for our family of 5 for the Hol Chan & Shark Alley snorkel by air tour, but at $280 pp (including the $10 reef park fee), they are priced much higher than other tour companies. Even if you subtract the airfare price of $72 pp round trip (if booked independently) - that would make their base snorkel tour over $200 per person. That's really high compared to other tours!? :(

[TGillman77]

We haven't actually booked yet but will be doing so in about a week. Right now I am 95% sure we are booking through Eco tours, our other option is to book our own flight and book a tour once we are in San Pedro but I think I would rather have a company take care of all that, since they deal with it on a regular basis...

[mdrobtx]

We haven't actually booked yet but will be doing so in about a week. Right now I am 95% sure we are booking through Eco tours, our other option is to book our own flight and book a tour once we are in San Pedro but I think I would rather have a company take care of all that, since they deal with it on a regular basis...

 

I agree.

Although, since we've done the Eco Tour deal and did a 7 day OI (on island) trip, we'll be booking the whole day over there on our own next time we stop in BC.

[LuvtheBeach10]

We haven't actually booked yet but will be doing so in about a week. Right now I am 95% sure we are booking through Eco tours, our other option is to book our own flight and book a tour once we are in San Pedro but I think I would rather have a company take care of all that, since they deal with it on a regular basis...

 

For the shore excursions.com, we are paying $165 pp, includes flight and snorkeling. Will have to pay $10 to get into the marine reserve but still not a bad price.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[TGillman77]

It is $125/pp plus the $10 park fee through EcoTours... I am curious to see how your trip turns out and who it is actually with. Hopefully it turns out as good as I think it will...:)