Goff Caye

[jenzierae]

What are you thoughts on Goff Caye? Would you recommend it? Why or why not? Is it very crowded? Is the snorking good? Thank you for any info :)

 

 

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[brookeq]

I just recommended it on two other posts :)

 

We went in January and it was perfect for us. Beach time for me and the small kids. The water was so clear and beautiful

 

Husband want in the snorkel part of the tour and had a great time.

 

They have a good lunch. It's not included but very cheap.

 

I have a review with picture in my signature.

 

 

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[brookeq]

It wasn't crowded when we went. Out tour got is there first. A second boat came well over an hour later but tre majority of them went snorkeling so it was never crowded to us.

 

 

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Edited March 31, 2014 by brookeq

[CaribbeanBound]

We considered a ship excursion here due to the use of tenders and the fact that the Belize ocean-based tours booked through the ship will pick you up and drop you back off at the ship with no need to tender to shore. That's worth something, but since we're not big fans of the huge cattle call crowds common with ship tours, we opted to save $60 and privately arranged a snorkeling trip through EcoTours called the "Goff's Caye Island Getaway" for $45 pp.

 

It was a 4-hour tour that started at the pier at 10:30 am. Goff's Caye, a small 1.25 acre natural coral sand island, is about 40 minutes away from Belize City/Cruise Port by speedboat. Our boat ride took us past mangrove islands (natural habitats for Brown Boobies, Cormorants, Terns and Frigate birds). There are no beach chairs, so bring your beach towels. BBQ chicken kabobs and chicken quarters, grilled lobster tails (in season), cold bottled beers, "real" bottled Cokes (made with sugar, not corn syrup), assorted snacks, and coconuts are available for sale on the island. The tour price included snorkeling equipment (mask, snorkel, fins and vest), bagged water and rum punch.

 

Goff's Caye is a pretty island, wrapped in a beach, wrapped in a reef. The water was nice. The snorkel tour, just a couple minutes from shore, was guided. Stay close to your guide to make the most of this tour. There are lots of interesting reef formations but few fish. We did see 3 squid and a sea star.

 

We tendered into port using local charters which were so much nicer than the claustrophobic fire traps we rode several years ago. The tender took just 15 minutes into port and about 20 minutes back to the ship at the end of our day. While at the port, I took the opportunity to find the water taxi. For anyone concerned about this, don't be. It's too easy! Directions to the water taxi: upon arrival at the pier, walk as far left as you can and enter the building. You'll find numerous tour operators main desks to the left of the hall and souvenir shops to the right. There is also a restroom. Walk to the end of the hall and out the doors. Cross a very small parking lot to a pair of little pink shacks that say "Exit". The shack on the left is the exit. The shack on the right is the security entrance back into the parking lot.

 

Open the exit door, say "buenos dias" to the guard and exit the shack thought a second door immediately in front of you. You are now on the street in front of the terminal and will have a dozen folks ask you if you want their goods or services. Ignore them and turn left. Walk about 100 feet and turn left again into the ferry terminal. (You'll see a large sign above the pink wall advertising "San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi").

 

Walk to the end. You'll pass a few shops and bars. A water taxi ticket counter can be found in the last building on the right. The water taxis are on the pier jut past the ticket counter. To get back to the cruise terminal, reverse the process, enter the little pink shack on the left, show your credentials to the guard, walk across the parking lot, back through the terminal building, and you'll find yourself back on the pier. The water taxi is actually located just on the other side of a wall at the end of the cruise pier. You just have to totally exit the secured area to get there!

 

Picture: http://www.lavasurfer.com/info/goffs-caye.jpg

 

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