Caye Caulker water taxi

[sl123]

I found that we can take a water taxi to Caye Caulker for $15 USD round trip and Hol Chan is very close. Do anyone know how much it costs to go to the Marine park and do snorkeling there ?

[nixnutz]

I found that we can take a water taxi to Caye Caulker for $15 USD round trip and Hol Chan is very close. Do anyone know how much it costs to go to the Marine park and do snorkeling there ?

 

Caye Caulker is a 45 minute water taxi ride from Belize City. Hol Chan is a 20-25 minute boat ride from Caye Caulker. Most of the tour operators on Caye Caulker run a Hol Chan trip from 10:30am-4:30pm, which means you would have to be in Caye Caulker by 10:00am. It also means you would have to have a late departure time for your ship.

 

If you could make it, the fee to go to Hol Chan on a snorkelling excursion would be about $60pp(US) minimum (Belize Govt charges a $20pp(US) Belize marine park fee, which is typically included).

 

$15pp Water Taxi ride+$60pp Tour= $75pp total.

 

I don't mean to be a "naysayer", but taking the water taxi on your own is probably not a good idea, if you plan to do a Hol Chan excursion from Caye Caulker. If you just want to go to Caye Caulker and chill, then water taxi on your own is fine. There isn't any good shore snorkelling in Caye Caulker either, so taking the water taxi and snorkelling on your own is a waste.

 

If you google "Caye Caulker" (with the quotes) there are some very informative sites. The first one that comes up has links to all the tour operators. A couple of them offer tours to Hol Chan specifically for cruise ship passengers. At least one that I saw offers transport to and from the tender pier in Belize City, with snorkelling stops at Hol Chan and Shark/Ray alley. That tour was $65pp(US).

 

We were in Belize with Carnival Valor in Nov. 2007. We did a private excursion to Shark/Ray Alley and the Reef with a stop on Caye Caulker for lunch. It was a great excursion, but we were stressed about getting back to the ship in time....we made it.

 

In February of 2008, my son and I did a week-long land vacation in Caye Caulker and got our PADI Open Water certification. We shopped all of the snorkel vendors while we were there, because we were looking to fill some free-time with a snorkel trip (darn surface intervals :rolleyes: ). The prices, departure/return times and destinations are all basically the same.

 

I say this so you know that I've been there, done that, and I'm just trying to help. If you've got any questions, post back and I'll try to answer. :D

[sl123]

thanks for your help and could you be able to suggest something close to Belize city and we can have a good snorkeling time as we are not strong swimmers preferably shore snorkeling for 14 and 12 years old ?

[nixnutz]

thanks for your help and could you be able to suggest something close to Belize city and we can have a good snorkeling time as we are not strong swimmers preferably shore snorkeling for 14 and 12 years old ?

 

I would suggest one of the ship's snorkelling excursions. They pick you right up from the ship, so you donm't lose time tendering to shore.

 

The beaches in Belize are generally on cayes(basically little islands). The water around Belize City is a mixture of fresh water run-off (from the mainland) and salt water, so it has a brownish green look to it. You have to take a boat to the crystal clear blue waters we're all so fond of.

 

I would reccomend that you book one of the ship's excursions for your snorkelling. They will take you to a shallow reef and usually one of the Cayes for a beach break, where you can shore snorkel also.

 

I know they have excursions to Goff's Caye, Turneffe Atoll and Sergeant's Cay. You'll be given a snorkelling vest that you can inflate, if you're not a great swimmer. It may cost a bit more than a private excursion, but I think it will be worth it for you. How often do you get to snorkel on the second larest barrier reef in the world??

 

Best of luck!!