teresastreed

I've considered Sea Sports Belize but for $95 for a boat snorkel, I might as well dive! (Also, there are mixed reviews about them getting back in time). I've found Eco Tours does a boat to Hol Chan for $65/pp and and air option for $139 or $169/pp. We are still considering our options.

 

There are very mixed reviews on TA for Eco Tours. I read good reviews here for Eco Tours, but it seems they are real hit & miss on Trip Advisor. I also saw where one CC person used them recently (via air) and everything went fine.

 

Just wanted to chime in on my further research if this helps anyone. Thanks Mas0765 for your input. Would love to hear from Teresastreed which operator you used!

I think the tour Operator I used was www.belizeexcursions.biz it was listed as the Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley Tour. I checked out their website and it is still listed along with their reviews. I think the price is $129 pp and that includes your airfare and boat and guide to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. More time was spend at Hol Chan Marine Reserve then Shark Ray Alley. We were the only 2 people on the tour. The plane is small - holds only 8 to 10 people, but the views were incredible!

I know you said you weren't interested in the shark ray alley part of the tour.....but it was very interesting. We saw rays that we'd never seen before.

Again the snorkeling was excellent in Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Some of the best snorkeling we've done in the Caribbean. We really enjoyed this tour. We are thinking about going on the Carnival Liberty again this winter and taking this same tour again! It was definitely worth the money! Hope this information helps you!:)

We'd love to do this. Did you book the flight(s) yourself and how did you get from Belize City to airport, etc. Or, did you go thru a tour operator? I've checked on doing this thru tour operator and it was about $200pp. A bit pricey for me for some snorkeling.

 

Where is the airport from Belize City? I've been outside the tour gates of Belize City and walked around, but I don't remember taxis or anything.

I did use a tour operator when I booked it last year. However, after having done it...........next time I would book on my own. We just took a taxi on our own right outside the gates to the local airport. Then when we arrived in San Pedro we walked to the beach and hired a local to take us out to Hol Chan. The boat ride isn't long.........however you will be on a very small boat with no restrooms and no shade. The water was choppy the day we went to Hol chan........it's not for beginners. The snorkeling was very good. We saw several kinds of turtles, nurse sharks, lots of fish and coral, green moray eel and a black eel, and several different kinds of stingrays.

I wouldn't go by boat because I don't think there is enough time. The only way to go is by plane. The plane ride is only about 15 - 20 minutes. I think we took the 9 am flight and returned on the 2 or 3 pm flight. We had plenty of time to catch the last tender back to the ship. You need to make sure you have enough time on the Magic in Belize. We were on the Carnival Liberty and were in port from 9am to 6pm ship time. Also make sure when booking your aware that ship time is different than Belize time. You will need to figure all that out.

It is very good snorkeling but it isn't cheap to get there! You will have your taxi to the airport both ways. Cost of Airline Tickets and then you have to hire a boat to take you to Hol Chan. It probably cost us somewhere between $150 -$200 a piece to do this trip! But it was worth it! The airplane ride was Amazing and worth the money alone!

If you don't decide to do this..........I can make another suggestion if your stopping in Roatan Honduras. Take the private tour with Upachaya (spelling?) You go out on a Pontoon boat to 2 different snorkeling stops and then back and they feed you lunch. The snorkeling was very good there too! Saw lionfish and tons of starfish! Plus lots of other fish and coral! Upachaya will pick you up right outside the gates. You don't have to hire a taxi!

We love to snorkel and have been all over the Caribbean and Hawaii! Were also very experienced Cruisers..........been on 20 Cruises! 15 of those Cruises were with Carnival!

Have a Great Trip!:)

Hello all,

 

I've been reading up some on the snorkeling options in Belize and it looks to me like the "best" snorkeling in the area is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

 

However, I am taking a cruise on Carnival and no "ship-based" excursion is offered to Hol Chan (or even to Caye Caulker!).

 

Therefore I was thinking of trying to get a private tour to the Hol Chan Reserve and spend the day there, since the ship is in port in Belize for quite a long time that day (9 am to 6 pm).

 

I see that some people on the message board have pointed to an option to get a flight to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye; however, I am a little nervous about taking a flight in such a small plane.

 

I see that there are tour groups that offer boat tours to Caye Caulker (like Coral Breeze) -- and in fact even stop at "Shark Ray Alley" which is technically IN Hol Chan. But from what I hear, Zone A of Hol Chan is only like another 20 minutes north. Since I have all day, I figure there has to be some tour company able to take me another 20 minutes north in that amount of time.

 

Does anyone know of any tour companies who will go the extra few minutes north to the Hol Chan reef?

 

Or can I call Coral Breeze and get a "individualized" tour and ask them to take me all the way to see Hol Chan?

 

I'm not interested so much in seeing sharks and rays, I want to see coral and fish mostly. So I would rather skip Shark Ray Alley and instead go see Zone A of Hol Chan which has more reef and coral.

 

Any suggestions?

It is possible to do exactly what you have mentioned above. We did this last year. Simply book a flight from the Belize airport to San Pedro. It isn't that expensive. Then walk a couple of blocks and you will find all kinds of little dive/snorkel huts that will take you to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and then on to Shark Ray Alley. We did both! Excellent snorkeling at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. However, it is a little choppy at Hol Chan so make sure you are an experienced snorkeler.

I was also nervous about taking the small airplane. It was a wonderful flight with fantastic views. Don't worry there is nothing to be afraid of. Just make sure you book your flight back in plenty of time before the cruise ship leaves port.:)

How much did the taxi cost to Sapphire Beach?