CrowMan Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 (edited) Just got back from a 2 week trip to Belize on Ambergris Caye (San Pedro)...Toronto to Belize City direct, then a 15 minute flight on a Cessna Caravan puddle-jumper to the island. I first went to San Pedro over 30 years ago...this was my 7th trip. Although it has become somewhat developed over the years...there is now one "paved" (if you call rutted and potholed paved) road (but still no stop signs to be found)...it's still like what the rest of the Caribbean was like 50 years ago. No big all-inclusive resorts, golf carts and bikes are the primary means of transportation, most restaurants and bars just have a sand floor, and the locals are super friendly. Belikin beer is $15 a square, local rum $12 a bottle, excellent locally grown coffee, and plenty of cheap seafood fresh right from the local boats...Snapper, Grouper, Snook, Shrimp, Octopus, Conch, and Lobster. The other nice thing about Belize is it used to be called British Honduras before their independence...so unlike the rest of Central America which is Spanish, they speak English (the Queen is still on their money, and they brew a Lager and a Stout). It has a British West Indies vibe with a blend of Reggae and Creole cultures... great food and good music. It also has (IMO) the best inshore fishing of anywhere down south. The world's second largest barrier reef (awesome snorkeling and diving through stunning coral gardens) protects literally 100's of square miles of very shallow sand flats and mangroves from the open ocean. Whether its from shore or a boat, we never fished water that's more than 3 ft deep and usually dead calm...that's what makes flats fishing for Bonefish, Permit and Tarpon (plus Snook, Barracuda and Jacks) so exciting. It's more like hunting than fishing...its almost 100% sight fishing. You have to be super stealthy, use light tackle with FC leaders, watch you shadow, have good eyes to spot fish, have very accurate casting skills, cast to lead the fish with a soft entry...and when hooked these fish pull hard...I swear that a 5lb Bonefish will pull drag harder and certainly longer than a 20lb Northern Pike. Fish that live in shallow water like this have only one escape mechanism from predators...swim like hell horizontally. A few buddies (and our wives) and I rented a 5 bedroom house right on the beach. The place had a beautiful pool too, and we also rented a couple of golf carts. We fished a few times with "guides"...basically local fisherman who took us out on their skiffs...most of which had 2-stroke Yamahas (the only brand you see on the island, if that tells you something). The rest of the time we just ran our golf carts up and down the beach and wet waded...there's miles upon miles of completely deserted beach with perfect sand for walking/wading. All beaches in Belize are open to the public...it is illegal to own beachfront. Fishing along the beach was like stalking a tiny Trout stream...you had to be cat-like or the fish would spook...a lot of fun. While the boys fished, the girls sat around poolside or on the beach working on their tans while sipping on Pina Coladas and Margaritas. They also went on several excursions to the mainland (by water taxi) to see the Mayan ruins, and do some guided walks in the jungle to see birds and wildlife. Well enough rambling...here's some photos...the Permit is an absolute trophy. Last photo was a house down the beach from us..creative sign...lol Edited January 11 by CrowMan 3
TJQ Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 Your killing me.... Ill be bookmarking thos post ffs. LOL Nice trip! 1
Barry Willis Posted January 11 Report Posted January 11 Awesome Rick, a whole different world there. I love it and am full of envy. Thanks very much for sharing. 1
Weeds Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 Wow. That’s the stuff dreams are made of. I can’t imagine a better southern getaway. Love the lack of crowds. Thanks. 1
akaShag Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 Well as you know, you did not miss much here while you were away! Fishable ice still looks like it is a week or so away, probably more with the forecast high winds. 😟 Glad you had a great trip, and thanks for the report! Doug 1
Big Cliff Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 Wish I was younger and could do trips like that. Beautiful!
CrowMan Posted January 12 Author Report Posted January 12 (edited) 1 hour ago, Big Cliff said: Wish I was younger and could do trips like that. Beautiful! Not sure why you think you're too old. I'm 65, and except for my nephew, we were all between 63 and 75. This is perfect "old man" fishing...a golf cart, no hills to hike, flat gentle water, and a perfect 27c... Most difficult part of the trip was the insanely long walk from the check-in counter to gate 87 at Terminal 1....lol Edited January 12 by CrowMan
akaShag Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 2 minutes ago, CrowMan said: Most difficult part of the trip was the insanely long walk from the check-in counter to gate 87 at Terminal 1....lol Have you been in the CALGARY airport lately??? Take a lunch and a sleeping bag.......... 1 1
CrowMan Posted January 12 Author Report Posted January 12 (edited) 18 minutes ago, akaShag said: Have you been in the CALGARY airport lately??? Take a lunch and a sleeping bag.......... Toronto's usually not that bad, but the friggin moving sidewalks were all out of commission. I was eying up those electric carts that they ferry old folks around with...but my better half kept prodding me along like it was the Bataan Death March... You know me Doug...I take my side-by-side from the cottage to my dock....lol Edited January 12 by CrowMan
akaShag Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 28 minutes ago, CrowMan said: You know me Doug...I take my side-by-side from the cottage to my dock....lol Yes, but otherwise you would need climbing ropes, carabiners, crampons, ice axes and other mountain climbing gear.....😉 1
Fang Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 I've been doing this same type of trip on Cozumel over the last 10 years (4 times). Been looking hard at that area for a bit of a change and I think you've just pushed me over the edge on making a decision this year. Any suggestion on general area on the island to focus the search for accommodations??
CrowMan Posted January 12 Author Report Posted January 12 (edited) 39 minutes ago, Fang said: I've been doing this same type of trip on Cozumel over the last 10 years (4 times). Been looking hard at that area for a bit of a change and I think you've just pushed me over the edge on making a decision this year. Any suggestion on general area on the island to focus the search for accommodations?? San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) is your best bet if you want to do some DIY fishing. You will need to take a water taxi/ferry or a very short flight on TropicAir or MayaAir from BZE Int'l Airport to get there. Lots of accommodation options in San Pedro, and north and south along the coast of the island. Caye Casa is a good value hotel, but there's lots of places less expensive. Some good Airbnb or vrbo choices too. You'll need a golf cart to get to the best fishing, buts there's all kinds of rental places in town. If you go, message me and I'd be glad to share info on spots, etc.. I did go to Cozumel about 10 years ago...frankly, I found it too crowded (especially when the cruise ships came in), the fishing not that great, and when snorkeling the coral was bleached out.. Edited January 12 by CrowMan
Big Cliff Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 5 hours ago, CrowMan said: Not sure why you think you're too old. I'm 65, and except for my nephew, we were all between 63 and 75. This is perfect "old man" fishing...a golf cart, no hills to hike, flat gentle water, and a perfect 27c... Most difficult part of the trip was the insanely long walk from the check-in counter to gate 87 at Terminal 1....lol Well I am 78 (or will be tommorow) travel insurance for me is probably about as much as the cost of the trip (if I can even get it) Do it while you can because all of a sudden you look up and..... that place sounds amazing, beautiful, friendly, and affordable. Please keep posting your adventures I love reading and dreaming 😊 2
lew Posted January 12 Report Posted January 12 28 minutes ago, Big Cliff said: Well I am 78 (or will be tommorow) travel insurance for me is probably about as much as the cost of the trip (if I can even get it) If you ever need travel insurance Cliff, check out CAA. My wife is only a couple years younger than you and she's going to Cuba in a couple weeks and got full coverage for $300 A good friend of mine is a retired travel agent and he says CAA is excellent. 1
CrowMan Posted January 12 Author Report Posted January 12 35 minutes ago, Big Cliff said: Well I am 78 (or will be tommorow) travel insurance for me is probably about as much as the cost of the trip (if I can even get it) Do it while you can because all of a sudden you look up and..... that place sounds amazing, beautiful, friendly, and affordable. Please keep posting your adventures I love reading and dreaming 😊 My wife has been in the travel business for over 35 years (one of the reasons I get around so much 😊) and she always recommends Guardian Travel Insurance. I recently took my 87 year old Mom on a trip to Europe to visit family, and it was surprisingly reasonable. 1
limeyangler Posted January 13 Report Posted January 13 That’s it, I’m sold! Thanks for taking the time to share paradise with us! 2
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