The turquoise waters of Belize

Logbook

Imagine... An exotic coastline, long stretches of sun-drenched coral reefs, beaches lined with coconuts palms rustling in the breeze of the tradewinds; islands where drivers still use their cars as a means of locomotion rather than as a visible sign of their virile strength; resplendent nature, quite simply. And what about you? You’ll be sailing onboard a catamaran, two families together for a dream cruise along the coast of Belize. Atolls are never very far away from each other, so sailing from one to the other is never very long. The catamaran’s platform offers its usual advantages: comfort, stability, speed, easy access to the water, and, in this case, lots of privacy. Belize’s barrier is an outgrowth Central America, and hundreds of marine animals, all different, display their splendor for visitors’ great enjoyment. This wonderland is made up of thousands of tiny islets surrounded by turquoise waters. In these shallow waters, catamarans reign free; this is a sailing paradise; from time to time, you will encounter an inhabited islet where you can purchase supplies and even find a restaurant. But the best thing is to leave the rental bases with all you need for your cruise since you cannot count on finding anything like a supermarket on your way. The fruit basket here is a taste of paradise, with succulent bananas, fresh-squeezed orange juice for breakfast. Not to mention the miraculous fishing... even if it usually comes from local fishermen, usually quite ready to exchange fresh langoustines and shrimp and a friendly smile for chilled beverages. Belize is so fascinating, it seem a single lifetime is not sufficient to explore it fully...

Practical info

• Formalities:
  Valid passport for citizens of the UK and Commonwealth nations, USA, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey and Uruguay); a visa is necessary for the others. A return ticket is essential to be admitted to Belize. Belize has an international airport (American Airlines, Continental, Grupo TACA, Tropic Air, MayaIsland Air).

• Weather:
  Belize has a tropical climate, warm pleasant weather year round.

• Tourist season:
  Temperatures: 27-33°C (80-92°F) year round.

• Sailing conditions:
  There are few problems with sailing in Belize. You can navigate by sight most of the time and you really stop very often. You must simply pay great attention to the barrier reef and the patates that can be dangerous. Under no circumstances should you sail at night, and you must always land with your back to the sun to see the differences in color of the water, indicating changes in depth

• Marking:
  Zone “B” (entering the harbor, green buoys to port). Do be careful, however, since marking is haphazard and not very trustworthy.

• Currency:
  Belize dollar

Itinerary

Itinerary for one-week rental in catamaran