Another sailboat trip in the books. We flew to Belize City and took a hopper flight to the small sea-side town of Placencia. From here we picked up our sailboat which would be home for the next week. We took off ready to explore the hundreds of islands and beautiful coral reefs in this area of Belize. Located in the Southern area of Belize, Placencia is a hidden gem and the islands that scatter this coastline are covered in plush mangrove forests and have some incredible underwater life.
Our Sailboat
We decided to rent a catamaran with two hulls for this trip because they have a shallow draft which allows them to anchor closer to shore and avoid coral that is close to the surface. Our boat was called “Puff Daddy” which we rented through Moorings. Regardless of the silly name the boat was new, spacious, and even had air conditioning.
Hatchet Caye
Our first night on the boat we grabbed a mooring ball at Hatchet Caye. This little island is a private resort called Ray’s Caye which has a restaurant, pool, a scuba dive shop, kayak rentals, and more. This island is only about a mile in diameter and only has 12 cabanas in total. These beachfront bungalow style rooms are literally steps from the ocean. This resort is extremely secluded and there is a definitely a peaceful and relaxed vibe. If you are looking to get away this place could be perfect. Waking up to only the sound of the waves out your window. We paid a fee to stay on the resort’s mooring ball for the night which also meant we had access to all these amenities. The only restaurant on the island had surprisingly high end food and a pretty awesome bar. The sandwiches on the homemade bread and pina coladas were both delicious.
Dinner for two at the Lionfish Restaurant
Hideaway Cayes
The next stop was at Hideaway Caye. This is truley a remarkable island and story. Purchased by a couple a couple years ago this island is more of a mangrove swamp than anything else. There is barely any solid ground on the entire island, most of it is mangrove branches which come out of the water. The couple didn’t care and bought it anyways. They built their home on stilts and also a restaurant and tiki bar in almost tree house fashion. Every night they serve dinner and drinks to the boaters who are anchored or moored in their harbor. Each night the only things on the menu are what the owner caught that day. We were lucky and had lobster, conch, and red snapper to go along with our rum punch. It was inspiring talking to the couple who own Hideaway Caye. We talked to them for awhile and they told us that they now run completely off the grid completely powered by solar and wind. It was incredible to get a glimpse into their almost Robinson Crusoe lifestyle which they also share with their 5 year old daughter who we also met. She loves living by the sea and already accompanies her dad on his daily fishing excursions. Hideaway Caye is truly hidden gem, and if you get a chance to visit please say hi to Dustin and Kim for us.
Thatch Caye
The last stop on our sailing trip was at Thatch Caye. Jeff was excited to visit because there is a fly fishing company on this island that takes you out in search of landing a Grand Slam: permit, tarpon, and bone fish. This area of Belize has some amazing fly fishing and the fishing lodge on this island, Blue Horizon is one of the best!
After a day of sailing and snorkeling we went to happy hour at Thatch Caye’s tiki bar on stilts. We sat in hammocks overlooking the water watching as the pelicans dove for fish.
After the sun set we headed to dinner on the beach. You need to make reservations in the afternoon when you arrive because the food freshly prepared every night and is served at a long farm table for all the guests staying on the island. We loved getting to know everyone as we ate our shrimp fettuccine with our toes in the sand. What a great way to spend the final night of our sailing adventure in Belize.
We dropped out boat off in Placencia and took a small hopper flight on Tropic Air which was the the first leg of our journey back home.
