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The Island Life - Belize

Make St. George's Caye Your Excuse - To Relax

Beautiful Sunsets at St. George's Caye Resort

Have you ever noticed that after some vacations... you need another vacation just to decompress? We heard recently from a perspective guest who was shocked at our difference or the uniqe quality of St. George's Caye Resort. She said, "I travel all the time and I have not really found a place where our goal could be to do nothing. That sounds so ref...

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Top 4 Ways to Avoid Crowds During your Belize Vacation

In March of 2019, 100 million people responding to a AAA survey said they were traveling this year, the majority in fall and winter. If you're finding this year that there's a little too much togetherness — we mean with your fellow travelers, we have a couple of ideas for keeping the crowds at bay this fall and winter! Travel during Belize's "...

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Thirsty Thursday - Island Style

Relax with a tropical drink at St. George's Caye Resort

 Happy Thirsty Thursday from the island! It's a beautiful day to spend an afternoon taking in the Caribbean views and ocean breezes while lying in one of our hammocks with a cocktail or ice cold, freshly squeezed juice in hand. No matter your beverage of choice, we have a little something for everyone! At St. Georges, supporting the local econ...

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Be Good to Yourself 2019

Take the time this year to get away and balance

Most people know that the top New Year's resolutions made are for better health and balance of responsibilities with time to enjoy the important things.  When thinking of health, many will run out and join the gym or pick up the latest Pilates video series with hopes of refining their body. What are other things that effect this...

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Favorite Underwater Sights Diving Near St. George's Caye

The beautiful coral near the Blue Hole & Lighthouse Reef

We regularly get questions from scuba divers as they prepare for their trip to Belize.
 
What is it like diving the reef in Belize? Which fish and animals am I most likely to see?
 
Snapper:  So here is a list of our favorite underwater sights on the reef near St. George's Caye.  From our island, it's only a 5-15 minute boat ride to a variety of pristine dive sites.  We are the only dive resort in the area, so there are no other boats or divers - it's like having the reef all to yourself!  Many of the fish and creatures that divers encounter can also be seen on our private guided snorkel trips over the coral reef. 

WHAT YOU'LL SEE DIVING IN BELIZE

Snapper:  many varieties, including:  Gray, Dog, Mahogany, and Yellowtail

Parrotfish:  Stoplight (pictured below), Rainbow and Queen

Grouper:  Nassau and Black 

Angel fish:  Gray, French and Queen

Needlefish

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Belize Listed Top Underrated Tourist Destination by the Daily Telegraph

Our beautiful remote island getaway

Have you seen the news? In an article published in the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper, Belize was ranked among 15 of the most underrated travel destinations in the world! What wonderful news for our beautiful country. We hope this encourages more people to visit our little slice of paradise in the Caribbean with beautiful beaches, an abundance of history and culture, and amazing dive spots like the Great Blue Hole and Belize Reef.

The author of the article writes, "One joy of traveling here is how empty Belize seems. While neighboring Mexico and Guatemala are famously populous and exuberant, here the roads are quiet, the beaches are relaxed and the archeological sites are often blissfully free of crowds."

Can you imagine a vacation with little to no people? That's exactly what you'll experience here at St. George's in Belize!

Best Things To Do in Belize

Based on years of introducing guests to this amazing travel destination, the team at St. George's has a list of our favorite activities, besides the awesome diving and snorkeling on the nearby reef. We can introduce you to these spots with our in-house tour guide on small, private tours. See everything you want, ask all the questions, take all the pictures! 

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What is a Resort Dive?

Learn to Dive on the Belize Reef

Learning to scuba dive is an amazing experience, but not everyone is ready to jump in for the full open-water scuba certification course. That's where the resort dive comes in!

A resort dive is a safe and excellent introduction to scuba diving that requires no previous diving experience. The half-day course is very popular because it lets you experience the underwater world without having to invest a lot of time.  The open-water certifications require classroom time, an exam and take 4-5 days to complete.

The experience and cost for a resort dive can be credited towards further training if you later decide to get SCUBA certified (usually for a period of six months).

 

What's Included in a Resort Dive?

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Lowest Airfares to Belize We've Seen - Plus New Summer Specials

Take advantage of summer airfare deals to visit Belize

Did you see the amazing deals? There are round-trip flights to Belize for less than $350!!

Airlines are getting very competitive for summer travel and we are seeing the lowest airfares to Belize in almost 20 years. If you've been waiting for the best time to visit, here it is! Summer 2018. 

In honor of these Belize travel deals, we're excited to bring back St. George's popular summer special, "Choose Your Summer Discount." Stay anytime now through September and you can choose from Free Airfare, 2-for-1 Scuba Certification, or your 5th & 7th Nights Free! It makes your trip to Belize all that more affordable. Can you see yourself in a thatch-roof Overwater Bungalow, relaxing in the hammock on your private porch? Thought so! (Find full details on our special offers page.)

 

Tips for Finding Cheap Flights

A member of our team recently purchased tickets for a summer vacation and she had this to share: "What I have found in the past week is that prices can change within the same day from morning to afternoon, and may go up again for two weeks, then suddenly drop again. My tip - set a reminder to check multiple times every day and be ready to BUY when you see a good deal!"

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How warm is the water in Belize?

We get this question often as guests plan their trip to Belize: how warm is the water?

Water temperatures in the ocean off St. George's Caye range from 78-84 degrees, depending on the time of year. Ideal for swimming and snorkeling in the Caribbean right off our docks! (Snorkel gear is free of charge. So are kayaks and Hobie Cat sailboats!)

 

Belize Water Temps by Month 

January, February, March, April -- water temp 78 to 79 degrees

May -- outside temps and water temps increasing

June, July, August, September, October -- water temp around 84 degrees

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Fun New Photos of Our Belize Island Paradise

What is it like on our island in Belize?  You may have noticed some beautiful new images appearing on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds, and on our website.  We recently had new photos taken of our secluded island resort and we're excited to share them with you!

 

THE BEACH

 

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New Fishing Packages for "Grand Slam" Season in Belize

When's the best time to fish in Belize? 

Fishing here is excellent year-round, but the best times to catch the "Big Three" of tarpon, bonefish, and permit is in June, July, and August. We call this Grand Slam Season. (This is also a time when you can find the lowest airfares to Belize!) 

To help you plan the perfect trip, we're excited to announce four new Fishing Packages -- from a short weekend trip with one day of fishing, to a full-week fishing extravaganza complete with unlimited beer in our Sand Bar Lounge. And fishing off our docks is always complimentary. 

Summer 2018 Special = $100 Credit Per Night!

This May through September, we're offering an extra incentive: get a $100 credit per night stayed when you book any fishing package for two people directly with the resort. How cool is that?

 

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Get to Know Belize: New Packages Focus on Culture & History

Not everyone comes to Belize just for the incredible scuba diving and fishing and drinking beer on the beach (although GREAT reasons to visit!). Many folks also yearn to explore the rich history and diverse cultures of our "little melting pot" - from the temples and ruins of the ancient Maya to the Garifuna communities in southern Belize. Are you one of those travelers?

We keep getting requests for more history and culture - and we love to show off our beautiful country - so we're excited to unveil the new Culture of Belize packages featuring our best cultural tours combined with your choice of room, meals, and transfers!

 

NEW CULTURE OF BELIZE PACKAGES

The Intro to Belize Culture package features an exploration of Belizean culture in and around Belize City with our friendly and knowledgeable tour guide Cornel (Meet Cornel :: Authentic Belizean Tours). Called the Belize Cultural Adventure, this full day tour is tailored to your interests and potential stops include several museums, old town, the zoo, a rum distillery, and more. It's a wonderfully personal way to learn about the many facets of Belize. This package also features a fun visit to the St. George's Caye Aquarium, a small family run operation on our island that helps rehabilitate sea animals. 

The Multi-Cultural Belize Experience package features even more fun with an amazing full day guided tour to the Lamanai ancient Maya temple and ruins with jungle boat ride and wildlife viewing. The customizable full day Belize Cultural Adventure is also included, along with a 10% discount on Belizean beverages and a 10% discount on all gift shop items made in Belize.  

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Belize in the News: Hot Travel Destination for 2018

Did you see Belize in the news? Our little country is making headlines as a "hot" travel destination in 2018 - and a great place to live, too. 

BELIZE: BEST PLACES TO TRAVEL IN 2018

MSN Lifestyle included Belize in their list of the hottest destinations to visit in 2018. The article explains that Belize’s raw beauty and stunning barrier reef make it one of the best travel destinations to visit this year. “Belize is undoubtedly one of the ‘hottest’ coolest destinations to visit this year,” the article states.

And it's easy to see why - with the variety of activities from cave tubing and climbing ruins, to diving the barrier reef and relaxing on one of the many islands dotting the coast - Belize has a lot to offer for such a small country. Not to mention friendly, welcoming locals and amazing food, all in a Central American country that accepts US currency and speaks English as the official language. Sounds good, doesn't it? What are you waiting for? The flight is less than three hours from several US airports like Houston, Dallas, and Miami. 

 

BELIZE: A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, TOO

According to an article from the popular website, Live and Invest Overseas, Belize is one of the best places to live in 2018. They identified San Pedro on Ambergris Caye as number 4 on their list; “They compete with the best the Caribbean has to offer.”

The article ends by encouraging readers to include Belize in their list of places to visit in 2018. We couldn't agree more! And our close location to the mainland makes St. George's a great home base for exploring Belize as a possible place to live, from Placencia and Hopkins on the southern coast to the famous Ambergris Caye in the north and many wonderful little communities in between. 

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Private Suites in the Villa – A New Oceanfront Experience at St. George’s!

Located between the swimming pool and the Oceanfront Cabanas, The Villa features three private suites adjoining a large living room and veranda with expansive views of the Caribbean. Until now this space was used by the owner, and for occasional overflow and groups needing more than our 12 thatch cabanas.

But we can no longer keep this beautiful space and impressive view to ourselves…so we’re excited to announce the newly remodeled oceanfront villa and suites at St. George’s Caye Resort!

RENT A PRIVATE SUITE – OR THE ENTIRE VILLA

Starting this winter, each of the three air-conditioned suites – the Coral Suite, Dolphin Suite, and Captain’s Suite – is available to rent as a private room, or you can rent the entire Villa. With gorgeous Belizean hardwood floors, bright tropical accents, and sweeping ocean views from the living room and veranda, The Villa is the perfect space for a group of friends, two or three couples, or family to enjoy our island paradise together.

Just like the private cabanas, your private villa suite comes with coffee & fresh juice delivered each morning, your first rum punch on the house every day, unlimited use of kayaks, SUPs, sailboats, windsurf gear, and saline swimming pool, and all other resort amenities.
 

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St. George’s Featured in Cool Video on Spending a Week in Belize

Ever wondered what it’s like to jump off a waterfall in the jungle?

Dive the beautiful Belize Barrier Reef?

Swim with sharks?

 

Watch this fun video to see all this and more in beautiful Belize!

 

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Seeking adventure in 2017? The experts say: Travel to Belize!

We love seeing Belize in the travel news because that means more people will discover this awesome country and want to visit! So we were pleased to see that Belize was selected as a "top adventure tour destination" to visit in 2017 by Stride Travel, a large search and review site for tours and adventure experiences. 

You can read the press release here on Belize Breaking News.

EXPERIENCE THE BEST BELIZE ADVENTURES WITH A "REEF TO RAINFOREST" PACKAGE

Many travelers considering Belize want to spend time both in the jungle and on the beach and have a hard time deciding. We can help!

At St. George's Caye we offer four jungle/beach all-inclusive packages to choose from, so you can spend time on the mainland and on our island and have all of your meals and transportation included. Easy! We work with two different jungle lodges, each offering a different experience in a different part of the country, depending on your interests. 

Packages with Mariposa Jungle Lodge & Tours

Located in the heart of Maya country in the Cayo district on the West side of Belize (near Guatemala), Mariposa Jungle Lodge offers a luxury jungle experience with 6 beautiful cabanas and a main lodge for meals. They have a swimming pool, jungle birdwatching tower, and hiking trails onsite. Plus a large variety of adventure, nature, and cultural tours led by their professional in-house tour guides of Mayan descent. 

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Flying to Belize Keeps Getting Easier (and Cheaper!)

Two more direct flights to Belize City (BZE) from North America have been announced, making it even easier to get to our beautiful Central American country!

The world-class snorkeling and diving on the barrier reef, the Mayan ruins and jungle adventures, and the really friendly native people have all made Belize a popular travel destination over the past few years. Belizeans love showing off their country and the natural beauty, history, culture, food, and adventures.

But for a long time one of the barriers for people getting to Belize was the high cost of airfare. We are thrilled that is less and less of an issue as more airlines add routes to Belize such as Southwest Airlines and West Jet out of Canada!

We are finally seeing affordable airfare to Belize which means it's time for you to come and visit. Right?

 

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WHY AND HOW WE SUPPORT EDUCATION AND TEACHERS

Recently we've had guests ask, "Why do you offer a Teacher Bonus?"

So here is Cap'n Ron to elaborate on why education is so important to him and St. George's Caye Resort.

The value of a good education is universally acknowledged in the western world – opportunity for better jobs, ability to make better life decisions, more awareness of the world, more understanding of and compassion for others, etc. Sometimes, however, people who are fortunate enough to have access to quality education take it for granted. We sometimes don’t see, or we forget that a significant number of people don’t have this advantage.

I ask myself, “What if the next Jonas Salk, Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein or Nelson Mandela never has the chance to achieve anything because she or he did not have the opportunity for education?” Our world is so much the poorer for not having met the great achievers, the great potential contributors who do not get to blossom due to a lack of educational opportunity.

Students Must Pay to Attend High School in Belize

In the United States, Canada and Western Europe, education is considered a right and governments take responsibility for making education available. In Belize, education is provided for everyone through the elementary level only. Beyond elementary, there is a cost – for tuition, books, uniforms, as well as transportation and meals – that is beyond the reach of a significant percentage of the population. The result is that thousands of young people never get the chance to attend middle school, high school and beyond. Statisticians will tell us that there are great achievers in that group of uneducated people who just didn’t have the opportunity.

Scholarship Program at St. George's Caye Resort

As a successful private island resort, St. George’s is dedicated to helping identify the achievers and supporting their education – hoping to see more young people achieve their potential. Our staff not only takes pride in showing guests the Blue Hole, Mayan ruins and other jungle adventures, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and other Belize landmarks, but they also fund and operate a scholarship program, currently putting six students through school in Belize.

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Blues 'n Belize: How It Got Started on Our Little Island

Cap’n Ron, owner of St. George’s Caye Resort, is a music lover and has hosted musicians for house concerts on a number of occasions at his home in Portland, Oregon.  Resort manager Barry is a huge fan of Blues music and spent part of his career (before moving to Belize to manage St. George’s!) working with Grammy-award-winning Blues pianist Pinetop Perkins.

Both Cap'n Ron and Barry felt our private island resort offered a unique and intimate atmosphere for live acoustic music, so after reaching out to some industry connections, we hosted our first Blues 'n Belize with Doug MacLeod and Phil Wiggins in November 2015.  (Read more about the inaugural event: Blues in Belize :: A Private Island Blues Experience)

“My heart was full the entire week, full with the wonderful music of Phil and Doug and their generous teacher spirit, full with the beauty of St. George's Caye, full with the welcoming spirit of the staff and guests, with the other-world beauty of the reef. I must add that my stomach was full with the delicious meals prepared by Ernesto. I believe that we all felt the magic at some point during that special week.”
– Marc P., guest at Blues ‘n Belize 2015

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Exciting News: Adventure Tours Now More Affordable!

Popular excursions like Cave Tubing, Zip Lining and exploring the ancient Mayan temples are thoroughly enjoyed by our guests, and to many visitors are a “must-do” while in Belize. And we can't blame them -- they're a lot of fun! Many of our packages include one or more of these popular Belize Adventures

Excursions to these popular jungle sites are provided in a number of ways by tour operators: 1) Some operators function only on the mainland and provide services at bare-minimum standards; 2) Some tour operators use busses and take 20, 30 or more people at a time; 3) And then there is the St. George’s Caye Experience -- We not only provide boat transfers as part of our tours; we take only small groups from the resort and our top-notch professional guides give personalized tours during which everyone can hear the information. 

Our premium service costs a bit more and that has been mentioned several times in online reviews. Although we will not diminish the quality of our tour experience in order to offer the cheapest prices, we are sensitive to how much a vacation can cost, and so we are always seeking ways to reduce costs and pass the savings on to our guests. 

GOOD NEWS!

Cap'n Ron has just reduced the prices for our most popular tours -- by over 20% when we have 4 or more guests participating! 

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New Children's Book Featuring St. George's Caye

Hot off the press! A children's book not to be missed. Spin the Globe children's book series has released its latest edition featuring Belize. In Spin the Globe: The Incredible Adventures of Frederick von Wigglebottom - Turtles of the Reef (italic), the main character Frederick travels to the sandy island paradise of St. George's Caye Belize. 

 

A Fun Introduction to Belize 

In Belize, Fredrick meets two native children who introduce him to the unique culture and history of Belize. "Tonight the globe stops on Belize, the Pearl of the Caribbean." says author Edward Moldenhauer. "Frederick grabs his trusty journal and prepares to explore St George's Caye. Together with K'ayab and Hayá, Frederick releases two sea turtles back on the coral reef at the Great Blue Hole. He learns about the diverse Belizean, Mayan and Garinagu cultures and the animals of the reef and jungle." 

Turtles of the Reef  features our very own Captain Ron and another little surprise so be sure to check out the book! The series aims to entertain and enrich our knowledge of people and places around the World. Like many good children's stories Spin the Globe Series began as bedtime tales the author told to his children. Makes a unique gift!

 

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