Kayaking Lighthouse Reef

In Belize City, meet the Islands Expeditions representative at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel lobby early in the morning. After a quick stop at a local shop, you'll board a motorboat charter. Your journey will take you 56 miles out to sea, navigating through mangrove ranges and white sand cayes, ultimately arriving at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the most distant island group in Belize. Once you reach Half Moon Caye, your guide team will introduce you to the island and camp, helping you get settled into your accommodations. Following a late lunch, you'll receive instructions for sea kayaking and snorkeling before heading out on the water.

Please note: 
"Basecamping" involves sleeping in wall-tented cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents have ample headroom to walk around, are on raised wooden floors, and have real wood-framed beds (6-inch foam mattresses). Tents can be configured with either double or single beds. All bed linen is provided.

Because of the early morning check-in time, we recommend arriving in Belize City one day before starting your adventure.

Due to its remote location, the waters around Lighthouse Reef are exceptionally clear, teeming with abundant fish and vibrant coral reefs. This rich ecosystem offers some of the best opportunities for sea kayaking, snorkeling, and scuba diving in the Caribbean.

You will have many chances to learn from our guides about the marine reef ecology, local flora and fauna, and the island's coconut and littoral forest. Half Moon Caye is a stunning 45-acre nature preserve, home to a red-footed booby colony and a magnificent frigate bird rookery. We will visit the viewing platforms built by the Belize Audubon Society to observe the nesting sites on the island.

Over the next few days, you'll have various exploration options, including a rapidly disappearing shipwreck just north of the caye. Each day, the guides will suggest activities based on the weather and the group's interests. Of course, you can always choose to relax in a hammock with a good book and a cold beverage.

In the final days, we will visit the world-renowned Great Blue Hole, a massive collapsed sinkhole discovered and made famous by ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. You'll either motorboat or paddle the 6-mile journey to this perfectly circular formation, adorned with soft and hard corals of various colors. After a full day of exploration, you'll return just in time for a delicious dinner prepared by our cooks. In the evening, enjoy a cultural presentation of drumming and dancing to celebrate your last night at Half Moon Caye.

Due to the remote location of the Lighthouse Reef Basecamp, the activities on the reef portion of this trip are weather- dependent and are subject to change.

On your final morning at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, you have several options. You can snorkel your favorite patch reefs, walk the island trails, relax in a hammock, or beach comb along the shores.

After lunch, a motorboat charter will pick everyone up for the return trip to the mainland. The journey will take you through Turneffe Atoll and across the Great Barrier Reef, typically arriving at the Belize City Biltmore Hotel by late afternoon.

For travelers leaving Belize after this trip, we strongly recommend spending a night in Belize City. International connections out of the country require a departure the following day.  Talk to your Adventure Life Trip Planner about hotel reservations in Belize City or extending your Belize itinerary by combining this trip with another adventure.