Aguateca Archaeological Site by boat

It’s got the word “agua” right in the name and, in some ways, the roughly two hour boat ride that you have to take from the town of Sayaxche out to the Aguateca archaeological site was the best part of our visit to this once powerful Mayan city which dates back to 300 BC.

The Rio la Pasión is the only highway to the Aguateca Mayan archaeoloical site in the Peten region of Guatemala.

In Sayaxche we called a local boat man named Manuel (+ 502 59136012), then we piled into one of his small open-air boats and headed up the Rio la Pasión. The river eventually widened into what’s called Laguna Petexbatún. Surrounded by the Petexbatún Wildlife Refuge, the area is a favorite hang out for birds including herons, ahingas, cormorants and osprey. Not to mention crocodiles and iguanas.

Birds on Laguna Petexbatún on our way to the Aguateca Mayan archaeological site in the Peten region of Guatemala.

When we reached the site our boatman parked and we sloshed up a sloping hillside to the entrance. The hillside has natural springs which made the slope muddy and slippery so wear proper walking shoes for this one.

Archaeologists didn’t even know that the remains of this city were here until 1957, but they’ve unearthed a lot since then. The site is also bisected by an unusual grieta, a natural chasm that’s up to 80 feet (24 meters) deep.As you explore the trails around this sprawling site you can cross the chasm over the same very cool natural bridge that the Mayans used.

Aguateca Mayan archaeological site in the Peten region of Guatemala is best reached by boat.

Aguateca Mayan archaeological site in the Peten region of Guatemala.

You can camp for free at Aguateca in a big, flat, grassy area but you must be totally self-sufficient and you’d have to negotiate for your boatman to stay with you to ensure you have a ride back to Sayaxche.

Karen admiring the remarkably crisp carving on this stone stelae at Agauteca Mayan arcaheological site in Guatemala.

The Mayans who lived at Aguateca became powerful local rulers and they probably thought their watery location and hilltop perch afforded them some defense from their enemies. But it wasn’t enough. Archaeologists believe that an invading force ultimately breached Aguateca around 800 AD forcing the royal class to flee to nearby Punta de Chimino where they, again, relied on water to protect them.

Archaeologists believe that this palace was abandoned by the royal class as they made their escape from Aguateca around 800 AD.

This partially re-constructed stone stelae at the Aguateca Mayan arcaheolgoical site in Guatemala retains a lot of original carving.

These partially re-constructed stone stelae at the Aguateca Mayan arcaheolgoical site in Guatemala retains a lot of their original carving.

Chiminos Island Lodge on the world’s first Mayan-made island

When the royal class abandoned the beseiged city of Aguateca they headed for Punto de Chiminos, a spit of land just a few kilometers away. Once there, they started digging. Well, the royals probably didn’t start digging, but their servants sure did, ultimately cutting an impressive and enormous trench through dirt and rock to cut off the tip of the spit, creating a small island which they hoped would protect them from their enemies.

Mayans desperate to protect themselves from invaders are believed to have dug an enormous trench through earth and rock to turn the tip of Punto de Chiminos, above, into a man-made island.

Today there’s a small lodge on Punto de Chiminos. The Chiminos Island Lodge has five stand-alone bungalows built amongst what remains of the city that the fleeing royals built here before they were ultimately overtaken.

Situated around the periphery of the island, the huge wooden rooms all have multiple beds, private bathrooms, big porches and generator electricity until 10 pm. There are hard wood floors and a lovely stone shower. Each bungalow also has a thatch roof with a screened “false ceiling” built under the thatch to keep grit and critters from falling into the room. Smart.

Our room at Chiminos Island Lodge where a violent wind and rain storm made us feel like we were about to be blow into the lagoon--or smashed by a falling ceiba tree.

At Chiminos Island Lodge you also get what amounts to your own private archaeological site to wander through. What the fleeing royals from Aguateca left behind has not been excavated but building mounds and even the ball court are obvious as you stroll the grounds. You can also peer into the impressive gash in the land that the Mayans made to create the island way back when.

Just be sure you’ve used good insect repellent before leaving your room. The mosquitoes love it here.

Batten down the hatches

After wandering around the island we returned to our room to watch the birds on Laguna Petexbatún below us, listen to the howler monkeys in the jungle all around us and take a nap. At dusk the wind picked up a little bit and we woke up thrilled. A breeze! Cooler temperatures! Fewer mosquitoes!

But the wind kept going until birds, beasts and trees were being blown sideways. Soon the rain came and the wind intensified even more. White caps appeared on the lagoon.

Over the next two hours the storm blew out our screens and ripped off sections of our thatch roof. With rain pouring into our room we stashed our belongings in the driest corner we could find and piled spare blankets on top of our bed to try and keep the mattress and base bedding dry.

Just as we were beginning to get really concerned about a tree falling on our room (we’d actually put our shoes on and packed our things, ready for a quick getaway), the dramatic storm passed.

A heron that survived the previous night's violent storm heads out to find breakfast on Lagauan Petexbatún in Guatemala.

Related posts:

1. Survivor Mayan Style – Yaxha Archaeological Site, Guatemala
2. Archaeological Index: Mayan (and other) Sites We’ve Visited
3. Sacred Spaces – Xela (Quetzaltenango) & Laguna Chicabal, Guatemala

Rio La Pasión is a pretty grand name for a fairly ho-hum waterway and an even more forgettable town. Honestly, Sayaxché is pretty shitty but it’s the gateway to some very nice Mayan archaeological sites.

Waiting for our turn to cross the Rio La Pasión on this ferry powered by a collection of outboard motors and hope.

Dos Pilas

This stelea a the Dos Pilas Mayan archaeological site was more than 15 feet tall and covered in still-legible carvings of Mayan glyphs.

The Dos Pilas site dates back to AD 629. It’s small, remote (a two hour drive plus a 30 minute walk from Sayaxche), mostly unexcavated and very lightly visited. We counted 30 names in the visitor registration book for the entire previous month. It does, however, have something that few other Mayan archaeological sites have: stone stairs decorated with glyphs as well as some of the tallest and most intact stelae (traditional carved stone story-telling slabs) in the known Mayan world.

Just a couple of the stelae at Dos Pilas Mayan archaeological site which still have extraordinarily crisp and detailed carving.

The Dos Pilas Mayan archaeological site offers a unique twist on the stelae: stone stairs carved with Mayan glyphs.

The carved stairs look like mini stelae lying on their sides and they made us wonder what the buildings they lead to must have looked like. We were left wondering since the structures themselves remain unearthed. The steps were only discovered in the 1990s so who knows what else is under there.

Archaeologists discoverd unusual stone stairs carved with Mayan glyphs at the Dos Pilas site in Guatemala.

Dos Pilas also has some impressively tall traditional stelae. The worn originals are protected by palapa roofs and replicas are placed conveniently nearby. There are also two natural springs (pilas), hence the site’s name and a bunch of caves in which archaeologists found evidence of Mayan rituals.

Did we mention that the Dos Pilas site is also free?

Archaeologists discovered unusual stone stairs carved with Mayan glyphs at the Dos Pilas site in Guatemala.

The few people who visit Dos Pilas Mayan archaeological site in northern Guatemala are greeted by this lone stelae in front of an unexcavated mound which conceals a building.

El Ceibal

One of the few structures which have been excavated at the El Ceibal Mayan archaeological site in Guatemala. The four stelae around it are placed at the cardinal points.

The city of El Ceibal (also sometimes referred to as Seibal) peaked around 840 AD in what is called the terminal period in the timeline of Mayan civilizations. It certainly proved terminal for El Ceibal as the city was mysteriously abandoned not long after its peak.

Yes, the Mayan carving on this huge stelae at the El Ceibal archaeological site in Guatemala, is original.

Like Dos Pilas, El Ceibal’s claim to fame involves carved rock. When we’re done oohing and ahhing over the diorama we notice some huge stelae near the caretakers’ quarters. The staff brush those off as mere copies and send us on our way, into the site itself, to see the real things. And they are remarkable.

Yes, the Mayan carving on this stelae at the El Ceibal archaeological site in Guatemala, is original.

At El Ceibal you can see more than a dozen massive stelae all of them amazingly crisp and clear. Very few structures have been unearthed here, but one small structure is visible with stelae placed around it at the cardinal points and there’s an unusual round stone building at the site too.

An unusual round building at the El Ceibal Mayan archaeological site in northern Guatemala.

Related posts:

1. Skulls and Stelae – Lubaantun & Nim Li Punit Archaeological Sites, Belize
2. Archaeological Index: Mayan (and other) Sites We’ve Visited
3. Monte Alban, Yagul and Mitla Archaeological Sites – Valles Centrales, Oaxaca State, Mexico

• The White Continent or Bust
• MORE Antarctica Photos

Right now we’re debuting some videos we shot in Antarctica–shown for the first time here.

Penguins, orcas and seals

Penguins are adorable. Orcas are deadly. Seals are way bigger than you think. We got close to all of them. Check it out.

Gentoo penguins in Port Lockroy

More penguins, this time they’re swarming around the research station in a rocky, windy place called Port Lockroy.

Aboard the MV Antarctic Dream

The truth is that you’re going to spend most of your Antarctic adventure on board the boat traveling to various points of interest and/or waiting out bad weather. Much of this video was shot from onboard the MV Antarctic Dream, including up in the bridge as well as from Zodiacs during excursions away from the ship.

A (relatively) calm day on the Drake Passage

The Atlantic and Pacific oceans bump bellies at a spot called the Drake Passage. This notoriously rough stretch of sea must be crossed immediately leaving Ushuaia and again returning to port in Ushuaia. It takes two to three days to get through the Drake Passage and seas are usually rough to hellish. We lucked out with swells peaking at just 30-40 feet (moderately rough). Here’s a taste…
If we’ve helped inspire your own Antarctic dreams, check out our tip-filled newspaper story about How to Make the Most of an Antarctic Adventure and our piece about all the fun you can (hopefully) have with the humans in Antarctica.

Related posts:

1. The White Continent or Bust – Antarctica
2. You Know You Want It: MORE Antarctica Photos
3. Our Latest Work: Antarctica (the penguins AND the people) and Valentine’s Day Salvation

San Pedro la Laguna

For 25Q per person (about US$3) we got a 45 minute ride across the lake to San Pedro la Laguna, where we had a lovely breakfast at a restaurant right on the lakeshore, complete with French Press coffee. A wander around San Pedro revealed a nice backpacker buzz with fewer travelers than Pana but a tempting array of coffee bars and Spanish schools and budget hotels. San Pedro also has La Piscina, a swimming pool and restaurant.

Real barbecue in Central America?

This is where, every Sunday at noon, you can enjoy Smokin’ Joe’s BBQ. Owned by a man from Georgia, Smokin’ Joe’s is said to be the only authentic southern BBQ in Central America and he serves up all the usual suspects and the usual sides plus homemade sauces and something called Flintstone Ribs. It makes our mouths water just to think about it.

Sadly, we didn’t know about this weekends-only BBQ binge and we missed our chance for a fix at La Piscina. Don’t make the same mistake!

A man sporting the traditional striped short pants in the town of Santiago Atitlán on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.

The mystery of Maximón in Santiago Atitlán

From San Pedro we got into an even smaller lancha for the short trip to the town of Santiago Atitlán where we were on a quest to get a glimpse of the cult of Maximón. Believed to be an incarnation of a Mayan deity, Maximón looks like a human wearing a huge hat and adorned with brightly-colored scarves and ties. He always has a cigar or cigarette in his mouth and is often surrounded by acloholic offerings which devotes bring to try and get their requests for good crops/marraige/health/etc moved to the top of the list.

Maximón is honored in many Mayan communities where he resides in a different home each year. After asking around in Santiago we soon found Maximón’s current address in Santiago–in a dimly lit room off the side of a house. We gave Maximón a cigarette and his attendants charged us 2Q each to look at him and 10Q (about US$1.25) to take a picture.

Mam Mayan cult object, Maximón, and his minder in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

In addition to Maximón, Santiago is also known for its market though we were underwhelmed. What was impressive was how much atitecos (residents of Santiago) love stripes. Almost every man was wearing short pants with vertical red, blue or black stripes. The women’s huipils (the traditional boxy tunics) were made from a striped hand-loomed fabric embroidered with intricate and vibrant designs often involving birds and flowers. Some women also wear a head covering that involves wrapping a band of red fabric around their heads many times to create a kind of crown-less hat.

A woman sporting full traditional garb, including an elaborate red head wrap, in Santiago Atitlán on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala.

Traditionally dressed Mayan women outside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán on the shore of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

Mayan tradition gave way (a bit) to bridal tradition, however, when we visited the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol which was built in 1581. This is where Oklahoma priest and defender of the local Mayans, Father Stanley Francis Rother, was murdered by death squads in 1981 during Guatemala’s bloody civil war. A plaque in Rother’s memory is inside the church.

Worshiping inside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

The day we visited, however, only happy things were being commemorated–lots, and lots of them. As we sat in the courtyard in front of the church at least 10 freshly married couples (and their beaming entourages) emerged from the church. There were more couples still inside milling around in their traditional clothes accessorized with long white veils, big white bouquets and even bigger smiles.

One of at least 10 freshly married couples following a mass wedding ceremony inside the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

A few freshly married couples emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

A few freshly married couples emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

A freshly married couple following a mass wedding ceremony at the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala.

Musicians serenade freshly married couples as they emerge from the Iglesia Parroquial Santiago Apostol in Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala following a mass wedding ceremony.

Related posts:

1. Lake Life – Panajachel, Lago de Atitlán, Guatemala
2. Move Here Now – Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
3. Our Latest Work: Hotel Hooch, Modern in Mexico and Luxe on the Lake

You’re welcome.

Antarctica, land of the midnight sun.

A killer whale (orca) welcoming party.

The crabeater seals were curious but cautious.

It's clear how chinstrap penguins got their name.

A change in the weather had us traveling through surface ice that was clearly beginning to re-form.

Colder temperatures created conditions that made us glad our MV Antarctic Dream ship was built as an ice-breaker with a reinforced hull.

This is what passes for flirting as gentoo penguins woo their partners so they can do what they came here to do...

...which they are not shy about at all.

Check out the first post from our Antarctica adventure for more photos and stories.

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Related posts:

1. It’s Penguin Season Again! – Antarctica
2. The White Continent or Bust – Antarctica
3. Our Latest Work: Antarctica (the penguins AND the people) and Valentine’s Day Salvation

No, we didn’t drive there. LAN Airlines got us to Ushuaia (the southernmost city in the world) and back and from there we sailed along the Antarctic peninsula for 11 days on the MV Antarctic Dream. Our thanks to both companies.

Followers of our Journey know that we’ve been anticipating our Antarctic adventure since August and the planet’s most remote continent totally lived up the hype and our expectations.

For one thing, penguins are even cuter than you think and we saw thousands of them–mainly gentoo and chinstraps.

We also got a rare and exciting sighting of a lone emperor penguin (the four foot tall stars of March of the Penguins) on an iceberg far, far from its usual home.

The icebergs themselves (which can reach more than 10 miles in length) were stars of the trip as well. They came in intricate wind-swept shapes, impossible blue colors and the ice is ultra-clear–like glass. We know because Karen braved the frigid water and reached in to retrieve a small chunk to enjoy in our on-board cocktails that evening.

We did NOT put our hands in the water during a zodiac excursion during which our inflatable boat was surrounded by a pod of seven killer whales. We also sighted minke whales on a couple of occasions and crabeater seals and Weddell seals also made appearances.

It looks like this big male wants somebody in that zodiac. That dorsal fin is at least three feet tall and its heading straight for our shipmates.

There were also many human highlights on the ship including “Ernie Shack, Adventure Addict”, the captain’s wife, the crazy defense attorney from New York who brought along her Snoopy Snowcone maker, el capitan guapo, The Glen (who went skinny dipping one day and performed a necessarily brief yet impressive re-enactment of the loping way penguins swim), our fearless leader Pablo and, of course, Maxi. Oh, and Jacques Cousteau’s granddaughter Céline Cousteau was on the ship with a film crew working on a series of TV show about the waters around Chile.

Our shipmate The Glen (who has a tattoo of the Antarctic continent on his back) went skinny dipping in the frigid Antarctic waters off Deception Island just like...

...the penguins.

GLAD WE HAD

All travelers to Antarctica are required to have a medical evacuation insurance policy just in case something awful happens out there in the middle of nowhere. On Call International has covered us on our Trans-Americas Journey for more than a year now so we didn’t have to worry about arranging coverage (or dealing with a catastrophe). Because we were already covered we could focus on just being excited about this trip of a lifetime.

We weren’t taking any chances with the notoriously rough waters of the Drake Passage where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans crash up against each other so we went the prescription route and used a Scopolamine patch. But we also armed ourselves with homeopathic remedies including a pair of Sea Bands. These simple, cheap, reusable devices–picture an old-school wrist sweatband like McEnroe used to wear with a plastic ball embedded in one side–stave off nausea caused by motion sickness (or morning sickness) by applying pressure to a specific point in your wrist. The combo worked and we made it through the passage without getting seasick.

We’re pretty sure nothing could stave off seasickness among the passengers on a different ship, the Clelia II, which sailed just a few weeks after our Antarctic trip. However, the Clelia II broke down in the Drake Passage and got tossed around by 40′ waves for a day or two. The ship is back in port now and everyone on board is fine but this report and dramatic video shows how rough it was for passengers and crew on the stranded ship.

Our route from Ushuaia, Argentina at the bottom of South America, across the Drake Passage and on to the Antarctic Peninsula.

Check out our follow-up Antarctica post to see many more photos.

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Related posts:

1. It’s Penguin Season Again! – Antarctica
2. You Know You Want It: MORE Antarctica Photos
3. Our Latest Work: Antarctica (the penguins AND the people) and Valentine’s Day Salvation

Why do we have to be in Ushuaia on November 7? Because that’s when we take our road trip onto the water. Followers of this blog know that November 7 is the day we board an Antarctic Dream ship and begin a 10 day trip to Antarctica. In order to get to the dock on time we first had to take our road trip into the air and board a LAN Airlines airplane for around 15 hours of economy class air travel. Psyche.

Yes, we had to take off our shoes and obsessively measure all carry-on liquids (it’s amazing how miniscule three ounces is) and get patted down and file past TSA employees and various beeping and blinking gadgets all working at a snail’s pace. However, once we got on our LAN airplane we got some pleasant surprises even in economy class.

The first happy discovery was A/C power outlets at each and every seat. The plane also had an incredibly diverse selection of dozens of movies and hundreds of albums (plus games) on the easy to use personal in-flight entertainment system. The (clean) bathrooms had nice soap AND hand lotion. We were not only served a total of three hot meals during our continent-crossing flight but there was also free white or red wine or whiskey in addition to the usual roster of non-alcoholic beverages. To top it off, LAN’s in-flight magazine was actually readable. The only thing missing was i air wi-fi.

We’re sure we’ll have plenty of pleasant surprises to share after we get our road trip onto that Antarctic Dream boat too, however, that’s gonna have to wait. As you can imagine internet access is not exactly reliable or lightening fast (think slower than old school dial up) in the world’s most remote continent. While we’re on the boat we will probably not be able to get anything new up on the blog but you’ll be able to read all about our Antarctic Adventure soon after yet another 15 hour LAN flight delivers us back to “civilization.”

Related posts:

1. How To Have a Mexican Road Trip
2. Road Work – Cancun, Mexico
3. Our Latest Work: How to Hit the Road

We veered off and head for the water determined to see some of the thousands of flamingos that come to the protected Ría Lagartas Biosphere Reserve to feed, breed, nest and rest. We were hoping to see some from the shore since we’d heard that the guided boat trips through the watery reserve were pricey.

We hadn’t gotten in much shore-searching when one of the local guides approached us and started bartering. Before we knew it we were in a boat with his colleague, guide Henry Jesus Pat Celis (more about him later), and on our way to flamingo-central for 450 pesos (about US$34) instead of the usual 600 pesos. Still a lot of money for us, but there are only a handful of places in the world where wild flamingos congregate like this which is why the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO site.

We headed out through a beautiful mangrove-ringed waterway and started seeing the first smatterings of flamingos within 10 minutes. Henry was non-plussed and kept assuring us that there were thousands more of the long-legged pink creatures to come.

He wasn’t kidding. We must have seen more than 2,000 flamingos before our two hour tour was over, sometimes in groups of 100 or more. Some groups were striding through the shallows scooping up krill with their funny backward beaks. Other groups were taking a running start at flying—followed by even more comical running landings—which made them look like they could walk on water. Still other clusters were standing along the water’s edge like, well, lawn ornaments.

Watch our video for a glimpse at the quirky flamingo antics at the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

Our intrepid guide Henry Jesus Pat Celis showed us thousands of flamingos in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve.

We also saw ospreys, crocodiles, frigate birds, great blue herons and a salt farm making the most of the area’s super-saline water—perfect for the brine shrimp that the flamingos feast on and which give them their delightful color.

Henry also took us ashore on a stretch of beach that had holes punched through the salty, sandy crust to reveal silky, mineral-rich clay beneath it. Henry told us that the mud in this region was considered medicinal and beautifying by the Mayans and it’s still applied head to toe by some people today.

TIPS
June is prime flamingo viewing time in the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve with plenty of birds close to the embarkation point.

July and August are the peak months with lots of birds and lots of international and Mexican tourists.

September and October is the priciest season since the flamingos are further away from the embarkation point with means a longer and costlier boat ride to reach them.

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• Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico

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Related posts:

1. Base Jumping – Valladolid, Yucatan State, Mexico
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3. Mayan Hill Country – Ruta Puuc, Yucatan State, Mexico

For years we’ve dreamed of hopping on a boat to Antarctica once our road trip finally reaches Ushuaia, Argentina at the bottom of South America where the road pretty much ends and where most Antarctic trips depart from. Since, at the (slow) rate we’re going, it’ll still be years before our road trip reaches Ushuaia, this dream has been something to look forward to–a very large prize at the southern-most point of a very large road trip.

Well, surprise!

The opportunity has come up to realize that dream sooner than we’d dared hope. On November 7 (yes, of THIS year) we’ll be boarding the Antarctic Dream for a 10 day trip to Antarctica! Penguins! Icebergs! More icebergs! Really puffy coats!  That damned Drake Passage! We will, of course, be covering the whole experience in newspaper stories and blog posts.

We’ll also be announcing some very exciting and exclusive opportunities for friends, fans and followers of the Trans-Americas Journey, so if getting to the 7th continent your dream too, stay tuned to find out how you can join us!

UPDATE: Check out our exclusive 30% discount

photos courtesy of Antarctic Shipping S.A

Related posts:

1. Our Antarctic Dream: Exclusive 30% Discount So You Can Come Too!
2. When is a Road Trip Not a Road Trip?
3. Facts, Figures and Fascinating Fauna

About 30 miles (90 minutes by boat) out in the open ocean  east of Belize City, 300 square mile Turneffe Atoll is the largest of only four coral atolls in the entire Western Hemisphere. The second largest reef in the world passes right by, often within a stone’s throw of the shoreline.

The isolation, lack of any large scale development and the natural attributes of the atoll make it the most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Caribbean. Sixty species of birds live or migrate through here. The water teems with dolphins and sharks and crocodiles.

But it’s the fish that most people come for.

The living is easy and the fishing is great at Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize.

Fishermen have flocked to Turneffe Atoll for two decades in search of the “grand slam” a dream trio of catches that includes bonefish, permit and tarpon which are all available in the mangroves and shallows around the atoll. Over the years Turneffe Flats Lodge has quietly developed a fanatical following of fly fishermen who return again and again and tell fellow fishermen about the the atoll and about the the lodge in hushed reverential tones.

Turneffe Flats Lodge in Belize, as seen from their lovely boat the Miss Ellie.

Everything about Turneffe Flats Lodge is designed to have a minimum of environmental impact (gray water is collected and re-used for irrigation, glass is crushed and re-used on-site in building materials, rain water is collected in massive reservoirs and there’s an on-site water desalination and purification  system) while facilitating maximum enjoyment (rooms are simple but very comfortable, common areas are inviting, meals are massive and delicious and there’s always a guide around ready to answer questions, give a lesson or arrange an excursion).

The second longest reef in the world breaks just a few hundred feet from Turneffe Flats Lodge.

Many guests at Turneffe Flats Lodge can't stop fishing. Luckily, all you have to do to get a fix is wade into the sea right in front of the lodge and cast a line.

Fly fishermen head out in pairs with a private guide in search of the grand slam trio of fly fishing: bone fish, permit and tarpon.

We aren’t fishermen but we are SCUBA divers so we traveled to Turneffe Flats Lodge to look at the fish, not catch (and release) them. Our video, below, will give you an idea of just how gorgeous this commute it.

Turneffe Flats Lodge added a SCUBA diving program in 1994 essentially to provide activities for non-fishing partners of fishing guests. Today their polished program includes a spacious, comfortable and easy to board 48′ dive boat (the Miss Ellie) and an excellent staff of dive masters and captains including Eli Rodriquez and Alex Edwards, Belize’s Guide of the Year in 2007.

Unlike other dive operations that service the atoll, the staffers at Turneffe Flats Lodge are knowledgeable about and happy to take you to any of the more than 60 sites around the atoll.  This means if the seas are rough on one side of the atoll, the dive masters simply choose an amazing site on the other side of the atoll where conditions are calmer.

The Miss Ellie takes us out to explore another one of the more than 60 dive sites around Turneffe Atoll.

And what dive sites! During our time on Turneffe Atoll we explored a dozen sites and spent almost 11 hours underwater. With visibility up to 100 feet and such a rich marine environment we were able to see spotted eagle rays slowly flapping by like birds underwater, loggerhead turtles, colorful and diverse coral formations (soft and hard), big schools of creole wrasse which flash by in a blur of black and blue, tiny snapping shrimp (which really do snap), spotted toadfish, peppermint shrimp, dancing crabs and a remora (aka suckerfish) so big it had a smaller remora attached to it and lots more.

The famous Great Blue Hole, part of the Belize Barrier Reef System which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,  is also accessible at nearby Lighthouse Atoll. During our hour long boat ride to the site we were escorted part of the way by a pod of spinner dolphins. Check them out in our video, below:

The Blue Hole is a world famous dive site and although we’d had all of the other dive sites in the area to ourselves we found a small crowd at the Blue Hole. Alex and  Eli got us out there early enough to get a mooring, however, and we were soon in the water.

Belize's famous Blue Hole did not disappoint.

The big attraction at the other dive sites in the area are the coral formations and the marine live. At the Blue Hole the big attraction is depth and a lot of it. As its name implies, this site is a big hole (really a massive flooded sinkhole) that goes straight down nearly 500 feet.

Our plan was to descend to a max depth of 130 feet–a deep but safe dive that would take us down far enough down to check out the cave’s ancient and massive stalagtites, now dangling eerily under water. Once down there we swam amongst the sequoia-sized formations in the semi-dark water. Humbling.

Dive instructor and boat cap'n Alex Edwards and dive master Eli Rodriquez are rock stars above and below the water.

With so much going for it you might reasonably think that divers would be flocking to Turneffe Flats Lodge. The  extraordinary truth is that hardly anyone does. While other dive operations run packed boats and toss large groups of divers into the water, a typical dive trip at Turneffe Flats Lodge includes two to six divers which means everyone can enjoy the space and comfort of the Miss Ellie and get the personal attention of Alex and Eli who provide live-aboard quality service.

Really, we’d almost prefer to keep Turneffe Flats Lodge to ourselves as our own personal SCUBA secret, but it’s so good it has to be shared. You’re welcome.

Half Moon Caye Natural Monument is a bird sanctuary inhabited by thousands of birds including the red-footed booby.

You don’t have to be a fisherman or a diver to appreciate Half Moon Caye Natural Monument. This protected island is a great place to have a picnic and wander along the trails for sighting of the thousands of birds that nest here including  thousands of  red-footed boobies.

A red-footed booby setting up house on Half Moon Caye Natural Monument in Belize.

You had to see this one coming...

Yes, the fly fishing is world class and we stand by our assertion that the quality of the dive sites, small group sizes, first-class facilities and top-notch dive staff at Turneffe Flats Lodge make it the best-kept diving secret in the region.

However, an equally important reason to visit Turneffe Flats Lodge are its owners, Karen and Craig Hayes. They have an entrenched passion for the place which they first started visiting back in the ’70s and they’ve developed Turneffe Flats Lodge by carefully ecological and hospitality goals.

Increasingly concerned about environmental pressures on Turneffe Atoll, Craig founded the Turneffe Atoll Trust in 2002. In 2003 the Lodge became a founding member of 1% For The Planet, a non-profit organization made up of companies who give one percent of their profits to the organization which uses the funds to support eco efforts around the world.

Karen and Craig are an inspiration to anyone trying to figure out how to live their dream (just do it) and a joy for every guest lucky enough to visit them on at Turneffe Flats Lodge. As Craig likes to say: “I failed retirement.”

If this is what failure looks like, we’ll take it.

Karen (guiding the Miss Ellie through a shallow stretch of mangroves on the way to Belize City) and Craig Hayes, the passionate and hospitable creators of Turneffe Flats Lodge.

GLAD WE HAD

It’s bright out there so we lived in or Costa del Mar sunglasses (as do most of the boat captains and dive masters we met).

Did we mention it was bright? Our KINeSYS sunscreen lasted all day even though we were in and out of the water and in and out of our wet suits.


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Related posts:

1. Filosofy in the Flats – Turneffe Atoll, Belize
2. Our Latest Work: Mario Batali, Francis Ford Coppola and a Stunning SCUBA Secret
3. Belize Briefs: Tips, Quirks & Foibles After 2.5 Months in Belize