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Diving and Water Sports | Fishing | Golf | Helicopter Tours

Belize City is a jumping-off spot for trips to the cayes and to inland and coastal areas, but the city itself offers little in the way of sports and outdoor activities. There are no golf courses, public tennis courts, or other sports facilities of note around Belize City, other than a sports stadium named after the now-disgraced Olympic track star Marion Jones, a Belizean-American. Unless you’re on a cruise ship or otherwise have only a short time in Belize, you’ll be better off going elsewhere for your sporting activities—to the cayes and Southern Coast for snorkeling, diving, and fishing, and inland to the Cayo or Toledo for caving, cave tubing, hiking, horseback riding, canoeing, and other activities. Most of the dive, snorkel, and tour operators in Belize City do cater to the cruise-ship crowd, and prices usually are somewhat higher than you’d pay elsewhere.

Diving and Water Sports

Belize Dive Connection.
Based in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and on Spanish Lookout Caye, a private island off Belize City, Belize Dive Connection also runs dive, snorkel, and some inland trips for cruise day visitors in Belize City. Belize Dive Connection can pick up cruise passengers directly from the ships docked offshore of Belize City. Dive trips to the Belize Barrier Reef, about 30–45 minutes away, cost around BZ$180–BZ$230 per person. Snorkel trips are around BZ$120–BZ$200 per person. Lower rates are available from San Pedro, which is closer to the reef. | SunBreeze Beach Resort | San Pedro | 220/4020 office | www.belizediving.com.

Sea Sports Belize.
Sea Sports, with an office downtown near the cruise ship tender docks, will take you to the Barrier Reef for diving (around BZ$225) or snorkeling (BZ$190). Most of their business is with cruise ships, but they also work with visitors staying in Belize City. | 83 N. Front St. | 223/5505 | www.seasportsbelize.com.

Fishing

If you’re a serious angler, you’ll likely end up in Placencia, Punta Gorda, or even San Pedro, but you can arrange fishing charters from Belize City. Both the Radisson Fort George and the Princess Hotel & Casino have marinas, and there is also the Cucumber Marina at Old Belize, the city’s best, and local fishing-guide services and lodges operate near the city. The oldest continuously operating fishing lodge, Belize River Lodge, is located near Belize City. Fishing licenses are now required for all but pier and shore fishing. Your fishing charter company can arrange them for you, at BZ$20 a day or BZ$50 a week.

Action Belize.
Action Belize has 23- and 25-foot boats that will take you out on the Belize River to try your luck with snook, cubera, and tarpon. Guided fishing packages including four nights of accommodations and three days of fishing are BZ$2,578 per person, double occupancy. Day fishing trips start at BZ$250 per person. Action Belize also offers inland and sea tours for cruise ship passengers. TIP This is not the same company as Action Boys Belize. | Action Belize Marina, Mile 2, Goldson Hwy., formerly Northern Hwy. | 888/383–6319 in U.S., 919/250–8884 U.S. direct number | www.actionbelize.com.

Belize River Lodge.
Owned by Mike Heusner and Marguerite Miles, Belize River Lodge is the oldest continuously operating fishing lodge in Belize. The original lodge, basic but with air-conditioning and good food, is on the Belize River near Belize City. It also has an outpost at Long Caye near Caye Chapel for closer access to tarpon, bonefish, jacks, and barracuda inside the reef. Three-night river fishing trips with lodging, meals, guides, skiff, and transfers start at BZ$2,800 per person, based on four people; five-night trips on a 52-foot Chris Craft are BZ$5,120 per person including meals, lodging at Long Caye, guide, and tax, based on four people. | 225/2002, 888/275–4843 | www.belizeriverlodge.com.

Golf

There are no golf courses in Belize City, but there’s a 9-hole course at Roaring River, near Belmopan a little over an hour west by car—it’s fun to play, and a bargain. The Caye Chapel course, foreclosed on by its lender, has recently reopened for play, but the course has not been well-maintained, there are no facilities for club or cart rental or even to get a cold drink or snack—until the course fully reopens under new ownership, it is not recommended except for hard-core duffers who want to experience Belize’s only seaside course.

Roaring River Golf Course.
A little over an hour west of Belize City by car, Roaring River has a 9-hole “jungle course.” Using the double tees, you can play 18 holes (par 64) totaling 3,892 yards. All greens are elevated and bunkered, and the fairways are lined with native trees. Water traps are home to crocodiles. Play 9 holes for BZ$35 or 18 holes for BZ$50. The Meating Place, a restaurant in the clubhouse with most entrées around BZ$30, is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want to stay overnight and play more golf the next day, Roaring River has cottages to rent. | Roaring River, River Lodge Rd. | Belmopan City | Turn south at Camelote Village at Mile 50¼, George Price Hwy., and follow signs to golf course | 664/5441 | www.belizegolf.net.

Helicopter Tours

Astrum Helicopters.
Astrum offers customized aerial tours of the Blue Hole, Mayan sites, the Belize Barrier Reef, and others, using five-seat Bell helicopters. It also provides helicopter transfers to upscale resorts and lodges on the cayes and inland. | Cisco Base, Mile 3½, George Price Hwy., Formerly Western Hwy. | 222/5100, 888/278–7864 | www.astrumhelicopters.com.

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