Over the years, Belize has become a home away from home. I’ve spent more time on her shores than anywhere else save the U.S., and it’s a comfortably familiar feeling traveling in and out of Philip Goldson International in Belize City. There’s always something new to be discovered in our favorite corners of the world, however, and so I leapt at the opportunity to see a part of this Caribbean jewel that I’ve never experienced before. Belize City is just three hours from Dallas or Atlanta, or two-and-a-half hours from Houston, making it an easy trip from many major U.S. airports.
After arriving in Belize City, I first headed into the city itself to spend a night at Fort George Hotel and Spa, a layover which turned into one of the nicest hotel experiences I’ve had in a while, led largely by the hotel’s epic gym and wonderful dining at the onsite restaurant Treehouse. (The best weight machines I’ve seen in a gym in a long time, followed by the best grilled octopus of my life, made for a wonderfully-surprising layover.)
Afterward came the main event: a trip out to visit the famous shores of Turneffe Island Resort. This exclusive, private-island resort has long been a favorite of Belize travelers, and I was eager to explore the appeal. The idea of all-inclusive packages for diving, snorkeling, beach lounging and fly fishing (my activity of choice), set against the backdrop of an isolated, finely outfitted atoll, sounded like something out of a storybook.
Meet Turneffe Island Resort
An hour-and-a-half boat ride from the Belize City docks, Turneffe Island Resort is located on a 14-acre private island, which is part of Turneffe Atoll, a little atoll outpost made up of a small collection of islands. The whole island is small enough that it’s possible to walk the breadth of it before finishing your evening cocktail, a fact I find lovely. The resort is not new — it’s been in operation since 1962 and was built as the first offshore fishing lodge in Belize — but the facilities are wonderfully kept and the whole operation carries a higher-end feel.
The lodge boasts 25 luxury guest rooms, offering plenty of privacy for guests, whether they have booked a smaller lodge room or a private “Sunset Villa,” which comes complete with a private, screened-in porch, a hot tub and an outdoor shower. Staff outnumber guests on the island and are eager to help in any manner possible; routine service includes dawn coffee delivery to each room and an evening turndown service where a poem is left on each guest’s pillow.
Relaxation Stations: The Amenities
Turneffe Island Resort boasts an outdoor pool, 12 hammocks, 11 palapas and a sweeping section of private beach suitable for swimming, snorkeling and lounging. All guests have access to the gym, pool, paddle boards, kayaks and Hobie Cat, as well as a lounge area with pool tables, board games, and both indoor and outdoor bar areas.
The lodge has become famous for its Serenity Spa, a cozy little operation which provides services including massage, manicures and pedicures, facials, body scrubs and mud wraps. After a long day playing in the sun, spa services are a popular way for guests to unwind before a leisurely dinner service, where they catch up with other patrons and share stories from the day.
Dining: Local, Fresh and Vibrant
Fresh ingredients and healthy options are cornerstones of the Turneffe kitchen. Meals are served in the dining area every day on a set schedule: 7 a.m. breakfast, 12:30 p.m. lunch (guests on all-day excursions can elect to bring along a packed lunch) and 7 p.m. dinner. Canapes are served at the bar beside the pool every day from 6-7 p.m., which is prime socializing time. While lunch and dinner are a set menu (the kitchen is happy to make adjustments to suit dietary needs or wants), each breakfast features a special as well as also eggs cooked to order. Wonderful homemade baked goods, fruit, plantain chips and a coffee service are set out each day for afternoon snacks.
The island’s cocktails are fresh and (as expected) tropically-themed, and include creations such as run punch — a hibiscus punch made with hibiscus from the island — and a spicy habanero Margarita crafted with a tequila the bartenders infuse with habaneros. There’s even a wheelbarrow resting beside the bar, brimming with fresh coconuts for those who would like some electrolytes and hydration after a hard day of playing in tropical paradise.
Something for Everyone: Fly Fishing, Snorkeling, Diving and More
The resort is perhaps most popular within the diving community. Each year, hundreds of diving enthusiasts flock to Turneffe for its variety of dives and proximity to the famous Blue Hole of Belize, which is a boat ride of an hour and a half away. The coral reefs and saltwater flats of Belize are home to a guidebook’s worth of tropical species, and it’s not uncommon to see gems such as spotted eagle rays or manatees. For that same reason, the atoll is a prime snorkeling location as well, and the lodge offers a variety of packages for both snorkelers and divers.
Turneffe Island Resort is also popular within the fly-fishing community. Anglers come to chase the famous Caribbean species: bonefish, tarpon and permit. If a fisherman catches all three in one day it’s called a “Grand Slam,” and Turneffe has seen their fair share of Grand Slams caught in these waters over the years.
Island Hopping Through the Second Largest Barrier Reef in the World
The jewel of Central America sparkles with endless islands for your ultimate escapeThe lodge’s remote location in the Caribbean Sea allows guests to unplug from their day-to-day grind and slide into the island lifestyle, embracing the sleep-play-eat-sleep routine for a precious weeklong visit. Turneffe Atoll is known around the world for its diving and fishing, and the resort caters beautifully to groups where some people would like to do one activity while others prefer to do something else. And for newcomers to diving or fishing who would like to try something new, this is the perfect opportunity.
Caring for the Resource: Conservation on the Atoll
Nestled on the coral island of Little Caye Bokel, the resort sits at the southern elbow of one of the world’s unspoken wonders, the centuries-old Turneffe Atoll, which was once an oceanic mountainous peak. With time and tectonic shifts in the Earth’s crust, the peak sank to the sea floor, leaving only a coral reef around its perimeter. The coral continued to grow upon itself into a string of coral islands, which we know today as the Turneffe Atoll: a tangle of land, lagoons, channels and reefs — and the lifeblood of the Caribbean’s world-renowned diving and fishing.
Conservation and environmental stewardship are core components of life at Turneffe. The lodge limits its use of plastic, choosing to provide guests with complimentary water bottles, which they refill from the tap (the island’s water supply is carefully desalinated and treated).
The lodge hosts three rangers from the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), whose conservation efforts curtail illegal fishing, fishing methods and undersized catch. It is also certified with Green Globe, the global certification for sustainable tourism with indicators across environmental, social, economic, cultural and managerial categories, and is a member of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), which seeks to conserve marine life by educating, enlisting and enabling divers to become active ocean stewards. By supporting these organizations, as well as practicing catch-and-release sport fishing, energy generation and conservation, and responsible food resourcing, Turneffe Island Resort is working to ensure the atoll remains as pristine and healthy as it is today, so generations to come can enjoy precious island escapes.
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