Glovers Reef & River of Caves - 7 Days / 8 Nights:

Float rainforest caves, then out to the white sand cayes of Glovers Atoll

On arrival in Belize, before heading out to Glovers, we have an opportunity to experience the diversity of the rainforest and the rich Mayan culture of the interior. Working with guides from the Belize Tropical Education Center, our itinerary includes a rare chance to view the nocturnal wildlife of Belize, and then, in the jungle, we enjoy a leisurely float down a rainforest river with inner large tubes, exploring a fantastic limestone cave.

  Thirty six miles offshore of the Belize mainland lie a group of tropical islands cradled within a turquoise lagoon and surrounded by a living coral reef. Glover's Reef Atoll is considered to be one of the richest tropical marine environments in the entire Caribbean. Our private island base of over 13 acres is perched on the southern edge of the atoll with a dramatic view facing east over the main reef crest and the open Caribbean. Based from our comfortable field camp we are fully equipped to spend six and a half days sea kayaking and kayak sailing, snorkeling, diving, and fishing.  After our adventures each day we like to reward ourselves with a bounty of fresh seafood, island baking, tropical fruits and yes, even rich, decadent deserts! Glovers is ideal for those who wish to enjoy the comforts of a well-appointed field camp yet want an active and flexible day-to-day schedule.  Exclusive to Glovers, is our underwater Sea-Breathe System (TM) which provides air for divers and non-divers to depths of 25 ft. Also available are optional Scuba certification courses, resort courses and equipment rentals.

Begin from: Belize City
End in: Belize City
Duration: 7 Days / 8 Nights
Trip Departures & Prices: See Trip Schedule at bottom of this page
Group Size: 6-18
Guides: 2-4 North American & Belizean Leaders.

Accommodations: Tropical Education Center, Glovers Base Camp, Belize Biltmore Hotel.

Activities: Rainforest Hiking, Caving, River Float Trip, Rainforest Canopy Zip Lining, Sea Kayaking (Paddling & Sailing), Snorkeling (Conventional & with our Sea-Breathe System), Scuba Diving (optional, cost not included in trip price), Fishing, Birding, Photography, Natural & Cultural History Interpretation

View Glovers Reef & River of Caves in a larger map

Trip Route

Scuba Divers...
 There are some great opportunities to scuba dive at Glover's Reef. Optional diving is available for certified divers on certain days of the trip. Single tank dives are available from $50 US, with further discounts for multi-tank dives. For first time divers we can offer, a Discover Scuba for a subsidized rate, or you may be able to take your Open Water Referral course. Please let us know in advance. We can also arrange a variety of dive packages before or after your trip. For further information please contact our office.

For more details on our belize scuba diving packages and belize scuba diving vacations, click here

The Setting...  

One of three atolls offshore of Belize, Glover's Reef was named after the pirate John Glover who used this remote offshore ring of islands and coral reefs as a base from which to raid Spanish merchant ships. The shallow waters offshore of Belize with innumerable coral reefs, mangroves and small islands were ideal waters for pirates and buccaneers to hide their raiding ships after plundering Spanish galleons laden with riches, destined for the Old World. Today, the attractions found within the atoll (20 miles long by 7 miles wide) are the clarity of the water and the remarkable profusion of marine life. In 1993, the atoll was declared a marine park, and 25% of the area and lagoon was protected from fishing and harvesting. To continue the conservation efforts to preserve this extraordinary environment, the site was designated as a World Heritage Site, in 1996. We travel and explore this area by sea-kayak, paddling and sailing the shallow 82 square mile lagoon with an unequaled variety of over 700 patch reefs. The reefs of Belize have long been known as the richest in the Caribbean, and Glovers is the best in Belize!

I learned more during this trip than in any week of my life before. I came for the snorkeling but got so much more. Your staff are phenomenal. Everything runs smoothly and the guides were knowledgeable and extremely fun to be around.You packed so much into the trip and yet I never felt like it was too much. Just have to figure out which trip to take next and who deserves to go with me! It was a privilege to experience Belize with Island Expeditions!

Sally Hare
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Nov 30, 2009

Day 1 : Today begins with short drive along the Hummingbird Highway toward the River of Caves area of Belize. We begin with an interpretive trail through lush Rainforest to the cave entrance and then using inner tubes we embark on an enjoyable 2 hour float underground through a limestone cave system rich with classic formations including soda straw, flow stone, stalactite and stalagmite. After lunch we then head into the Rainforest Canopy for a unique opportunity to travel by a series of treetop platforms and zip-lines through the rainforest . In the evening we return to the Tropical Education Center to enjoy the evening in our beautiful tropical pine forest setting. After dinner we have a rare opportunity to have an exclusive nocturnal tour of the renowned Belize Zoo for an up close experience with the wildlife that inhabits the forests, wetlands and mountains of Belize. (please note this activity is by donation to the Belize Zoo and Conservation, we suggest $10 USD)
Accommodation: (Forest Cabanas)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Day 2 - 6 : We depart early in the morning by charter boat out past the main Barrier Reef to our private base-camp on Southwest Caye, at Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve. We are introduced to our new environment and get settled into our accommodation. Once settled, the guides provide instruction, teaching the fundamentals of sea kayaking, snorkeling and safety in the tropics. Then, we paddle out to a nearby patch reef and start to explore some of the 700 snorkel sites that Glover's Atoll has to offer.

Glover’s is one of only four atolls in the Caribbean Sea, and is truly the most spectacular marine environment in Belize. Due to its isolation from the mainland, the waters are exceptionally clear with inspiring scenery and a fabulously rich reef system that offers the best kayaking, snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean. We spend the days exploring the atoll with both single and double kayaks (rigged for sailing!). Our itinerary is flexible in order to respond to both group and individual desires and abilities. Activities include: sea kayaking, snorkeling the inner and outer walls of the reef, and learning to sail a kayak. For experienced snorkelers, guides can provide full instruction with our Sea-Breathe Diving System: a free floating air pump designed to provide air by hookah lines down to 20-25 feet. In the mornings and the evenings, we host informative sessions on a range of topics, providing an opportunity for guides to share their knowledge of Belize, the marine environments and local culture. Perhaps a high stakes game of Hermit Crab racing to finish the day! If all this sounds a little to busy you always have the choice of just kicking back in a hammock and relaxing with a good book and a cold drink.
Accommodation: (Tent-Walled Cabanas)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: For our last morning at Glover's, the choice is yours. We may choose to don mask, snorkel and fins for a last visit to your favorite coral reef, or work the flats with your most productive Bonefish fly, before our motor charter comes to pick us up for the return ride to Dangriga. Here we arrive to a waiting vehicle that whisks us to the local airstrip for a flight to Belize City. Once airborne, we have the Manatee Lagoons over our left shoulder and the Belize Barrier Reef over our right, giving us an impressive view of Belize’s coastal topography from the Caribbean sea to the Maya Mountains. We end our journey with a comfortable night at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, where they have a wonderful pool-side courtyard and bar.
Accommodation: (Hotel)
Meals: B, L (Dinner is not included on this night)

The guides were really phenomenal. Bent over backwards to make sure our vacation was the best. Juan Carlos even went the extra effort to have a birthday cake arranged for the twins and Lee who all had a birthday the same day. He also spent extra time telling the kids about 2012 and the Mayan calendar.

Julie Moncton
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Dec 20, 2009

Equipment...
For the inland portion of the trip all caving and zipline safety gear is provided. While at our base-camp on Southwest Caye, guests have unrestricted use of the following equipment: Double Kayaks (outfitted with special sails), Single Kayaks, Sit-on-Top Dive Kayaks, Sea-Breath Dive System, Complete Research Library, Field Marine Lab including microscope and Hand Lenses, and Weather Station. On the island, ,we are in communication with the mainland via VHF marine radio

What's Included...

1. All meals (fully catered) while you are at our Southwest Caye base-camp
2. Selection of chilled wines and rum are served with dinner, or as cocktails on some evenings
3. Unlimited use of our Equipment and facilities
4. Professional guide and sports instruction services with Belizean Guides and North American leaders
5. All accommodations including lodge on 'Day 0' and hotel the night after the trip ends.
6. Glovers Reef Marine Park fees of $25US per person
7. Belize 9% Hotel tax
8. Belize 10% Sales Tax
9. Cave Entrance Fees
10. Comprehensive pre-trip information package
11. Financial Support for Conservation and Education programs in Belize
12. Charter flight from Dangriga to Belize City after the trip

What's Not Included...

1. Gratuities
2. Donation for Belize Zoo Tour
3. International Flights & Airport Departure Tax
4. Snorkeling or Dive Gear & Scuba Diving fees
5. Extra costs due to late Arrivals and other circumstances beyond our control

Never expected to dine so well! Better than some 4 star hotels we have been in. Can't say enough good things about the food! Loved the friendly attitude of all the cooks who were only too happy to explain what they were doing.

Roberta and Jim Hickey
Glovers Reef & River of Caves
Jan 10, 2010

Accommodation...   

On Day 0, Day 1, we spend the night at the Tropical Education Center. The Education Center has comfortable, rustic accommodations in a beautiful pine savannah setting. The Center has a fantastic interpretative center and harbors Belize's largest collection of tropical animals, with a great network of trails and wildlife viewing platforms, perfect for exploring this rare forest environment.

On Day 2 to 6 at Southwest Caye, we are "base camping", sleeping in tent-walled cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents are have ample headroom to walk around and are on raised wooden floors with double or single beds. On the island, we have a fully equipped kitchen, fresh-water collection system for drinking water, access to fresh-water showers and modern composting toilets, We also have a large dining area, resource library lounge,

On the final night we will be staying in Belize City. Our ccommodations are at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, a comfortable, modern hotel with a inviting pool-side courtyard and bar. The Belize International Airport is a short cab ride from the hotel, which can be arranged through the front desk. The hotel also has a tour desk that can help you arrange activities if you are planning on staying longer. in the Belize City area.

A Note About the Ecology...

Flora...

  Belize's Barrier Reef is the largest in the northern hemisphere, second largest in the world, extending 185 miles (300 km) along the coastline. Nineteen miles seaward from the eastern border of the Barrier Reef, lies Belize's most spectacular atoll - Glover's Reef. The oval shaped reef walls of the atoll climb from the ocean floor and surround a central lagoon. The surrounding reef is primarily made up of two kinds of coral, the hard hydro-coral (reef- forming coral), such as brain coral or elkhorn coral, and the soft corals, such as sea-fans and feather plumes. The sheltered lagoon at Glover's Reef harbors one of the world's most diverse sea environments; an extensive community of fish, shellfish, and patch reefs. One mile off the eastern shore of the atoll, the reef wall quickly drops 2600 feet to the ocean floor below. The interaction between the deeper open waters of the Caribbean Sea and the sheltered lagoons of the atoll results in a diversity and abundance of marine life which is unsurpassed for sea kayaking, snorkeling and diving.

Fauna...

Getting back to Belize City...
At the end of your trip, we will provide you with a charter flight back to Belize City. The final night is spent at the Belize Biltmore Plaza, 3 1/2 miles north of Belize City Central. This is a great point to make extra arrangements to travel further on in Belize, or to return to the International Airport the following morning, which is just a short taxi cab away.

Thinking about seeing other parts of Belize with Island Expeditions Co?
  The Glover's Reef and Mayan Caves combines well with an inland adventure. The Maya World Extension is a popular addition to the Glovers trip to explore the ancient world of the Mayan people and the wildlife-rich habitats of the interior, plus it gives you a great opportunity to visit some of the ancient ruins of Belize and the Crooked Tree Bird Sanctuary. Or, experience both of Belize’s spectacular Atolls in one trip to Belize! The Lighthouse Reef trip itinerary takes you even further offshore, on beautiful Half-moon Caye National Monument.

Thinking About Traveling Independently, Before or After Your Trip?
With over 20 years of exploration in Belize, our very knowledgeable and experienced office staff can offer you a wealth of travel information to help you plan the best vacation possible! However, we do recommend that you read up on the country and find what interests you. Once you find an area of interest, give our office a phone call.

Hey Teachers & Parents!
Did you know Island Expeditions Co. has been operating custom educational trips for high schools and colleges for over a decade! For more information, please call our office. www.educationaltrips.org

What about adding a 2 night weekend at Glovers Reef to other trips?
Contact us at 1-800-667-1630 for details.

  With Island Expeditions Co. a seven day trip means seven days in the field, not 2 days of airline travel and 5 days of vacation. With the execption of our "short trips", on all IEC adventures we meet you the day before the trip is scheduled to begin. This is "Day 0" and has been conceived for your convenience and comfort. "Day 0" is your day to arrive in Belize before the trip starts, meet your fellow travelers, and to acclimatize to your new tropical environment. From there be it a short flight or a boat charter, your transportation to meet up with your group on this day, your dinner, and your accommodation on this night are included in the trip cost.

On the "short trips" we meet you on the day that trip begins, at a pre-scheduled time and location coordinated by our sales and reservations office. Whether we meet you at the boat dock, or in the lobby of a local hotel at a specific time, our reservation staff will make sure you have our contact information and appropriate rendezvous details. To see a list of IEC " short trips", simply click here to find out more information

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