Resorts
TURNEFFE ISLAND RESORT
Aerial view of Turneffe Island Lodge (Turneffe Island Resort)
Turneffe Island Resort has its home on a 12-acre island on the eastern side of the 40 kilometre long Turneffe Atoll and is reached by a one hour boat ride from Belize City. Fringed by waving palm trees and silver white sandy beaches the island welcomes both divers and non-divers to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, warm water and excellent food in this remote Caribbean destination. Twelve well-appointed beachfront rooms are each just a few steps from the clear blue water and situated to catch the cool ocean trade winds. Built in the 1960s the cottages were up-graded in the mid-1990s. Each cottage has ceiling fans, air conditioning, private bathrooms and a screened veranda with a view overlooking the Caribbean. The lower level rooms are called Standard Rooms, the upper level rooms are called Superior Rooms. Seven spacious and very comfortable detached cabanas are also available (some with two beds, others with one bed and a sitting area). Between dives you can relax in a hammock, and when the diving is over for the day make your way to the bar for a tropical cooler in the balmy warmth of the evening. Meals are a highlight of the day and feature local seafood and shellfish.
Turneffe Island Resort is particularly suitable for snorkelers, for the warm, clear waters surrounding the island are just over a metre deep in many places and are rich in marine life. For the non-diver, sailing, kayaking and swimming are also on offer here, but for divers and non-divers alike the remote location and peaceful atmosphere is the main attraction of a visit to Turneffe Island Resort. The staff of this privately-owned resort pride themselves on the level of service they offer.
Each day, all you have to do is turn up at the dive dock and step aboard the boat as the lodge staff prepare and load your gear for you. Three boat dives are offered each day, with the first dive departing just after breakfast and returning at the end of the dive. As dive sites are usually no more than 10 minutes ride from the resort, the second dive is scheduled for mid-morning and the third dive goes out around 1500, leaving plenty of time for a delicious and leisurely lunch. One day a week (usually Tuesday) the boat departs for a full days excursion to The Outer Reefs, so that divers get the opportunity to dive the Blue Hole (for details, please see the diving description above) A full service dive operation offers rental equipment, gear repair, and instruction courses. Because the lodge is positioned close to many dive sites on the eastern, southern and western sides of the atoll, there is always a section of the atoll that is protected from the wind, ensuring that diving can take place which ever direction the wind comes from.
Turneffe Island Resort operates 7 nights packages, departing from Belize City Airport every Saturday throughout the year (except September-October). Packages can be extended by 3, 4 or 7 nights if desired.
Price from $2576 for 7 nights. Includes: airport transfers by road and boat; 7 nights full board accommodation (breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon snack) on a twin/share basis in a Standard Room at Turneffe Island Resort; 5 full days of diving (usually 3 boat dives a day and including a one day dive trip to the Blue Hole, Half Moon Wall and Long Caye Wall with picnic lunch, weather permitting) plus one or two dives on the last day, dive guide; sailing boat use, kayaking, volleyball and snorkeling; local tax at 10%. Reduction for non-divers. Single Occupancy Supplement: $563 for 7 nights.