Thatch Caye Resort is a unique private island with over water bungalows, four ocean cabanas, an overwater bar and main lodge area offering you an unforgettable Belizian holiday experience.

Located only 9 miles off the coast of south-central Belize, Thatch Caye Resort is eleven sandy acres of lush tropical gardens awaiting your arrival. Perfectly situated only 2 miles from the second largest barrier reef in the world, the resort is in the heart of South Water Caye Marine Reserve which gives you easy access to spectacular scuba diving, snorkeling, bone fishing and kayaking. In fact, due to the resort’s unique location – it is one of the few destinations where you can easily dive all 3 of Belize’s world famous Atoll’s – Lighthouse, Turneffe and Glovers. The resort is also in easy travel distance for whale shark diving at Gladden Spit.

Accomodation

If your idea of a dream vacation includes an over the water bungalow, the Thatch Caye Resort is for you!

Each of the 5 Premier Over Water Bungalows are built on stilts out over the water. With stunning 180 degree views of distant islands and clear blue water they are a true vacationer’s paradise. Relax and unwind in a pair of hammocks on a private patio, which sway in the warm island breezes. Each is colorfully decorated and offers your choice of a king size bed or two twin size beds. A private washroom offers a hot shower. Handcrafted bamboo or wild cane ceilings with fans and tile floors provide cooling comfort year round.

The resort also offers four elegant and spacious Premier Ocean Cabanas, with spectacular water views, en-suite baths, king-sized beds or queen sized beds, window seats, easy chairs and dining tables. Two ceiling fans supplement the sea breezes for your total comfort. A 400 sq. ft. private roof deck with two hammocks and deck chairs complete your private and spacious “Little House”.

Activities

Spend your post-dive afternoon lounging on one of the three private beaches or enjoying a cocktail at Starfish Bar. If you want to be more active, enjoy paddling around the island in the complimentary kayaks, paddleboards or sail away on our hobeycat.

Many guests enjoy a few hours of drop line fishing or a tour of the UNESCO protected, Man o’ war Caye to see the magnificent frigate birds.  If you still want more of the water, head over to Tobacco Caye for an afternoon of snorkelling or take a tour to see the local manatees.  If you choose to take a day off diving – they can organize land based tours of the local Mayan Ruins, ATM Caves, Zip Lining or Caving.

Restaurant & Bar

At Thatch Caye Resort, they know how important your dining experience is.  They hire the best local chefs with international experience to ensure they have a wide variety of Belizean and international dishes. They cater to any dietary needs,  just let us know when you book your trip what you require!   Your typical daily menu consists of a fresh cooked, made to order breakfast, a traditional Belizean lunch, and your choice of two entrees for dinner.   Throughout the day, fresh baked Johnny cakes, cookies or platters of fresh fruit will keep you satisfied.

Diving

Thatch Caye Resort’s professional dive team are there to create the best diving experience you can imagine. Uniquely located inside the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, they are within easy reach of all three of Belize’s most famous Atoll Dive sites.  A typical five day dive trip will include two days of diving at South Water Caye and one day at each of the three Atoll’s.

South Water Caye – Thatch Caye’s Backyard! These trips will explore areas from just north of Tobacco Caye to a cut five miles south of South Water Caye called Grand Channel. The trip out to the Barrier Reef is only two miles and it takes less than 10 minutes to get to the first dive site. The pristine southern section of the Barrier Reef sees few divers and is typically a wall dive that is interspersed with sand channels and spur and groove sections. With literally dozens of dive sites Thatch Caye divemasters will show you a wide variety of this area. You will never dive the same site twice. You will likely see turtles, moray eels, barracuda, king mackerel, eagle rays and southern stingrays, as well as the little things like Pedersen shrimp, colorful gobies cleaning stations, and Spotted Drums. Divers have seen manta rays, hammerhead sharks, jew fish and dolphins up close. Some of the common dive sites include Jason’s Wall, Elsie’s Aquarium, Carrie Bow, South Water Wall, Trick Ridge, Hell Hole and The Abyss. On these trips they often stop by a “postcard” coral isle, such as South Water Caye, or the Smithsonian Research Station perched right on the Barrier Reef.

Glover’s Atoll Due east of the dock, this remote island group is a UNESCO world heritage site and probably best represents the incredible diversity and pure diving potential that Belize has to offer. The dive team will motor out sixteen miles past the barrier reef which takes just over thirty minutes to the first dive site.  A favourite first dive, is “The Pinnacles”, which has big coral heads rising up 40 feet or more from the bottom. The second and third dives are on the East side of the Atoll where the water depth quickly drops off to more than 2000 feet and visibility is usually over 100 feet. You will dive several sites on this side of the Atoll and usually dive Long Caye Wall; a world class dive that is always memorable. You will drop onto a big field of bright white sand at 40 feet, home to southern stingrays and garden eels. While descending you can spot garden eels slowly dropping into their holes. As you approach the wall running the length of the sandy area it looks like the coral is growing out of the sand bottom in big chunks. Just as you crest the wall the sand appears to be running like small rivers down through the coral into mini canyons. With the usual 100+ feet visibility, the view down the wall gives the impression of limitless space. In reality, the wall is a 2000+ foot drop-off into the deep blue. Follow the top of the wall and explore the sand channels exploding with fish and marine life.

Turneffe Atoll This 3 tank trip heads northeast cruising past remote fishing camps and idyllic cayes before punching out of the protective Barrier Reef for a short crossing to Turneffe Islands Atoll.  Total travel time is approximately forty-five minutes. The first dive is one of Belize’s most famous dive sites, “The Elbow.” This has a convergence of several ocean currents passing by canyon-type formations. Here you may swim through enormous schools of horse-eye jacks, Atlantic Spadefish, snappers and permit, as well as see sharks, turtles and eagle rays! During surface intervals you will go into the sheltered lagoon surrounded by mangrove islands. On the next two dives you can experience sheer walls for which Turneffe is famous. It is common to see moray eels, turtles, rays, big barrel sponges and large coral formations while drifting along over the edge of the abyss. You will usually end your trip with the shipwreck site Sayonara. It is a broken wreck sitting at less than 60 feet depth on top of a steep wall. This site has a proliferation of fish and big coral formations including swim-throughs.  On the way back to the resort, it is not uncommon to be accosted by a school of dolphins.  Time permitting – you can always stop for a snorkel with them!

Lighthouse Atoll This trip starts bright and early, as you head 50 miles offshore to the Great Blue Hole, which takes approximately two hours. Once there you can go down 130 feet to view the largest underwater dripstones on the planet. There are two Blue Hole dive profiles. Only experienced, comfortable divers will be permitted to dive to 130 feet. Other divers will enjoy a comfortable, 60-foot Blue Hole dive.

After the Blue Hole, you will head a short distance to Half Moon Caye Bird Sanctuary. Located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, Half Moon Caye has some of Belize’s clearest waters and finest beaches. This 45-acre island managed by the Belize Audubon Society was declared a natural monument in 1981, largely because of its Hawk’s Bill and Loggerhead turtle nesting sites, as well as its 4,000 red footed boobies. These rare birds are a glistening white color with bright red webbed feet. The birds nest in the heavily wooded west end of the island where there is a viewing platform allowing visitors an unbelievable view of both the reefs and the trees covered with booby and frigate birds.

The second dive explores the Half Moon Caye wall, a unique topography of swim-through channels. Immense coral buttresses are decorated with black corals, gorgonia, sea whips and a variety of brightly colored sponges, as well as a profusion of reef fish and cruising pelagics. Divers then return to Half Moon Caye for a picnic lunch and a relaxing surface interval before heading out to Long Caye for the third and final dive site. Perched on the edge of the cobalt blue abyss The Aquarium starts in only 15-20 feet of water before plummeting downward. This site offers what is arguably some of Belize’s most prolific and high energy diving. You will then depart for the ninety minute journey home with the wind at your back and the sun setting over the Maya Mountains.

Gladden Spit On the Southern Barrier reef just over one hour from Thatch Caye Resort is Gladden Spit, where the largest fish in the sea, whale sharks, come during the week of the full moon in April, May and June. This special place has a steep sandy bank pushing out into very deep sea. On an ordinary day one can see large schools of jacks or snappers and visibility is well over 100 feet. But during the full moon phases in April, May and June of each year Gladden Spit has no ordinary days. Each year during the full moon Mutton and Cuberra snapper spawn here. The giant whale sharks come from far away to feed on the spawn. It is common on this dive to see schools of snapper in the thousands with whale sharks passing through them. Divers will likely see these majestic creatures very close but they are not allowed to chase, ride, touch or otherwise disturb the Whale Sharks. These dives are very popular and must be booked in advance.

Click here for more information about scuba diving in Belize.