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Glover's Getaway & Kayak Rental Combo - 9 Days / 8 Nights:

A very popular tripping option, for experienced kayakers only, is to start with a 3 day / 2 night guided and catered stay at our luxury Basecamp at Glover's Reef followed by a 6 night self-guided kayak trip on the main reef!

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 one of the richest tropical marine environments in the entire Caribbean Sea. 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 three days sea kayaking and kayak sailing, snorkeling, diving, and fishing.  Glover's 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.  Also available are optional Scuba certification courses, resort courses, and equipment rentals.

Then, be transferred to the Central Belize Barrier Reef to your waiting sea kayaks and gear. Next, spend 6 days paddling unguided from island to island along the Barrier Reef, camping on remote islands on a self-propelled adventure. You will need to prepare to be fully outfitted for this portion of the trip. Our staff in Belize will help you with route planning, and trip logistics. For more information on planning a self-propelled adventure, please visit our Belize Kayak Rental website at the following URL:

<www.belizekayaking.com>

Begin from: Dangriga
End in: Dangriga
Duration: 9 Days / 8 Nights
Trip Departures & Prices: Weekly beginning with a Hotel each Saturday (minimum 2 pax)

• Glovers Getaway plus Rental Package - single boat $829 USD per person
• Glovers Getaway plus Rental Package - double boat $679 USD per person
• Also Available:
  • Deluxe Gear Rental Package – 1 MSR 3 person Tent, 1 Sleeping Pad, 3 Dry Bags and 2 x 2.5 gal Water Bags per person, Stove & Fuel - $25 USD per day or $39 USD per couple per day
  • Snorkeling Gear - Mask, Snorkel, Fins - $20 USD per week

See Trip Schedule at bottom of this page

Group Size: 2-18
Guides: 1 Belizean Leader at Glover's Reef Basecamp and self-guided on the Belize Barrier Reef.

Accommodations: Glover's Base Camp & Barrier Reef Island Camps

Activities: Sea Kayaking (Paddling), Snorkeling, Scuba Diving (optional - cost not included in trip price), Fishing, Birding, Photography

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Trip Route

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 which were 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, which protected 25% of the area and lagoon 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 Glover's is the best in Belize!

  The Barrier Reef, which runs the full length of the Belizean coastline, is considered one of the richest marine ecosystems on Earth. The 185 mile long reef runs from 10 to 25 miles offshore and is the longest continuous reef in Caribbean, the second longest in the world. Along the Barrier Reef are over 225 cayes, ranging from small sand-fringed islands perched along the reef's edge, to larger islands of partially submerged mangroves. Historically, ships avoided this area of the Caribbean because of inaccurate charts and the difficulty of navigating the shallow reef-strewn waters. Teeming with brilliantly-colored fish, sea grass beds, and patch reefs, the reef systems have not seen nearly the level of human impact as witnessed in Mexico to the north and Honduras to the south. We travel in the less-developed southern regions of Belize's Barrier Reef which remains a near-pristine marine ecosystem and is unparalleled in the Caribbean. It is in this region that we find the best sea kayaking and snorkeling. Our base of operation, in the southern coastal community of Dangriga, is the ideal launching point for us to explore this spectacular region.

Typical Daily Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrive in Dangriga, check into Pal's Guesthouse, then come down to the Island Expeditions' Operations Base with your chart in hand and plan the route on your self-propelled trip. Our friendly staff will help you organize a shopping trip in town for dry-goods and help organize a veggie order for the Tuesday boat run.

Day 2 to 4: We depart early in the morning by charter boat out past the main Barrier Reef to our private Basecamp on Southwest Caye, at Glover's Reef Marine Reserve. We are introduced to our new environment and settle 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 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). If all this sounds a little too busy, you always have the choice of just kicking back in a hammock and relaxing with a good book and a cold drink. On Tuesday afternoon, you are returned to your rental boats waiting for you on the Central Barrier Reef.
Accommodation: (Tent Walled Cabanas)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Days 5 to 9: You wake up on your own deserted island near Belize's Barrier Reef. Sea kayak to the nearby patch reefs, paddle to a nearby island resort for a cold beverage, or paddle numerous cuts in the reef to access the best snorkeling in the area. The choice is yours. We will sit down with you prior to heading out to the cayes to help you plan a route and let you know where you can camp thereby giving you the best access to snorkeling in the area. Then end your trip by either paddling back to the mainland or pre-organizing a motorboat charter to bring you back.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is advised that any other travel arrangements you have in and around our departure and arrival schedule for Glover's Reef should have some time flexibility as weather and other factors may cause delays in the transfers.

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.

• Double Kayaks (outfitted with special sails)
• Single Kayaks
• Complete Research Library
• On the island we are in communication with the mainland via VHF marine radio.  

Accommodation...

On Days 1 to 3 at Southwest Caye, we are "base camping" - sleeping in tent walled cabanas. These spacious safari-style tents have ample headroom to walk around and are on raised wooden floors with double or single beds. On the island we have a fresh water collection system for drinking water, fresh-water showers, modern composting toilets, and a fully equipped kitchen. We also have a large dining area and resource library lounge.

On Days 4 to 9 you are camping on small remote islands in your own expedition ready tents. You should be prepared to be fully self-sustained with your own tent and kitchen gear. Island Expeditions can rent you gear, which is outlined in the following options:

• Deluxe Gear Rental Package – 1 MSR 3- person Tent, 1 Sleeping Pad, 3 Dry Bags and 2x 2.5 gal Water Bags per person, Stove & Fuel - $25 USD per day or $39 USD per couple per day
• Snorkeling Gear - Mask, Snorkel, Fins - $20 USD per week

A Note About the Ecology...

Flora...
  Belize's Barrier Reef is the largest in the northern hemisphere and the 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 with 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...
 From our base on Southwest Caye we will have the opportunity to view a diverse range of sea-life and tropical birds. While exploring and snorkeling the atoll and the many patch reefs there are opportunities to see grouper, bonefish, angel and parrot fish, stingrays, eagle rays,conger, moray eels, goatfish, just to name a few. Some of the bird-life includes osprey (the Billy hawk), sea gulls, brown-footed & white-footed boobies, frigate birds, hawks, mangrove warblers, and white-crowned pigeons. Around the atoll and the Barrier Reef there are nesting sites for loggerhead, green, and hawksbill turtles. If we're lucky we may see them while out snorkeling or kayaking. We will definitely have a chance to see and sample the main staple for Belizean fishermen, the queen conch and (in season) the spiny lobster.

Family Travel

At IEC we enjoy traveling with families. Children lend a refreshing perspective to the experience, which adults sometimes take for granted. Knowing that travel budgets are especially important we offer a price break to families with children. Not all trips are suitable for younger children however, we find that age is not a definite restriction; rather the size, weight, experience, and ability of your children are the main determining factors in choosing which trip is right for your family. Click here for our Children's pricing policy...

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