Belize 2025: Blackbird Caye

Welcome to Blackbird Caye Resort

Blackbird Caye is a gentle breeze blowing through beachside cabanas, a helping hand offered with a smile, and unparalleled access to Turneffe Atoll’s best dive sites. With its guest-centric approach and sustainable infrastructure, the resort provides the service expected of a modern resort. And the resort's location creates the memories expected of a tropical getaway. Blackbird Caye Resort is situated on 4,000 acres of jungle on the windward side of Blackbird Caye on Turneffe Atoll.

You will come to the Caye to dive. But after a day spent exploring some of the world’s greatest seascapes, you need a place to rest your head. Each of their guesthouses has been recently renovated, and sport straightforward amenities to help you relax for your next adventure. And with only 20 accommodations onsite, no other Belize cabana resort takes you closer to the reef — and further from stress.

The Blackbird Caye package  

• 7-night stay at Blackbird Caye
• All meals, breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• 6 days of 3 tank boat dives, 2-tank am, and family dive in the afternoon (except for Friday)
• Dive rental gear for kids
• Nitrox is included
• Marine park fee & Belize tourism fee included ($131.50 per person)
• Soda, juices, snacks, complimentary appetizers
• SASY (For kids 4-7): All rental gear, 6 days of snorkeling, and SASY program using SASY unit. Fins, masks, & snorkel for them to KEEP
• Seal Team (For kids 8-9): All rental gear, six days of Seal Team doing five aqua missions. BCD, fins, mask & snorkel for them to KEEP
• Jr. Open Water (For kids 10-17): All rental gear, five confined dives & 4 open water dives, the instructor continues to dive with them once the course is completed from the boat. Fins, mask & snorkel for them to KEEP (This is a gift from KSC. It is only for Jr. Open Water students in children's sizes. Adult sizes are not included in the giveaway.) 
• The Blue Hole dive (see video link)  
• Special Dives: Blackbird Blue Hole Adventure Trip (Blue Hole*, Half Moon Caye, & Aquarium Dives, plus lunch on Half Moon Caye, Red-Footed Boobie Bird Sanctuary), the Witconcrete Experience, and the Elbow, followed by the nature trails at Calabash Caye. All other days are local reef dives. (All special dives depend on the weather * Must be AOW certified ages 15 and up to dive the Blue Hole if you are not AOW then you are able to snorkel the perimeter) 
• Boat transfer from BZE Airport to “Old Belize” via Blackbird bus and to the island via boat transfer is included on Saturdays from the International Airport.
• Volleyball and other beach games
• Complimentary use of kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkel gear
• Free Wifi
• Photo slideshow, SeaLife Cameras to use all week
• Kids Sea Camp Tote bags, T-shirts, Flap straps, and other giveaways (giveaways vary from sponsors)
• Treasure hunt for SASY and Seal Team
• Pizza movie night, presentations, and poetry fun

Not included

• Roundtrip air to Belize City (BZE)
• VAT
• Alcoholic beverages
• Smoothies or virgin daiquiris 
• eLearning (kids and adults)
• Adult dive gear
• Adult dive courses
• Continuing Education courses: you must send a request at the time of the booking, and based on space or available instructor, it will be confirmed. Confirmation will not happen till 1-2 months from trip departure and will not exceed a max of 4 students
• Private commuter prop plane from BZE to Blackbird Caye (Must arrive at BZE before 1:30 pm on Saturday arrivals and depart out of BZE on Saturday no earlier than 12:30 pm, anything outside of those times is booked for an additional charter cost) Costs around $250, depending on the number of clients in the charter.

Once you arrive on the island

This is a general sample schedule that will change depending on the weather, courses offered, and location. Other activities and courses and detail will be provided on a final schedule included with your trip documents. This schedule is also subject to changes on the island.

• Saturday: Arrival day and orientation
• Sunday: 3 boat dives and SASY, Seal, PADI JOW  training
• Monday: 3 boat dives and SASY, Seal, PADI JOW  training
• Tuesday: 3 boat dives and SASY, Seal, PADI JOW  training
• Wednesday: 2 boat dives and SASY, Seal, PADI JOW, and PADI AOW diving and Pizza Movie night
• Thursday: 2 boat dives and SASY, Seal, PADI JOW, and PADI AOW diving
• Friday: Family dive day and closing feast and celebration, and slide presentation.
• Saturday: Travel day — back to reality!

The Best Cabanas in Belize

You came to Blackbird Caye to dive. But after a day spent exploring some of the world’s greatest seascapes, you need a place to rest your head. Each of our guesthouses has been recently renovated, and sport straightforward amenities to help you rest for your next adventure. And with only 20 accommodations onsite, no other Belize cabana resort takes you closer to the reef — and further from stress. Most rooms have a coffee pot, mini-fridge, in-room safe, and sitting area.

BEACH VILLAS

Live on Island time in our newest Villa. Our beach villa offers a beautifully detailed modern room featuring a more comfortable and spacious design. All villas are beachfront and have full views of the stunning Caribbean sea.

• Air conditioning
• Private porch, chairs, and hammock
• King-sized bed or two queen beds
• Bathroom with shower

DELUXE CABANA

Set within foliage and flowers, steps away from the Caribbean Sea, these residences offer a beautiful break after a day on the water.

• Air conditioning
• Private porch and hammock
• King-sized mattress
• Two closets
• In-room safe
• Bathroom with shower
• Living room with coffee table and dinette

SUPERIOR CABANA

A healthy coral reef, just yards offshore — we could think of worse sights to wake up to. Welcome the day with a pot of coffee and go for a swim.

• Air conditioning
• Two queen beds or one king-sized mattress
• Private porch and hammock
• Private bath with shower

TRIPLEX CABANA

Conversation when you want it, peace when you don’t; these expanded residences feature private rooms that open onto a roomy shared porch.

• Large front porch
• Air conditioning
• Private bedrooms
• Nightstands
• Ceiling fans
• Private bathrooms with showers
• Closet areas

Belize: Black Bird Caye 2023 Take your time with this great video by Jesse Alpeert at Black Bird Caye this summer in Belize.

It's not all about the Blue Hole; maybe it is.

Some divers are fascinated by the Great Blue Hole. Others are drawn to Turneffe Atoll’s shallow reefs. At Blackbird Caye Dive Resort, you aren’t far from either — or from 70 other scenic spots. From Blackbird's dock, 20 are less than 35 minutes away by boat. It should be a fantastic week of ocean encounters for every diver and even snorkeler.

No gear? No problem. Blackbird Caye Resort's on-island equipment center lets you rent wetsuits, regulators, dive computers, and more. And when it's time to hit the water, you'll be in good hands: From the 37-foot Queen Angel to the 50-foot Big Bird, their fleet of four vessels will get you to your dive site quickly and safely.

A whole lot of facts (get it)

The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 43 miles from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, 1,043 feet across and 407 feet deep. It has a surface area of 760,500 square feet. It was formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Analysis of stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole shows that formation occurred 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again, the cave was flooded.

The Great Blue Hole is a part of the more extensive Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a FLOHA World Heritage Site

The site was made famous by Jacques Cousteau, who declared it one of the world's top five scuba diving sites. In 1971, he brought his ship, the Calypso, to the hole to chart its depths. Investigations by this expedition confirmed the hole's origin as typical karst limestone formations formed before rises in sea level in at least four stages, leaving ledges at depths of 69 feet, 161 feet, and 299 feet. Stalactites were retrieved from submerged caves, confirming their previous formation above sea level. 

Some of these stalactites were also off-vertical by 5 degrees in a consistent orientation, indicating that there had also been some past geological shift and tilting of the underlying plateau, followed by a long period in the current plane. The tilt indicates that this was a movement of the land rather than a rise in sea level alone. The initially measured depth of the Great Blue Hole was about 410 feet, which is the most often cited depth to this day.

In the summer of 1997, an expedition was conducted to collect core samples from the Blue Hole's floor and document the cave system. To accomplish these tasks, all divers had to be certified in cave diving and mixed gases.

In December 2018, two submarines descended into the Blue Hole in an attempt to map its interior. Using sonar scanning, the team nearly completed a 3-D map of the 1,000-foot wide hole. One of their discoveries was a layer of hydrogen sulfide at a depth of approximately 300 feet. The water at that depth and below becomes dark, anoxic, and devoid of life. Blue hole facts from Source Wikipedia.

Island eats are 

No need to bring your snacks — in our palapa, all you need is your appetite. Giving international flavors a local makeover, the Blackbird Restaurant incorporates freshly-caught seafood and Belizean produce into every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you get hungry between meals, head for the water; our two tropical bars serve snacks and drinks alongside the largest reef in the Caribbean.

Flying to Belize

How can I get to the resort?

Take the plane or the boat: Blackbird Caye offers complimentary boat transfers from Belize City every Saturday. Alternatively, you can charter a private flight from Belize’s municipal or international airport to the island. Flights to the resort take 10-15 minutes for a one-way additional cost. Five-, seven-, nine-, and 12-seat charters are also available. To take the charter flight, you must arrive no later than 2:00 pm at Belize City’s Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE), and on departure day, your flight leaves no earlier than 12:30 pm from BZE. Kids Sea Camp will be working with Blackbird Caye to help arrange the charter flights to the resort. There is also a helicopter from the mainland airport to the resort. For the Kids Sea Camp weeks guest must arrive into BZE before 1:30 pm on Saturday arrivals and depart out of BZE on Saturday no earlier than 12:30 pm, anything outside of those times are booked for an additional charter cost. You must travel before and after those times to meet the charter times included in the package. 

What time should I be in Belize City for the boat transfer?

Arrive at Belize City’s Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) at 1:30 p.m. local time. You will be greeted by a Blackbird Caye representative, who will shuttle you to Old Belize (https://www.oldbelize.com/). You can enjoy your day awaiting our transfer boat, departing at 3 pm.

If your flight is delayed or canceled and our complimentary charter is missed, a private flight charter can be scheduled daily, leaving no later than 5:00 p.m. for an additional cost.

Fly Fishing kayaking, snorkeling and nature walks, and more

There’s kayaking, snorkeling, dozing on the beach, and great bird watching. It’s all possible in Belize, and it’s all easy on Blackbird Caye. Complimentary rentals and guided tours let you experience Turneffe Atoll on your terms. And when it’s time to dock for the day, the resort’s natural beauty will keep the whole family fascinated until sundown.

Fly fishing

The flats and Cayes off the Turneffe Atoll, are considered some of the best waters in the world to catch a grand slam in one day. What is a Grand Slam you ask? A Grand Slam is 1 Bonefish, 1 Permit, and 1 Tarpon in one day. After an amazing flyfishing adventure on the flat of Turneffe, returning to the comfort and luxury of your 2-bedroom air-conditioned premium beachfront suite sounds like a great idea.  

• Bonefish (See Link)
• Permit (See Link)
• Tarpon (see Chasing Tarpon)

Fishing Costs

• Fly fishing half day: $TBA
• Fly fishing full day: $TBA
• Discover fly fishing: $TBA
• Catch & cook fishing: $TBA

General Fishing times (can change depending on the tides)

• Full day: 7am-4pm
• Morning: 7am-12pm
• Afternoon: 1pm-5pm