Diving the Great Blue Hole was always on my To Dive list, but more as a "if I'm in the area". One of challenges of that dive site is that it's a two-hour boat ride, one way, to get there from the mainland or San Pedro. That always seemed like a long trip for one specific dive.

Well a couple years back, and I don't even remember why, I was poking around for an "easy" trip, and Huracan Diving Lodge popped up. It is a dive/eco-lodge on an island right next to the Great Blue Hole. So yeah, it was still a two-hour ride, but then you stayed a few days, dove, and then came back.

Plus being "out there" meant the other dives were on remote reefs without a lot of traffic. We were also the first divers of the day at the Blue Hole, ending our dive as other boats arrived. This seemed like a great option, so I contacted them. Apparently they fill up pretty early, so the trip got back-burnered.

Well, it crossed my mind at the end of 2024, so I called them up and booked my trip: Four days of all-inclusive glamping and diving!

Belize Diving 2025

Huracan Diving Lodge: Feb 22-26

The seas were a little choppy the day I arrived. We boarded the Ku-ha and headed out. On small boats, traveling at speed, the back tends to be the smoothest ride, and it was definitely the smoothest spot, but also the wettest (on the port anyway)! When I got to Long Caye, I was literally soaked from head-to-toe. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't a pleasant two hours either. Especially when the sun ducked behind clouds, it got a little chilly. Whenever I saw some trees, or thought I saw trees, on the horizon I thought, "Oh man, that has got to be it!", but it was a mirage. But I survived, and "the wet boat ride" was one of only a handful of minor negatives about my stay. Otherwise it was overwhelmingly a great trip. The lodge was very comfortable, the staff was amazing, the food was good, and the diving was fun! I can't ask for more.

So some things to note if you're considered Huracan.

• It is very much an eco-lodge, so lights-out at 9:30. The place is run on solar and batteries so it is very much lights-out.
• Hot-water is limited, or in my experience, non-existent. Mostly I was just rinsing off between dives and a quick shower before bed, so not a big deal.
• Be prepared for Mosquitoes with a capital M. Any venturing outside the lodge meant bug-spray, or a dozen mosquito bites minimum. But I am a mosquito-magnet, so it was even worse for me.
• The room I stayed in the bed wasn't super comfortable. Mostly cause it was a "king" made of two twins, and for some reason the crease was in JUST the wrong place for me.

Other than diving, and chatting with the other guests, the only other thing to do is walk around some of the trails. I went out in the evenings to see the sunset, look at the stars, and spot saltwater crocodiles (no swimming at the beach anytime near/after sunset).

Before I knew it, it was time to head back to Belize City. Luckily on the way back we had perfectly smooth water. Not only was the ride much nicer, but it was also 40-minutes shorter!

Caye Caulker: Feb 26-Mar 1

So the second half of this trip was on the "Go Slow" island of Caye Caulker. There pretty much isn't anything to do but eat, drink, and relax on this island, which sounded exactly like what I wanted. The weather was about as perfect as you could imagine: 80 degrees, no humidity, a slight breeze, and an occasional cloud. I walked all over the place, and never even broke a sweat at any time. It was pretty magical really. Sadly, my digestive system and I had some disagreement during this portion of the trip, so I didn't really get to eat-and-drink-and-be-merry like I really wanted to. Trips don't always go to plan, so you gotta do what you gotta do. I spent a lot of time in a hammock, in the perfect weather, reading... rough, I know. (Most of the food I did have was pretty darned good, although with my stomach upset there were a few points where I really just wanted something bland or familiar instead of grilled lobster or fish. Yeah, I lead a tough life.)