Your trip starts in Belize City International airport where you will greeted by our driver who will take you to the boat dock in Belize City for the 1 hour and thirty minute ride to the lodge. The boat ride is smooth in our 48 foot dive boat which doubles as our passenger ferry inn and out of Belize City.

As you arrive at the lodge you will head to your room and your luggage will be delivered as well. Get a quick tour of the facility and have a welcome to paradise drink at the Turneffe Flats Bar. If you look out the front door of your room you will see a flat that extends off to the south ( left) – try to find a bonefish tail flashing in the setting sun. The reef is about 200 feet from your room with the Caribbean waves crashing in, but between you and the reef is 1-3 feet of flat water, this is the kind of bonefish flats you will find to the north and south of the lodge. We are ideally located to enjoy all of Turneffe’s 250 square miles of expansive flats, healthy coral reef and remarkably rich marine habitat.

Although the spin fishing at Turneffe is exceptional, we are primarily a fly fishing destination. We are privileged to have a large repeat customer base with anglers from the finest fly shops and outfitters around the world making Turneffe Flats their annual saltwater fly fishing destination.

Each day you will be fed breakfast tin the dining room early enough to be out on the flats early. ( some tarpon hunters will go out before breakfast and come back to the lodge a few hours later for breakfast with the rest of the guests) Lunches are packed for the boat or you may return to the lodge as most of the fishing is quite close. Dinners are served in several courses in a family style with 4-8 people sharing a table. You will not go hungry. There is a full bar at your disposal as well. A tab for all drinks from the bar, and flies or other fishing gear at out fly shop, and other extras is kept for you until your departure

The Cabanas:

Our eight spacious, air-conditioned cabanas are located on the beach with a panoramic view of Turneffe’s coral reef.

Each cabana has two queen sized beds, built in dresser and desk and an incredible view of the reef.  Each room has a large private bath with two sinks and a large walkin shower.

The Reef Villa is a three bedroom villa with common area.  This option offers a large beach area in front as perhaps the best view of all. The common area includes a sitting area with satellite television and a small kitchenette without cooking facilities.

The common area includes a sitting area with satellite television and a small kitchenette without cooking facilities. The common area includes a sitting area with satellite television and a small kitchenette without cooking facilities.

The Garden Villa is also a three bedroom villa with a larger common area. This building is set slightly back from the beach but has wonderful views of the manicured grounds and the Caribbean. The Garden Villa’s spacious common area is a great gathering area for friends and family. Satellite television and a small kitchen area, without cooking facilities, compliments this room.

The Garden Villa has three nicely appointed guest rooms, each with a private bathroom.

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Bonefish have been a primary target of Turneffe Flats’ anglers for more than 20 years.  While wading the expansive

flats on the seaward side of Turneffe, you will regularly see large schools of bonefish providing an unequaled opportunity for new saltwater anglers to learn the basics of the sport. There is also plenty of challenging fishing for those who enjoy stalking larger fish (some in excess of 10 pounds) in skinny water.

Our ocean side flats, some only 5 to 15 minutes from the lodge, are some of the most picturesque flats anywhere. While wading the flats at Turneffe you will cast to large schools of bonefish averaging 2-3 pounds, with 4-8 pound fish common and some fish as large as 10-12 pounds.

The ocean side flats also offer the opportunity to pursue small schools, singles and doubles. This fishing requires casting accuracy and provides the added challenge many seasoned saltwater anglers relish.

Bonefish are present in equal numbers throughout the year and they are on the flats most of the time. This differentiates Turneffe’s bonefish from those in other areas, such as the Florida Keys, where bonefish only enter the flats in search of a meal. These are very lush flats full of crabs, shrimp and other bonefish foods. As a result, these fish can become selective. This can make for challenging fishing and the right tackle, flies, presentation and fishing techniques are all important.

Bonefish also inhabit the mangrove-lined lagoons and flats on the interior of the Atoll. These bonefish are generally larger and take flies more readily than the ocean side fish; although they tend to be on the move, making casting accuracy more crucial. Fishing for these fish is mostly done from the bow of our 16-foot Dolphin Superskiffs.

There is a wadeable flat immediately in front of the lodge, allowing you extra fishing in the early morning or evening.

Dick Brown, author of Fly Fishing for Bonefish, has named Turneffe Flats “One of The World’s Seven Best for Bonefish.”

Permit are the prime objective of many saltwater anglers these days and with Turneffe Flats leading the way, Belize has gained a reputation as the permit capital of the world.  As much hunting as it is fishing, permit present a unique challenge and many guests have celebrated their first ever permit with us.  At Turneffe Flats you may have a better chance to land a permit than anywhere else.

Most permit are found a singles or in small groups on the flats and bars throughout the Turneffe Atoll, although we also frequently see larger schools of permit tailing in shallow water. Most of our permit fishing is done from a poled skiff but we also see permit on the wadeable ocean-side flats.  Many saltwater anglers have landed their first permit with Turneffe Flats.

In 2007,  Fly Fishing in Saltwater magazine named Turneffe Atoll as one of the 10 best permit destinations in the world.

Tarpon are perhaps the ultimate challenge of saltwater fly-fishing.  Although there are always some resident tarpon to be found, our migratory tarpon season extends from mid-April to October.  Tarpon inhabit the creeks, channels and lagoons of the Atoll and most tarpon jumped are 60-90 pounds, with some fish in the 100-150 pound range and occasional monsters approaching 200 pounds.

Our Skiffs

We fish from 16-foot Dolphin Superskiffs custom built in the U.S. These are comfortable skiffs that cut the chop when running and pole well in skinny water. They have large casting decks and rod holders for six rods. All skiffs are equipped with VHF radios and safety gear.

Daily Fishing Schedule

Our fishing schedule is as flexible as possible. A standard day’s fishing is about 8 hours. Generally the fishing day begins after breakfast and ends around 5 p.m. although it is adjusted depending on the tides and other factors.

Each day you will have the option to take a delicious packed lunch or return to the lodge for the noon meal. Our Managers will coordinate your fishing each evening for the following day.
Early morning fishing, particularly for tarpon, can be exceptional, and arrangements to go tarpon fishing before breakfast are easily made.

Catch and Release: We believe strongly in protecting the fishery at Turneffe. With rare exception, all fish at Turneffe Flats are released.

Here is a list of the basics you will need for your trip. I have organized this list on Pro Guide Direct where you can actually purchase the brands and items that I have found to be the best of the best. Any Items that you purchase from Pro Guide Direct will help us earn a living and help you by being ensuring that you have the right gear for the trip. Many of our destinations are pretty remote with no chance to buy things on site.
Bonefish

 

Permit

 

Baby Tarpon

 

Big Tarpon

 

Barracuda/Sharks

 

The Fly List:

Go a little smaller than you might think,  better to have too many 8’s than 4’s for the bonefish.  Tie a few patterns with just the weight of the eyes as a variable 1 with lead eyes, 1 with chain, 1 with small chain, and 1 with no weight or mono eyes just to make sure you have flies for very skinny water all the way to waist deep water.  Presentation seems to be much more important than fly selection.  Weed guards will be a plus on the grass flats.
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Why book through flyfishingheaven.com?

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Our Pledge

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Dive Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef

Belize’s Atolls consistently ranks among the World’s top dive locations and Turneffe Flats is ideally located to take advantage of Belize’s very best Scuba diving. Our extaordinary dive program offers 18 dives each week including a day of diving at Lighthouse Reef and the Blue Hole, weather permitting.

We easily access more than 60 dive sites around the Turneffe Atoll; and are within an hour’s boat ride to the Blue Hole. At Turneffe Flats, we offer true valet dive service. After putting your dive gear on your porch the first morning, it is washed and set up on the dive boat the remainder of the week. All you need to do is walk to the dive boat after a delicious breakfast and head for one of our exceptional dive sites.

We emphasize personalized service for a limited number of divers, generally no more that twelve on our Pro 48. Our superb dive team is led by Belize’s Tour Guide of the Year, Alex Edwards, and they make every effort to ensure that your stay at our tropical paradise is as comfortable and carefree as possible.

We recognize that a dive vacation is more than just diving, and we do our best to make your entire experience is something special. While diving throughout the Turneffe Atoll, you will see a variety of hard and soft corals as well as all of the Caribbean tropicals, eagle rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins, moray eels, and occasionally a whale shark in addition to large schools of permit, horse eye jacks and dog snapper.

A Typical Days Diving

Following a great breakfast, a typical dive day begins at 8:00 and includes three boat dives. Depending on our dive location, we either return to the resort for lunch or pack a lunch. Travel to our dive sites takes from ten minutes to an hour with our longest trip to the Blue Hole. On Blue Hole day we leave between 7:00 and 7:30 AM which oftern makes us the first boat at the site. Our weekly night dive is usually on Wednesday evening; and we generally dive the Elbow, at the Southern tip of Turneffe, later in the week. OnFridays, we do two or three dives depending on divers flights the following day.

Our Dive Locations

As the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Caribbean, Turneffe offers spectacular underwater terrain including spur and groove formations, sandy ledges and sheer walls providing spectacular dive sites suited for every level of diver. Our location, near the middle of the seaward side of the Atoll, allows us good access to all of Turneffe’s dive sites allowing our dive guests the opportunity to dive the best possible sites each day regardless of weather.

The Eastern side of Turneffe is protected by 35 miles of reef. It shelves gradually to about 60 feet where spur and groove formations meet the wall. Nutrients from the mangroves are dispersed to the reef by the tides causing large concentrations of feeding fish to congregate.

On the West side of the Atoll, large mangroves stands provide shelter from the trade winds and heavy seas. A gently sloping bottom lies at 30-50 feet with large coral formations covering the white sand bottom. The reduced wave action allows sponges and soft corals to grow magnificently and sea feathers of 5 feet are common.

The North side of Turneffe is sometimes effected by trade wind swells but on the calmer days we can explore these mostly untouched dive sites. Schools of mutton snapper, Atlantic spadefish and permit hover 80 feet above the sea floor and blue runners make close passes, apparently attracted by the bubbles of the strange “Neoprene-clad creatures”.

Turneffe’s Southern point offers a variety of popular dive sites featured in many of the Belize dive guides. The Elbow is probably the best know site here with the ocean current sweeping over the deep reef to attract schools of pelagic fish. As you travel up the Southwest or Southeast sides of the atoll, dive sites vary from patch reef nurseries with dramatic coral formations to steep drop-offs.

Personalized Service

We specialize in providing personalized service for small dive groups and try to be as flexible as possible with our diving. New divers can gain experience with the individual attention they may require and experienced divers can enjoy the freedom of spectacular wall diving, drift diving and underwater photography opportunities.

On the dive boat, we provide towels, cold drinks and fresh fruit as well as a fresh water rinse tank for camera equipment. Unless you request otherwise, you do not have to handle your dive equipment during your stay. Our staff will change all tanks and rinse your dive gear daily before storing it.

The Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef
A hightlight of any dive vaction in Belize is a trip to the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Atoll. Our location offers excellent access to the Blue Hole; and, weather permitting, a weekly trip to the Blue Hole is a standard part of our Dive Program. This is a full day trip with the the initial dive at the Blue Hole generally followed by Half Moon Hall and the Aquarium. A mid-day stop at Half Moon Caye for a picnic lunch and a visit to the Red Footed Boobie Bird Sancturary is a hightlight.

Dive Safety

Your dive safety is of the utmost importance to Turneffe Flats. For this reason, and to ensure that you see the best of the marine life, a qualified Divemaster and/or Instructor is in the water at all times. We use the buddy system, conduct safety stops on every dive and plan adequate surface intervals between dives. Our staff is First Aid & Oxygen First Aid trained and we are affiliated with Subaquatic Safety Services which operates the Hyperbaric Chamber in Belize.

Nitrox

Nitrox is available as is Nitrox Certification.

Marine Eco-Adventure

Explore the wonders and the beauty of the Turneffe Atoll. This is unique marine eco-adventure experience featuring snorkeling, birding or one of several other fun and informative activities. Or, if you are so-inclined, you can stay at the resort and lounge on our beach. Every day offers a great new adventure and a perfect opportunity to relax – that’s what our Atoll Adventure is all about.

Atoll Adventurers choose from a variety of daily guided activities led by one of our experienced Atoll Adventure guides (Abel Coe pictured), all of whom are informative and fun. Our 25 foot canopied boat is at your guide’s disposal for exploring the reefs, mangroves, creeks and lagoons that make Turneffe the largest and most biologically diverse atoll in the Caribbean. Snorkeling is one activity that you will want to experience with Turneffe’s world-class snorkeling featuring warm Caribbean waters, a myriad of tropical reef creatures and incredible coral structures. Our guides are masters at helping everyone feel comfortable in the water and beginners can learn to snorkel on our sandy shore before visiting the reef. With at least 60 species of birds at Turneffe, birding is another highlight. You may also want to tour the atoll looking for manatees and dolphins or enjoy an afternoon kayaking. Our Atoll Adventure Program is a very flexible and is tailored to fit the particular interests of each group.

Turneffe has a fascinating history, including Mayan fishing and trading settlements dating to 400 A.D. Turneffe was also a favored hideout for the notorious pirate, Blackbeard. For most guests, learning about the history of Turneffe as well as the fascinating history of Belize is one of the more enjoyable parts of their visit.

Our top Atoll Adventure guide, Abelino “Abel” Coe, was born and raised in a Mayan community in Southern Belize and his first language was Maya. Abel is an avid student of Mayan history and he is well-versed Belize’s history. Days with Abel are informative and fun. He knows the flora and fauna of Turneffe intimately and is very adept and finding all of the interesting things. Abel is an excellent snorkeler and makes his guests feel comfortable visiting the underwater wonders at Turneffe.

There are several Atoll Adventure tours for the group to enjoy including those listed below. Please see Activity Options on the drop down menu under Atoll Adventure for the details of each tour.

Snorkeling Tours
Manatee & Dophin Tours
Flats Walking Tour
Turneffe Birding Tour
Sea Shell & Starfish Tour
The Maya and Turneffe
Sea Kayaking
Mainland Tours
Crocodile Tour
Lighthouse Atoll – Snorkeling and Birding Tour
Evening Island Tour
Belizean Cooking Class
Discover SCUBA Diving Course

Turneffe Atoll offers several world-class snorkeling sites and our guides know them all. You can expect to see a wide variety of tropical reef fishes, rays, sea turtles, lobsters, dolphins and possibly occasionally manatees.

While snorkeling, you will always be accompanied by one of our experienced Atoll Adventure Guides who are masters at helping even novice snorkelers feel comfortable in the water.

They will make sure that your equipment fits and will teach you the best snorkeling techniques. They know where to find all of the interesting creatures and will ensure that you make the most of your snorkeling adventure.

Enjoy touring the Atoll in search of bottlenose and spotted dolphins. Numerous pods cruise the shallow water throughout the Atoll using their sonar system to hunt for fish and crustaceans buried in the sand. Often, they attracted by the sound of an engine and will suddenly pop up near the boat to have a look.

Turneffe is home to a population of West Indian Manatees which grow to 1,300 pounds and trundle along the sea grass beds browsing on sea grass. Their only living relative is the elephant and they have remnants of toenails on their front flippers. These shy creatures can be seen in several of the creeks and channels around Turneffe Atoll.

More than 60 species of birds have been identified on the Turneffe Atoll with the following commonly seen: the snowy egret, little blue heron, great blue heron, tricolored heron, yellow-crowned night heron, clapper rail, mangrove swallow, brown pelican, magnificent frigatebird, double-crested cormorant, osprey, mangrove warbler, great tailed grackle, goldenfronted woodpecker, tropical mockingbird, cinnamon hummingbird, great breasted mango, hooded oriole, white crowned pigeon and royal tern.

Seen on occasion are: the belted kingfisher, white-eyed vireo, northern waterthrush, barn swallow, perigrine falcon, merlin, common yellowthroat, bay breasted warbler, red-eyed vireo, palm warbler, cape may warbler, eastern wood pewee, summer tanager, brown booby, yucatan vireo, american redstart, least tern and the roseate tern.

At several sandy areas around the atoll, you can snorkel above huge cushion sea stars, varying in color from pale yellow to burgundy red. If you wish to add to your seashell collection, there are opportunities to walk the shores of the many small cayes on the Atoll to search for a variety of shells that wash up with each tide. Conch fishing is a vital part of the commercial fishing economy at Turneffe and there are thousands of discarded queen conch shells to choose from. In addition, you may find exoskeletons of long spined sea urchins and intact West Indian sea eggs.

Turneffe Atoll is one of the largest remaining nesting areas in the Caribbean for the docile and threatened American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus ). Join our Adventure Guide for a leisurely boat ride around the mangrove islands for the opportunity to see these crocodiles in their natural habitat. You are likely to see crocs sunning themselves or swimming in isolated lagoons. Additionally, you will see crocodile nests and possibly baby crocodiles.TF-Atoll-Croc

Unlike the Australian and African crocodiles, American Crocodiles are fish eaters and they are very timid. When approached while sunning on the shore, they run for the safety of the water and submerge. One evening during the week our guides conduct a “Crocodile Tour” in which they slowly motor through the lagoons looking for the red glow of crocodile eyes.

TF-Atoll-Flat.jpg
Just inside the fringe reef along the seaward side of the atoll are miles of shallow, gin clear flats. This is the area where fly fishing anglers search for bonefish and permit, and the “flats” are alive with sea creatures of all sorts. With a discerning eye and the aid of your guide, you will likely see schools of bonefish, permit, trunk (box) fish, barracuda, small rays, snappers and even small sharks. In the surf you can sometimes see large parrot fish or trigger fish with their backs half out of the water.

The flats are covered with turtle grass, which is a key habitat for many species of juvenile fish, and the flats are also vital in protecting the coral reef by acting as a sediment filter.

To some extent, this is the culmination of several tours. Its combination of healthy coral reef, back reef flats, extensive sea grass beds and mangroves make Turneffe the largest and most biologically diverse atoll in the Caribbean.

The Turneffe Atoll is one of only three coral atolls in the Caribbean. Two others (Lighthouse Atoll and Glover’s Atoll) are located in Belize and the fourth is in Southern Mexico. Formation of these coral atolls was accomplished through years of coral buildup rather than by volcanic activity – the more common mechanism of atoll formation. The entire Atoll is surrounded by a fringe coral reef with waters inside the reef varying from less than a foot deep to 30 feet in depth. Ocean depths around the atoll are thought to reach 10,000 feet.

Approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles across, Turneffe has evolved as a model coastal marine ecosystem. This involves the following intimately interrelated habitats; the coral reef, the back reef flats, the sea grass beds, the mangroves and the littoral forest. During you visit you will learn how all of these varied habitats are interrelated and interdependent. You will learn what is required to sustain healthy coral reefs, the functions of the back reef flats, the importance of healthy sea grass beds and the reasons that mangroves are vital to the entire ecosystem.
In the end, we hope that you will agree that the unique and special environment of the Turneffe Atoll warrants protection from threats such as over-fishing, over-development and improper development that have decimated much of the coastal ecology in other parts of the world.

At most any time during your stay you may want to take one of our sea kayaks out for a better look at the surroundings and to enjoy the marine life close at hand. While getting some exercise, you can explore the creeks that wind amongst the mangrove islands, and the myriad of marine life inhabiting the “flats” including boxfish, stingrays and bonefish. Take your snorkeling gear with you and take a dip when you need to cool off or take a closer look at the marine life.

Your Atoll Adventure guide, Abel Coe, is a Kek’chi Mayan who grew up in a Mayan village in Southern Belize. He will explain the history of the Maya in Belize as well as the traditions and beliefs of the Mayan culture. His knowledge and ability to share it is something special.Several Mayan fishing villages have been identified on the Turneffe Atoll dating to 400 A.D. Turneffe was clearly part of the intricate trade routes of the Maya and artifacts from Turneffe indicate that they traded goods with peoples as far away as Guatemala.
Belize is thought to have been at the center of the Maya civilization, which was at its peak from i 900 B.C. to 900 A.D. Today, Mayan people make up approximately 11% of the population of Belize with several villages still speaking one of the three Maya languages as their first language. Learn about the three Mayan groups inhabiting Belize – the Yucatec, the Mopan & the Kek’chi Maya. If you are lucky, you may run across a Maya artifact or two.

Spend part of a day in the kitchen with one of our cooks learning how to prepare empanadas, tortillas or garnaches the Belizean way. This is more than a cooking class; it is a culture class. You will leave with fond memories as well as recipes.

Weather conditions allowing, our Scuba Divers make a weekly trip to Lighthouse Atoll and you will have an opportunity join them for the day at the southern end of the the Atoll. Your first stop will be The Great Blue Hole. This amazing structure was formed millions of years ago when the roof an underground cave collapsed.

Now, the cave is filled with seawater and forms a circular hole 1000 feet in diameter and 480 feet deep. This is primarily a SCUBA diving attraction but the coral edges provide a unique and wonderful snorkeling experience. Next, you will visit Half Moon Caye. This small caye was established as a Crown Reserve in 1928 and became the first Marine Reserve in Belize. Here a colony of red-footed booby birds nest in the tops of the Zericote trees. Whereas the red-footed boobies in the Galapagos and other parts of the world have brown plumage, almost all of these 4000 birds display the rare white color phase.

The magnificent frigatebird, with a 7 foot wingspan also shares this rookery. Since they cannot land on water, they mostly feed by harassing the returning boobies until they drop their catch. Some 98 other species of birds have been documented on the caye including ospreys, great tailed grackles, cinnamon hummingbirds and white-crowned pigeons.

If you feel like some additional exercise, you can kayak a half mile to the shipwreck of the Ermlund. The wreckage of this vessel sits on the top of the reef where it was deposited during a storm in 1971.

After a picnic lunch under the shade of the palm trees we set off for Long Caye, to snorkel “The Aquarium”. Here you watch from above as divers feed thousands of bermuda chub, sergeant majors and yellowtail snappers with leftover bread.
If we are lucky, a large pod of bottlenose dolphin or spinner dolphin will escort us part of the way back to Turneffe Flats.

A mainland tour is optional. If you wish to do a mainland tour you will travel to Belize City on our supply day (usually Wednesday), meet with one of the best tour guides in Belize and visit a Mayan Ruin, the Belize Zoo, or the rain forest. The mainland tour is an additional expense, which is paid directly to the tour operator. Costs depend upon the tour chosen, but usually range from $50-$75/person.

Have you ever wondered about SCUBA Diving? During your stay, you may want to experience the excitement of SCUBA Diving with a Discover SCUBA Diving Course. Our PADI Dive Instructors offer this introductory diving course which consists of basic SCUBA instruction followed by two shallow dives of no more than 30 feet. There is an additional charge for this course.

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