Turtle Garden Snorkeling Tour and Island Break
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Hol Chan Marine Reserve is located off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye. Mayan for “little channel”, Hol Chan Marine Reserve is doubtfully one of the most popular dive sites in the Caribbean, and indeed in Belize. The entire reserve focuses on a cut through the reef (called a quebrada) which is little more than 25 yards wide and 30 feet deep about 4 miles southeast of San Pedro. Hol Chan has burgeoned into a unique refuge, with vigorous coral formations and a richness of marine life. We will then head to the neighboring Turtle Garden, where you will snorkel or dive and be able to get up close and personal with ecstatic Sea Turtle and Southern Sting Rays. When you arrive, you will see the surface often boiling with rolling sharks and sting ray as they compete for the scraps. These creatures have a great tolerance for divers and snorkelers.
Hol Chan is the Number snorkeling site here in Belize City!
Additional Info
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
At time of booking, Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms will not be allow on tour
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Professional guide
Bottled water
Entrance fee to Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Snacks
Port pickup and drop-off
Lunch
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza
Miles 3 Philip Goldson Highway Belize City Belize
Fort George Hotel And Spa
2 Marine Parade Belize City Belize
Ramada by Wyndham Princess Belize City
Newton Barracks, Kings Park Belize City Belize
What To Expect
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Hol Chan Marine Reserve is located off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye. Mayan for “little channel”, Hol Chan Marine Reserve is doubtfully one of the most popular dive sites in the Caribbean, and indeed in Belize. Hol Chan has burgeoned into a unique refuge, with vigorous coral formations and a richness of marine life. Enjoy a nice cool 35 minutes boat ride from the port of Belize as you will be passing along the mangrove islands to your first stop which is the island of Caye Caulker, Belize city second largest island that has a breath taking view of the barrier reef. Where a 15 minutes stop to use the restroom and change of clothing. Then off to the Hol Chan that is a 10 minute boat ride away from Caye Caulker. A 45 minutes snorkeling with be taking place at the Hol Chan where you will be viewing the beautiful Coral reef and fishes, and then a 30 minutes snorkeling with Sea Turtle and Rays. After the Snorkeling is done, enjoy a snack and some amazing Rum Punch.
Caye Caulker
While heading back to island of Caye Caulker where you will be having a beach break and also for you to get a meal. One stop will be made to the back of the island where you will be able to hand feed tarpon as a part of the tour. Then spend an hour on the island, and head back in Belize City where you will be drop-off at the port back.
Options
Turtle Garden Snorkeling Tour and Island Break
Pickup included
Reviews
27 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
!BEWARE!
madisonh06,
Aug 8, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00They were horrible with communication. The days before we were trying to get in contact with them about where and when to meet, they would answer sporadically. The day before our snorkeling was scheduled I asked them early in the day where we needed to meet up, hours later they finally replied, then I asked what time I needed to be there so I could schedule a taxi ride to the meet up spot, there was no reply until the morning of our snorkeling session! Of course I couldn’t go because it gave no time to schedule a taxi ride and get there on time! I’m absolutely in discuss about how unprofessional this company was! I’ve done a lot of different activities in Belize with no problems plus wonderful communication and this company needs to improve on this aspect! BEWARE!! My suggestion is to try a different company, snorkeling out here is a wonderful experience and should not be taken away by unorganized companies.
Best time ever!
Lisa M,
May 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Best day ever! Friendliest tour operator and crew ever, most informative and helpful too. Everything was fun and beautiful.
Great Snorkeling, Great Food, Great Crew!
Chad S,
Mar 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The snorkeling was really good. I would not recommend this for weak swimmers. It’s pretty deep as far as snorkeling goes and the currents were fairly strong. The reef was beautiful and we saw lots of sea life. The Shark Ray Alley part of the tour wasn’t really what I expected. It was cool. I am glad we went. However, they fed the sharks off the side of the boat, which meant that the sharks were congregating at the boat side. It would have been better if they had come out away from the boat. There were also lots of boats and people from other tour groups in the same area, making the water very murky (not the tour company’s fault). The food at Sip n Dip was awesome! Some of the best we’ve had in Belize. This is called Turtle Garden in the name of the tour. I was hoping to see turtles. We didn’t. 😕
We arrived 15 minutes...
Jennifer T,
Feb 26, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00We arrived 15 minutes early at meeting point. It was not the correct meeting point after much confusion that we were not from a cruise ship. We then walked 3 blocks to correct meeting point where we then sat until 1030 and had still not left (the tour was scheduled for 9am). At this point we left and did not take the tour. When we drive back by in a taxi the boat had still not left. *** the boat was open like a large fishing boat so if you need shade there will be none. The people were kind just not really any explanation of why we were delayed over 90 minutes
Viator is terrible don’t book thru Viator or TripAdvisor
Lisa N,
Jan 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00We didn’t go we arrived early for our tour and were told they left one hour early and did not notify us of the time change. We had to pay for taxis to bring us and left there.
Great excursion with a great guide!
598elyam,
Dec 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Stacey was a great guide. She knew all about marine life and led a great snorkel excursion. We saw a lot of fish and coral. The lunch was delicious. I highly recommend the ceviche!
UnBelizeable Snorkeling Excursion
Z2003PUdc,
Sep 2, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our guide, Pepper, with Tough E Nough, made this our Mexico Rock excursion bring the phrase "UNBelizeable" to reality! It was super fun for our family! To start, he "let" our preteens think they were steering the boat for a few minutes, they loved that! We learned how to follow the pelicans to find bait fish and then watched Pepper throw out a wide net to pull in dozens at a time. The kids helped with the process and felt like great fishermen. We were then given a snorkeling trip of a lifetime! Pepper was so knowledgeable about what we were seeing and would find things to show us that we would have overlooked, turtles, lion fish, lobster, coral, eel, etc. We also went to Sting Ray City and swam with enourmous rays as Pepper threw out the bait fish. It was more thrilling than the nursing sharks because of the fear factor, but Pepper quickly calmed all nerves and seemed to have as much fun showing us the sea life as we were experiencing it. After thinking it couldn't get much better than that and because he had time, Pepper went out of his way to take us to a sea cave because he saw how we loved to dive with our snorkel gear and then to an area where you can swim with huge groupers! He placed some bait in empty conch shells so the groupers and reef fish would swarm. As we got back into the boat we held up the last of our bait fish to hand feed the frigit birds. By the time we got back it felt like we were having to say goodbye to a good friend. Being there at the end of the busy season was awesome!!
My second time on this tour was just as good if not better than my first!
Ellen M,
Aug 21, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was my second time booking this excursion through Splash Wave while visiting on a cruise. I had an incredible time in Jan 2023 and I think this time was even better! Stacey and Mackenzie are so great at what they do. You can tell their passion for the ocean, sea life, and their industry is genuine in the effort they pour into your trip. Safety is always the priority and the hospitality is just a bonus. Can’t wait to come back!
TERRIBLE TOUR SCAM COMPANIES
O473ZQlisan,
Aug 2, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00We arrived at 9:40 for our 10:00 confirmed tour for my family reunion of 19 people to find out they left us and said they did not have a 10am tour any longer. I called Viator thru TripAdvisor who I booked this tour with and they confirmed our tour, I was told by both Splash wave & TripAdvisor that there are sorry they booked a time that did not exist. We were by the other tour companies there were no other snorkeling tour for today. My family, kids were extremely upset and so we had nothing to do until our cruise ship left 7 hours later. Two terrible companies, scammers, DO NOT BOOK WITH EITHER OF THEM.
Very poor excuse
mnblackshadows,
May 4, 2024
- Review from Viator
1.00The company cancelled 12 prior only after I contacted them. Dam Viator don’t you know this? I contacted you! We didn’t go.
From US$90.00
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