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The Island Life - Belize

Good Advice on "Reef-Safe" Sunscreens

Chances are you've heard about "reef-safe sunscreens" and the importance of using sunblock that doesn't contain harmful chemicals.

But which chemicals are harmful?  What does that even mean?

In May of this year, Hawaii passed a bill that prevents the sale of sunscreen containing UV-filtering ingredients, like oxybenzone (the most common compound found in nearly 3,500 sunscreens worldwide), octinoxate (even more toxic that oxybenzone, but usually found in lower concentrations), and octocrylene.  These are the dangerous chemicals have been linked to coral bleaching.

A good rule of thumb:  the simpler the formula, the better.  A great alternative to using sunscreen when diving or snorkeling is to wear a long-sleeved sun shirt or rash guard with a UPF (UV-protective fabric) of 50-plus.  It should have a crew neck and ideally will have a thumbhole to hold the sleeve over the top portion of your hands.  More coverage, less sunblock.

 

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Favorite Underwater Sights Diving Near St. George's Caye

We regularly get questions from scuba divers as they prepare for their trip to Belize.
 
What is it like diving the reef in Belize? Which fish and animals am I most likely to see?
 
Snapper:  So here is a list of our favorite underwater sights on the reef near St. George's Caye.  From our island, it's only a 5-15 minute boat ride to a variety of pristine dive sites.  We are the only dive resort in the area, so there are no other boats or divers - it's like having the reef all to yourself!  Many of the fish and creatures that divers encounter can also be seen on our private guided snorkel trips over the coral reef. 

WHAT YOU'LL SEE DIVING IN BELIZE

Snapper:  many varieties, including:  Gray, Dog, Mahogany, and Yellowtail

Parrotfish:  Stoplight (pictured below), Rainbow and Queen

Grouper:  Nassau and Black 

Angel fish:  Gray, French and Queen

Needlefish

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Online Gift Registry Now Available: Guests Can Buy You Amazing Belize Experiences as Wedding Gifts!

Your wedding guests would love to help you experience your dream honeymoon in Belize! We're excited to announce we now have an online registry where you can create your own personalized honeymoon gift registry. Not only can guests contribute gifts towards your private Overwater or Oceanfront Thatch Cabana on the beach, they can also purchase special experiences you select such as spa treatments, breakfast in bed, mainland jungle tours, scuba diving, snorkeling, and a private happy hour for two at the sandbar near the reef. 

Check out our new Gift Registry in the Romance & Honeymoons Packages section of our website, or by going directly here: https://belizeislandparadise.celebrationwishes.com/ Simply click "How It Works" in the upper right corner to get started! Online instructions are provided as you go, so it's easy to browse and select the items and experiences you want to add to your registry. 

Using our Gift Registry system, you can also create a free personalized wedding website and send announcements to all of your friends and family! Now your wedding guests can help give you the experience of a lifetime and, more importantly, you'll be on your way to creating your first memories as a married couple with an amazing honeymoon in Belize.

What are you waiting for? You can start creating your dream Wedding Gift Registry online right now! Or feel free to contact Lisa today for more information on honeymoon, anniversary, and other romantic Belize vacation packages at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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St. George's in The Hall of Fame from TripAdvisor - Again!

Yay! Thanks to your guest reviews the team at St. George's just earned another Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor -- AND receiving this Certificate for the last five years gets us in the Hall of Fame!

We are beyond thrilled and so proud of our team. Read our announcement from last year: We're Blushing! 2017 Experts' Choice Award and Best of Belize.

On behalf of our team, THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! This means the world to us -- we live for your reviews.  2018 is off to a great start in continuing our unmatched level of service.  In fact, we have some surprises up our sleeve for you.  Come visit us again soon!

 

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Belize Listed Top Underrated Tourist Destination by the Daily Telegraph

Have you seen the news? In an article published in the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper, Belize was ranked among 15 of the most underrated travel destinations in the world! What wonderful news for our beautiful country. We hope this encourages more people to visit our little slice of paradise in the Caribbean with beautiful beaches, an abundance of history and culture, and amazing dive spots like the Great Blue Hole and Belize Reef.

The author of the article writes, "One joy of traveling here is how empty Belize seems. While neighboring Mexico and Guatemala are famously populous and exuberant, here the roads are quiet, the beaches are relaxed and the archeological sites are often blissfully free of crowds."

Can you imagine a vacation with little to no people? That's exactly what you'll experience here at St. George's in Belize!

Best Things To Do in Belize

Based on years of introducing guests to this amazing travel destination, the team at St. George's has a list of our favorite activities, besides the awesome diving and snorkeling on the nearby reef. We can introduce you to these spots with our in-house tour guide on small, private tours. See everything you want, ask all the questions, take all the pictures! 

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What is a Resort Dive?

Learning to scuba dive is an amazing experience, but not everyone is ready to jump in for the full open-water scuba certification course. That's where the resort dive comes in!

A resort dive is a safe and excellent introduction to scuba diving that requires no previous diving experience. The half-day course is very popular because it lets you experience the underwater world without having to invest a lot of time.  The open-water certifications require classroom time, an exam and take 4-5 days to complete.

The experience and cost for a resort dive can be credited towards further training if you later decide to get SCUBA certified (usually for a period of six months).

 

What's Included in a Resort Dive?

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