Kayaking and Snorkeling in Belize

South Water Caye Marine Reserve is a paradise for kayaking and snorkeling in Belize. On Belize’s Southern Barrier Reef, the 117,875 acre reserve is dotted with beautiful little cayes and teeming with marine life. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is part of the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, stretching approximately 1,000 km (621 mi) from the Yucatan to the Bay Islands in Honduras.

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An image of four kayaks on the beach at Tobacco Caye Paradise Resort in Belize — Kayaks on the beach at Tobacco Caye Paradise Resort in Belize. A kayak can get you to all the best places for snorkeling in Belize. Photo by GREG OLSEN

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Paradise Islands – Lodge to Lodge Paddling and Snorkeling in Belize

Kayaking and snorkeling is one of the best ways to explore this marine paradise and we did both on a guided kayak trip with Island Expeditions. You could rent the kayaks from the company and do this trip independently, but we liked the security of a guided trip for our first time exploring this area. Also, when we paddled from one island lodge to the next, they took some of our luggage in a motorboat, so we didn’t have to stow all of it in the kayak hatch. Here are some of my favorite memories from one of my favorite Belize adventure tours – kayaking and snorkeling in Belize.

Related: If you’re thinking about visiting Belize, you won’t want to miss Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Check out our post about Birding in Belize.

Essential Gear

A few essential items will make your trip go smoothly. Bring a hat, sunglasses, a long-sleeved water shirt and sunscreen. It’s easy to sunburn when you’re out on the water. You’re also going to want an underwater camera/camcorder for taking photos while snorkeling. This one really does a great job and costs much less than a GoPro. It also comes with a lot of included accessories.

Kayaking in Belize

An image of three kayaks with sails sailing in Belize through the South Water Caye Marine Reserve — If the wind is right, you can put your paddles away and put a sail on your kayak. Kayak sailing in Belize is a fun adventure! Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

It’s amazing how fast you can move with a sail attached to your kayak!

Island Lodges in Belize – South Water Caye Marine Reserve – Fantastic Snorkeling

An image of five over water cabins of Tobacco Caye Paradise on the island of Tobacco Caye in Belize — Over water cabins of Tobacco Caye Paradise Resort on Tobacco Caye in Belize. Photo by GREG OLSEN

Some of the Belizean Cayes cayes in this area are uninhabited, but there are many little cayes with lodges on them. Tobacco Caye Paradise was our favorite accommodation on this trip. These little over-the-water bungalows are basic, but they had everything we needed. We loved falling asleep to the sound of the waves lapping underneath our bungalow and we loved sitting out on the deck and watching marine life swim by. The food was great too. It really is a paradise. It’s such a tiny caye, that it only takes about 10 minutes to walk around the whole island and it’s one of the best places we’ve found for snorkeling in Belize.

An image of a sandy sidewalk lined with conch shells and palm trees at Tobacco Caye in Belize — A sandy sidewalk lined with conch shells and palm trees at Tobacco Caye Paradise in Belize. Photo by GREG OLSEN

An image of conch shells forming a reef on a beach at Tobacco Caye in Belize — We thought this man-made conch shell reef was pretty on Tobacco Caye. It was even more fun to find live conch while snorkeling in Belize. Photo by GREG OLSEN

Four people relaxing in hammocks in Belize — After a day of paddling and snorkeling in Belize, it’s always nice to settle into a hammock next to a local and enjoy a lazy afternoon nap. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

Belize Marine Birds

An image of a pelican floating on the water in Belize — The clear water means fishing is good for the pelicans that nest on the cayes. Photo by GREG OLSEN

An image of a pelican in the process of eating an aquatic organism in Belize — If you are lucky, you might come upon a pelican in the midst of a feast. Photo by GREG OLSEN

An osprey sitting on a nest on Tobacco Caye in Belize — This nesting osprey on Tobacco Caye was in a great spot to easily provide food for her offspring. Photo by GREG OLSEN

Useful Equipment: You can rent snorkel gear at the lodges or from Island Expeditions, but it’s better is you bring your own. Here’s the mask and snorkel set that we recommend.

Aquatic Life – Snorkeling in Belize

An image of a stingray seen snorkeling in Belize in South Water Caye Marine Reserve in Belize — The waters are so clear that it’s easy to spot marine life like this stingray that swam past our kayak. Photo by GREG OLSEN

An image of a dog looking at a stingray on Tobacco Caye in Belize — Delilah the fisher dog was constantly trying to catch stingrays that swam past the dock at Tobacco Caye. We were worried about what would happen if she caught one. Photo by GREG OLSEN

Image of an orange sea star seen while snorkeling in Belize in South Water Caye Marine Reserve in Belize — We thought these orange sea stars were pretty. They were easy to spot in the clear waters of the South Water Cay Marine Reserve where we were snorkeling in Belize. Photo by GREG OLSEN

Image of a snorkeler holding a conch shell he found while snorkeling in Belize in South Water Caye Marine Reserve — Our guide Omar found a giant conch shell while we were snorkeling in Belize. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

Image of blue parrot fish swimming over coral in South Water Caye Marine Reserve seen while snorkeling in Belize — The many colorful fish, coral formations and the clear water make snorkeling in Belize a dream. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

Image of coral with various colors and shapes in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve in Belize

Brightly colored coral gardens and brightly colored fish are both abundant in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

Image of a man snorkeling over coral formations in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve in Belize

Greg Olsen snorkeling over some brightly colored coral formations in South Water Caye Marine Reserve in Belize. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

Image of a two paddlers in a double kayak with a sail in Belize

The Paradise Islands kayaking and snorkeling tour with Island Expeditions really is paradise found in Belize. Photo by DEBBIE OLSEN

If you want to try something adventurous and unique, explore Belize by kayak. You’ll discover that kayaking and snorkeling in Belize is an experience of a lifetime – whether you’re a beginner or a hardcore kayaker.

More Island Adventures: Read our post about Bora Bora Lagoon.