A Day At Tiny Ranguana Caye off Placencia, Belize…This is All I Need!

Unlike the Northern Cayes (Ambergris, Caulker, etc.), the barrier reef, as you move farther south, is no longer visible from the shore.    To get out to the crystal blue shallow waters of the little cayes and the barrier reef, it’s a bit of a boat ride.

Saturday morning – I made last minute arrangements to hop aboard the dive boat at the Inn at Robert’s Grove to head out to their private caye. ..PRIVATE CAYE! for some snorkeling and picnic lunch.

Here’s a map.  You can see the mainland and the Placencia peninsula (top middle) and then Ranguana Caye along the dotted barrier reef.   The distance from Robert’s Grove to Ranguana is 18 miles and take about one hour by boat.

Robert’s Grove has its own dive shop and some good sized boats.  Necessary since the breeze was pretty strong and the waves a bit choppy.

We bumped along for an hour (not so bad actually…I fell asleep on the entire trip back) and pulled up to a tiny speck of a caye.

 

We pulled up as close as we could to the dock and the mooring post.  The dive master told me that a few months ago, this dock was in the water.  But with the unusual high winds of this spring/summer, all the sand has piled onto the leeward side of the island.

And the view out to the barrier reef…just nothing.

Pulling us ashore…

Absolutely amazingly gorgeous.  Unbelievably perfect.

We walked up the dock – now level with the sand and found…the main hut and bar.  What is a deserted island without an ice cold Belikin beer?

And then straight through…another 10 feet and you are on the reef side.

Our group…tons of birds and a few cabins for rent.  GOD IT’S BEAUTIFUL!

Some bone fishermen approached…I think one was wearing an outfit of aqua blue just so I could take 1000 pictures of him.

And I did.

 

 

The BBQ was started…chicken and fish.

And I walked past the 3 cabins to the end of the island where 100s of laughing sea gulls were nesting.  NOT happy to see me, they took to flight.  Surely looking for the easiest way to peck my eyes out.

The largest osprey I’ve ever seen was there…probably picking off the young and the weak.  Birds are scary.

And I value my eyesight.  Time to head back for lunch.

The food was delish…but who cares!  Look at this water!

This would be all I need…a few books and this.

How incredible.   A snorkel trip you can sign up for in Placencia or at Robert’s Grove.

Nothing else I can say about that.

Of interest to me and maybe to you:    This article from the New York Times from 2005 about some political turmoil in Belize and the difficulty in getting out to Ranguana.  And how Placencia “will never be Cancun” and why.

Trust me.  It’s MUCH easier to get out to today.

And….for more information about Ranguana and some dive video, check out Lily’s video of her visit.