Return to Cayo Frances Farm and Fly on the Other Side of Ambergris Caye

A lot has happened in the last year.  In every way, in every place but one of the biggest changes in my daily life and most acutely in Jeff’s every day has been the camp!    Cayo Frances Farm and Fly – Jeff’s flyfishing camp – located almost directly west of us and the leeward side of Ambergris Caye – has been closed since “all of this” started.

Before “all of this” started, Jeff was at the camp maybe 20 days a month?  Sometimes more.

And then closed.  And we visited together during the first-lockdown with special permission to move the boat from the local Police.  It was SOOOO dry up there – and we were bemoaning the lack of rain.  (October – December MORE than made up for it)

And then…in October…after LOTS of introspection and worrying…we announced the sale of Jeff’s beloved camp.

Jeff’s Post:  Wanted:  Fly Fishing, Paddling, Bird Watching, Belize Loving, Outdoor Enthusiast

And got SOOOO many messages and an outpouring of love for the camp (and for Jeff) and then some buying interest and…then ideas.  And then…unexpectedly, some proposals and after back and forth and so much work on Jeff’s part…minority partners!

And now the camp is DEFINITELY off the market – and improvements are happening and CAYO FRANCES FARM AND FLY is opening in April!  Bigger and better!

YESTERDAY I went back to the camp for the first time in 10 months!  And it is green – thanks rain.  And there is quite a bit of remodeling going on.  Re-thaching 10-year-old palapa…an office…a bar area. Let me just show you the pictures

There are two separate routes to the camp,  You can cut across the lagoons from the reef side of the island to the camp – but you are going to need a very shallow-drafting boat or a kayak.  There are some spots that are 5 inches deep with a solid rock bottom.  (It would be winding and wiggling thru the mangroves from the top of this picture around to the camp.)

OR…you can travel up from town – passing Secret Beach – and another few miles up and you tuck into a secret lagoon and you are at the camp.

Here’s the location.

Yesterday I headed to the camp via Method One – across the lagoon.  I got a pic- up in the little boat and zoomed over.  Here are some pictures from the crossing.  The water is crystal clear – but goes from tea brown to sparkling blue as you get closer to the west side.

Just behind Xtan Ha…this water doesn’t move much and takes on the color of the mangroves.  When it rains a ton, the mangrove color REALLY leaches out and it can be dark but clear maroon.

It’s also super shallow here.  The actual lagoon is huge but never more than a few feet deep.

You can first spot the camp by the coconut trees.

Smush bottom disguised as nice white sand.

A very shallow part…when there is a really low tide we need to pole across here.  (You can see the marks the little skiff made.  It’s a smooshy clay-like bottom for an inch or two and then solid rock)

And then around the bend into the camp’s lagoon – I’m coming in from the far left side of this pic.  (Here it is from above)

Everyone busy working but Ginger was SOOOO happy to see me.

And now some quick pictures around the camp…

The Bote House.

Boteboard has done some AHHHHHH-mazing videos at the camp.  If you haven’t seen them – take a look.  Did I say amazing?

Belize on the Fly

This one has fun scenes around San Pedro too – Bote House Belize

The plum trees are in FULL fruit.  And the kinep trees in the back are just starting to get fruit.

(For more on these types of crispy plums, check my post here)

It felt very good to be back!

Here’s the extension of the main lodge area – for a bunkroom and an office.  Woohoo!

I’ll leave it there…

because…THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO!!!!

We hope to see you all soon.