Best Scuba Diving Sites in Southern Belize

Belize Laru Beya Resort Placencia Peninsula

Most historians attribute the phrase, “Go west, young man, go west,” to Horace Greeley, the 1865 editor of the New York Daily Tribune. Others insist that the real author coined the phrase 14 years earlier. His name is John Babson Lane Soule, and if you’re a trivia buff, store both names within the recesses of your brain to verify your expertise. If the idea of going south sounds more compelling when it’s associated with vacations, forget the phrase and head south to Belize, the Central American destination where scuba diving is exceptional, and vacationing is sublime!

Dive into Southern Belize’s top spots

Whether you prefer pristine, less-crowded locations or well-populated atolls and islands, breathtaking environments await your arrival—especially if you have targeted February to June, when visibility is excellent, and the seas are calm. Consider these picks when it’s time to dive:

•The Belize Blue Hole was a Jacques Cousteau favorite, offering a 130-foot drop to the bottom. This amazing tour is paired with the Half Moon Caye wall, abundant in marine life, coral sponges, sea fans, and extraordinary colors.

•Glover’s Reef Atoll, home to 17th-century pirates, is a UNESCO World Heritage site offering dramatic drop-offs. There are 700+ patch reefs; thus, this atoll delivers some of the most exciting reef diving in Belize.

•The Village of Hopkins is an ideal jumping-off area on the shore that’s ideal for folks seeking access to less-crowded sections of reef.

•Prioritize Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve if whale shark meetups and steep, coral-covered walls top your wish list. At Silk Cayes, drop-offs are between 40 and 50 feet, and black coral and sponges are prominent.

•The Placencia Peninsula is an ideal land-based starting point for divers who have identified Gladden Spit and whale sharks as their ultimate goals.

•South Water Caye Marine Reserve, best known for size (it’s one of Belize’s largest reserves) offers divers easy access to the rich biodiversity that proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef provides.

•Specify a diving expedition to Tobacco Caye, a small island off the barrier reef offering marine sporting enthusiasts fast access to nearby dive spots.

•Turneff Atoll is centrally located and easy to reach from the Villages of Placencia and Hopkins. Specify “The Elbow” if you’re eager to intermingle with eagle rays and Mantas. As a bonus, walls stretching between 60 and 100-feet plus Gorgonian fan corals await your inspection.

The resort you choose makes all the difference
Laru Beya Resort, located beachside at the Village of Placencia, not only offers proximity to the dive spots above, but you can count on a bountiful all-inclusive package, and a menu of exceptional diving tours that include gear, supplies, and guides, too. Booking online is a breeze: https://secure.thinkreservations.com/larubeya/reservations, so dive right in, you’ll be so thrilled that you said yes!