Last year, I snuck off to San Pedro, Belize, with three friends. The goal was to target the shallow water flats on foot without breaking the bank. I was sick of the winter gloom in the Pacific Northwest, and my friends and I were due for a trip. So we packed our bags, did our research, and set off on a DIY Belize trip.
I knew we’d have shots at bonefish, permit, and baby tarpon but what I didn’t know was just how accessible, affordable, and amazing a trip like to Belize could be. All told, I spent around $2,000 for four full days of fishing, round-trip flights, luxurious accommodations, and all the beer and tacos that a guy could reasonably consume over six days in San Pedro.
In this guide, I dive into how we did it, where to fish, and the gear needed for a successful DIY trip to Belize. When winter hits, you’ll have everything you need for an escape to warmer temperatures and eager fish.
Planning Checklist
- Book round-trip flights to Belize City, and then a connecting flight to San Pedro. This was roughly half of my total cost. Depending on where you’re flying from, this may be more or less.
- Rent a golf cart for 1 week for basic transportation around the island. You can rent a car, but it’s more expensive and not really necessary.
- Reserve 3-4 Bedroom condo on Vrbo and AirBnB in North San Pedro. Split 4 ways we were able to stay in a very luxurious condo. You can save money by sharing rooms or having someone sleep on a couch.
- Purchase 1-week Fishing License. This is very cheap, only $25.
- Book guides for 2 full days, reserving 2 days to fish on your own. Depending on what you want to fish for, sharing a boat with a friend is another way to keep costs down. This was about a quarter of my total costs.
DIY Fishing
If you’re wondering where to fish, the short answer is just about anywhere. Endless miles of flats and a healthy population of bonefish and permit mean there is no shortage of spots. We focused north of the town of San Pedro–filled with miles upon miles of accessible shorelines and quality wade fishing. On the west side of the island, north and south of Secret Beach, we found good numbers of bonefish and snapper. To access the flats, we parked in a lot of local bars and restaurants and headed north along the shore. While endless flats may seem daunting, fish were abundant. Within 50 yards we spotted the first bonefish of the trip. While strong east winds limited us to the west side of San Pedro, when conditions are ideal, the east side of the island facing the reef, fishes extremely well.
Fishing from shore is fairly straightforward, but renting a kayak or paddleboard is another way to access new water. Spots like Ambergris Caye, Santa Cruz Lagoon, and the Frances Caye Lagoon hold baby tarpon and snook. If you’re looking for new spots, there’s only one road out of San Pedro that heads north. Follow that along the coast and look for likely holding water and flats. Google Earth is an incredible tool for scouting. It gives valuable insights into flats, shorelines, structures, and access roads for a game plan before the trip.
Expectations vs Reality of Fishing in Belize
SHORE ACCESS: I think there’s a natural hesitation to just start walking shorelines because we’re so used to seeing Private Property and No Trespassing signs in the US. An extension of that is an American expectation for people to ask what you’re doing on their property with a fly rod. Neither of those things happen in Belize. In the rare cases when we saw someone as we fished, nobody said a word. Of course, if someone does say something, you should politely apologize and leave, but from my experience, that didn’t happen.
THE FISHING: I expected most of our fishing to be sight fishing. While that was true, plenty of blind casting opportunities present themself. The most rewarding fish were those we sighted casted, but at least half of my fish (small bonefish and snapper) were landed from blind casting in deeper pools and channel edges where fish hold. I’m mentioning this for any new anglers who might be intimidated by the distance and accuracy that casts for most bonefish require. Smaller Belizean bones tend to be more accessible than most.
ACCOMMODATIONS: We rented a beautiful condo north of town with ocean views, a pool, and three bedrooms for less than what I paid per night at a suburban Marriott. If you’re looking for more nightlife options, staying in town might be easier, but for us, most of the fishing was north of town so this worked out perfectly. As a bonus, look for a place with dock lights to extend your fishing into the night.
FOOD: Although we had some beer and snacks in the kitchen of our condo, most of our meals were at restaurants. For breakfast, Ben would wake up early and head into town to buy a few breakfast burritos that we’d eat before heading out for the day. On the days we fished with guides, lunches were provided, and on DIY days, we’d find lunch somewhere on the island.
LANGUAGE: I studied Spanish in college, traveled to Mexico, and even lived in Spain for a few months so I was fairly prepared to speak some Spanish. This was mostly unnecessary and I was very surprised at the prevalence of English there. The signs, menus, and many conversations were all in English so if you’re not bilingual, don’t feel like you need to be.
CURRENCY AND EXCHANGE RATES: Right now, $1 of Belizean currency equals $.50 US dollars. Cards were accepted at every business I visited, along with American currency. There wasn’t a time when I needed Belizean dollars and I still have a few bills leftover from the trip.
Local Guide Information
If DIY isn’t your thing or you want to supplement with a few days of guided fishing you’re in luck. Belize has some great guides and our guides were no exception. They put us on bigger bonefish, permit, barracuda, and even a few shots at baby tarpon. On top of fishing some incredible flats, it was great to see more of the island, get deep into the mangroves, and experience even more of this amazing fishery through our guides
Check them out if you’re heading down to Belize:
- Darrel Smith, @darrelsmithbz on Instagram
- Aroldo Gracia, @arolodo.gracia.9 on Instagram
- Eduardo Ortega, Reel Belize.
Belize by the Numbers
I didn’t have an exact budget when planning this trip but like any DIY trip, the cheaper, the better. All in all, our trip came to roughly $2,000 per person, including flights, lodging, guide fees, and food. Here’s the breakdown of our Belize DIY budget:
Flights
- $650 RT into Belize City from Seattle, Alaska Airlines (direct flights!)
- $348 RT Belize City to San Pedro, Tropic Air
$998 per person
Lodging
- 3 Bedroom condo: $1,134 split 4 ways
- Golf Cart Rental: $170 split 4 ways
$326 per person
FOOD & DRINKS
- $60/day, depending on drinks and fanciness of food
$360 per person
FISHING
- 4 days fishing, 2 guided, 2 DIY
- Guides: $300/day, Divided by 2 – 2 people per boat
- 1-week fishing license: $25.00
$475 per person, includes tips
Trip Total: $2,159
Pack List:
Packing for a trip overseas can be intimidating. What you bring is what you have, so packing accordingly is important. For this trip to Belize, I packed two rods, wet wading boots, and, of course, plenty of flies. Here’s the breakdown of everything you need to fly fish in Belize.
Rods:
- 7-weight Redington Crux for small bonefish and light flats fishing.
- 8-weight Sage Salt R8 for permit, baby tarpon, and windier conditions.
Reels:
- Ross Reels Evo Salt R
- Redington Grande
Fly Line:
- Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Flats Universal Taper
- Airflo Superflo Ridge 2.0 Flats Power Taper
Leaders:
- Rio Fluoroflex Bonefish/Saltwater leader (12lb)
- Rio Fluoroflex Bonefish/Saltwater leader (16lb)
Wading:
- Orvis PRO Approach Wading Shoes with neoprene socks.
- Orvis PRO Sun Hoodie and Approach Pants. The name of the game is breathable sun coverage that keeps you cool.
Pack:
- PRO Waterproof Backpack 30L to keep things dry
Accessories:
- Chacos
- Sunglasses – bronze lenses are recommended for saltwater flats
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