Tropic's View 2019 - Vol 20, Edition 1

TROPIC’S

Vol 2 0 , E d it ion 1

2019

T H E O F F I C I A L M AG A Z I N E O F T RO P I C A I R

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Welcome Aboard Welcome aboard. Thank you for flying with us today!

© 2019 Tropic Air Limited. Cover Photo: Tony Rath trphoto.com

Tropic Air is truly a team. On your flight today, take a look at all the activity that goes into operating your flight. Our team does that up to 300 times a day across 14 international and domestic destinations.

The only way we can operate a safe, reliable airline that gets you to your vacation spot, on time, with your bag, is to work as a team. So, as you enjoy your short flight with us, take comfort that you are in the hands of the best employees in the world, working as a team, while serving you with a smile.

Now for what’s next. Tropic Air is coming off a transformative year.

We restarted flights to Caye Caulker, commenced our first interline agreement with COPA Airlines, inaugurated new check-in and gate facilities at Belize International Airport, added two new Cessna Caravan EX aircraft, as well as launched a Frequent Flyer Program (TropicMiles) and an iOS app. Today, Tropic is strong and healthy, and poised for the next decade of growth. However, we won’t rest on our laurels. We will be making signficant investments in internal technology to make the job that our employees do, easier, and to better serve our customers. We are also developing a multiyear plan to further invest in new facilities, equipment, airports and technologies. These investments are critical in laying the groundwork for the next generation, and for the sustained growth of tourism in Belize, our home.

We thank you for being a part of our history and, most importantly, our future. We hope you enjoy Belize and we thank you for choosing Tropic.

John E. Greif III President

Steve Schulte Chief Executive Officer

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About Belize HISTORY Independent since 1981, Belize covers 8867 square miles and has almost 400,000 people of Mestizo (Spanish - Indian), Creole (African - European), Maya, Garifuna, Chinese, East Indian and European descent. Bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east, the topography ranges from mountains to sea level mangrove forests where three atolls and the second longest reef in the world (only Australia’s is longer) are dotted with hundreds of islands (called cayes).

ENTRY A valid passport is required for all. Some nationalities do require visas. All air travellers are also required to pay a departure tax. Retirees and investment citizens are welcome, though a specialized immigration and residency process is required.

CURRENCY The Belize dollar is pegged at BZ$2 to US$1. US dollars are accepted widely (crisp and unmarked bills are always best). ATMs are available countrywide, and most merchants will accept major credit cards.

TIME ZONE Belize is in USA central standard time (GMT --6); daylight saving is not observed.

LANGUAGE English is the official language.

However, Spanish is widely spoken, as is the English Creole dialect. Garifuna, Maya (Ketchi, Mopan), East Indian, Mandarin, and Hindi are also spoken in the culturally specific areas.

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Where We Fly BELIZE CITY Belize City is the hub of transportation, commerce and culture. The Museum of Belize, The Bliss Institute and The House of Culture (housed in a 19th century colonial Governor’s residence) all showcase stunning ancient artifacts and historic memorabilia. Visit St. John’s Cathedral, the oldest Anglican Cathedral in Central America or watch sailboats rock gently near the hand cranked Swing Bridge. Get close to jaguars and other native species at the Belize Zoo, indulge in an airboat ride through Manatee Lagoon or climb the Temple of the Sun God at Altun Ha. Offshore, take a boat to St. George’s or Goff’s Caye for snorkeling and manatee spotting. Tropic Air serves both the Belize Municipal (TZA), and the larger Phillip Goldson International Airport (BZE).

BELMOPAN Referred to as “Garden City”, Belmopan was established as Belize’s capital after Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Here you will find the seat of government and its agencies along with foreign embassies. Belmopan is also one of the destinations to fly to if you’re looking for inland adventures and natural beauty of the Cayo District. In the Mountain Pine Ridge, you will find places such as the Thousand Foot Falls, Rio Frio Caves, Rio On Pools, and beautiful caves and rivers. Cayo is also home to some of the most famous Maya sites. Don’t forget La Ruta Maya River Canoe Challenge every March, the inland Blue Hole, horseback riding, hiking, cave tubing, zip-lining and birding. © Chukka Tours T H E

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CANCUN, MEXICO Situated on the south-east coast of Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun offers something for everyone. There are eco parks, ancient Maya sites, white powdery sand beaches and turquoise waters with all the water sports you can imagine. Enjoy fabulous restaurants, a throbbing nightlife and great shopping. Cancun also offers excellent connections for those wishing to bypass the USA on their way to and from European and Canadian cities.

CAYE CAULKER Just 21 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles south of Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker is the epitome of a laid back lifestyle.

June is famous for Lobsterfest which celebrates the opening of the lobster season. Front Street is full of brightly colored wooden houses, shops, restaurants and small hotels. The Belize Barrier Reef is clearly visible from shore and snorkeling at Shark Ray Alley / Hol Chan is highly recommended.

COROZAL Corozal town occupies the foundations of the ancient Maya city of Santa Rita, the remains of which can still be visited. Another Maya site, Cerros, overlooks the white capped Corozal Bay. Corozal was traditionally the heart of the country’s sugar industry, and sugar cane fields are still abundant in the surround8

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ing countryside. Not far from Corozal are the picturesque fishing village of Sarteneja and the Shipstern Nature Reserve with its abundant flora and fauna.

DANGRIGA Home to the Garifuna, Dangriga is famous for its drums and punta music. South Water Caye, Tobacco Caye and Glover’s Reef atoll are a short boat ride from here. Hopkins village, a 40 minute drive from Dangriga, is a quaint, quiet fishing village that has grown in popularity over the last few years. The surrounding marsh landscape is home to jabiru storks and other interesting birds. Stretching across nearly five miles of sandy palm strewn beaches, Hopkins and its distinct culture, is home to hundreds of Garifuna families and many distinct resorts that combine the best of the Maya Mountains, the beach, and the reef.

© Belize Tourism Board V I E W

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Locally owned. Community Driven.

For more about us and our work in the community, visit BlueWaterGrillBelize.com We match donations dollar for dollar.

MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS ONLINE

Wood Fired Pizzas • Great Salads • Fresh Seafood • Sushi on Tuesdays & Thursdays • Live Reggae on Friday Nights Breakfast: 7AM – 10:30AM • Lunch: 11:30AM – 2:00PM Happy Hour: 3:30PM – 5:30PM • Dinner: 5:30PM – 9:30PM Located on the beach (across from the airstrip at the Sunbreeze Hotel)

Phone: 226 3347 BlueWaterGrillBelize.com

Open everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Indoor A/C dining room, outdoor patio, or rooftop lounge.

Mondays and Fridays: Half price wine | Wednesdays: Half price champagne Brunch on Saturday & Sunday 8:30AM - 2:30PM Breakfast 7:30AM - 10:30AM Lunch 11:30AM - 2:30PM • Dinner 6PM - 9:30PM Located at The Phoenix Resort (in town, at the end of Front St.)

Phone: 226 4623 RedGingerBelize.com

Wine Bar and Gourmet Deli Over 300 wines from around the world 50 meats & cheeses Wines by the glass, bottle, or case Gift baskets, party platters, & more Open from 9AM - 8PM. Closed on Sundays.

Open until 8PM on Tuesdays & Fridays. $10 glass Tuesdays + Tasting Thursdays + Wine Social on Fridays Located on Coconut Drive (behind Ramon’s Village)

Phone: 226 3430 WinedeVine.com

FLORES (TIKAL), GUATEMALA Flores, Guatemala is home to the grand Maya site of Tikal. Deep in the Peten jungle of Guatemala, it ranks among the most significant archaeological discoveries of the region. Three thousand stone temples, palaces, and other structures date back thousands of years.

Tikal is a place for marveling at the amazing accomplishments of the Maya civilization and the splendors of the surrounding rainforest. The area also presents an excellent opportunity to see toucans, parrots, spider and howler monkeys, among other wildlife.

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA Guatemala City is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of Guatemala and the largest metropolitan city in Central America.

The city itself is a sprawling, bustling metropolis. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops, the city has art galleries, theatres and museums. It offers all the sites and sounds of a modern city sprinkled with important historic sites.

Just a short drive away and worth a visit, are the beautiful towns of Antigua and the wonders of Lake Atitlan.

ORANGE WALK (TOWER HILL) Orange Walk Town is the second largest town in Belize. With about 13,400 residents, it is the capital of the Orange Walk District. It is located on the left bank of the New River, 53 miles north of Belize City and 30 miles (50 km) south T H E

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of Corozal Town, and is considered the gateway to the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve.

In addition to Lamanai, Orange Walk is also the historical home to the sugar industry. Even today in “Sugar City”, this industry continues to thrive, and plays a vital role in the local economy.

PLACENCIA The 16 mile long Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize is also home to the communities of Maya Beach, and Seine Bight. Placencia village itself, boasts the narrowest main street in the world, according to Guinness World Book of Records. Here too, Lobsterfest is a popular celebration in June. In February, the Placencia Sidewalk Arts Festival takes place.

April and May see the arrival of the magnificent whale shark and diving or snorkeling with them is a not-to-be-missed experience. From here, you can also explore Monkey River and the Cockscomb Basin or sail to many of the southern cayes. Laughing Bird Caye National Park is just a short boat ride away.

PUNTA GORDA PG, as it is locally known, is the largest town in the fishing and agricultural focused Toledo District. The surrounding areas are full of traditional Maya villages where visitors can interact with the local Maya people, spend the night in traditional houses, experience their culture, and try out tasty “caldo” and corn tortillas. © Belize Tourism Board

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Visit Toledo in May and experience chocolate and wine indulgence at The Chocolate Festival. For the adventurous, some of the largest cave systems in the world can be found nearby. On most Wednesdays and Saturdays, the market on Front St showcases produce from local farmers and handicraft items from indigenous Mayan artisans.

ROATAN, HONDURAS Situated 30 miles from mainland Honduras, Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands. Measuring 40 miles long and surrounded by coral reef, it is famous for its diving (especially reef walls, shipwrecks, and even a submerged airplane). Its beautiful waters and sandy beaches are a vacationer’s paradise.

The island’s inland attractions include horseback riding, biking and two canopy tours.

Roatan also shares many cultural ties to Belize. One will notice many of the same place names such as Corozal and Punta Gorda, and even some of the same “Creole” being spoken.

SAN IGNACIO / BENQUE VIEJO DEL CARMEN Located in western Belize, San Ignacio, serves as the capital of the Cayo District. It got its start from mahogany and chicle production in the Colonial era, but has gradually evolved into the center of commerce and tourism for the western part of the country.

The area has many Maya sites (including Cahal Pech, Caracol, and Xunantunich), caves such as world renowned Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) and other points of interest such as the Mountain Pine Ridge, Tapir Mountain Reserve and the Macal River. Cayo is also home to 13 CORK STREET BELIZE CITY, BELIZE

VISTABELIZE.COM

INFO@VISTABELIZE.COM

A NEW VISION

FIND

FOR SERVICE AND EXCELLENCE

YOUR

(501)223-2426 (501)610-1404

VISTA

I N B E L I Z E R E A L E S TAT E .

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many award winning resorts, medicine trails and nature programs (such as the Green Iguana Project).

Even if you aren’t staying with us...

Fish with us.

San Ignacio, and its sister towns of Benque Viejo del Carmen (on the border with Guatemala) and Santa Elena also serve as a hub of agricultural activity. In recent years, oil has been found in the areas settled by the Mennonites, and this has also led to a burst of economic activity.

• Most experienced, local flats guides in Belize. Will travel to find fish • On-staff fishing director to make your trip a success

© Belize Tourism Board

SAN PEDRO, AMBERGRIS CAYE San Pedro is the main town on Ambergris Caye, the most northerly and largest of the 200 cayes off the coast of Belize. The Barrier Reef is just a 20 minute boat ride away making this a truly world-class fishing, diving and snorkeling destination.

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bars serving traditional Belizean food and drinks. The island is also home to many award winning hotels, spas, tour operators and resorts, while the town streets bustle with local artists and craftsmen displaying their unique wares.

• Fully-stocked fly shop including premium rods and reels for demo use

Photo: Orion Media

226-2398 • info@elpescador.com

AMBERGRIS CAYE

www.elpescador.com

Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a snorkeler’s dream, alive with turtles, rays and schools of fish, big and small. Shark-Ray Alley, just a little south of Hol Chan, allows visitors to get up close and personal © Belize Tourism Board with friendly nurse sharks and stingrays.

The island’s clear, shallow waters and prevailing winds are ideal for windsurfing, sailing and kite surfing. North of the island, the Bacalar Chico Reserve is an adventurer’s paradise, while the lagoon on the island’s western side provides an excellent opportunity for birding and flat fishing for tarpon, bonefish and permit. There is even a small Maya site, Marco Gonzalez, on the south end of the island.

San Pedro town has a unique feel and offers sophisticated international cuisine in beach side restaurants, mixed with local cafes and 16

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Our Featured Tour WATERFALL WONDERS This adventure, not far from the capital city of Belmopan, is a once in a lifetime experience.

First, a hike through the rainforest to the entrance of the cave and your first waterfall. As you explore more of the ancient ceremonial Maya limestone caves, marvel at the unique spaces within, and the many secret waterfalls hidden in the underground ceremonial caverns.

Then the real fun begins. You will rock-climb up waterfalls and swim through refereshing underground plunge pools. Then let your inner wild side out by rappelling down the largest waterfall of them all, a 15 foot high cascade; all while surrounded by the history of the Maya and assisted by professional and certified cave and tour guides.

Š Adventures in Belize

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Maya Site Highways & Roads Rivers Reef Current Route Future Route

City / Town

Tropic Air Destination

Legend

Connect in Flores to TAG Codeshare Flights to Guatemala City

Flores

V I E W Tikal

A I R L I N E o f

La Milpa

Lubaantun

San Antonio

Nim Li Punit

To l e d o District

Cayo District

(Benque Viejo, Maya Flats, Chaa Creek, Melchor)

San Ignacio

Chan Chich

Cerros

Corozal

Mango Creek

Stann Creek District

Belmopan

B E L I Z E

Guatemala

(Municipal Airport)

Placencia

G U L F O F MEXICO

Mexico

Lighthouse Reef

•Belmopan

• San Pedro

Cancun

Glover’s Reef

Roatan

•Cozumel

Honduras

Bay Islands, Honduras

C A R I B B E A N S E A

Turneffe Atoll

Caye Caulker

San Pedro

Santa Cruz

Dangriga Hopkins

Altun Ha

Belize District

Orange Walk

Belize City

Chetumal

Corozal District

Belize City Int’l Airport

Lamanai

Cuello

Punta Gorda

Orange Walk District

Caracol

Uxbenka

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r e s e r v a t i o n s @ t r o p i c a i r. c o m Te l : ( + 5 0 1 ) 2 2 6 - 2 6 2 6 (+501) 622-5857

n Noh Mul

Santa Rita

cu

Destination Map

an

Guatemala

C to

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Spreading Our Wings

by Jo Sayer

Not only do we fly to 11 destinations within Belize, but we also fly to three international destinations in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras as well. If you count interline relationships with other carriers, that number grows. These destinations offer a wonderful opportunity to see a little more of our corner of the world when you visit Belize, or a chance to combine multiple destinations into one larger vacation.

Cancun, Mexico is surrounded by the Caribbean waters with white coral beaches, a lagoon and inland tropical forests. The city was established in 1974 as the ideal location for a vacation destination.

Over the years, it has become famous mainly for its beaches, posh resorts and nightlife. However, a deeper look reveals a Cancun that is a much more diverse vacation choice than most believe.

ican experience as it is where most of the locals live. El Parque Las Palapas, the local square, is a weekend family hangout with several traditional Mexican restaurants surrounding the plaza. For shopping there is Market 28, a local market that is a great place to get souvenirs. Malecon Americas is a smart, modern open-air mall where you will find a selection of department stores and restaurants. The recently built Esplanade Malecon Tajamar offers great vistas across the Lagua Nichupte to the hotel district.

The Zona Hotelera is a 14 mile narrow stretch of beach with the Caribbean Sea to the east and the beautiful Laguna Nichupte inland. This stretch of beach boasts the beaches, resorts, renowned nightclubs, glamourous shopping and world class gourmet and speciality restaurants.

There are two distinct parts to Cancun. The downtown area and the Zona Hotelera. Downtown (El Centro) offers a more authentic Mex24

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Whilst Cancun is a modern city, it maintains its connection with its ancient Mayan heritage.In the Hotel zone alone, there are several small Maya sites, with El Rey being the most visited. Further afield, the more famous sites of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza can be found.

The nearby sleepy islands of Holbox and Isla Mujeres, both a short boat ride away, offer a welcome oasis away from the glitz and glamor of Cancun. Visitors can swim with whale sharks and dolphins. The Museo Subacuatico de Arte (MUSA) located just southwest of Isla Mujeres also offers a unique experience to dive and snorkel amongst over 500 life size statues.

Cancun’s Eco parks are also world renowned. Xcaret and Xel Ha are the most popular and Rio Secreto offers the opportunity to snorkel, dive or swim an underground river complete with caves resplendent with geological formations.

Cancun offers something for everyone and can ensure a vacation of a lifetime. In addition, there is a burgeoning medical T H E

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care industry with modern hospitals catering to foreign travellers looking for quality care and lower cost.

Flores, Guatemala, known primarily as the home to the grand Maya site of Tikal, is a picturesque town situated on an island in Lake Peten Itza. It is connected to the mainland and the larger city of Santa Elena, where the airport is situated, by a causeway of approximately 750 meters. Flores has a quiet laid back atmosphere with cobbled streets and ancient colored houses. The island is in fact a hill and the focal point is the church atop, and the town was one of the last Maya towns to be conquered by the Spanish in 1697. A wander around town is a short and pleasant experience with access to cheaper Guatemalan crafts than those available at Tikal. There are also many bars, restaurants and hotels, and boat trips are offered on the lake where the sunsets can be truly spectacular.

Deep in the Peten jungle of Guatemala, Tikal ranks among the most significant archaeological discoveries of the region. Three thousand

stone temples, palaces, and other structures date back thousands of years and are testament to the monumental importance of the area to the Maya civilization of the Pre-classic and classic periods.

Tikal is the place to marvel at the amazing accomplishments of the the Maya and to enjoy the splenof the surrounding jungle. The area is rich in wildlife and presents excellent opportunity to see toucans, and spider monkeys.

dors a n t o -

Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras is one of those places in the world where once you’ve been, you will want to return to again and again.

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Situated 30 miles from mainland Honduras, it is the largest and most developed of the Bay Islands.

Measuring 40 miles long and only three miles at its widest point, it is surrounded by the same reef system as that of Belize, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Needless to say, it is a diver’s, snorkeler’s and fisherman’s paradise. Here you will find reef walls, shipwrecks, and even a submerged airplane in an explosion of marine life.

In the protected area of West End and Sandy Bay Marine Reserve, T H E

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there are over 39 dive sites and off-the-beach snorkeling is possible from the shore. The sandy beaches are offset and made all the more spectacular by the small mountain range running along the backbone of the island. The interior offers opportunity to visit lush pine forests, horse rides, hikes and ziplines.

There is even an 18 hole golf course offering stunning views of the Caribbean ocean.

Roatan, Cancun and Flores offer some exellent add on options to your Belize vacation. Try them!

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Don’t Touch

by Rachel Graham PhD, MarAlliance

even if pretty

© Rachel T. Graham

As you descend to dive on the barrier reef you spy a most beautiful fish, with bright red stripes and a peacock-like fan of white fluttering fins. You are tempted to get closer and as you do it gently moves away from the coral towards you. This is where you best abstain from waving it away, and backfin away because if your hand catches one of the waving fins you may very well get stung, and the venom is painful. If you dove along the MesoAmerican Reef prior to 2007, you may wonder where these venomous peacocks suddenly came from as they are not native to the Caribbean and Atlantic. Originating from the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish include eight different species (Pterois spp) and are popular aquarium fish. Unfortunately, it is thought that several of this Indo-Pacific fish were released from home aquariums in Florida’s waters in the early 1980s.

With no predators and an astounding ability to grow rapidly and reproduce prolifically, lionfish populations have spread and have now invaded all corners of the Western Atlantic including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In our arrogance, we thought that dedicated lionfish “rodeos” where divers go out specifically to spear the fish would control their numbers. Seen at close to 1000ft in depth by Remote Operated Vehicles, it’s clear that we can only hope to make 32

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small dents in the easiest to reach shallow water populations. And they appear to learn quickly to avoid areas with spearfishers, hiding under ledges and in deeper water until night when they are more actively hunting along the reef. One of the largest concerns scientists have about the unchecked proliferation of lionfish is their ability to outcompete native species. They reach sexual maturity in less than a year (large groupers and snappers require five to seven years), produce up to two million eggs a year and can spawn every four days all year round, unlike many other reef-associated fish species, many of which have become food for lionfish. Dissections of lionfish stomachs have shown that they are voracious consumers of juvenile snappers, grouper, damsels fish, octopus, mahi mahi, tuna, lobster and so many more species © Rachel T. Graham that many reef, coasts, communities and countryies’ economies depend on.

They are exquisitely shaped to corral prey with their widely splayed fins and can eat many sized prey: their mouthparts extend in a tube-like fashion to make an effective suctioning device that “inhale” fish up to 2/3 their size and expand their stomach volume 30 times to accommodate meals.

They can even survive without eating for three months. With 18 spines in their dorsal, pelvic and anal fins that carry a potent neuromuscular venom that causes considerable pain to people when T H E

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poked. Should you be stung by a lionfish, try to find hot water, as hot as you can bear, and immerse the affected limb for as long as possible to reduce the pain. Extremely hardy, lionfish can even survive being speared through the body and their operculum (the bony plate covering their gills) is so hard that spears are often deflected when hitting this spot.

In the Indo-Pacific, their natural predators include groupers, sharks, morays and a host of other species. Lionfish are rarely eaten by Atlantic/Caribbean predators – unless they are first speared. Although divers have desperately tried to train the Atlantic and Caribbean wildlife to eat lionfish, few incidences of natural predation have been observed. Spearing and feeding lionfish directly to potential predators may not only harm them, as they have not evolved the defenses against the spines, but also habituates them to being fed by people. Consequently, this habituation has led to an increase in the number of instances of sharks, morays and groupers harassing divers for a lionfish meal. So please only

© Rachel T. Graham

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spear lionfish when no large wildlife is present, and definitely don’t spear and feed lionfish directly to wildlife.

For any hope of biological control, we need as many groupers and sharks left in the water to learn to eat lionfish naturally, as opposed to grouper and shark ending up on people’s plates. In fact, we highly recommend that you trade in other longer lived and more vulnerable snappers and groupers for eating lionfish guilt-free. With the spines removed, lionfish are both safe to eat and truly delicious in all forms – including yummy ceviche.

Happy diving, and remember, don’t touch lionfish no matter how pretty they are…but do eat as many as you can to help control their numbers.

For more information on our community-based work with lionfish in MarAlliance, visit us on Facebook, Instagram or at maralliance.org

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Blue Hole from the Air

Our Fleet

See the world famous Great Blue Hole the way it was meant to be seen … from the air.

Fly to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, one of three in Belize, and home of this natural wonder of the world.

En route, you will see the Belize Barrier Reef (the longest in the Western Hemisphere), Turneffe Atoll, Halfmoon Caye, Shipwrecks and perhaps even a glimpse of Glovers Reef.

© Tony Rath • trphoto.com

TO KNOW CHRIST AND TO MAKE CHRIST KNOWN Biblically sound messages delivered with a healthy dose of humor and creativity.

SAN PEDRO, PARADISE THEATRE

across the bridge

SUNDAY 8:30 AND 10:30 AM. “KIDS PLANET” FOR KIDS

facebook.com/sagebrush.bl

belize@sagebrush.cc

As you make several fly-bys of the Blue Hole, take photos to show your friends. Be sure to keep watch on the water below for traditional sailing sloops used for lobster and conch fishing. Manatees, Rays, Sharks, Dolphins, and other wildlife will also be clearly visible in the clear Caribbean.

Scheduled tours leave on select days from Belize City Municipal Airstrip, Caye Caulker and San Pedro. Private Charters are always available, and the flyover is also available as a tour from select cruise ships making calls to Belize City. So before you dive it, call us and go see it.

Cessna 208 Caravan Passengers: 14 Number in Fleet: 14

Gippsland GA8 Airvan Passengers: 6 Number in Fleet: 1

Cessna 182/172 Passengers: 3 Number in Fleet: 2

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Final Thoughts

The question our Tropic Air team gets most often is “what would you recommend to eat in Belize?” Inevitably, our answer depends on what part of the country we are in.

Aside from the freshest seafood around, there are so many “local” dishes that have become favorites. Try the Fry Jacks, Johnny Cakes, Tamales, Panades, Relleno, Conch Fritters, Ducunu, Salbutes, Escabeche, Ceviche, or (as a dish) rice and beans, stew chicken and fried plantain. If you are in the south, try “Boil Up”. Feel like street food?

Then, sample tacos or meatpies for breakfast. Belize also has some of the best Chinese food in the world. Ask any local where the best “Chiney” is in town for a hearty and cheap meal.

Afterwards, don’t forget to try some local chocolate and of course the local rum and our world famous Belikin Beer. Enjoy it all. More than once is fine too. And remember you are on vacation, so please have fun.

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+501-226-5096 or +501-678-5096 WWW.PORTOFINO.BZ