The Blue hole is a 300 meter wide sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It is part of a larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve system, which is the second largest reef in the world. The sinkhole initially formed as a limestone cave thousands of years ago. However, as the sea levels started to rise, the cave system flooded and collapsed. This literally created a ‘vertical cave’ in the ocean.
The Blue Hole has a near perfect circular shape and due to the depth of the cave, the water has a deep blue colour. However, the water of the surrounding reefs is very shallow and its turquoise blue colours create a stark contrast. This makes the Blue Hole such a unique place to visit and seeing it from above is simply unreal!
Divers can swim along the walls 124 meters to the ground and explore the stalagmites. But beware! Apart from needing a lot of diving experience, it is also very dark down there. So you’ll probably be able to spot more sealife around the corrals surrounding the Blue Hole.
In the shallow water you can spot many colourful tropical fish, whereas eagle rays, turtles and sharks are usually easier to spot closer to the deeper water. I enjoyed swimming right in the middle so I’d have the turquoise blue water to my left and the drastic deep blue colours to the right. Snorkelling around the Blue Hole was simply magical!
Option 1: Flying above The Blue Hole
Experiencing the Blue Hole is pretty awesome! But if you truly want to see the coral reefs wrap around the dark blue circle surrounded by turquoise coloured water, then you need to fly over it. Or send your drone up, which will save you a ton of money 😉 But watch out as it can get pretty windy out here. The wind was around 17 knotts and when our Mavic Pro took off I knew that there was a high chance that I might not see my drone again. Luckily it made it all the way up to take some unforgettable pictures! The fact that it came back down and even landed back on our catamaran was a huge bonus (and relief)!
Pros
– The best way to see it and take photographs
Cons
– You’ll miss out on the snorkelling and diving
The biggest issue with this option you need to be aware of
Hiring a plane for 6 people to fly above the blue hole costs roughly 1,500 USD. So that works out about 250 USD per person. Sure, that’s pretty expensive but for some still affordable. The issue however is that unless you can find 6 people to go with, you’ll have to make up for the whole amount. We haven’t come across a single tour operator that took a booking per person!
Our friend Tracy who was travelling alone in Belize didn’t have anyone else to buddy up. But it was her childhood dream to see The Blue Hole so she ended up having to pay 1,500 USD to fly by herself. Ouch!!
Due to the cost involved we relied on our drone to ‘see’ the Blue Hole from above. However, if you are looking for a reputable tour operator to fly over it, Tropic Air has stellar reviews!
Option 2: Book a ‘Blue Hole Dive’
There are many tour operators based in Belize City and around the islands, like Caye Caulker and San Pedro. Most will offer a day return trip to the Blue Hole by speed boat for around 350 USD. Diving equipment is usually included together with water and lunch for the day.
Remember that diving down the Blue Hole is only recommended for EXPERIENCED divers as you need to descent 124 meters. The water around the surrounding corrals however is very shallow and makes for an easy dive. In fact, it’s perfect for snorkeling as well!
Fiona and I don’t dive and were looking for snorkeling tours to the Blue Hole. The only option we found was to tag along with a diving tour, but the price remains the same, even if you don’t dive. We opted for the sailing and snorkelling option instead!
Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort
If you are looking for an award-winning eco resort promoting sustainable travelling to book your dive in the blue hole then click here!
Pros
– Diving the Blue Hole is a huge highlight and one to tick of your bucket list
Cons
– The Blue Hole is really far out and if you only book a day trip you’ll miss many other equally amazing diving spots like Glover’s Reef Atoll, Turneffe Islands Atoll, Lighthouse Reef and Half Moon Caye for example.
Option 3: Sailing to the Blue Hole
By far the best way to experience diving and snorkeling in Belize is NOT TO RUSH. Sailing will allow you to explore many different tiny islands and get plenty of snorkeling in.
Unfortunately this is also the most expensive way to explore the islands BUT by far, the most rewarding. Not everyone will have the necessary qualifications to rent their own sailing boat of course. But if you find a large enough group of friends to go, you can also rent a sailing boat with a skipper and share the costs. Click here to check out prices from a reputable company!
Fiona and I were just sailing around Bacalar a couple of days before arriving in Belize where we met a lovely retired couple from Germany who told us about ‘Hand Gegen Koje‘. It roughly translates into ‘hand for bunk’. We had never heard about this website, let alone the concept behind it before, but were immediately interested. It basically allows private boat owners to rent out their cabins, quite similar to the way you’d rent out an AirBnB, in return for you helping out on the boat. This means you can book sailing trips at a fraction of the usual cost!
Although we strongly believe that sailing to the Blue Hole is the most rewarding option, we didn’t have the best experience with the boat we joined. We have shared the link below to help you find a boat for free. We actually paid 700 Euros/week each for our sailing experience as we weren’t expecting to work on board. It didn’t quite go to plan though, so if you want an honest review of how that worked out for us check the following link. Crewseekers: Best or Worst Sailing Experience Ever?
Want to join a boat for FREE?
Check out ‘Find a Crew’
If you don’t have relevant qualifications you can still help out as a Deckhand!
Pros
– The best way to experience The Blue Hole WITHOUT missing out on all the other equally amazing world-class diving and snorkelling experiences around it
– Travelling slower will allow you to stop at many beautiful islands along the way
Cons
– Unless you charter the boat with your friends you don’t know who you’ll end up on the boat with
– If you are sailing you’ll need to work with the wind and be flexible enough to change your route
How would YOU like to experience the Blue Hole best?
I hope you found this blogpost useful and informative! Questions? Feedback? Thoughts? Let us know what your preferred option is and leave us a comment below 🙂
