3 Days Sailing the Beautiful Belize Cayes

I have wanted to go on a Liveabroad for years. If you don’t know, Liveaboards are like mini cruises with fewer people, tons of diving, and more remote locations. This year, I decided I could create my own Liveaboard-esque experience but with my own friends, mostly because I didn’t want to share a bunk bed with a stranger for 5+ racks.

That’s how I came across Dream Yacht Charter, a company that offers private boat charters around the world. My friends let me plan and book the entire trip. They had not even seen a photo of the boat or heard of DYC until we arrived.

Read my full review of the company here: Dream Yacht FULL Review.

Since my friends and I had never slept on a boat overnight, I decided to only do a 3-day reservation. Although our boat time was limited, the three days were full of activities. Below is our full itinerary/route:

Day 1

12PM Flight arrived at the Belize Airport

1PM Met shuttle bus driver and head to the Placencia port

4PM Arrived at Dream Yacht Charter dock. Sign check-in paperwork and leave a security deposit on my credit card.

5PM Boarded the boat. Unfortunately, all boats must sit at the dock for the night. You have to pay extra for same-day departure, which we didn’t want to do. However, our skipper was nice enough to take us a few minutes away and park in a little bay so we didn’t get eaten alive by the mosquitos at the dock.

7PM We had an incredible lobster tail dinner. It was so good we ate in silence.

Day 2

7AM Breakfast featuring eggs, sausages, bacon, toast, juice, and coffee.

9AM We docked at Placencia to stock up on alcohol which was not included in the rental.

10AM Headed to a beautiful snorkeling spot. We found a stingray, starfish, and a ton of colorful reefs.

1PM We ate a fresh conch ceviche lunch. I requested this because it’s my favorite food. The entire menu is based on your preferences and allergies which we loved.

2PM Headed to King Lewies Caye Resort. It’s a private island (on sale now if you have $3.2 milly to spare). While it is technically a private island, you do not have to stay overnight to visit. They welcome outside guests, as long as you are contributing to the island (i.e. buying beverages at the bar).

4PM Headed to Moho Caye to anchor for the night.

5PM Swam and relaxed. There was a $10 fee to visit Moho Caye, although you can swim around it for free. The wind was harsh when we arrived so we never went on. But from the boat it looked perfectly pristine with white sand beaches, coconut palms, and turquoise water surrounding it.

7PM Coconut chicken curry soup dinner & stargazing. The stargazing was cut short because it started raining. Belize’s tropical climate was in full effect all 3 days. One moment the sky was totally gray, the next the sun was burning our backs. It was always a warm 80-90°.

Day 3

8AM Breakfast. Same as the previous day with fry jacks instead of toast.

10AM Headed to Silk Cayes for snorkeling. This island was adorable with 4 trees and 1 hut on it (see above). It was $12.50 a person to swim. That is paid directly to a Marine Reserve officer. An official guide was required to snorkel here. Luckily, our captain volunteered to go in the water with us as he was a licensed guide. We spotted turtles, a shark, stingrays, and eagle rays.

1PM Fried fish and plantain lunch. The chef also had fresh fruit waiting for us after snorkeling.

2PM Headed to Ray Caye Resort. This was another private island with a pool, restaurant/bar, and swingset in the water. Most of the island could only be accessed by overnight guests. However, there were only TWO other guests on the island and they kept to themselves. So all the public areas felt exclusive to us. Our captain later told us there were very few tourists in general as it was low season.

6PM Headed back to the boat to swim and shower.

7PM Pasta & steak dinner.

9PM Stargazed after dinner. The sky remained incredibly clear for a long time. I spent about a good 30 minutes crying. 10/10.

Day 4

6AM The captain headed out early because the winds were strong and we had a long drive back to the port. It was a rocky ride but most of the group stayed in their cabins and slept.

8AM We stopped in a bay surrounded by mangroves. The chef made breakfast since the boat was calm. I took the kayak out for a morning paddle. The water was glassy and gorgeous. See below.

9AM Breakfast. Same as the previous two days except with plain & chocolate pancakes.

10AM Headed to the boat gas station to refuel. This was the only thing not included in our rental, but we barely used 1/4 tank. The boat’s diesel and the dingy’s gas were $142 total.

12PM We finally arrived at the port to return the boat. The staff kindly extended our return time by 2 hours since there were no other rentals that day. Normally, the return time is 10AM. They helped us get all of our belongings off the boat, checked us out, and gave us the contact number of a local taxi driver.

Honestly, I was sad to get off. This was possibly the best trip I took all year and it was barely 72 hours long. I recommend this for anyone considering a small group trip with friends or for anyone looking to explore the Belize Cayes.

Read my extensive review of the company here: Dream Charter Full Review as well as my article for Business Insider detailing the whole experience.