Barrier Reef and Coral Cays
Pelican Beach Resort
One of only a handful of islands located on the edge of the Belize Barrier Reef (a World Heritage Site), the 15-acre South Water Caye is perhaps the most beautiful of all the inhabited reef cayes. It forms part of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Belize’s largest marine reserve covering an area of over 100,000 acres and considered to be one of the most biodiverse marine areas in the country.
Situated on the lovely southern end of the caye on a coral sand beach adorned with coconut palms, the hotel consists of a main wooden period building, Pelican’s Pouch (once a Convent for the Sisters of Mercy) with five rooms on top and a restaurant below plus five separate wooden cottages comprising eight units.
The accommodation is fairly simple and has been designed to have the lightest environmental footprint including solar power, captured rainwater and state of the art composting toilets.
There is excellent snorkelling right off the beach and diving can be arranged at a resort on the island or from the mainland: the reef drops off to 2000ft just thirty yards offshore allowing fabulous wall dives. The resort is owned by a prominent local family, the Bowmans, who once owned the entire island and others nearby; the food is excellent and the Belizean staff are very friendly and quietly efficient.
Facilities
Five separate cabanas comprising eight units: Osprey’s Nest (two rooms, each with double and single beds, shared balcony) shared private dock, sea views; Heron’s Hideaway (for honeymooners, with dbl bed and sea views); Sandpiper Suites (duplex - one dbl, one dbl plus sgl, beach view); Egret’s Escape (first floor unit, dbl bed); Kingfisher Cottage (first floor unit with dbl bed, lagoon and beach views). All have composting loos and hot water showers. The main building, Pelican’s Pouch, has five large first-floor rooms, en suite toilet and basin, shared hot showers on ground floor, east facing verandah with hammocks, restaurant, bar, dining room with large deck. On the property are a boat dock, hammocks, canoes and Lazer sailboats for the use of guests.
Local Wildlife
Snorkelling for eagle rays, stingrays, nurse sharks, tarpon, corals, reef fish; Man ’O’ War Cay for large numbers of roosting magnificent frigatebirds and yellow-footed boobies. Around the island, pelicans dive constantly for fish, frigatebirds soar overhead and hermit crabs scurry along the beach, pure white and fringed by coconut palms. The island’s resident ospreys can be observed hunting for fish and tending their nest above the radio mast.
Optional Activities
Swimming, snorkelling (gear for hire), diving (no dive shop – tanks and gear can come from a mainland operator or nearby resort), canoeing, sailing, boating, birdwatching, bone fishing, drop-line fishing, kite surfing (bring your own gear), exploring the island (you can generally walk anywhere), visiting other islands, mangrove tour, relaxing in a hammock.
Jonathan Morris
Area Specialist
During the week of the full moon in April, May and June, whale sharks can be seen in Gladden Spit. We can arrange for boats to take you to Gladden Spit to swim with these majestic creatures.
If you have any questions regarding our Belize tours, please feel free to contact me on +44 (0)1803 866965
Pelican Beach Resort was the perfect end to the holiday - a private island paradise. Relatively simple but very adequate accommodation. Great snorkeling and bird watching. Staff were all very friendly, providing a laid back Caribbean charm.
