WHERE ARE WE?

Tobacco Caye is located about 10 miles (a 35-minute boat ride) off the shore of Dangriga, Stann Creek- Central Belize.

Daily domestic flight services to Dangriga are available from Belize International Airport, and other parts of Belize. For any connecting flights from the International Airport please allow a minimum of 2 hours to make your connection (arrival/departure).

Visit Maya Island Air or Tropic Air for domestic flights. For flights from the international airport select BZE to DGA.
For flights from Belize City center choose TZA - DGA.

There is also a regular local bus service throughout the country. Visit James Bus Line for info.
The bus ride is a 3-hour journey.

BOATS TO THE ISLAND

Transportation to the island is not included in standard reservations. However, we can assist you in coordinating your visit to the island.

The boat ride from/to Dangriga takes 35 minutes. Depending on your arrival time and the number of people, several options may be available:

Community boats require 4 people to run. We will do our best to pair you with other travelers.
ARRIVAL- Community boats leave Dangriga around ~ 11:30 - If you arrive in the afternoon, you will need a charter boat.
DEPARTURE - Community shared boats depart at 9 am daily - If you need a later (earlier) boat you will need a charter boat.

Charter boats are requested when community boats aren’t available. At times, you can expect to see some staff or some supplies on these boats as well. This is a subsidized boat, we share some of the costs, and it’s not private. Travel times between 6:30 am to 5:30 pm

Private Boat Charter departs at the time of your choosing and will only transport you and your group. Travel times between 6:30 am to 5:30 pm

Boat operators are third-party vendors, and we have no control over the cost of these services. Boats belong to local fishermen, water taxi operators, and other lodges. All boats are open skiff boats that accommodate 6-8 people.
 For rates click here

LOCATION

Boats sometimes depart from Riverside docks and sometimes Jetti Pier but travel must be coordinated in advance. Do not show up to the docks and hope there is a boat as you may wait all day and find none. If a taxi is needed to get to/from the docks, guests must cover these expenses. Your stay reservation does not cover or include boat or taxi ride expenses - Please do not fight with a driver over a $5-10 taxi ride, these people work all day to feed their families. Be kind and please be respectful to all Belizean workers as they are only doing their job.

If you are given a ride to town, the airport, or the bus station you must pay the driver for the service provided. This service is NOT FREE, and it’s not included in your booking.

But why is it so expensive to visit the island?

We hear you. Tobacco Caye is a small and remote island, we do not have the same traffic as the overly populated Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye. We do not have a ferry on schedule, or multiple boats running daily as we do not host that many people. Boat operators do this as a part-time business and have families to feed, plus gas is very expensive in Belize - sometimes reaching $12/ gallon ( current gas prices HERE).

We negotiate to price and subsidize the cost of boats to be able to run our business. On top of that we pay credit card fees, pay a person to coordinate the scheduling of guests vs boat operators, and on top of that collect taxes and pay each operator.

We do our best to coordinate as many people in a day to put them all in 1 community boat, but sometimes it just doesn’t work as people arrive at different times and with multiple schedules. While we expect community boats at 11:30 AM (to the island) and 9 AM (from the island) - we do not always have 4 people to run a community boat, in that case, a charter boat will be arranged.

BOATS FROM OTHER TOWNS

Please know there is no public service from Hopkins, Placencia, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, or Belize City directly to Tobacco Caye (unless you have a private boat). If you are traveling from Caye Caulker or San Pedro Ambergris Caye, first you need to get to Dangriga. Catch a domestic flight via Belize City (TZA) domestic airport, to DGA. Or catch a Water Taxi to Belize City first, and from Belize City catch a direct domestic flight (15 minutes) or take the bus (3 hours). It’s a long journey, so please start early morning

We do not offer private yacht, catamaran, or sailing boat services.