Once in Belize, the quickest way to get around is by taking little hopper flights between destinations. Yes, you can drive or take water taxis if you are truly opposed to tiny planes, but why waste another few hours when you can knock out the journey with a 15-minute flight?
Tropic Air is the main local airline, and they were fantastic. Their check-in counter is about 30 steps from baggage claim (don’t let the overzealous airport porters make you feel Iike it is further...they got us!), and their staff is about as nice as can be. They checked us in and jokingly offered to send our kids along on another day (...I was tempted…). Our flight was not for another few hours, but they bumped us up, and we were loaded onto a tiny little plane about 15 minutes later!
Tropic Air in Belize - Our first little hopper plane (Erin Correia)
It is tight quarters, and they are up and moving before you are even buckled in - but it was great!
Tropic Air in Belize - Tiny flight to Ambergris Caye (Erin Correia)Tropic Air in Belize - Tiny flight to Ambergris Caye (Erin Correia)
A smooth ride with excellent views of the ocean and reefs, and then we were there! Up came the ladder, out came the bags, and we were off. They unload the luggage into an outdoor baggage claim area and then check your bag check tags and bring you your bags - nice and safe!
Baggage claim in Ambergris Caye (Erin Correia)
Then, you literally turn around, and taxis are lined up behind you!
On the way home, they have a tiny little terminal counter/gate area all in one.
They assign you to planes in order of your arrival at the airport, rather than by your set schedule. The boarding passes are plastic - similar to the old-fashioned “do not disturb” door signs from hotels - and they are color coded.
Tropic Air - Boarding passes (Erin Correia)
They hand out a dozen blue ones, then move on to red ones, then green and so on. As a plane is ready to go, they call a color, and everyone with that color boarding pass lines up at the door and walks out to the plane.
Tropic Air - About to board our last little hopper flight (Erin Correia)
You hand them your pass as you get on, and they bring them back into the airport to use for the next group. Very simple and very effective!
Tropic Air - Our last hopper flight (Erin Correia)
Overall, Tropic Air gets two big thumbs up from me!
Jess was so helpful in talking me through some of the trip options I'd told her I was interested in, and then also bringing up similar alternatives with more flexible dates. Now that everything is booked I realize all the extra things she figured out for us as well, besides booking the transfers from and to each location, she realized that we wouldn't make it to my desired flight time on three departure date and was able to easily add another day so that even our departure day is stress free!
Wendy
2 months ago
Good candid advice and suggestions; prompt replies.
Ken Johnson
2 months ago
Thoughtful and highly responsive service.
Robert Shwab
4 months ago
The trip planner understood what we wanted to do and see, and found what we hope to be a great match for our interests and style of travel.
Karen
6 months ago
Basically everything. The transfers from lodge to lodge were all timely and smooth (even though we arrived 3 hours late!) with great drivers. The lodges and food were all top notch. The guides were excellent and very knowledgeable about local history and wildlife. Chaa lodge stands out as exceptional. I ended up with an infection leaving Chaa, but they arranged for driver to stop at doctor, and he even got us to a pharmacy for prescription and a great drive to coast.
