The Blackbird Blog

Finally, A Little Elbow Room

At roughly 40 kilometers or 25 miles off the coast of Belize, Turneffe Atoll—home of Blackbird Caye Resort—is pretty far from civilization. When you’re here, you’ll awake to the sound of the ocean instead of the city and stroll on white-sand beaches instead of sidewalks.

It goes without saying that there’s a lot more elbow room here, with only a handful of inhabitants calling our island paradise home. Even then, you can almost guarantee that half of them are underwater at any given time—we’re set in the middle of some of the most highly sought-after dive destinations.

One of which coincidentally speaks to all this space—The Elbow. While only available to visit during calm conditions, due to its location at the intersection of two currents, this advanced drift dive is well worth the wait. As you descend, you’ll quickly spot all the colorful and diverse marine life that awaits below the surface, including nurse sharks, moray eels, and a kaleidoscope of coral. Spend some time going with the flow and admiring all the natural beauty before coming to the surface. After your dive, relax under a tropical canopy of swaying palms—with plenty of elbow room around you, of course.

Something to Belize in

Sandy toes and sun-kissed cheeks set the tone for 2021. Welcome to Blackbird Caye Resort, where you can relax in a hammock or learn something completely new at your own leisure. Here in Belize, we are blessed to be placed in such a perfect position geographically—Mother Nature has graced us with both the sea and the jungle. While on your stay with us in Central America, we have all the resources to teach you how to scuba dive for the very first time or simply give you a refresher course; but also guide you on the nature above surface-level too, by birding or taking excursions inland to see the natural habitat above sea-level. Let your fins thrive or spread your wings to fly. No matter which direction you go, the Black Bird Resort will be here to lift you up and even teach you a thing or two about the place we call home.

"Mayan" Oh "Mayan" These Ruins Are Incredible

We sometimes say that our country is un-Belize-able, and we don’t mean that in vain — Belize is simply that unbelievable. We have such a vast spread of culture and nature that it's hard to see everything in just one trip. Although our property is right on the beach, we encourage our guests to go out and take a tour of the incredible Mayan Ruins that are just a few hours away. The Mayan Ruins are as unique to Belize as the pyramids are to Egypt. They were created around the same timeframe, without the technology we have today, yet they stand for everything Belize was built on — strength and pride. There are several companies in the area that organize day tours to see and learn about the Mayan Ruins. Please see us in the lobby to help you plan a historical adventure during your stay at Blackbird Caye Resort.

Belong to the Blue Hole Club of Belize

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you haven’t made it to the Blue Hole during your trip to Belize, you haven’t really made it. The Blue Hole is a staple among places to visit in the area, where just 50 miles away from land's end lies Belize’s famous Great Blue Hole, a UNESCO site might we add. But this site is unlike anything else—on your way out to the blue hole, you’ll skim across crystal clear teal and green waters until it all dissipates and you're looking into a bottomless pit of deep blue ocean. This natural wonder deserves an entire day of exploration on its own—you can spend hours here—diving, swimming, and most importantly, marveling. There are many different tours you can take based on the type of adventurer you are—for the more mild explorer, a snorkel cruise might be for you, while for the more extreme, maybe try a sky diving trip over the great blue. It doesn’t matter how you see the Blue Hole, the most important part is that you see it! 

Can You Belize We Celebrate Thanksgiving Too?

It may come as a surprise, but did you know that Thanksgiving in Belize is as big of a holiday as it is in Canada and the United States. Just like our northern neighbors, we love a good stuffed bird with different accompaniments such as rice and peas and potato salad. Although it seems like an unlikely place to celebrate your usual Thanksgiving festivities, spending your holiday in Belize may be just what the doctor ordered. 

Spend your morning of thanks walking the shores of the sandy coastline thinking about all the goodness that 2019 has brought to you. Once you've said your morning gratitudes, enjoy a light breakfast surrounded by all of your loved ones. It is truly a special treat to have everyone in one place with nothing on the agenda but to spend time together relaxing. Swim at the pool, go snorkeling, or just catch some rays before it’s time for your annual Thanksgiving Dinner celebrations. Ending all in time for the most important part of the day—your post-dinner hammock nap. 

Celebrate an Entire Month of Independence in Belize

September is truly the month of Belizean Pride! If you are planning a visit to Blackbird Caye in the next few days, it is safe to say you hit the celebratory jackpot. Belizeans will be celebrating all month long because September 21st marks their thirty-eighth year of becoming an independent nation. Now if that sounds young to you, it's because it is. Belize only gained their independence from Great Britain in 1981, the most ironic part about Belize gaining their independence in September is that it is the same month that Great Britain won a Naval Battle over the Spanish to gain Belize as part of their colony in 1798. So although the actual Independence Day on the 21st, Belizeans will begin celebrating on the 10th with music, vibrant clothes, sparkles, feathers, dancing and a whole lot of fun! No matter what day of the week or where you are staying in Belize it is sure to be a party.