Trustworthy Marina slips in Central America .

[CaribbeanCraig]

I'm looking for a trustworthy slip on the Caribbean side in Central America. Does anybody have a recommendation ? It's not an urgent thing , just considering a hurricane hole for the future .

[Sailmonkey]

Most places up the rio dulce...

[CaribbeanCraig]

Thanks , I will check them out .

[Sailmonkey]

go to riodulcechisme.com

I think they're all listed at some point on the page.

[belizesailor]

Any country in particular?

Rio Dulce, Guatemala is by far the most popular hurricane hole in NW Carib. Surrounded by mountains. A hurricane has never made it into the Rio...although Mitch tried hard.

A number of good marinas on the Rio.

[CaribbeanCraig]

A friend in Key West was telling about Rio ..whats the closest airport from that area ? I like Bocas but way far from INT airport . Roatan has an airport but on flies once a week to ATL on the airline I work for. We fly daily to Belize City . I'm looking to air commute aboard a few times a month . Just looking for a decent place . Thanks guys .

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by CaribbeanCraig

A friend in Key West was telling about Rio ..whats the closest airport from that area ? I like Bocas but way far from INT airport . Roatan has an airport but on flies once a week to ATL on the airline I work for. We fly daily to Belize City . I'm looking to air commute aboard a few times a month . Just looking for a decent place . Thanks guys .

Getting to the Rio can be a bit tedious, especially if you plan to do it often, but there are a number of possibilities. Guatemala City: About a 4.5 hour drive to the Rio, good bus service, but a bit longer travel time. Flores, Guatemala, fewer flights, but shorter bus ride. San Pedro Sula, Honduras is physically the closest to the Rio...a few hours on the road from there. Belize City, then fly to Punta Gorda Belize, then water taxi to Guatemala...about one half day of travel. So, a minimum of a flight plus about 4 hours of travel regardless of airport. There is a private airstrip on the Rio, and arrangements can be made to use it, but that's subject to the good graces of Areo Club de Guatemala.

You could seasonally move the boat between Belize and the Rio, many do. Keep it on the Rio for hurricane season and then in Belize for the months you plan to cruise (Belizean officials can be a pain, but its workable). For Belize slips, look up Cucumber Beach Marina, about a 30 minute drive to the international airport.

Could do a similar seasonal routine between Roatan and the Rio too. Flying into Roatan would be quite convenient. A number of Marina options on Roatan.

Re Bocas. You can fly direct from San Jose CR into Bocas. And the airport is being expanded in David to accommodate more international flights, but details and dates are still uncertain.

[Jimmyd60051]

Placencia is pretty awesome too. You should check it out.
It's in the world book of records for the smallest main street.

[belizesailor]

Yes, Placencia is a nice place. I used to live there and still own well protected docks there. Great base for cruising Belize and as a result is where most cruisers congregate.

Roberts Grove has a small marina there and a few others are in various stages of completion.

Only about 55nm to the Rio Dulce if you need to run from a storm or make a seasonal move.

Short scenic flight from Belize City too, for OPs commuting plans.