7 nights. Mexico, Honduras, Belize

Day 1

galveston, texas

Departure: 16:00

Galveston is a seaside resort city on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. Covering 208.3 square miles (539 km²), it had an estimated population of 47,762 people in 2012. It is the county seat and the second-largest municipality in Galveston County, and forms part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Named after Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez, Galveston’s first European settlements were built on the island around 1816 by the French privateer Louis-Michel Aury to support the fledgling Republic of Mexico in its fight against Spain. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico after it gained independence from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution, and later became the capital of the Republic of Texas. In the 19th century, Galveston grew into a major U.S. commercial centre and one of the largest ports in the country. It was devastated by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which brought severe flooding and a powerful storm surge. This natural disaster on the exposed barrier island remains the deadliest in United States history, with an estimated death toll of between 6,000 and 12,000 people. Today, Galveston’s economy is largely based on tourism, health care, shipping, and financial services. A major economic driver is the 84-acre (340,000 m²) University of Texas Medical Branch campus, which enrols more than 2,500 students. Galveston is also home to six historic districts that contain one of the largest and most significant collections of 19th-century buildings in the United States, with over 60 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Day 3

cozumel, mexico

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 17:00

Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the eastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, opposite Playa del Carmen and close to the Yucatán Channel. The main town on the island is San Miguel de Cozumel. The island belongs to Cozumel Municipality in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. There are several beach clubs that offer snorkelling, and the main attractions are the offshore reefs and the many dive shops. Cozumel also has several Mayan archaeological sites. The most extensive remains are at San Gervasio, an inland site a few miles north of the Carretera Transversal highway. Another site is located near the village of El Cedral, inland from the Carretera Costera Sur highway. In Punta Sur Park, at the southern tip of the island, you’ll find the El Caracol temple, believed to have been used as a lighthouse by the Mayans.

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Day 4

roatan, honduras

Arrival: 08:00 - Departure: 17:00

Roatán, located between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of Honduras’ Bay Islands. The island was formerly known as Ruatan and Rattan. It is approximately 77 kilometres long, and less than 8 kilometres across at its widest point. The island consists of two municipalities: José Santos Guardiola in the east and Roatán, including the Cayos Cochinos further south in the west. The most populous town on the island is Coxen Hole, capital of Roatán municipality, located in the southwest. The easternmost quarter of the island is separated by a channel through the mangroves; this section is called Helene, or Santa Elena in Spanish. Satellite islands at the eastern end are Morat, Barbareta, and Pigeon Cay. Further west, between French Harbour and Coxen Hole, are several cays, including Stamp Cay and Barefoot Cay. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Cameo Factory in Coxen Hole • Carambola Gardens • Caves of Helene • Dolphin show at Anthony’s Key Resort • East End – if you’re up for an adventure, visit the east end of the island. This end of the island is home to many locals and some expats, as well as a few resorts. One that deserves a mention is Camp Bay Beach, Beach Adventure Lodge, which is the only resort on Camp Bay Beach. Here you can also try the Tasty Tarpon restaurant, and it’s a place that offers free access to the beach for everything from snorkelling and diving to fly fishing. There are a few other interesting stops along the way, such as Marble Hill Farms, where wonderful local jams and jellies are made. Asylum Bar & Grill sits on a palapa literally over the calm waters in Camp Bay, which can sometimes feel like the restaurant at the end of the universe after the long journey getting there. Santa Helena, located in Roatán’s municipality of Santos Guardiola, is a small secluded island 12 miles further east of Roatán. This off‑the‑beaten‑track tropical paradise is a one‑mile‑by‑two‑mile island that is sparsely populated with indigenous people who still live life as it was in the Old Caribbean, unspoiled and uncommercialised by tourist development. St Helene is the epitome of a sleepy little fishing village. Access to Helene is by private boat or passenger ferry service from Oak Ridge. • Garifuna Village Tour in Punta Gorda • Iguana Farm, near French Harbour • Mangrove Forest kayak tour at Camp Bay Beach Adventure Lodge • Marine Science Museum at Anthony’s Key Resort • Oak Ridge – a small village on the eastern end of the island. On arrival, you’ll be offered water‑taxi tours to the Hole‑in‑the‑Wall restaurant, neighbouring communities, and around the harbour, but it’s also pleasant to walk through the village, which has many brightly coloured wooden houses on stilts along the shore. • Pigeon Cayes – two small deserted islands • Punta Gorda – renting a scooter and driving to Punta Gorda takes about one hour each way, and brings you through some beautiful countryside. It can be nice to get away from the touristy areas and back into places that look and feel like Honduras. The town of Punta Gorda is friendly and you may come across a beach party if you’re lucky. • Roatán Butterfly Garden • White’s Beach • Marine Park – the marine park is a protected area of reef stretching from West Bay to Sandy Bay, and snorkelling and diving are great ways to see the marine life. Go out in a kayak, a boat, or just swim out from the shore.

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Day 5

belize city, belize

Arrival: 07:00 - Departure: 17:00

Belize is a country on the eastern coast of Central America. This country has a lot to offer, from the lush jungles with exotic plants and animals inland to the white-sand beaches of its islands. Relaxation, outdoor adventure, diving, culture – you can fit it all into a week. Belize is renowned for its Mayan heritage, with some of the best-excavated Mayan temples and cities in Central America. Actun Tunichil Muknal is a Mayan sacrificial burial site near Belmopan, the country’s capital. The site lies entirely within a cave system. Once a sacred place for the Maya, it contains many examples of pottery, ceramics and stoneware, as well as several sets of human sacrificial remains. Near Belmopan you’ll also find Guanacaste National Park, a tropical forest with a vast array of wild flora and fauna, especially the many tropical birds that live where Roaring Creek flows into the larger Belize River. Belize is an excellent destination if you want to escape hectic city life and lose yourself in unspoilt nature. In Belize, time moves more slowly – just soak up its forests and beaches and enjoy the simple life.

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Day 6

costa maya, mexico

Arrival: 07:00 - Departure: 12:00

Day 8

galveston, texas

Arrival: 08:00

Galveston is a seaside resort city on Galveston Island and Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. Covering 208.3 square miles (539 km²), it had an estimated population of 47,762 people in 2012. It is the county seat and the second-largest municipality in Galveston County, and forms part of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Named after Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez, Galveston’s first European settlements were built on the island around 1816 by the French privateer Louis-Michel Aury to support the fledgling Republic of Mexico in its fight against Spain. The Port of Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico after it gained independence from Spain. The city served as the main port for the Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution, and later became the capital of the Republic of Texas. In the 19th century, Galveston grew into a major U.S. commercial centre and one of the largest ports in the country. It was devastated by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which brought severe flooding and a powerful storm surge. This natural disaster on the exposed barrier island remains the deadliest in United States history, with an estimated death toll of between 6,000 and 12,000 people. Today, Galveston’s economy is largely based on tourism, health care, shipping, and financial services. A major economic driver is the 84-acre (340,000 m²) University of Texas Medical Branch campus, which enrols more than 2,500 students. Galveston is also home to six historic districts that contain one of the largest and most significant collections of 19th-century buildings in the United States, with over 60 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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7 nights. Mexico, Honduras, Belize

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