Hopkins offers guests an unforgettable experience fishing in Belize. Whether you’re looking for a Grand Slam (a shot at bonefish, permit and tarpon in one day) or the thrill of a deep-sea encounter with bill-fish, the country’s reef system and surrounding rivers and mangroves provide an endless range of options.
Angling is an incredible sport in Belize. Regardless of your preferred approach, the Belize Barrier Reef and surrounding mangroves offer unparalleled opportunities to catch a wide variety of fish.
Belize boasts world-class saltwater fishing. Home to bonefish-filled flats, the picturesque Turneffe Atoll off shore and Placencia and Hopkins’ legendary permit flats; Belize provides world-class saltwater fishing experiences.
Caye Caulker Fishing
Caye Caulker stands in stark contrast to more commercialized resorts in the south, boasting pastel wooden houses on the seashore and palm trees that gently sway in the breeze. Residents come from all walks of life–Rastafarians pushing fruit carts, cafe owners with blonde locks and Chinese shopkeepers among them – providing an enjoyable ambiance and friendly environment on this sleepy island.
Caye Caulker serves as the gateway to world-class fishing on both Belize’s barrier reef and Turneffe Atoll lagoons, as well as some of the best permit bonefishing opportunities in Belize, especially on its reef flats and oceanside flats around Caye Caulker – it boasts some of the best permit bonefishing spots. Schools of tailing 2- to 3-pound bones often show up monthly on wadeable flats around Caye Caulker.
As well as bonefish, there are ample opportunities to catch tarpon and snapper on reef flats as well as mackerel, jacks and barracuda in offshore flats. February through May is generally considered prime tarpon fishing weather and feeding conditions are optimal; autumn can also provide excellent results, though wind can present additional challenges.
One popular option is booking a half or full day fly fishing trip with Blue Horizon Belize. Their highly regarded guides have caught thousands of permit, bonefish and tarpon over time! In addition they also provide snorkeling and diving trips.
Hopkins Village features several restaurants where you can sample its delectable local fare of fresh lobster and seafood as well as typical Creole spicy stew chicken and other delectable dishes. Many residents also provide home cooked meals at reasonable prices – particularly Glenda’s freshly baked cinnamon rolls that become popular morning treats that sell out fast!
Hopkins is situated just a short drive away from Cockscomb Basin National Park, offering world-class hiking, breathtaking vistas and waterfall swims. Furthermore, Hopkins is close to other natural attractions, such as Sittee River Wildlife Reserve which features many manatees.
Placencia Fishing
Placencia is a seaside village at the southern end of Placencia Peninsula in Belize. With palm-lined beaches that draw surfers and sunbathers alike, as well as world-class diving and snorkeling on Belize Barrier Reef nearby.
Placencia offers more than beach activities; visitors can also experience jungle tours and wildlife excursions through jungle tours on Sitee River and Monkey River nearby, both popular attractions with world-class hiking to spectacular vistas, waterfall swims, as well as seeing crocodiles and other species in their natural environments.
Placencia is known for its “Permit Alley.” With expansive pancake-style flats and mangrove lagoons that are ideal for fly fishing for permit, bonefish and tarpon; off shore anglers may also attempt their luck at marlin or sailfish fishing as well.
Placencia offers boat rides out to its reef or one of its offshore cayes for snorkeling, making these ideal spots for diving. However, due to seagrass growth on its surface the reef may make the water murky making snorkeling from shore more viable.
Placencia offers numerous exciting excursions, including swimming with whale sharks. Every year from March to June, whale sharks visit Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes for a few days on either side of the full moon to take a swim.
Reef-safe sunscreen and Dramamine should be brought if you suffer from motion sickness. Also bringing along a rain jacket would be useful since many resorts and hotels will provide fresh drinking water during your stay; it may be worthwhile bringing along additional bottles as well. Young women traveling alone should also expect unwanted attention from male locals; it would be more suitable to travel in groups of friends instead.
Placencia offers an abundance of dining and shopping opportunities. Its restaurants are known for serving Caribbean seafood dishes with fresh fish. In addition, many shops sell souvenirs and crafts. You’ll also find numerous local bars offering fantastic music along with drinks.
Caye Ambergris
Hopkins is the southernmost town of Belize and features an authentic Central American vibe. Offering plenty of great dining and beach resort options, visitors can spend their time here exploring uncharted Mayan ruins as well as snorkeling along the reef or checking out Hopkins’ small artisan market – not forgetting their beautiful beach resorts of course!
Ambergris Caye is Belize’s number-one tourist destination without feeling overrun by visitors; instead it boasts a relaxed and laid-back ambience which has won it a dedicated following of repeat travelers. Along with snorkeling and diving opportunities, Ambergris Caye provides ample fishing opportunities; both on its reef and nearby mangrove lagoons offer great chances to catch snook, snapper, barracuda or other species while its calm waters make ideal locations for bonefish and permit.
Belize is best-known for its breathtaking Barrier Reef, but the country also offers incredible flats fishing on Turneffe Island and nearby Placencia Peninsula. Turneffe Island’s crystal blue water provides ideal conditions for bonefishers looking for 2-to-3-pounders; oceanside flats at Placencia and Hopkins boast some of the finest permit flats worldwide.
Nauti by Nature Charters can arrange trips to Belize’s Turneffe Islands and beyond for all types of anglers, from offshore tuna fishing enthusiasts to those interested in hunting bonefish and permit. Belize boasts exceptional year-round fishing conditions; even during rainy seasons when many fishermen seek tuna and other pelagics, plenty of fish remain available for capture.
Hopkins serves as an ideal starting point for trips to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the first jaguar preserves worldwide. This vast and wild area provides hikers, kayakers, tubers, kayakers and tubing enthusiasts an exciting journey through hiking trails, kayaking rivers and tubing down a natural lazy river – not forgetting stunning rainforest and waterfall views! Hopkins offers several high-end resorts like Hamanasi and Jaguar Reef while more moderately priced resorts also provide excellent restaurants and beautiful beaches!
Caye Iguana
Belize boasts one of the world’s finest fishing environments. From Ambergris Caye and Turneffe flats in the north, to Placencia and Hopkins Island offshore, its coastline offers plenty of fly fishing opportunities. And its waters host an array of saltwater species including hardy snook and snapper to prized permit and bonefish species – offering fly fishermen endless fishing adventures!
Belize’s deep waters are home to two iconic game fish species that every angler longs to reel in: blue marlin and sailfish. Both can be found throughout the year, but with peak chances being from mid-August through September. Anglers can either troll for these marlin or target them by sight casting from reef and mangrove flats.
Snook and permit are among the premier targets on the flats for inshore anglers, while tarpon, barracuda and jack crevalle make for fantastic targets in coral reefs and shallow mangrove lagoons. When targeting deep sea fish such as dorado or wahoo they make ideal targets on either side of a reef.
The country’s pristine coral reef is also home to an abundant population of aerial-dancing snook. Anglers can target these elusive but tasty and aggressive fish by sight casting over bustling flats or by throwing poppers into deep holes along the reef.
Barracudas are another favorite inshore species that may be targeted with either trolling or sight casting on the flats, offering fantastic table fare all year long.
Belize boasts a healthy and abundant school of jack crevalle fish that may be caught both sight casting over sand or gravel flats and trolling, or both methods simultaneously. Although jacks may be caught year-round, their peak fishing period runs from early October through November.
Hopkins is a Garifuna town that takes great pride in their culture and provides visitors with an authentic local experience. There are several small bed and breakfasts and beach resorts that receive high marks from guests; Hopkins can easily be reached via Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City before embarking on a two to three hour scenic drive south from there.
