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There’s also a rum-tasting center where you will find exotic rums, wines, and spirits. They planted thousands of trees and plants, including over 10,000 mangroves, as a habitat for birds and marine life. The Nature Center is helping the endangered scarlet macaws with a breed and release program. Please don’t forget to come back to whatsinport.com for new and updated port guides. Not the cruise staff will serve you, but the island is staffed with locals.
Shopping and Food
The island is extensive with plenty of offerings for guests to enjoy. I have enjoyed each of my visits and have been able to explore the Mayan ruins at Lamanai, go zip lining through the jungle canopy and go tubing on a jungle river. In each instance, one of my favorite parts of the excursion was traversing the countryside and seeing this gorgeous country up close and personal. Harvest Caye is the only port with a cruise ship pier in Belize, a bonus for Norwegian cruisers. Walking along a covered path, it takes about 10 minutes for guests to reach the island. Located deep in the jungles of Belize is the Big Falls Outpost privately owned eco-lodge property where the excursion is featured.
Visiting the Lamanai Maya Ruins
Dive into Turtle Alley an encounter sea turtles, nurse sharks, and rays. The animals are attracted to the area as local fishermen leave scraps for the marine animals to eat as they clean their catch. For a lower adrenaline adventure, guests can also enjoy watersports such as kayaking, paddle boarding and canoeing in Harvest Caye's shallow lagoon area. You will find several options for shore excursions from Harvest Caye. That said, the island’s location on the south end of the country does limit some of those excursions. Most folks won’t know the difference but having been to Belize twice before, I recognized a few missing opportunities due to location.
What Do I Do if I Want to Go to the Mainland Belize?
Want to get away from the resort and see the mainland of Belize? You can easily do that via a shore excursion or by getting a ferry ticket to the mainland town of Placencia Village. Ocean - Harvest Caye allows for access to the Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest in the world. There is also a saltwater lagoon that hosts several water activities.
Speak Like a Local
The difficulty for cruisers has always been the shallow port of Belize City. Like much of the Caribbean coast of Central America, Belize has a brief dry season between February and April each year. The average rainfall is about two to three inches each month, according to the National Meteorological Service of Belize. It rains as little as five or six days on average each month. The Harvest Caye port is available on western Caribbean cruises via Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Explore mainland Belize with a variety of activities for every taste. Take a 15-minute ferry from the marina in Harvest Caye to the transportation hub of Malacate for tours around Placencia and southern Belize. Relax and take a one and a half hour boat trip with a professional guide to tour the lagoon and mangrove estuaries. See exciting wildlife such as manatees and native plants, both in the water and on land. Seriously, the best part of this excursion was relaxing along the river and enjoying the jungle views.
Weather / Best Time to Go
We didn’t see much in the way of wildlife but did see a termite colony up in a tree and several bats and birds. Lastly, there is a small wildlife park that has several small animals and birds, along with a butterfly enclosure. We really enjoyed seeing some of the native animals and birds. The wildlife park is well done but we would have loved to see more animals. Remember there are included activities if you don't wish to pay extra, such as the resort style pool and beach.
If your cruise ship is sailing to the Norwegian Cruise Line private island just off the coast of Belize then you'll need to everything there is to do. Follow these 12 things to do in Harvest Caye, Belize and more. The available for rent canopy cabanas feature plush lounge furniture, drapes, driink service.
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To the pool's centere there is a footbridge with a waterfall below. Harvest Caye became NCL's second private cruise port - following Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas, which opened in 1977. The company also contributes to Belize's economy by locally sourcing materials and supplies for the island.
Dine on traditional Garinagu foods such as darasa, fried fish, fried plantain, and bundiga. Trek into the remote jungle near Monkey River Village, where you are likely to see troops of black Howler Monkeys, deer, ocelots, tapirs, and other wildlife. An expert Guide will sail you through a mangrove forest and then hike through undeveloped terrain.
Relax with a swim in the waterfall pool after your exciting descent on this two-hour tour. These routes include driving directions and attractions, as well as restaurant and campground recommendations. That said, there are some experiences you can’t have any other way.
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Enjoy the 60-minute ride to the Rio Grande River and learn about the area and local history. A Guide will provide safety information, paddling instructions, safety equipment, and assign you a raft. There is a choice of single, double, or small group rafts which fit up to five participants. Larger rafts will also have a Guide to help with steering and paddling. The rafting experience will last approximately one hour and 20 minutes.
The island was developed in partnership with the Belizean government, and local inhabitants own the businesses and work onsite, contributing to the local economy. Off the southern coast of Belize lies Harvest Caye, Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) private island retreat. It's part of The Norwegian Edge initiative, which was designed to bring higher standards to the high seas. There’s No Wi-Fi (That We Found)We went in search of wi-fi around the island to see if there were any free services to allow passengers to connect.
This is also snorkeling and glass-bottom boat tours available near the island as well. If you plan to go on an excursion, expect to spend around $100 per person. One of the most famous things to do on Harvest Caye is ziplining. The zipline course starts from the top of the majestic lighthouse and runs crisscross Harvest Caye. To spice things up a little bit, NCL added a plant and wildlife sanctuary on this cruise port. The sanctuary is home to macaws, toucans, butterflies, snakes, and other small animals.
But for more comfort, there are clamshells available for rent at $30 a unit, a day. At the center of the port is a directions board, that shows you where to find everything on the island. To the left of it is the excursions pavilion which joins the marina where you take boat transfers to Belize’s mainland. The port’s entrance is lined with mist jets that spray you with water keeping you cool and moisturized in the Caribbean heat.
The menus include typical bar food with some touches of the Caribbean with fried plantains and ceviche. Fruity cocktails, rum and beer are all popular drinks, including some local Belizean beer. There is also an opportunity to learn about the history and culture of the region with visits to Mayan ruins and the archaeological site of Nim Li Punit. For a culinary twist, see how chocolate is made and try some locally made sweets. Surrounded by the lush greenery of Central America, guests are treated to a wide range of activities on the 75 acre oasis.
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