Usually travellers stick to the south of Mexico, where there is lush jungle, ruined temples and tourist attractions galore.  Up north (by which I mean anywhere north of about halfway up) there are a few fabulous areas that shouldn’t be missed, including the fantastic Copper Canyon, where you can cycle and hike and generally admire the splendour.

Well, now there’s another reason to go up there:  Mexico is newly home to the highest bridge in the world, the Baluarte Bridge (according the BBC, anyway; Wikipedia is a bit more conservative and hedges bets with “one of the highest bridges in the world”).

This extreme height measures up at 403m.  If you’re having trouble picturing exactly how high that is, fear not: the BBC are on hand to put it in perspective for you.  It’s so tall, they declare, that the Eiffel Tower could fit easily under its central span.  It also extends for well over a thousand metres, so you’ve got a good long stretch of awe, or possibly vertigo, as you zoom across it.

So where is this bridge, and will you be able to fit it into your travel plans?  Potentially, yes, it would seem.  The bridge is located on the Mazatlan-Durango highway, so if you’re heading to the beautiful beachy coastal city of Mazatlan and thinking of heading into the mountainous interior from there, this could work for you.  Durango is famous in its own right, not just for the dodgy mountainous railroads and paths, but for the Wild West feel which has encouraged many a filmmaker to use the region as a set.  Think Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and you’ll get the idea.

The terrain of the interior of Mexico is spectacularly rocky and jagged, with the road prior to the building of this bridge affectionately known as the Devil’s Backbone.  Not a particularly safe road at the best of times, the Mexican government has seen fit to work on a modern highway to put in its place, of which Baluarte Bridge will be part.  There are going to be another eight bridges (though not quite as high) and over 60 tunnels, the idea being that the journey time between Mazatlan and Durango will be cut by six hours.  And presumably not carry so much risk of falling off a cliff.

So, if you’re heading to Mexico, see if you can fit Baluarte Bridge into your itinerary.  The government are very excited about it, hoping it will bring more tourism – but improved roads alone through the Sierra Madre Occidental will open up areas of Mexico that travellers previously wouldn’t have had time to work into their schedules.  Eventually – though exactly when is anyone’s guess – the modern highway will extend from east to west, ocean to ocean, making travel in the region a million times easier and safer.

Sophie Carville

One of the big questions which arises with all travellers between Central and South America involves… well, getting between Central and South America.  Making that leap.  As previously mentioned, I hadn’t thought further ahead than Mexico when I started travelling from the top of Central America downwards, and realising in Nicaragua that it wasn’t going to be another standard case of just getting on a bus from Panama to Colombia came as a shock.

All because of the dreaded Darien Gap.

But that’s fine: there were options.  Boats.  Planes.  Cheap flights, if you looked long and hard enough…

Wait.  I’m afraid you can’t anymore.

Let’s hear it for the global recession – plenty of airlines have closed down various routes or gone bankrupt, and one such airline was the Colombian AIRES.  98% of AIRES shares were bought out by Chile-based LAN, and LAN aren’t even so much as keeping the name, let alone the flights or the low, low prices.  Very sad indeed.

So, if anyone comes across cheap-ish flights or reliable airlines flying between Panama and Colombia, do let us know.  In the meantime, as of Jan 2012, Copa Air do one-way flights for about US$450 with all the tax and extras tacked on, so it’s actually better value to do the boat trip via the San Blas Islands.

Sophie Carville

Our arrival in Antigua was a welcome relief after the overnight bus journey to Guatemala City and then another bus to our final destination. After a much needed sleep we donned our shoes and hit the streets to explore.

Antigua is definitely a city in which you can visit all the churches, of which there are a large number, or like us happily wander the streets and see where your feet take you. From old ruins to beautiful squares there is plenty to discover in the city.

We arrived in the middle of a religious festival which gave the city an added dimension. It is quaint with beautiful colonial buildings and cobbled streets. There are wonderful antiques shops to explore as well as modern galleries offering a wonderful juxtaposition of the old and the new.

After lunch we wandered the central craft market and enjoyed the atmosphere of the bustling city. We were told that the streets aren’t always so busy but due to our arrival during a festival we were seeing the city at full capacity.

The following day was a Sunday which was when the festival really kicked off with men of all ages dressing in something resembling a monk’s habit in a rather imperial purple colour with white headdresses resembling biblical shepherds.

We heard rumour there was a procession and after lots of turns down different streets we found a rather ramshackle procession of men and women, many weighed down by heavy saintly figures and others swinging incense. It was a really wonderful display of traditional values and great to see these being passed on to younger generations.

That night we headed into town and treated ourselves to a wonderful steak dinner. Feeling fully satiated we made a slow ramble back through the streets. Whilst we had been at dinner people had appeared and made beautiful pictures out of coloured sand in the street. They were meticulous in the detail. What was upsetting is that when we got up the next day these beautiful works of art were gone.

The next day was a mad dash round the market to pick up some souvenirs before making our way to Guatemala City and our aeroplane home.

I can’t believe the trip is over. I am sure I will be back, but for now I will have to look at everything I have done to remind myself of the wonderful times Stuart and myself have had in South and Central America.

Alice Bevan

The Hotel Palacio de Doña Beatriz is modern building that harks back to the colonial period with tasteful design complete with rich interiors. It is in one of Antigua’s best residential districts only a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre.

The hotel is designed around a beautiful courtyard where guests can take breakfast each morning. The breakfast comes with a multitude of traditional and western choices including some truly tasty pineapple jam accompanied by lovely fresh white bread.

The hotel is composed of a master suite, three junior suites and four boutique bedrooms. The rooms are all finished with unique touches giving the rooms a personalised feel. All rooms come with cable television, and wireless internet. In the courtyard there is a swimming pool and Jacuzzi. For relaxation out of your room and away from the pool there is a living room with a computer for guests use and a wide range of books on Guatemala and other fictional offerings.

The staff are very friendly and always on hand to help you with anything, whether a restaurant recommendation or the organisation of a trip to the nearby Tikal or Atitlan Lake.

It is a beautiful elegant hotel that lives up to its title of boutique with all the luxuries and service required to fit under that name.

Alice Bevan

Hotel Palacio de Doña Beatrice: Las Gravileas, Calle de los Duelos, La Antigua – Guatemala

www.hotelpalaciodebeatriz.com

Tel: (502) 7832 – 4052; Email: info@hotelpalaciodebeatriz.com

After San Ignacio it was time to get some culture and we headed for Tikal, Guatemala. We thought it seemed eminently plausible to get from San Ignacio to Tikal, spend the day there, then catch the overnight to Flores.

Our first problem was that getting over the Belize/Guatemala border isn’t all that easy, and the bus we were hoping to catch on the Guatemalan side seemed very elusive. However, as luck was on our side and we met a very friendly Canadian lady travelling on her own with a whole taxi to spare who invited us along for the ride – a complete life saver as who knows how long we would have been waiting otherwise. So unfortunately I’ve not got much advice except to say that getting a bus from San Ignacio to the border is very easy, and getting one after you have crossed the border is a little harder – we just didn’t want to pay the exorbitant prices being asked by tour companies, although this seems to be the only option. If anyone has any further info on bus times it would be useful!

We arrived at Tikal about 11am, having decided to forgo the sunrise option. Tikal is everything I had hoped for: A wonderfully mystic maze of temples created by the Mayans with architecture dating back as far as the 4^th century BC. We had a fantastic time getting lost and finding ourselves at the bottom of monumental temples. Whenever I look around places like these I am amazed at how much was achieved with manpower alone.

We opted for using a guidebook we picked up along the way rather than getting a guide but there are plenty available at the entrance if you want a more inclusive tour of the area.

Climbing to the top of some of the temples is slightly gruelling in the temperatures but the views across the jungle are amazing with just the tops of distant temples poking through the canopy.

Once in a while we found ourselves in the middle of a ruin on our own, with only background noise of birds, and I could almost imagine the Mayans going about their everyday life.

After a good exploration of the site we headed back to book ourselves onto one of the mini-buses that do regular runs into the nearby town of Flores. This is not a tour bus and as such stops along the way to pick up locals. Once in Flores we headed for the bus company we were hoping to use for that night’s journey, reportedly a cut above the rest. Disaster struck when we were told they had sold out! So in my very poor Spanish I asked to be put on a waiting list and we checked our other options. I did find another company with spaces, so at least we had a back-up but I wasn’t too keen to spend all night on their bus, but beggars can’t be choosers – or can they! We headed out for a tasty spot of dinner in Santa Elena and feeling uninspired eventually ate at Burger King. After this we returned to the bus station to find out our fate. And praise the gods – due to popular demand they decided to put on another bus to Guatemala City going that night. It wasn’t the luxury bus we were hoping for but was a definite cut above the alternative.

In summary Tikal is definitely worth a visit but I would probably recommend trying to accomplish the trip from San Ignacio over the border and a visit to Tikal over two days. This will ensure you have time to book a night bus to Guatemala if you need to and time to enjoy the amazing atmosphere of Tikal.

Alice Bevan

It was one of our easier journeys of late: after getting the ferry from Ambergris Caye to Belize City it was a simple bus ride of only a few hours to get to San Ignacio.

Our main reason for going was so that Stuart could head to the ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) Caves. This was definitely no go territory for me – I’m a serious claustrophobe, so with the caves’ small dark spaces, I left it up to the more intrepid explorer of the two of us to experience it alone. Piecing together what I was told it seems that travelling deep underground allows people to travel back in time and follow in the footsteps of the Mayan people during one of their sacred rites.

Stuart arrived back at the end of a very long day saying that an incredible experience and unlike anything he had done before. It is just a shame that some tourists can’t follow rules, and as such some of the fragile artefacts found in the caves are being broken by people getting too close and even on one occasion managing to stupidly drop a camera lens cap on an ancient skull. The less said on that the better, but tread with care as once these historic sites are gone – there is no bringing them back!

For me it was an opportunity to potter around town for a day and, left to my own devices, there are worse places to spend time. However I must say it wasn’t that interesting and a walk along the river was more enlightening. We ended up eating in the same restaurant both nights and it was Chinese. I know as we get toward the end of our trip we should be getting our fill of Central American specialities but it was nice and cheap and something different.

The next day we headed off to Tikal for some history that was a little more Alice-friendly, but for a thoroughly detailed description of the time in the caves check go here.

Alice Bevan

We decided to head over to Ambergris Caye as despite finding Caye Caulker absolutely charming we wanted to find a little more beach and see the other island.

That night we headed to Capricorn which is a wonderful beach-side restaurant on the north shore with amazing food. It is a great way to try some amazing fish dishes, but there are plenty of delicious alternatives if fish isn’t your thing. I had the crab cakes made fresh from stone claw crabs with a flavourful red bell pepper sauce. Stuart had escargot which had the perfect balance between strong garlic butter and a light texture. Other appetizers include shrimp, buffalo wings and fresh ceviche. For mains we decided to stick with the recommendations of the house and Stuart had their signature dish of stuffed grouper and considering the size of the serving the fish must have been a real behemoth. I opted for another grouper dish with coconut and cream sauce as I hadn’t tried grouper before and can really recommend it.

Other mains included surf & turf, grilled lobster tail cooked in a traditional Caribbean style and fresh catch of the day. The wine menu has options from around the world so no restrictions to choose something from the Americas if you are more keen on European or Australian varieties. But wherever you are staying on the island I can highly recommend taking a moonlit walk or hiring a golf buggy and venturing to the wonderful little restaurant where the staff are sure to welcome you (www.capricornresort.net).

Our time on Ambergris Caye definitely seemed to revolve predominantly around food. I think this was an antidote to our hectic couple of days in Caye Caulker. On the second day in Ambergris we headed out on a sailing trip to the Hol Chan Marine reserve and Shark Ray Alley and despite having knocked up quite a few snorkels on this trip I have to say this was absolutely mind-blowing. We saw a few people diving at the site but this was really unnecessary. Within two minutes of getting off the boat we were floating over the top of a grazing turtle, we saw so many nurse sharks I lost count as well as southern rays, spotted rays, moray eels and sturgeon which is something I’ve only ever seen for sale at the fishmongers. I can only say that if you only ever have one place to go and snorkel, this is it. At the end the other boats moored near ours were doing a bit of feeding so we floated around and had rays swimming right underneath us. The fish are unperturbed by human presence due to the existence of the marine reserve.  The fish have nothing to fear from humans in this area – they are protected and it’s a fabulous opportunity for humans to enjoy amazingly close encounters with a wide variety of magnificent creatures. (The photos were kindly donated by another lady on the tour who had an underwater camera – thanks, Vicki).

As part of the trip we had lunch back on Caye Caulker at a great little place that had swings instead of benches at the table which was a nice alternative. After lunch it was time for a leisurely sail back to our hotel enjoying the pretty shoreline of Ambergris Caye.

That night we went for more culinary delights but on a slightly less lavish scale and visited the Green Iguana Restaurant which is part of the Belizean Shores Resort. They serve great simple food with influences from the Caribbean, North and Central America. Mario is the manager and chef and is a great source of knowledge and entertainment. Just make sure you go wearing trousers with an expandable belt as you will definitely be well fed and will need a little adjusting for your trip home.

The next day we headed into San Pedro, the main town on the island, to see the busier side of things. It was still a novelty seeing the majority of the population nipping around in golf carts rather than cars. Walking into town along the beach you are made aware that this is an island where you can pretty much think of a water-based activity and find somewhere to do it. San Pedro is definitely the place to come for souvenir shopping on the island, although I managed to overcome the temptation.

We walked past the Holiday Hotel which is about as historical a landmark you are going to get in these parts and was the first hotel opened on the island in the 1960s; the owner, Celi McCorkle was a pioneer in the tourism industry at the time. In honour of this historic landmark we headed to Celi’s Restaurant for a traditional Central American lunch. We had opted to bike into town which wasn’t a long or difficult cycle but considering the hot temperatures it was harder work than expected, so it made for an incredibly welcome swim back at the hotel.

It seems that Madonna’s song the ‘La Isla Bonita’ which was written about Ambergris was right – the island lives up to expectations.

Alice Bevan

Nestled 3.5 miles from San Pedro town, Coco Beach is a haven of class, style and luxury. Recently voted Trip Advisor’s #1 for romance and #1 for relaxation in Central and South America, it isn’t hard to understand why. It is a truly classy resort that caters for everyone’s needs, especially now that they have a fine dining restaurant on site as well as plenty of high quality establishments a short walk or golf cart ride away.

Belizeans as a people are very friendly and the staff at Coco Beach are no exception. The attention to detail is fantastic and the Guest Services Manager, Corina, is amazing. She greets guests on arrival and is the first port of call for anything that might make your holiday that bit more special.

The resort itself is built around two pools. One pool comprises a hot tub and different swimming levels with man-made beaches that lead up to a sunken bar. With the second pool it was clear that the architect was allowed to have some fun. It includes private shallows with sun-loungers touching the water, but even better is the central island which includes a water flume that disappears inside the rocks and the drops you at the bottom. The pool has been specifically designed so anyone seeking a few more thrills can throw themselves off into the specially designed depths, amazing for all the overgrown kids. If swimming isn’t your thing there are plenty of fun activity toys around for guests to play on including bikes, canoes, a sailing boat and jet skis.

Whilst Coco Beach is a top resort they have tried to be as approachable as possible and as such have a wonderful range of quality accommodation options. From single hotel rooms to luxurious penthouse suites there is something for everyone. The honeymoon casitas are a truly exquisite option for people seeking a romantic vacation and I’m sure you don’t have to be on your honeymoon to enjoy these rooms.

The one and two bedroom suites are a fabulous option as they come with well-stocked kitchens for those who want to cook in. They are great options for friends wanting to travel together as they offer enough space so you aren’t on top of each other, but can enjoy time together if you want. All accommodations are finished to the highest quality and cannot be faulted, down to the double showers in the bathroom and the beautiful wood and marble kitchens.

The rooms come with every mod-con you could imagine with flat screen televisions, ESPN, a double door fridge/freezer and coffee makers. There are plenty of business-friendly amenities including high-speed wireless internet, direct dial phones and voicemail. They will happily order in your food before arrival and will even provide a chef to cook it. Due to the wide variety of accommodation options please see the website for a more comprehensive breakdown, but off-season prices start at US$279 for a pool view room, US$349 for a pool view casita and US$499 for a two-bedroom sea view suite.

Coco Beach resort works closely with ‘Tuff E Nuff’ Tours who provide a wonderful service. In stark comparison to the usual bone-breaking motorboat rides required to get to any aquatic activities, Tuff E Nuff provides you with a large catamaran. The service is top notch and they supply plenty of rum punch and beer as well as a comprehensive talk about the history of Ambergris Caye.

We were taken on a snorkelling tour to Shark Ray Alley with one guide per 6-8 people to point out all of the best bits. It was one of the best snorkelling tours I have ever done. After the amazing snorkel we stopped in Caye Caulker for lunch (Ambergris Caye’s sister island) before a leisurely sail back to Coco Beach.

Tuff E Nuff offer diving and day excursions around the island as well as snorkelling, fishing with a barbeque after, horse riding and trips to inland destinations such as the ruins of Xuanatunich and Aitun Ha and cave tubing.

Tuff E Nuff work in conjunction with Corina (the Guest Services Manager) and the rest of the staff at Coco Beach ensure that your trip can be as action-packed or relaxing as you like.

Coco Beach is one of a number of resorts owned by a family who moved to Ambergris Caye to retire. Retirement didn’t seem to suit and they are now very busy and wonderfully efficient at coming up with resorts that meet travellers’ desires whilst retaining taste and a keen interest in keeping a balance with their surroundings. Coco Beach is a perfect example of what a little ingenuity and style can bring to a wonderful tropical island and is in a league of its own when compared to many slightly dull offerings by other organisations on the island. All in all Coco Beach is a perfect spot to while away your holiday whether you need to have an activity-filled vacation or one filled with tranquil relaxation.

Alice Bevan

Coco Beach Resort – www.cocobeachbelize.com

Tel: 011 501 226 4840; Email: reservations@cocobeachbelize.com

The next morning, not particularly wanting to get back on a speed boat but desperate to see manatees, we headed to the EZ Boys tour office and booked two seats on their manatee tour. We popped over the road to get some waffles for breakfast and we set off. We had been trying to see manatees since Honduras (there is a reserve in the same area as La Ceiba but it would have been a very difficult trip) and Guatemala (Rio Dulce where the reserve was closed). So now was the time. We headed over to Swallow Caye, the island where the manatee reserve is situated, and then waited – and waited and waited. After about three hours our guide asked us if we wanted to stay or go – we opted for another thirty minutes and then made the decision to go. Just as the guide started to punt us out of the reserve he spotted one just off our starboard bow. It was such a perfect sighting I couldn’t believe it.

It was a big adult male who stayed around the boat for nearly forty minutes, slowly swimming from one end to the other and showing particular interest in the boat’s propeller, which isn’t great considering propellers can do them a lot of damage and made photographs slightly difficult. Even better was when one lady piped up, “I have an underwater camera!”, so she then stuck her hand beneath the surface of the water and got some great pictures. It was a brilliant experience after wanting to see one for years – another box ticked on my Bucket List. Unfortunately the reserve is getting mistreated by some tour organisations that drive through too fast and scare the manatees so they are becoming increasingly mistrustful of any boats and hide at the first sign of a tour group, which is why it took us so long to see one of these beautiful creatures.

Our manatee curiosity satisfied, we headed off for a spot of snorkelling. Along the way we pulled to a sudden stop and two heads appeared at the side of a boat. They belonged to two fishermen whose boat had broken up three hours before. They had been attempting to cling to a bit of flotsam and swim to a small island where they have a shack with supplies. We pulled them onto the boat and one started singing “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah” while the other was recounting their tale of woe. He said, “We lost everything, we lost the boat – we even lost the rum!” a devastating fact made a bit entertaining for my love of Pirates of the Caribbean and Jack Sparrow’s cry of “Where’s the rum gone?!”. We weren’t far from their island and they were happy to be dropped there. Once they had their feet back on solid ground there was much jumping and waving and cries of “Thank you, thank you, we’re okay now – we’ve got more rum here!”. What amazes me is that after so long in the water they were still completely drunk, making me wonder how their boat came to sink. Even better, they really did fit the iconic image of ship-wreck victims, complete with dark tans, dreadlocks and long straggly beards!

After this, the snorkelling was a slight anticlimax but was fun just the same and I saw an amazing puffer fish and a very large barracuda. We arrived back on the island in time to get the last ferry to Ambergris Caye where I was able to make a hasty manoeuvre beneath a sarong and get into something a little less wet and salty for our voyage.

All in all, Caye Caulker is a wonderful island but I think you do need to go on excursions. There is only one very small area of beach at the north of the island and as such it is always very busy. That being said, the atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly and you are definitely aware that you are in the Caribbean.

Alice Bevan

As you step off the ferry onto Caye Caulker you are greeted with a sign which tells you to “Go Slow”, and that is happily the ethos that this island follows. We arrived around midday and were greeted at the pier by lots of very dinky golf-cart taxis (there are no cars on the island), but we knew it was a small island with only three main streets and so declined the entertaining offer, and, armed with our maps, we walked to our guesthouse. Once we had settled in we went to explore and for once the guide book was correct and it is a tiny island – you can walk the length of it in about thirty minutes. Despite its small stature it is charming and full of local restaurants, craft stores and art galleries with plenty of locally-run tour companies. We stopped at a restaurant called ‘Rosies’ which served burritos that are not for the faint-hearted – they are huge!

After lunch we trawled the streets looking for dive shops offering excursions to the Blue Hole – one of our main reasons for heading to Caye Caulker. There are three main diver operations that go to the Blue Hole as it is over  two hours from the island, and due to the island’s size and a requirement for a minimum number of people they don’t go every day. So we had to see which company was heading out on the day we had in mind. If you aren’t on quite such a tight time-schedule you will have more options and pick which company you want to go with. We did not have this liberty and had to go with the only company going on our one free day in Caye Caulker, which was ‘Big Fish’. You can also go from Ambergris Caye but the ride out is even further so we thought we’d pick the lesser of two evils.

Due to a wait for the minimum number of people we only got the go ahead from the dive shop at 17:00. Stuart had a moment of uneasiness as it dawned on him that the Blue Hole dive goes down to 195ft (40m) and the deepest he had been in the past is 70ft, (18m). Our dive shop had no concerns but to put his mind at rest we headed to another dive shop to get a second opinion and they said it was fine as long as you were confident at diving. Back on track we went off in search of dinner and after being hugely indecisive about where to go we went on the recommendation of a local gentleman on a bicycle who was munching into a takeaway from a local lady selling home-cooked food from a cart who said to us “don’t go anywhere, this is delicious.” So we didn’t, and it was a very good choice.  There was a large helping of rice and beans, some potato salad and four different stewed meat dishes – it was great value for money. Ask around and you can get pointed in the right direction; she is often situated in the open patch of beach near the Ragamuffin tour shack on Friday and Saturday nights. So, armed with our street food and some beer, we headed back to our guesthouse for some fine dining, ‘island style’.

The next morning was another early start and we were at the Big Fish dive shop having a very bleary-eyed breakfast at 0530 ready for our three dives. The bit of the boat ride within the barrier reef was nice and calm – then the fun really started. The boat was contending with 3-4 metre swells which explained the discomfort felt by all aboard. I was flying out of my seat so much I wimped out and scooted to the back of the boat which was a little bit more stable, although not much. You still had to hold on tightly to stop being thrown from your seat and for every three or four swells you would get a liberal soaking in salt water. After two hours of being thrown around the boat we arrived not a minute too soon.  The journey is far from pleasant and you have to keep focusing on the reason for the trip.

The first dive was the big one and due to the extreme depth our bottom time at 195 feet was only eight minutes, because the deeper you go the faster you guzzle your air. As we descended it got colder, bluer and a little bit eerie, then we started weaving in amongst the stalactites formed by ancient volcanoes. It was a strange feeling but wonderful, especially when you appear from the rock formations and look up into a distant patch of sunlight and see the distinctive shape of sharks circling overhead. It is a breathtaking scene and as you ascend from the depths and enter back into the world of sharks and giant groupers it was like being in a natural history video.  It was an experience that more than made up for the two-hour, bone-breaking ride. Even the safety stop was amazing with sightings of giant midnight parrot fish which have electric blue and black markings.

The second dive was again amazing, if a little more scary. During the pre-dive briefing we were told we might swim through a cave. However, once underwater, we found that this cave was tiny and our guide indicated that I should go through first. I’m sure he thought I was completely daft as I looked at him, pointed at the cave, pointed at me and wiggled my fingers to indicate swimming – he nodded – I looked and again thought how tiny the hole looked and did the whole set of charades again. On his second confirmation I gave it a go. I could feel the top of my tank scraping the cave roof as my chest was brushing the sea floor – with my issue with small spaces I was trying very hard not to panic as there was no way I could turn around. So I kept breathing, and pushed on through – literally. I was very relieved when I saw light at the end of the tunnel and with one final manoeuvre around a rock I was free. Then I waited, and waited as I was expecting Stuart to be right behind me and just as I was deciding to go back in to get him he appeared – much to my relief. However we were both slightly shaken from the experience as our guide had certainly given no indication to the difficulty of getting through.  It was really dangerous and the other three people in our group didn’t even attempt to go through.

After the second dive we headed for Half Moon Caye, where we had lunch. The island had a small reserve where you can go and see Red-Footed Boobies, having previously seen the Blue-Footed Boobie in Ecuador, and some amazing iguanas who were happy to lounge around in the sun. It was then time for our third dive.  After Stuart’s slightly stressful second dive he opted out of this one so I went down on my own.  It was another crystal clear dive but with no great sightings so he didn’t miss too much.

The diving, the blue hole and the setting were amazing. The dive operation however was certainly not and I would recommend going with another group if possible. For a start we ended up being on the boat for nearly eight hours with no shade. So we had no protection from the direct sunshine which, when teamed with diving and the difficulty in applying sun cream, makes it very hard to ensure you have adequate sun protection. On top of this, the briefings were inadequate and certainly didn’t put your mind at rest in terms of safety concerns. I have to admit that sending a group through a tiny cave without proper instructions is slightly reckless. On top of that, the dive at the Blue Hole had about fifteen people in one group with an instructor leading from the front and one at the back, which is not great considering the dangers of such a deep dive. It certainly doesn’t feel safe when you are being pushed in together with your fellow divers and it isn’t surprising that you get the occasional fin in the face – it would be nice to try and avoid that at 195 feet, but that isn’t possible when you are diving in such a big group. For anyone wanting to do the dive, don’t let this put you off. Just ask the dive organisations the maximum group size on any of the dives and make sure that the boat has shade. By the time we got home that night my skin was so tight I felt like I had been through a facelift operation!

Alice Bevan