Bird Island
This is a magical 5 hour nature watching trip! You will stop to snorkel at different locations in the ocean and the Bacalar Chico River. Once you enter the Bay of Chetumal, you will travel through ancient Mayan canals that were once part of a trade route. You can stop on one island and see an abandoned antique steam engine (nobody really knows where it came from or what it is doing in the middle of Chetumal Bay). Also, you may visit the canons from a Spanish galleon that was stranded during a hurricane. Your final destination is a small island where many rare species of birds nest.
This trip allows you to see the diversity of ecosystems that surround Xcalak. There is also a resident population of manatees that make their way between the lagoons, mangrove forests and the inner and outer reefs throughout the year. If you are really lucky, you may have your own manatee encounter!
5 HOUR BIRD ISLAND TRIP
Price
Reservation
Guided Kayak or SUP Tours
2 hours
Another great way to explore the stunning biodiversity that we have in the Xcalak National Marine Park is to take a guided kayak tour with one of our experienced staff. Or, for those who already know how to maneuver an SUP, you could choose to do a guided SUP tour.Our 2 hour tours leave from our private pier and take you through a small mangrove river into the lagoon behind XTC Dive Center. You’ll have a chance to see a number of migratory birds throughout the year, lots of juvenile fish in the mangroves, our year-round population of brown pelicans and, if you’re lucky, you may spot one of our crocs in the lagoon! On the way back, we will stop off for a snorkel along the inner reef to see a variety of colorful reef fishes, sometimes we can see spotted eagle rays and on many occasions, we can find the manatees! The tours include kayak/paddleboard, paddle, mask/snorkel and life jacket (optional).
It’s a great little excursion and an exciting way to spend a few hours in the sun.
GUIDED KAYAK TRIPS
Cost Per Person
Price
Reservation
3 hours
For those who want to work a little bit harder for an adventure, we also have the option of a longer, guided, one-way tour. For this excursion, we will leave from our pier at the dive center and make our way south towards Belize. We can stop along the way for snorkeling, exploring the mangrove forests and inlets, and if we really push it, we can make it all the way to the Belize/Mexico border.
The great thing about this trip is that we can work our way down at your pace, because after 3 hours, our boat will come and pick you up for a ride back to XTC! The tours include kayak/paddleboard, paddle, mask/snorkel and life jacket (optional).
Cost Per Person
Price
Reservation
Kayak/SUP Rentals
We also rent kayaks and paddle boards to those who would like to do their own exploring around the waterways and reefs of Xcalak.
Rentals
Price
Half day rentals
4 Hours
$40 USD/each
Full day rentals
4-8 Hours
$60 USD/each
Our Happy Clients
Certificate of Excellence
Unforgettable Dives!
I recently dove with my teenage son and daughter at XTC Dive Center and had an incredible encounter with 2 manatees, a school of about 60 huge tarpons and lots of beautiful marine life and incredibly healthy and beautiful coral.
The dive team is super pro. The ambience is great. Xcalak us incredible!
We look forward to coming back as soon as possible!
100% recommended.
Paula
Great place and people!!
I did my Open Water Dive Certification with XTC Dive Center and it was amazing! Great place, people and service!
Pamela
Excellent dive experience. Beautiful water! We saw HUGE tarpon. The dive masters Josie, Wendy and Myra are great.
Excellent dive experience. Beautiful water! We saw HUGE tarpon. The dive masters Josie, Wendy and Myra are great. The entire staff was great to work with and really took care of us. I really can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed the experience. We are planning another trip here in September. Can’t get back soon enough.
Diving Paradise
We loved our stay at the XTC Dive Centre, and their Flying Cloud hotel for our dive trip. Francisco made our check in and dive arrangements ahead of time for us., and looked after everything we needed.The accommodations were great, right on the beach and we woke up to some really fantastic sunrises each morning.
The diving was excellent, the entire Team of DiveMasters and Instructors are what made our trip so memorable for us. They have an excellent Dive Centre and looked after all of our equipment and diving needs. We can’t wait to return!
Best dive vacation ever