Frequently Asked Questions
Tobacco Caye is a small, remote island and life here is wonderfully simple.
Most things you need are available at Reef’s End, but getting here, island resources and daily life work a little differently than on the mainland. The questions below are the ones guests ask us most often. We hope they make your trip as easy as possible.
We are happy to arrange your boat transfer between Dangriga and Tobacco Caye. Our manager will email you a couple of days before arrival with the boat, captain and exact pickup details.
Our regular departure from Dangriga is at 11am and our regular return from the island is at 9am. The boat ride takes about 30 minutes, and our regular pickup point is here on the map.
For groups of 4 or more we can usually arrange other departure times. For fewer than 4 passengers, a different departure time may be charged at the 4-person minimum/charter rate. If you expect to reach Dangriga later in the afternoon, or would like to stay longer on the island on checkout day, please let us know ahead of time and we’ll do our best to arrange the best option.
Life jackets are provided. We have a limited number of children’s sizes, so please let us know in advance if you are travelling with children.
If you travel in one of our boats, the transfer is added to your room bill and paid at checkout. Third-party captains must be paid directly in cash, so please make sure you have cash on hand.
Boat rides can sometimes be “slightly damp” :) so please protect phones, cameras and similar items. Ziplock bags and waterproof cases are always a good idea. Luggage is placed under tarps and kept dry during the transfer.
If you are pregnant or have back issues, please let us and the captain know in advance so you can be seated toward the back of the boat, where it is less bumpy on windy days.
No, the boat transfer is additional to your stay. The current Reef’s End transfer rate is $40US per person each way, plus applicable GST (currently 12.5%), with a 4-person minimum where applicable.
We can arrange it for you, and if you travel in one of our boats the cost is simply added to your room bill.
No worries. Just let us know your expected arrival time in Dangriga. For groups of 4 or more we can usually arrange another departure time. For fewer than 4 passengers, a later transfer may be charged at the 4-person minimum/charter rate.
Our regular boat leaves Tobacco Caye at 9am and the ride to Dangriga takes about 30 minutes. From Dangriga you can continue by local plane, taxi or car.
Please allow 2 hours or more for connections, especially for international flights, as weather and travel delays can happen. International flights departing after 12.30pm can easily be reached in time for check-in when you leave with the 9am regular boat transfer from the island.
We have an arrangement with the Chaleanor Hotel, about 3 blocks from the dock. The current charge is $10US / $20BZ per day, paid directly to the hotel in cash and in advance. If you are staying at another hotel before or after your time on Tobacco Caye, you can also ask whether they offer parking.
A small tip: drop your heavier luggage at the boat before parking, so you don’t have to carry it back from the parking spot :)
Always take your car keys with you.
There are usually four options from Philip Goldson International: bus, rental car, taxi or local plane.
Bus takes about 3–4 hours and costs around $15–30BZ. Schedules: belize.com and floralia.bz.
Taxi takes about 1½–2 hours and costs around $200–250US for 2 people, with additional passengers usually $20–30US each. We work with trusted drivers and can help arrange a pickup.
Local plane is the fastest option. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air fly from BZE to Dangriga (DGA); the flight takes about 15 minutes and is usually around $100US per person one way. Allow at least 1½ hours between your international flight and the local flight.
A taxi from Dangriga airport to the Riverside / Island Breeze dock is currently around $7US per person.
Take an early morning water taxi or flight to Belize City and then continue to Dangriga by local plane, bus or taxi. You can also connect by air through Belize City International from SPR or CUK to DGA.
A direct private boat from Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker is technically possible, but it is a very long and costly trip because the boat must make the return journey as well. This is not something we arrange.
We can sometimes pick you up by boat in Hopkins if weather permits – the swell near the mainland can occasionally make this difficult. The price is $50US per person, based on a minimum of 4 passengers.
You can also travel overland from Hopkins to Dangriga. A taxi is typically $60–70US and takes about 30 minutes. Your hotel in Hopkins can usually help with transport, or we can help arrange a taxi.
Bus or taxi are the easiest options. The bus takes about 2½ hours with a change in Belmopan. A taxi takes about 2 hours and usually costs around $150–200US. Most hotels in San Ignacio can also arrange a private shuttle.
The Dangriga bus station is about a 15-minute walk from the Riverside. Most taxi and shuttle drivers know the Riverside dock; you can also ask for the dock by the Island Breeze bar.
Island Breeze Restaurant & Bar is about 100 feet from our usual dock. They open at 7am and serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks, and there are clean restrooms and WiFi for restaurant guests.
Your accommodation includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, drinking water, use of our kayaks and paddleboards, and the other amenities listed further down this page.
Bar drinks, snacks, boat transfers, diving, snorkeling and fishing trips and other excursions are additional.
Check-in is at 2pm and check-out is at 11am.
If you would like an early check-in or late check-out, we will try to accommodate it when possible. Meals outside your included meal plan are not included, but we are happy to arrange breakfast or lunch for an additional charge.
Yes. Each additional guest beyond double occupancy is $65US + taxes per day, including meals.
SeaView Rooms and Beach Cabanas have two double beds and can accommodate up to 4 guests. The You & Me Cabana has two double beds plus a twin and can accommodate up to 5 guests.
Maximum occupancy depends on the accommodation, and no additional beds are provided except a crib for smaller children.
Yes. We have unlimited WiFi available 24 hours a day, free of charge for staying guests. The connection is normally good enough for video calls, social media and email.
Yes – our solar system provides power 24/7. The You & Me Cabana has solar-powered AC, normally available from about 8:30am–4pm depending on sunlight and the time of year. All units have high-efficiency ceiling fans.
Straight from the tap, our showers are “room temperature” using collected rainwater stored in tanks. In our tropical climate, most guests find this surprisingly refreshing :)
We are an eco lodge and are largely self-sufficient on fresh rainwater collected around the property. That water needs to last throughout the season, including the dry period from around mid-February until mid-June.
Hot showers would considerably increase water consumption and require us to produce more fresh water with our desalination unit. The unit uses a lot of power and would mean running a smaller generator to support it – something we try to avoid as part of our eco approach.
We try to balance guest comfort with conserving water and other island resources. For stays of 3 days or less, room service is available upon request. For stays of 5–7 days we normally service the room about halfway through, and longer stays are serviced approximately every fifth day.
Just ask if you need something in between.
Yes. We can provide laundry service with a 1–2 day turnaround. The cost is $15US for a large load of up to 10 lbs.
Yes, dogs are allowed in our cabana accommodations with an additional $40US cleaning fee. Please bring food and bowls.
There are other friendly dogs roaming freely around the island, so keep this in mind if your dog is not comfortable around other dogs.
Yes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included with your accommodation.
Yes – please let us know in advance and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
Yes, we have a full bar serving cocktails, beer, wine, sodas and juice. The bar is open daily from 11am–9pm and our snack menu is available from 12:30pm–5:30pm.
Snacks and drinks are not included in the daily meal plan. We are happy to run an open tab for you and add it to your bill at the end of your stay.
Our restaurant and bar refrigerator and freezer space is limited, and we are not permitted to store private food or drinks there. Our Cabanas and SeaView Suite each have a small mini refrigerator with enough room for a few bottles and small snacks. The SeaView Rooms do not have mini refrigerators.
Ice is available for purchase. If you bring your own wine and would like us to serve it in the restaurant or bar, there is a $10US corkage fee per bottle.
Yes. Filtered drinking water is available free of charge in the restaurant and bar.
Please bring a reusable water bottle or thermos if you would like water on trips. In keeping with our eco approach, we do not provide or sell single-use bottled water.
Absolutely. Tobacco Caye is one of the few islands in Belize where you can reach the Barrier Reef without a boat. Reef’s End sits right where the snorkeling is, with the coral reef just outside our dock.
Weather is weather :) Conditions can change quickly in the tropics and we can’t promise what it will be like months in advance. Beautiful sunny and calm days can happen at any time of the season, as can periods of rain and wind.
Snorkeling from the island is normally possible when conditions allow, and we will always help you figure out the best options while you are here.
Yes. A full set – mask, snorkel and fins – is $10US per day. A partial set is $5US per day.
Yes, we do! Tobacco Caye is located in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve and is centrally located for some of the best diving, snorkeling and fishing Belize has to offer.
Reef’s End has its own dive shop and can arrange a variety of trips and activities, including PADI scuba certification. Our on-site PADI instructor can certify through Dive Master, with higher-level certification available upon request. Spin fishing, local-style hand-line fishing and fly fishing can also be arranged.
For current information and pricing, see our activities pages.
Yes, absolutely. We regularly combine guests interested in the same dive trips. Let us know what you would like to do and we will do our best to put trips together while you are here.
Often, yes. Depending on the destination and conditions, a non-diver may be able to join the boat and snorkel while the divers are underwater. Ask us about the particular trip you are interested in and we can let you know what works.
Yes :) We arrange different types of fishing trips and, when appropriate, you can keep some of your catch and our kitchen can prepare it for you.
Yes – kayaks and paddleboards are available free of charge for staying guests.
Yes – this is the tropics :) Sand flies and mosquitoes can be present, particularly during rainy periods and around dawn and dusk. Cockroaches are also part of tropical island life; we regularly spray and clean the lodge and rarely see them in guest areas, but they can occasionally appear.
All our accommodations are screened. If you are sensitive to sand flies or mosquitoes, bring repellent. Natural insect repellent is also available for purchase, and insect coils are available for accommodations upon request, free of charge.
Yes. Tobacco Caye is located within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Current fees are:
We collect the marine park fee at the end of your stay and pass it on to the park, where it supports research, preservation and park maintenance.
Marine park fees must be paid in cash.
Your 30% deposit secures your reservation. The remaining balance is paid at checkout, together with any extras from your stay such as bar and snacks, boat transfers, diving, excursions and other activities.
We accept Visa, MasterCard and Discover. AMEX is also possible through our payment app, although not through our local credit-card machine. App-based credit-card payments incur an additional provider transaction fee.
We also accept cash in US or Belize dollars.
No. There are ATMs in Dangriga, including at Heritage Bank and Belize Bank.
We have limited cash on hand, so smaller bills are always useful. When possible, we can provide a limited cash advance on a credit card with an 8% surcharge.
There is currently a 9% hotel tax on the room portion of your stay and 12.5% sales tax on the meal portion. Together these average approximately 10.5% in addition to the prices stated on our website.
A service charge is not included in your bill, and gratuities are greatly appreciated by our staff. Gratuities given to management are pooled between our kitchen, rooms and grounds staff. If someone has gone out of their way to make your stay special, you are of course welcome to tip them directly.
Guides and captains are separate from the pooled gratuity and may be tipped directly. As a general guideline, 10% is standard for stays and 15–20% for excursions, cooking classes and bar tabs. If you are unsure, simply ask us.
There are several options. A few examples are Chaleanor, Bonefish Hotel and Pal’s on the Beach in the mid-range, and Pelican Beach at the higher end.
Included with your stay:
Available for purchase:
Tobacco Caye is remote and supplies on the island are limited, so it is worth picking up personal essentials before you arrive. Most things are available in Dangriga.
Our suggested packing list:
Write to us at reefsend@gmail.com or send a WhatsApp message to +501-613-6384. We are happy to help you plan.