Maya Island Air: Getting Around Belize is Easy and Fun

Why visit Belize?

In case you didn't know, Belize remains one of those hidden treasures that is not overly exploited; this is a good thing, because it means fewer crowds.

Belize, achieved its independence from England in the 1980's, and it has remained a peaceful oasis of natural attractions. In Belize one can find verdant jungles teeming with trees and flowers, and of course, rare animals. However, the main attraction seems to be the vast blue Caribbean Sea that hugs the coast of Belize. The rich waters of Belize offer the visitor the opportunity to go deep-sea fishing, snorkeling and diving. The beautiful reefs of Belize are of great importance to the world, as unique specimens of corals and marine life are found only here.

Where is Belize?

This little country is in Central America, cradled between Mexico and Guatemala, on the Caribbean side.

Getting to Belize

The quickest way to get around Belize is by plane, and Maya Island Air (MIA) transports you from Belize City to: Caulker, Ambergris, Corozal, Dangriga, Big Creek, Placencia and Punta Gorda Cayes, as well as some border towns in Mexico and Guatemala (Tikal). MIA is one of two inter-island carriers, offering scheduled, charter, and regional passenger services.

Our flight from Houston landed in Belize City's International Airport. We collected our luggage, exited the international building, and the domestic terminal was immediately to our left. Don't let the porters take your luggage, as the domestic terminal is only a few steps away, but you don't know that when you collect your bags.

Check-in

Two smiling employees welcomed us to Belize and to Maya Island Air. Our Placencia tickets were purchased on-line and at check-in, we presented a printed voucher. Shortly thereafter, we received our boarding tickets and luggage claim-tags. We were instructed to proceed to gate 1 (there are only three gates) and waited for the boarding announcement.

Baggage

Maya Air allows one free, 50 lbs bag, and the price for excess weight is reasonable, as it is billed by the pound. However, given the size of the airplanes for inter-island flights, the excess weight is problematic, and Maya Air suggests using soft-sided luggage because it's easier to stuff the bags in the cargo- hold, whereas, a hard-sided, suitcase may not fit-in, and your luggage will be delayed until space is found! Luckily, our flight was not full, and MIA did not charge us for the excess weight.

Boarding/Flight

The Placencia flight announcement came, and we followed two employees to a Cessna Caravan, a single turboprop plane that seats 8 passengers, plus the pilot. On this flight, there were six passengers; one sat up front with the pilot, and the remainder sat in the back. Our plane had a "new" appearance, and it was clean and well-maintained. The seats are small and narrow, and if a passenger is tall and heavy, the seat can be rather uncomfortable. However, flight duration is only 45-minutes!

Once the door was closed, the pilot introduced himself and gave us a safety briefing. Upon receiving clearance for take off, we were off to Placencia! The flight takes you over water, and you can see the beautiful aquamarine reefs and tiny islands below you. The plane was air-conditioned and the noise level, although high, wasn't unbearable. Our flight was smooth, as the weather was clear.

When we landed in Placencia, two men quickly unloaded the luggage and brought them to the MIA terminal (loosely speaking), a small, air-conditioned building consisting of an office and a waiting area.

Safety/Flight Frequency/Cost

Maya Island Air's Maintenance staff is trained by various governing entities, such as US-FAA, UK-CAA, Belize-CAD. There are no known accidents attributed to this air carrier.

Maya Island Air offers hourly flights beginning at 07:00 and ending around 18:00 hrs. Fares vary according to the destination; a one-way ticket to Placencia was $75.00.

Maya Island Air's Fleet:

3 ~Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander

8 ~Cessna Caravan C208

1 ~ Cessna 182

3 ~ Australian G7 Airvan

3 ~ ATR 72's

Summary

Our experience with MIA was pleasant! Due to the short-duration of the flights and light passenger/luggage load, turnaround is fast and typically gets you to your destination on time! Belize is a truly laid-back destination, relatively safe and inexpensive. English is widely spoken.