Harvest Caye Monkey River Wildlife Adventure Excursion

Description

• Pick up and drop off from your Placencia tender pier!
  
• Covered panga boat ride, comfortable seats and experienced shore excursion captain!
• English speaking, local Belizean excursion guides!
• Bird watching along the coast and up river!
• Guided jungle hike!
• Guarantee to spot wildlife that may include howler monkeys, iguanas, tropical birds, and more!
• Short stop to observe manatees in their natural environment!

Ride on a covered panga boat along the coast until you reach the river entrance. All along the way you will enjoy fantastic views, sightings of tropical birds, iguanas and more. Then take a jungle walk with your local excursion guide and learn about local Belize medicinal plants. A true wildlife eco-excursion!

This local jungle wildlife viewing adventure excursion begins when you meet with your Monkey River guide just next to your Belize mainland tender pier for cruise ships arriving to Harvest Caye cruise port of call. You will take the first small shuttle boat from Harvest Caye Island ashore to the mainland at Placencia, just a short 10-15 minute boat ride. 
PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO TIME, ALL GUESTS MUST BE ON THE FIRST TENDER. PLEASE PURCHASE YOUR TENDER TICKET EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR SPACE - THERE IS ONLY 61 PASSENGER CAPACITY ON THE TENDER.

You will meet your shore excursion guide just outside your Placencia tender pier. It's a short 5-minute walk to where you will climb aboard your shore excursion boat - a covered but open skiff type boat called a panga. Then you're off for a 40-minute ride along the beautiful coastline with tropical plants on one side and crystal clear turquoise waters on the other. Your cruise excursion captain will point out interesting spots along the way as you hug the Belizean shoreline.

When you come to the river entrance your guide will begin to point out various local birds such as toucans and herons. The river gets its name from the rather loud noise that the howler monkeys make in the trees overhead, their personal speedway. Listen for the hoots and calls that are often heard before the monkeys are spotted. Iguanas, crabs, as well as other wildlife might be scene. This river ride through the mangrove will take about 10 minutes.

Then, at a slow pace, it's time to take a hike through the jungle and meet with a local Monkey River guide who will point out herbal plants used for different medicines. The guide will give you a real local Belize jungle education. You might keep an eye out for a tapir, or a deer. The hiking part of the excursion takes about an hour and covers half a mile (1 km) out and back.

After the hike, the panga will take you back to your mainland Belize cruise tender pier for Harvest Caye port of call. There will be a short stop to see the manatees in their natural feeding habitat. Marvel at the agility of these ungainly looking creatures.

It will then be time to head back to the Placencia dock for the short shuttle boat ride back over to Harvest Caye Island and your cruise ship.

What is included?

• Pick up and drop off from your Placencia tender pier
  
• Covered panga boat ride, comfortable seats and experienced captain
  
• English speaking, local shore excursion guides
• Bird watching along the coast
• Guided jungle hike
• Guarantee to spot wildlife that may include howler monkeys, iguanas, tropical birds, and more
• Short stop to observe manatees in their natural environment
• Optional stop at the Monkey River Village to purchase lunch, drinks, souvenirs

Excursion Notes

• We recommend that you wear comfortable shoes and light clothes. Conditions are normally warm and humid.
  
• Bring along sun protection, bug spray, camera, water, cash for balance payment, lunch, drinks, tips, etc.
• The total duration may vary depending on the hiking pace and/or amount of participants.
• NOT included is the $25.00 USD per person, round trip tender ticket sold by the cruise line to take guests ashore from the island to the mainland.
• In case of questionable weather, please contact the operator before purchasing the tender ticket to confirm if the excursion is still running. Cost of tender tickets is non-refundable.
  

Where we meet

For this Harvest Caye Monkey River Wildlife Adventure Excursion, you will meet just a 5-minute walk from the mainland Belize cruise tender pier. All necessary details will be printed on your Electronic Shore Excursion Tickets.

Excursion Restrictions

• Minimum participation age is 5 years old.
• Due to the amount of hiking, this excursion is not recommended for guests with walking disabilities, heart or respiratory issues.
• This excursion is not wheelchair accessible.
• This Harvest Caye Monkey River Wildlife Adventure Excursion may involve risks. We suggest you check with your elected person of choice to see if these possible risks might affect you.

Excursion FAQ

Cancellation

• Your ship arrives into port late and you cannot make it in time to the meeting location (we will verify with the tour operator).
• Your ship skips/misses the port.
• Weather conditions or equipment failure prevents the operator from running the excursion.
• A medical problem prevents you from safely participating in the excursion (we will verify with the excursion operator and the guest may send doctor's note). This applies to individuals only and not the remainder of the group.
  
• Cancellations/deposit refund requests that do not comply with the above may not be subject to refund.
• Refunds may be subject to a service charge fee as determined by the payment processor, please refer to Terms and Conditions for more information.