Choose your Accommodation

  Quiet secluded island paradise  - Fourth time visiting this quiet little paradise, I will be coming back for more. It is super quaint, a little bit rustic, and it feels like you’re in Paradise with... read more the brilliant blue waters, superb fishing, Amazing snorkelling and diving. Very realistic in their prices, staff was really accommodating and made you feel welcome😊

  Loved every minute!  - My husband and I enjoyed every minute of our time at Isla Marisol. We are not divers, but thoroughly enjoyed snorkeling, kayaking, the tours and just being. The snorkeling was... read more some of the best we have ever seen. The island is beautiful, and we enjoyed experiencing something so different from at home.

I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. They go above and beyond to make sure you are comfortable, happy and safe. They engaged with us and it was great to learn about their culture and lives. They were down to earth, friendly and helpful. They sincerely want you to enjoy the stay.

The food was amazing. Every single meal was stellar and we left happy and content. We loved the freshness, the resourcefulness and appreciated the hard work they put into making each meal.

The cabana we stayed in was very comfortable. We found there to be enough hot water for a very fast shower, and the room definitely cool enough to sleep well at night. We honestly didn’t spend much time in it, as there was so much to enjoy outside. Sitting on the dock and watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee with dear friends was a highlight every morning.

We saw dolphins, so many fish, birds, sharks, rays, and took in every experience—including a storm!

Eddie and his team go to great lengths to make your time on the island truly magical. I hope to return some day.

  Gorgeous Island!  - Absolutely gorgeous island with a hardworking and kind staff. We especially enjoyed watching George the bartender’s card tricks in the overwater bar. The kitchen was accommodating of a variety of... read more diets (including vegan and vegetarian) and the watermelon juice was to die for! The diving was excellent and just a five minute boat ride away. We routinely saw bonefish and stingrays from the porch of our cabana. Wonderful way to spend a week!

  Gilligan’s Island Paradise  - We spent a wonderful week at the magical Isla Marisol.
The pros:
- One-of-kind location: Gilligan’s Island in the middle of a marine reserve.
- Superb diving: we’ve... read more been scuba diving around the world and the coral and fish found minutes (yes minutes) from the dock at Isla Marisol are among the best we’ve seen.
- Friendly and accommodating staff:
Activities and meals were customized to our family’s needs.
Cons:
- It’s a rustic, remote resort in the middle of the ocean. No spa, pool or room service.
If you’re unable to survive without those and other luxury amenities, this might not be the place.
The power sometimes goes out. Hot water is limited. There are giant land hermit crabs who try to mug you as you wander back to your cabin at night.
This isn’t The Atlantis. For many people, that’s the whole point.

  I would highly recommend this island for anyone who wants to leave there regular life behind and have a great island exp  - Isla marisol was the best experience of my life. Fishing,snorkeling, kayaking,just chilling by the beach with my speaker,getting drunk at the bar with a great bartender. Then at night stargazing... read more because the night sky is the best it could get you can actually see the milkyway. The food was excellent something different from the norm everything is is belizian 100 percent. The host Eddie is a wonderful boatsman he really knows the ocean. I can't wait to go back

  Great diving on a remote island  - Isla Marisol Resort on South West Caye of Glover's Reef Atoll is for travelers with a sense of adventure who seek great diving and food at an intimate resort far... read more from the madding crowd that operates on solar power and tries to minimize its environmental impact. It is not the place to go if you want to sit by the pool (there is none), or you can't handle occasional brief power outages or taking 5-minute showers to conserve hot water, which comes from a desalination plant. You won't find flower petals strewn on your bed, or designer toiletries, or towels shaped into hearts.

What you will find are comfortable, air-conditioned accommodations that are a 5-15 minute boat ride from over a dozen dive sites on a very healthy reef with an abundance of soft coral, fish, excellent visibility, and little chance of any divers except from Isla Marisol Resort. Why? Because Glover's Reef is 30 miles from mainland Belize, and a 3-hour boat ride from the crowds on Ambergris Caye.

Eddie Usher is the enterprising, entertaining host who has run Isla Marisol Resort for over 20 years, and he is involved in every aspect of its operation. Eddie picks up guests in Dangriga, and drives them the 75 minutes to Isla Marisol (Mar y Sol) Resort in one of the 38-foot open-air pangas (skiffs) that he bought from the Belizean police at auction and converted for diving and fishing. According to Eddie, the pangas were built and used by the Colombian cartels to deliver drug shipments, then abandoned. The pangas are extremely sturdy and sea worthy, but just have a bimini, no cabin, so keep your rain gear handy for the ride to and from Isla Marisol Resort, you could get soaked if there's a shower. It's an adventure, right?

Eddie oversees all dives and fishing excursions. The dive shop is decent, but basic. They rent good-condition BCDs, regulators, tanks, as well as wetsuits, masks, and fins if needed, but they do not rent dive computers, and only offer Nitrox on request. Eddie leads the dives with additional divemasters as needed depending on the size of the dive groups. Isla Marisol Resort has a maximum capacity of 28 guests, but there were only 9 guests diving when we were there, so we comfortably fit in one panga.

Eddie and one of his longtime divemasters, Mora, led all our dives. Eddie and Mora know Glover's Atoll Reef intimately, and are adept at finding the spots with the best visibility depending on the current conditions. If you want, you can do 3 dives a day, including a night dive. If the weather cooperates, you might be able to go to the Blue Hole, but it's 2+ hours away. If that dive is your top priority, I suggest staying on Turneffe or Lighthouse Reef to be closer to the Blue Hole than Glover's Reef.

You can also snorkel around the reef, or go swim with a pod of dolphins that like to hang out in the deepest portion of the atoll. There are plenty of SUPs and kayaks that are available, and whose use is included in the room and board charge.

Most mornings, Eddie goes fishing at daybreak around the island trolling for grouper, king, wahoo, or whatever is biting (barracuda, the morning I went), which is then served for meals. There is no extra charge for guests to ride along and reel in whatever hits the line. You can hear some of Eddie's many stories, such as why the building that houses the bar as well as the bar itself have 9 sides. If you are an angler and have come for bonefish, those fishing trips are not free.

The food is very good, with lots of fresh fruit and fish. Some of the highlights were delicious conch ceviche as well as grilled grouper. The breakfasts are hearty English cooked eggs, bacon, and sausage, but they also can provide vegan offerings or other dietary needs. All meals are served in a screened dining room that is cooled by fans, not air conditioning. The bar is on pilings over the water. You can stand on the walkway that encircles the bar, and watch sharks and other fish swim under the bar while magnificent frigate birds soar over head, and pelicans skim by and scoop up fish in their bills.

Our family stayed in one of the two reef houses that are a 3-minute walk across the island from the boat dock, dining hall, and bar. Solar-powered lamps mark the paths that are lined with conch shells, but it is a good idea to bring a flashlight to dinner so that on your way back to your room, you don't step on a coconut or hermit crab in the dark. Eddie sprays daily for bugs, and we had no bites from sand flies. Our house had metal louvers in the windows, and no screens, so we kept the AC on at night after the first night, when a few mosquitoes bit us.

We really liked the scruffy charm and laid-back vibe of Isla Marisol Resort, but it's not for everyone. Visitors whose top priority is luxury or proximity to a variety of restaurants should look elsewhere. But if you like a little spice in your vacation spots, and want to get away to a remote tropic isle with great diving, this could be the place for you.

  A vacation you don’t need a vacation from when you get home.  - If you’re looking for a ‘plastic’ resort, keep looking. Isla Marisol is as authentic a serene resort destination that you could ask for. Plenty of activities to explore, paddle boarding,... read more snorkeling kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, dolphin watching excursions. Three chef prepares meals per day included, and a full bar over the water. Participate in the actives much or as little as you like. You won’t be disappointed. Definitely coming back again.

  Excellent fly-fishing opportunities at Isla Marisol!  - Our stay at Isla Marisol (Island of Sea and Sun) was most memorable! We had outstanding gourmet meals with everything freshly prepared and baked by Chef Nerisa Montero. ... read more Phenomenal guided snorkeling with Eddie Usher (the owner/manager). Fishing from shore and guided fly fishing on a boat. Staff who were genuinely interested in making our stay comfortable and welcoming, especially our waitress Angie Coc. George Cocom, the bartender, made great cocktails all with fresh ingredients and always served with a smile. And the bonus, we developed new friendships with the other guests.

For fly fishing, accurate casting is essential, especially in the wind. My fly patterns were acceptable; however, weed guards are necessary particularly in shallow coral waters. Of course, one must fish the tides one hour before and after high tide is best, and second best is low tide. Finding fish to present a fly requires good glass Polaroid lenses such as Costa green-mirrored. There were many occasions where I presented flies in deep water with a floating fly line; I need to get a Type V uniform sink line and a uniform intermediate sink line for my next trip. And maybe a few heavier-weighted fly patterns. One needs to be ready; no time to change flies! I had 4 rods set up with a rod for bonefish, permit, tarpon, and barracuda.

Fishing at the dock was great if the bonefish were eating. I saw permit and tarpon swim by, as well as schools of jacks. Tarpon are at the dock at night.

Eddie has a perfect panga set-up for fly fishing. He also knows the area better than anyone. I spent a full day of guided fishing with Eddie and what an amazing experience I had! The boat trip itself was a guided tour of Glover’s Reef’s most remote areas. Eddie was a fantastic guide; he was patient, considerate, and very helpful explaining what I needed to do. He got me within range several times for casting to permit and tarpon. No takes, but exciting fishing! And yes, the experiences I had were astounding: The water! The colors! The fishing! The company!

After a fantastic lunch, we targeted barracuda and bonefish. I caught a nice-sized amber jack, a couple of barracuda, and a really nice bonefish. Then we headed back to the boat dock and sight-fished to several tarpon. What a GREAT day!

From shore, I caught bonefish right in front of the cabana we were assigned, as well as from the dock. I also put on my reef boots and stalked fish on the reef next to crashing waves during three different high tides and I was the only person there -- truly a wilderness experience! I casted to several different pods of permit and bonefish. I caught a few bonefish and a few small yellow reef fish.

Overall, I was most impressed by fly fishing opportunities at Isla Marisol. I would most highly recommend Isla Marisol for an incredible adventure of fly fishing, snorkeling, scuba diving, and fine dining!