Boat Travel

Requena's, a long-established and generally reliable operator, provides daily boats to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; departure is at 9:30 am from the docks on Front Street, Punta Gorda (PG). The trip takes about an hour and can be rough. The Pichilingo boat, as of this writing, departs PG at 2 pm, Tek-Dat at 1 pm, and Shark Boy at 4 pm. From Puerto Barrios, Pichilingo departs at 10 am, Tek-Dat at 3 pm, and Shark Boy at 1 pm. On Tuesday and Friday only, most boats have service at 10 am from PG to Livingston, Guatemala. Memo runs a daily boat from Punta Gorda to Livingston at 1 pm and returns daily at 3 pm (fare varies depending on the number of passengers).Times and fares are subject to change, especially during the off-season and bad weather.

These boats are small open boats for pedestrians only; there is no auto ferry between Guatemala and Punta Gorda. You must pay an exit fee when departing from PG to Guatemala and when departing from Guatemala for Belize. For those traveling on to Honduras, Pichilingo offers a daily connecting shuttle bus at Puerto Barrios to Corinto on the Honduran border. From Corinto buses leave daily at 4:30 and 6 pm for Puerto Cortes, Honduras.

Contact

Memo's Boat Service. Memo's runs daily trips from Punta Gorda to Livingston, Guatemala, at 1 pm and returns at 3 pm. Times change frequently–-for the latest information, check at the BTIA office on Front Street in PG or at the Belize Immigration and Customs office also on Front Street near the PG docks. Fares vary depending the number of passengers and destination, but are around BZ$50 to BZ$60. Plan to arrive at least a half hour ahead of scheduled departure time to purchase tickets and handle immigration matters. Punta Gorda Docks, Front St., Punta Gorda, Toledo. 651/4780.

Pichilingo. Pichilingo runs a daily boat between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Schedule and fares change frequently, but as of this writing, the Pichilingo boat departs PG at 2 pm and Puerto Barrios at 10 am. The fare is around BZ$60. For the latest information, check with the BTIA office on Front Street in PG, with ticket sellers at the PG docks off Front Street, or at the Belize Customs and Immigration office near the docks. Plan to arrive at least an hour before departure to purchase tickets and take care of immigration formalities. Punta Gorda Docks, Front St., Punta Gorda, Toledo.

Requena's Charter Service. Requena's, one of several operators offering daily trips from Punta Gorda to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, is the area's longest-established company. The Requena boat leaves at 9:30 am from the docks on Front Street, Punta Gorda, to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; it returns to PG at 2 pm. The trip takes about an hour and can be rough; the fare is BZ$50 one-way. Arrive about ½ hour early to complete immigration formalities. Charter services are also available in the Gulf of Honduras. 12 Front St., Punta Gorda, Toledo. 722/2070; www.puntagordabelize.com/pg/requena/index.htm.

Shark Boy. Shark Boy runs a daily boat between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. Schedules and fares change frequently, but the boat currently departs PG at 4 pm and departs Puerto Barrios at 2 pm; the fare is around BZ$60. For the latest information, visit the BTIA tourism information office on Front Street, the boat's ticket sellers at the Punta Gorda docks, or the Belize Immigrations and Customs office near the dock. Plan to arrive at least a half hour before departure to purchase tickets and complete customs formalities. Punta Gorda Docks, Front St., Punta Gorda, Toledo.

Tek-Dat. Tek-Dat runs a daily boat between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. The boat departs PG at 1 pm, and departs Puerto Barrios at 3 pm; the fare is around BZ$60. Schedules and fares change frequently, so check with the BTIA office on Front Street in PG, the ticket sellers at the Punta Gorda docks, or the Belize Immigration and Customs office near the docks. Plan to arrive at the docks at least a half hour before departure to purchase tickets and complete immigration formalities. Punta Gorda, Toledo.