February 2-12  2017, Sirenalia invites you to Belize for our third annual Mermaid Retreat! 

This 10-day, choose-your-own-adventure event will take place on two of Belize's paradise islands: the tranquil & tiny Tobacco Caye and the colorful & energetic Caye Caulker! Experience either or both with Sirenalia's team of mermaids, photographers, handlers, and friends! 

Tobacco Caye // 5 nights // February 2-7 - The isolated 3-acre island of Tobacco Caye sits literally on top of the Barrier Reef, letting you experience the Reef's life with a closeness and intimacy you've never seen before. The island itself looks like a caricature of an island paradise- coconut trees, hammocks, and nature. Here we'll take you out to the reefs and get your dream mermaid photos, and in your downtime you get to take it waaaaaaaay easy, relaxing, snorkeling right off the pier, or even going out to spot manatees! 

NO LONGER AVAILABLE:  Caye Caulker // 4 nights // February 8-12 - Caye Caulker is Sirenalia's favorite island! We've been coming here for years, so don't be surprised when the locals are excited to see the mermaids! We'll be renting a party boat for a deep-sea dance party, a sunset mermaid photoshoot, hotel hangouts and a superfun fundraiser at The Lazy Lizard! While Caulker is significantly more developed than Tobacco- there's tons of restaurants (we can't rave enough about the stewed chicken!), stores, and even jet skis!- it's still a place to go slow and chill. 

All funds raised at the Lizard (and in fact from the entire retreat) are donated to The Ocean Academy, a Caye Caulker high school dedicated to helping the island's kids get a good education in an economy where literally all high school education is pay-to-play. They're really awesome people doing a really cool thing! 

Pay your deposit to reserve your ticket. Full payment due Jan. 1, 2017.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay ahead of the wave, and read all about the retreat below!  

Tobacco is a very small island located in an oceanic natural reserve, directly on the Barrier Reef. You can literally just put on swim fins and a snorkel and step out into beautiful coral with tons of life- giant manta rays & colorful fish & even (if you're lucky) manatees! 

When we say it's small, we mean really small. It's approximately 3 acres!  This precious island is covered in coconut trees, and the locals are happy to bring you a wheelbarrow full of them to drink and snack on. 

If you’re looking for a relaxing, quiet getaway, then this is the trip for you.  You’ll spend 6 days and 5 nights completely immersed in nature. Unlimited snorkeling and kayaking is included so you can spend your days chasing stingrays and counting starfish.  There is so much wildlife there and adventure awaits by just walking the island and swimming in the waters.  

ACCOMODATION

You’re accommodation is in the cutest little cabins under the palm trees where you’ll wake up to the ocean breeze and sound of waves meeting the shore.  

PHOTOGRAPHY

“So you’re going to Belize to be a MERMAID?!”  Um, yes… and you’ll be able to prove it to all of your friends and family back home because Flashpool Productions will be documenting your entire vacation.  They’ll also be doing sunset photo shoots and underwater photo shoots in the clear ocean waters.

In mermaid spirit, we will be partnering with the locals to organize and participate in an island cleanup! 

MERMAID TAILS

Do you have a tail? Bring it! If you don’t have a tail, we’ll have fabric tails for you to swim in.

BUDGET

You're in charge of getting to and from Dangriga, the city on the mainland closest to the island but we've got you covered from there.  We'll be paying for your round-trip boat ride from Dangriga, accommodation, marine reserve fee and unlimited use of kayaks and snorkel gear!  Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all included! 

Don’t forget to get your passport!

JOIN US FOR ALL 10 DAYS!!!  $2400

After five days you'll almost have that golden tan you've been waiting all winter for... we promise, you won't want your trip to end, so why not extend it and come play with us at both islands!?  On the 7th, we will be chartering a plane and flying from Tobacco Caye to Caye Caulker for the second leg of our trip.  Your island to island flight is included!  

PHOTOS OF TOBACCO CAYE

PHOTOS OF CAYE CAULKER

Caye Caulker, Belize is an amazing little island - you can jet ski the whole island in about half an hour, and it is incredibly relaxing. There are signs everywhere telling you to "slow down", and there are no cars - only bikes and golf carts. The people on the island are friendly & easygoing and they love mermaids! We know, everyone loves mermaids - but the island has a special relationship with them. When mermaids show up, news spreads fast, and you’ll feel like a celebrity as total strangers shout out at you and your crew - "The mermaids are here!"

The barrier reef is a quick boat ride away, and is the second largest living coral reef. It’s packed with life, sharks and starfish and conchs and lobsters and manta rays and giant sea turtles and octopods… oh and fish. Tons of fish. The biodiversity is breathtaking (which is fine, you’ll be holding your breath!). It’s also in a lot of danger, with a huge percentage of it dying off in the last few decades.  

ACCOMODATION

Give your fins a rest at Island Magic Beach Resort. This place is perfect for us and they are excited to be our hosts!  It’s situated right on the beach with a gorgeous view of the ocean. You’ll love that you can enjoy a tropical drink and fresh ceviche as you watch the sunset from Tat’s Beach Bar.  

We will be filling ocean-view, pool-side and island-view rooms.  You will have a choice on a first-come-first-serve basis.  We are filling the rooms based on double occupancy which means if you are traveling solo, you will be paired up with another solo mermaid. 

BED SHARE DISCOUNT

The rooms are a mix of twin, double and king-sized beds.  Share a bed with a friend and you'll both receive a discount of $100. (This option is not available in Tobacco Caye)

MERMAIDING 

Every morning, we will have mermaid yoga out on the dock overlooking the water - a mermaid-specific exercise that will get you ready for swimming.

You’ll have time to explore the island and lazily soak up some sun either on your own or with your new friends! Caye Caulker has a lot of exciting stuff to get into, from Ras Creek’s pirate stories (you’ll see) to eating fresh lobster off the grill to hanging out and drinking colorful cocktails at The Split! And everything is optional- take your time, choose your own adventure!

THE OCEAN ACADEMY

The Ocean Academy is an on-island nonprofit that benefits the local kids’ education, and is the recipient of 100% of our above-cost profits from this event, as well as any fundraising we do while on the island. If we’re going to be using their local economy & environment for our playtime, why not make our playtime improve their lives?

PHOTOGRAPHY

Our entire trip will be documented by Flashpool Productions!  

They specialize in underwater photography and video!

We are offering underwater photo shoots during the first part of the trip in Tobacco Caye, but if you're just joining us in Caye Caulker, everyone will have the opportunity to have their photo taken underwater on our Party boat cruise in a candid, swimming "photo booth" fashion.*

Their team of two will be hands-on involved taking photos of the whole experience and everyone will receive a collection of all of the trip photos after we arrive back in the states so you can better share all of your sweet trip stories with your friends and family.

There will also be an optional sunrise or sunset  photo shoot in your tail on the beach. If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? And if a mermaid goes on an adventure and no one snaps it, did it even happen? Just to be on the safe side, we’ve got your pictures covered. As we’ve mentioned already, Flashpool Productions is our ride-or-die partner & will be there to catch you at your most magestic!

*If you'd like to have more underwater photos you can arrange for an underwater photo shoot out at the reef on your own time with Flashpool.  Please contact Sarah with your request and for a quote.

BUDGET

Caye Caulker has a great selection of food- including super fresh seafood! - that can fit almost any budget. There are cute, off-the-main-road shacks where moms will cook you incredible stewed chicken for around $4, or you can head over to the island’s only Italian restaurant and have mind-blowing fresh-made pasta for around $20. Belikin beer is cheap - usually around $1, but if you feel the need to buy a frosty, colorful tropical beverage then you may pay as much as $8. It’s really up to you, but we recommend budgeting around $30/day for food, to be safe. 

Don’t forget to get your passport!

SUMMARY OF WHAT WE ARE COVERING

-A really fun swag bag!  

-Land Taxi from airport to Water Ferry

-Accomodation

-Professional photography every day

-Yoga every day

GETTING THERE

We recommend that you book your flight to Belize City. You’ll want to arrive before 2:30pm to factor in any time you may spend in the immigration line + about a 30 minute (depending on traffic) cab ride to the water ferry.  The last water ferry leaves for Caye Caulker at 5:30 pm.  It’s important that you give yourself this time - later flights might be a touch cheaper, but you’ll end up staying the night in the city, which isn’t really that much fun, as cities go.

Someone from our team will be at the airport to welcome you and get you from the airport to the water ferry.  You’ll have a short 20-30 minute ride through a not-quite-developed Central American city! 

You’ll arrive at the water taxi to be greeted by another person from our team who will send you on your way to Caye Caulker.  The water taxi ride is about 45 minutes long.  Get on the top deck and enjoy the ride through the warm breeze and clear ocean waters!

You’ve arrived! We will meet you at the dock in a golf cart! You’ll recognize us - we’ll be the mermaids. Caye Caulker is not hectic and everything from this point forward will be stress-free.