THE INN AT ROBERT'S GROVE
THINGS TO DO
Below are some of the assorted tours and amenities offered at Roberts Grove, if you want to head straight to the diving section of this page click here .
Find peace and fresh breezes on our white sandy beach. The gazebo at the end of our 180' pier is nothing short of heavenly.
Cool off in our two 50' freshwater swimming pools overlooking the beach. Lunch and drinks are are no further than our thatched poolside bar and grill.
Tennis anyone? Try out Robert's Grove tennis court -- day or night. You can bring your own racket or take a chance on ours.
Paddle up the beautiful Placencia Lagoon in one of our canoes or kayaks.
Bike around the Peninsula on one of our 12 bicycles.
Or test your sea faring skills on one of our six sailboats, eight sea kayaks and four windsurfing boards.
Stay fit working out in our air-conditioned fitness room with an assortment of free weights and fitness machines.
And when the day is over, relax in one of the inn's rooftop Jacuzzis.
Placencia is perfectly situated within Belize to provide an endless array of adventures and attractions. Every day there can be a new adventure to a different point of the compass -- on land and sea.
SCUBA Diving
Dive in, to the wonders of the magnificent Barrier Reef of Belize. The Dive Center at Robert's Grove stands ready to guide you through this remarkable underwater paradise with multitudes of Gorgonian fan corals, enormous sponges, hundreds of colorful fish, sheer coral-encrusted walls and the wondrous Palegics.
As our experienced PADI Divemaster will show you, Placencia is the springboard to some of the best diving in Belize if not the world. The reason is that as the edge of the Barrier Reef comes south along the coast of Belize, it separates itself further and further from the mainland. The result is a broad expanse of coral reef with channels going down from 90 to 110 feet, but rising abruptly into shoals and cayes providing many nearby SCUBA locations. At last official count there are a minimum of 20 named dive sites in the southern waters of Belize, off Placencia.
The new Dive Center at Robert's Grove has brand-new, state-of-the-art Oceanic equipment and a 30 ft. dive boat that will make your journey to the reef comfortable and easy. Our normal daily schedule is a two-tank dive leaving at 9 am and returning late afternoon. A picnic lunch at our private island, Robert's Caye, will give you time to relax between dives.
Snorkeling and Fishing 
The Inn at Robert's Grove has its own 30' skiff and resident guide. We'll whisk you away to Belize's Barrier Reef (the second largest in the world) and the many beautiful cayes nearby, such as Laughingbird Caye National Park, for great snorkeling and fishing. We'll stop for a picnic lunch at Robert's Caye, our very own white sandy island where the only inhabitants -- a family of osprey -- will greet you. Fly Fishing, Spin Casting, Trolling
It's easy to get hooked on fishing in the pristine waters around Placencia, where year-round it's possible to catch eight to ten different species in a day. There's bonefishing in the flats, trolling along the outer cayes and fly fishing and spin casting anywhere along the coast. Our Fishing Center will set you up with excellent licensed fishing guides equipped with boats and rods and tackle (it is suggested that fly fishermen and spin casters bring their own gear).
Monkey River
To the south lies Monkey River, a birdwatcher's paradise up a tropical river. Much of Monkey River has been declared a Special Conservation Area, with howler monkeys and toucans in the forest, and manatee at the mouth of the river. We'll take you up the Monkey River by boat. You'll be able to hike over newly cut trails in the rainforest and get a close-up view of the many animals that call this fascinating river home. Lunch at a local restaurant in Monkey River Town is an extra treat. 
Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit
The Mayan Ruins of Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit lie to the south in the beautiful Toledo District and are reachable by road from Robert's Grove. Lubaantun is the largest Mayan site in Toledo sitting high on a ridge above a valley cut by the Columbia River. Nim Li Punit is a ceremonial center with splendid views of 25 stelae, 8 of them carved. 
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
For the real adventurous, to the north lies the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary or Jaguar Reserve, the world's first protected area set aside to preserve the greatest cat in the new world - the jaguar. While you will be lucky to spot the great cat, you will experience his habitat of a tropical rainforest. Our guide will point out medicinal plants and herbs, animal life and habitats. You can bring along a picnic and swim under the waterfall! 
State of the Art -- Safe -- Experienced
The Dive Center at Robert's Grove, member of PADI Int'l Resort Assn, is the newest of just a handful of dive centers currently operating out of Placencia. As a result, our dive center is fully equipped with brand-new, top-of-the-range Oceanic equipment, tried, tested and trusted.
We also pride ourselves on being safety conscious and environmentally aware.
The Inn's Dive Center is staffed by Internationally experienced PADI Instructor, Steve Roper and one of Belize's top Divemasters, Arthur Westby, along with four boat captains and several snorkeling guides. Our double purpose built dive boats make our journey to the reef comfortable and easy. Ten divers maximum on each boat ensures plenty of room for gearing up. Our main 30 ft. dive boat has two Honda four stroke 130 HP engines. Our second 28 ft. dive boat has two Honda four stroke 130 HP engines. Our third dive boat has two Honda four stroke 115 HP engines for shorter trips. We also have a smaller 18 ft. boat with a 15 HP engine for shorter trips around the lagoon.
The dive center is extremely safety conscious and environmentally aware. Our boats are equipped with life preservers, flares, VHF marine radios and cell phones. We also carry oxygen on all the boats and our Dive Center staff is medically trained in first aid, CPR and oxygen delivery. We also have a local protocol system in place in the event someone should experience decompression illness. Additionally, the dive center has a pure air system set up that encourages pure compress breathing air. Our air is checked quarterly by Trace Analytics, Inc., of Austin TX.
Location, Location, Location
The Placencia Peninsula, where the Inn at Robert's Grove is located, is the springboard to some of the most exciting dive sites in the world. The reason for this is that, as the edge of the Barrier Reef comes south along the coast of Belize, it separates itself further and further from the mainland. The result is a broad expanse of coral reef with channels that go down from 90 to 110 feet, but rising abruptly into shoals and cayes, providing many nearby SCUBA locations. At last official count there are a minimum of 20 named dive sites in the southern waters of Belize, off Placencia, bursting with untouched coral and abundant fish life. We are still discovering new sites every day!
Dive Locations
The Dive Center makes trips to bot
h the Inner and Outer Reef, each with its special features. Most of our dives are boat dives and divers are accompanied by a certified, insured Padi Dive Master or higher rating.
Diving the Inner Reef
The Inner Reef, or the Lagoon as its called, acts as a home for juvenile aquatic animals. Here divers will find most of the Gorgonians, known in the Caribbean as sea fans, seawips, sea plumes and sea rods as well as the Pederson cleaner shrimp, yellowline Arrow Crab, Giant Hermit Crab and a wide variety of fish such as Spotted Drum (adults and juveniles), Spotted Eagle Ray and Southern Stingray.
The depth range on these inner reef dives is between 60 ft. - 80 ft. Visibility is between 50 ft. - 100 ft. Among the cayes we visit in the Inner Reef are Laughingbird, Moho and Tarpon.
Diving the Outer Reef
The Outer Reef, or the Barrier Reef, is home to some of the most spectacular walls that start from around 40 ft. and drop off to approx. 3000 ft. Here the maximum depth for diving is 100 ft. and is multi level diving. Turtles, Manta Rays, Moray, Eels and Lobsters are just a few of the creatures divers will encounter in the outer reef. Outer reef visibility is around 80 ft. - 120 ft. Diving depth is 80 ft. to maximum 100 ft. Among the cayes visited in the outer reef are the Silk Cayes, Pompion and Ranguana.
Daily Schedule
Daily 2-tank dive trips start at the Dive Center at 9 am with a comfortable 45 minute to one hour ride, depending on the final destination (there is a maximum of 10 divers per boat). The boat ride begins with a spin through the beautiful Placencia Lagoon, where guests have the chance to experience The Red Mangrove, the most well-known mangrove plant in Belize. Also along the way there are opportunities for seeing and even snorkeling with dolphins (Atlantic spotted stenella plagiodon and Bottlenose tursiops truncates), if they are in the mood.
After the first exhilarating dive, we go to one of our beautiful islands for a surface interval (approx. 1 ½ - 2 hours). Here we have a picnic lunch. After lunch we set out for another dive spot and our second dive. Then it's back to the comforts of Roberts Grove at around 3:30 - 4:00 pm, for a Jacuzzi or a cool drink at the poolside bar.
Water Temperature
November through March water temperature is 76o - 79o F. We recommend full 3mm wetsuit during these months April through October, water temperature is 78o - 81o F.
Whale Shark Season
During the months of April through June, southern Belize offers divers and snorkelers the unique opportunity for spotting the large pelagic feeder known as the Whale Shark. When in a playful mood, these gentle and curious creatures will hang around for long periods of time. If you are planning a dive trip with whale sharks in mind, the best time to do so during these months would be three days before the full moon to three days after the last quarter moon (It's during this period that Cubera Snappers spawn, attracting the Whale Sharks). April - June is also spawning season for many other species of fish and mating season for turtles. Although it's possible to spot whale sharks anytime April through June, the optimum dates for Whale Shark sightings in 2003 are:
April 13-27
May 13-27
June 11-25
BELIZE!
THE INN AT ROBERT'S GROVE
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