Our family of four stayed at this resort over spring break this year, and we were accompanied by another family of four. In total, we had four teenagers and interests ranging from snorkeling, diving and fishing.

The resort accommodations were great! The deluxe cabanas were great for the adults and the teenagers stayed in the more basic units closer to the main lodge.

We were mostly a group of novice divers (including two junior divers) and were really impressed by the divemasters at this resort. There were some more experienced divers but we were given the level of instruction and guidance we needed, including the juniors.

We had the privilege of being guided by a family of dive masters during our stay: James, Cardinal and Erik. During the first part of the week, Cardinal and James led us through our dives and really helped us get us novice divers under control. There were some more expert divers at the resort, too and they got the attention and dives they wanted also. Erik came at the second half of the week and also was a fantastic dive master. They were very nice, knowledgeable and really made us feel safe. The dive equipment was in good condition (we rented the whole time and only brought our own mask, fins, and snorkels along with 3mm shorties). They also were highly attentive to safety and kept track of all of us on our dives and other outings.

The resort has great cabanas, food, and staff. In particular, the staff were very friendly and great with kids. The food was delicious and appealed to both discerning adults and picky kids, alike. We had great fun playing volleyball with everyone at the end of each day.

Snorkeling was also a great activity and there were many snorkels very close to the resort that were fantastic. We swam with dolphins, saw rays, nurse sharks, corals, sponges, barracudas and an incredible array of tropical fish. This area is the most incredible place for viewing pristine coral reef habitats.

I would highly recommend to a broad range of travellers from adults with young kids (there were a few of these types of families during our week) to serious divers or fishers. My husband was very much in to fishing and the resort accommodated his needs and desires very well. I think that is the hallmark of this resort - they really cater to your desires and needs and have flexibility in their packages to accommodate that.

Even though we have taken a number of vacations to resorts with a dive operation on site - we have never been so well taken care of....
Our little cabana was quite large, it was clean and comfortable, the water was always hot, the electricity always worked and the sea breeze was all the a/c we needed.
Dining was relaxed - cafeteria style for breakfast and lunch and a choice of dinner entres with full service provided enough variety that even the pickiest eater wouldn't go hungry.
Our boat captain and dive master provided valet service - on and under water. Things we might have otherwise missed were pointed out and there was no need to do anything but a safety inspection of our gear.
I especially appreciated the little extra lift out of the water and being guided to the tank rest, and the warm towels were heavenly! No chilly rides between dives.
Blackbird Caye Resort reminded me of all the fun I had going to camp as a kid. We made lots of new friends and had a wonderful time!

Our stay at Blackbird Caye started off nice enough. The people who work there are lovely, you couldn't ask for a more aaccomodating staff. The divemaster made all of our dives comfortable and had a lot of patience as well. The food was outstanding, eaten campstyle. We tipped them well as they were worth it!

The bungalows were nice but the A/C units didn't always work, the toilets didn't work and the electricity kept going out. The beds had bedbugs, yes that is right, bedbugs. I got back to the US and went to my doctor for all of these bites on my legs and arms and that is what was diagnosed. We were only there for 3 nights but that was enough. On the second day I thought that perhaps they were sand flea bites but alas, they fit the classic mold of bed bug bites. My friends got these bites too from their bungalows.

The managment said that they are doing a complete overhaul and closing for 3 months. Hopefully this overhaul will take care of the problem as the resort is truly wonderful, in a primitive..very relaxing...do nothing but read, dive, play cards and eat type of way. A good vacation spot to really rest.

This place is superbly relaxing and has a beautiful and very private setting on Turneff Atoll. Blackbird Caye is the only resort on the island (although it shares the island with an Oceanic Research Station, which researches dolphins and the abundant coral reefs and which you can visit, as we did several times).

There were almost no bugs when we were there (the last week of January 2008). As instructed, we took insect repellent but did not use it even once. We were also lucky with the weather. It rained lightly a few times, but only at night.

The island is accessed either through a 20 minute flight from Belize City (the resort has its own airstrip) or a one and a half hour boat trip, either of which the resort will arrange. We flew one way and took the boat the other way, which really helped us picture the relative distances and varying states of development of the surrounding islands.

Yes, there are a few crocodiles far back in backwater ponds on the island but we walked everywhere, exploring the island in confidence. The prevasive sense is that it is a safe and welcoming place. The divers in the group were very complimentary about their experience. There are 3 scheduled dives per day. We were novice snorklers and had a blast, encountering thousands of colourful tropical fish as well as many baracuda, stingrays, squid (one group of 14, swimming together) and schools of huge tarpon. There are two snorkel trips a day, with time between for kayaking. We had some initial equipment problems and the snorkel guide graciously loaned us extra masks that he had. It reminded me of a ski vacation because of the high activity level, except it was warm and very quiet. After dinner and a drink, you fall into a hammock for a nap or into bed exhausted around 9:00 pm and then are up early the next morning keen to do it all over again. The staff is unfailingly pleasant and helpful and the bartender creatively invents delicious new cocktails. The food is the best I have had on an all-inclusive vacation, which is just as well, seeing as there is no place else on the island to eat. The cabanas are really pretty and well cleaned and maintained. The trip to the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef you will never forget. Even the resort's little library was a pleasant surprise. Oddly, when we were there, Blackbird was half empty... you have to wonder why such a perfect place isn't booked to the rafters. It is, of course, pricier than Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, etc., but for those who seek peace and quiet, it is worth much more than the price differential. Ii is possible I over-tipped for the few days we were there (tipping guidelines would have been appreciated), but it was such a terrific time that I just felt grateful to all the staff.

We did the Caye Resorts "Reef and Rainforest" package, where you spend the first 4 nights at Blackbird Caye and then move to duPlooy's on the Mical River outside San Ignacio for the rest of the week. The jungle portion was fine except for the Tikal excursion, which was poorly handled by duPlooy's (see my review of duPlooy's Jungle Lodge), but in retrospect I wish we had spent the whole week at Blackbird.

I am almost reluctant to write this review because if Blackbird gets all the business they deserve, either we will never be able to book a cabana again or their prices will go through the roof.

There is a lot of world to see and experience out there. We do not like to repeat trips... but we would definitely go back to Blackbird Caye. if you like privacy and if you are lucky (as we were) with the weather, this will rank among your best trips.