A PIECE of HEAVEN on a REEF
milk and their Painkiller are my favorites. While we sipped on cocktails, stingrays glided through the shallows below, and frigate birds with 8-foot wingspans circled just above the roof in hopes of a handout.
Pär, the Swedish owner of Reef ’s End, couldn’t be friendlier. On top of running the lodge, he manages a dive operation with guided tours of the reef and outer atolls. Like everyone on the island, he always has time to chat. He said he searched on three continents for a tropical paradise where he could live out his dream before stumbling upon Tobacco Caye. He knew almost immediately that it was the right place. “The island just has a good vibe,” he said. “There are no boundaries. You can walk through everyone’s yard. Everyone basically gets along, and we all help out one another.”
Pär’s American partner, Lily, gave me some of her delicious coconut ice cream with chocolate chips and then offered to pick up groceries for us on the mainland. They make regular runs in fast launches and are happy to pick up food or medicines for cruisers. When they acquire their watermaker, it will be made available to cruisers, which is great because there are few venues for fresh water in Belize.
On the other side of the island is the nonprofit Tobacco Caye Marine Station,