SIRENALIA

February 8th-19th, 2017 we will be returning to our Belizean haven of Caye Caulker!

Join us for a week of slowed-down paradise, beautiful & clear ocean water, unreal underwater photoshoots, and fantastic tropical beverages. In addition to our mermaid adventures on and around Caye Caulker, we will be offering an additional five days in the much quieter, paradise gem island of Tobacco Caye, where you can literally walk into the reef and there's not much to do except relax and play in the waves. Indulge in real mermaid life and come swim with us on either or both of these wonderful islands, making lifelong friends and seeing the ocean at its most magical.  Check out these awesome photos from last years Belize Retreat.

Instructions for reserving your spot on the trip coming soon. Sign up for our newsletter to stay ahead of the wave, and read all about the retreat below!  

Sirenalia Mermaid Retreat

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 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.  

COST

Mermaids - $1250

Cost for Mertender or Partner (non mermaid) - $899

(Costs do not include flight)

Reserving a space with us gets you pretty much the penultimate mermaid experience short of literally trading your voice for scales. We’ll have professional underwater photographers following you as you dive through gorgeous waters, yoga designed with mermaids in mind, fantabulous hangouts (including outdoor mermaid movies & mermaid parties).

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.

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.  If you are a solo traveler and would like a private room you can upgrade for $300.

MERMAIDING 

Every morning, we will have mermaid yoga designed by Mermaid Melanie - a mermaid-specific exercise that will get you ready for the swimming and diving we’ll be doing each day.

We’ll be renting out the local outdoor movie theater and playing one of our favorite mermaid films. 

But don’t think that we’ll be cramping your style. You’ll have tons of 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 maybe going a bit too fast on a jet ski! And everything is optional- take your time, choose your own adventure!

We’ll take you out to the reef on a locally guided boat tour to both learn about & swim with amazing sea life.  You’ll also have your photos taken underwater, with the coral reef and wildlife!  Check out some of the amazing photographs from previous retreats!

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? 

Beyond donating our profits, we’ll also have one of their students riding alongside us on the boats to learn the art of underwater photography! 

The other school on the island is a cute little pre-school. Last year, we popped in while in full mermaid gear & blew the kid’s minds! We’ll be doing it again this year, answering any mermaid questions they have and throwing a little magic their way. This is basically the fast track to the heart of everyone on the island! After this, the kids (& parents!) light up when they see you out & about! There’s no famous quite as fulfilling as island famous!

PHOTOGRAPHY

Our entire trip will be documented by Flashpool Productions!  

They specialize in underwater photography and video!

Everyone will have the opportunity to have their very own underwater photo shoot out near the reef in a tail.  This is an awesome opportunity to expand your mermaid portfiolio.  If you feel more comfortable having your photos taken in the resort pool, that is an alternate option.

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 individual photo shoot in your tail at the “split”.  For more information about The Split, well, just google “Caye Caulker the split” and get wide-eyed at the image search! 

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! 

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

We won’t be covering the cost of your food except for the pizza party and dinner at a local restaurant one night. 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’re covering

-A really fun schwag bag!  

-Land and Water Taxi

-Accomodation

-Boat trip to the reef

-Professional photography every day

-Professional underwater photo shoot

-Pizza movie party

-Dinner one night

How to sign up and pay 

Head to www.sirenalia.com/belize-retreat to register.

This is a first-come, first-serve event!  We only have 14 spots.  Once those are filled we will consider adding a few extra spots.  We’ll be accepting nonrefundable deposits, and may consider adding a few extra spots once they’re full, but since we want to deliver the most amazing time possible, we’re having to keep the trip somewhat exclusive. 

$600 Deposit must be paid by Dec. 1, 2016.  Full Payment must be received by Jan. 1, 2017.