I meant to send a review after staying here in May but have only just got round to it. We timed our trip to see whale sharks coming up through the region, Isla Marisol is well experienced and well geared up to do this and we did see 4 whale sharks whilst we were there. The whale shark diving is tightly controlled so not a dreadul free-for-all which I had feared. In general the diving in the whole area is very impressive - VERY healthy corals and abundant sea life - we really enjoyed our scub there.

Isla Marisol is a pretty basic place to stay but we loved it (even though our room wasn't actually built when we arrived...a long story). It's a paridise island - white sands, clear sea, palm trees etc etc - so the slips in service are all forgiven very quickly! Food OK and the girls in the kitchen are lovely and very accommodating. the bar on the jetty is a great place to watch the sun set.

As on other reviews I'd say LOOK OUT FOR THE SAND FLIES - they actually only seemed to be a major problem near the dive hut and boats so either avoid this area if you're not diving or cover yourself in bug spray if you are. I had over 50 bites on my back (very attractive) and I still have all the scars, even now, to prove it...hoping they'll fade or my modelling days are over!!

This resort with its amazing scenery and some of the best diving in the Caribbean had the potential to be my favorite diving place of all time. Unfortunately, a few hassles and disappointments, mostly service related, resulted in my less-than-perfect opinion.

I feel like we were cheated on our experience. Based on reviews we had read before and have read since going, we expected an intimate resort with friendly Dive Masters. While we were there though, another group, led by a former employee of this resort, was also diving. As a result, we were treated like we were simply tagging along. Our usual Dive Master never referred to us by name except for once and then he called me by the wrong name. If this group had not been there with us, I am sure our experience would have been different. In addition, the boats do not have bungee cords to hold the tanks and one of our tanks fell out while riding to the dive site. We later discovered that the regulator was bent and needed a complete replacement. Lastly, one day we were only able to go on two dives. The Dive Master had canceled the last dive of the day immediately following the second dive because of bad weather . The weather ended up clearing. He should have waited to cancel immediately before the third dive for we could have gone.

The food is basic but good. A couple times I felt like I didn’t get enough, though. A warning goes out to anyone who does not eat certain foods. One of us has food restrictions; we let our travel agent know and tried to contact the resort directly. Our travel agent said she told them and the resort never answered us. When we arrived, the chef was not aware of the food restriction. Once told, the chef had no problem adjusting the meals, but our food restriction was fairly easy. If you have strict food needs, make sure to get confirmation back that they are aware.

Beware of the bugs. They will eat you up.

Stick to the beer. The wine is more than double the price and of low quality. They don’t have any prices noticeably listed so unless you want a shock of an alcohol bill at the end, know the prices for what you are drinking.

Despite these inconveniences, our stay was extremely enjoyable. Rustic cabins, white sand and warm water made me feel relaxed and peaceful.

The transfer to our mountain resort was less than ideal. Some members of the other group were not aware of the boat schedule and had flights earlier than would work with the normal departure time. As a result, we had to leave earlier than the resort advertises. When we arrived at Dangriga, we had to get off at another point because of the tide. As a result, our driver from the mountain resort was in the wrong location and an hour after our actual arrival. The owner of Isla Marisol assured us he had told our other resort, but two hours later (one hour after our scheduled pick-up, two hours after our actual arrival) our driver arrived at the new location. He said no one had contacted his resort and he had simply “heard” from someone on the street that we were at this other location. He also had to pay for the information.

The service we received at the mountain resort (Hidden Valley Inn) was several levels better than Isla Marisol.

For an isolated island resort, I think they do OK. There are problems which Eddie (the owner) does need to address. These include power outages and lack of attention to critical supplies like drinking water which we ran out of. I don't understand why they don't simply filter their desalinized water. It was perfectly drinkable tho filtering would be a good idea. I drank the water from the tap with no problems. Eddie also has just completed two very nice "reef houses". These have two bedrooms with separate baths but no air conditioning. Our air conditioning in our bungalow was marginally effective. We found that we could get along without it due to the almost constant breezes. The reef houses probably don't really need A/C as the breeze thru these is really strong. He still needs to provide furniture for his newest reef house.

Biting sand fleas were a problem for all of our group. We were told not to scratch but for some, the reaction to the bites was just too strong. You need to use a really good insect repellent and use it a lot. Some of our group said they did use repellent but it was not effective. One couple tho did not have problems and used repellent effectively.

Food was OK and we definitely did not go hungry. If you happen to like a lot of fresh veggies, you may not be too happy. I thought they were skimpy on the meat they provided. My wife had some diet issues and the kitchen staff made separate dishes for her.

Diving however.... This is a GREAT diving place with very healthy reefs and good fish populations. Saw lots of big grouper too which is becoming unusual due to the heavy fishing of grouper in most of the Carribean. And the whale shark trips can be incredible (but are expensive at $175 USD per trip). I did 3 different whale shark trips and saw whale sharks on only 1 of the trips. But, it was incredible when they arrived. I think we were a bit late in terms of full moon.

I'd give very high points to the staff. They were friendly and helpful at all times. The dive staff were particularly good.

This is a very remote resort and is borderline roughing it sort of place. If you don't like diving and fishing, you may not wish to come here.

Oh... when the wind really gets going, the ride to the resort can be very rough and wet. If you have a fragile back, you also may want to reconsider this resort.

I'll be posting lots of pictures at my website www.dlpco.com

We took our shoes off on Saturday and put them on the next Saturday, other then the FLYING JAWS (no seeums/sand flea s,(a tip for future guests, Clear Preperation H works extremely well in stopping the itch and reducing the swelling, Denny will attest to that) (not enough ice for drinks) Isla Marisol will be remembered as one of our favorite vacation spots.As we enjoy traveling to new spots we seldom return to the same locations, Isla Marisol may indeed change that phylosphy !

The staff, from Mora on, were wonderful,and really made Mar & I feel at home! The cabanas were simple, clean, functional and comfortable, (we thank you for # 4, it was the best location), food was very good, not gourmet, but extremely tasty, fresh, and the baked food and juices were excellent! Our kudos to Feliciano & EzraG & staff for there hard work and tasty food.

The divemasters Eric and Blinky (we did not dive with Chad) and Eddie were top notch! The boat Captains, George and Ashton got us there, expertly and safely, they made us feel comfortable in some rough waters!

The diving was very good, vis almost forever, sea life plentifiul and varied, close dive sites, roomy dive boats, good air, nitrox available (which we did not know beforehand) gear well taken care of and set up for each dive, all very organized and appreciated.

All in all we would highly recommend Isla Marisol as a great place to relax and dive!

Mar & Denny Morrill
Long Beach, Ca.