Hamanasi Resort Welcomes New Nonstop Flights to Belize and Expands Local Diving Opportunities
Hamanasi Resort in Belize is preparing for the end of its summer season with news of a new nonstop flight from Canada, a scuba diving opportunity for local young people and a renewed focus on reef-safe sunscreen.
New WestJet flight connects Winnipeg with Belize
From December 14, 2026, WestJet will operate nonstop flights between Winnipeg and Belize City, creating the first direct connection between Manitoba and Belize.
The new service adds to WestJet’s existing nonstop flights to Belize from Calgary and Toronto, giving Canadian travellers three direct options for reaching the country.
Hamanasi Resort says the new connection provides another opportunity for visitors from Canada to plan a winter trip to Belize, while its October Birthday Package is also currently available for those looking to travel sooner.
Local youths take their first steps into scuba diving
Hamanasi has partnered with Hopkins Community Platforms project coordinator Johnelle Garcia to give four local young people the opportunity to experience scuba diving through a Discover Scuba course.
The programme gave participants the chance to explore the underwater environment just off their own coastline, while building confidence in the water and gaining first-hand experience of the marine environment.
Based in Hopkins and surrounded by Belize’s marine ecosystems, Hamanasi says it is committed to creating opportunities for members of the local community to engage with and better understand the natural environment.
The resort hopes initiatives such as this will encourage young people to develop a greater appreciation for Belize’s reefs and the importance of protecting them for future generations.
Exploring Maya culture through chocolate
Visitors staying at Hamanasi can also experience Belize’s Maya heritage through the Che’il Maya Chocolate Tour in Maya Center.
The experience takes visitors to an organic cacao farm, where they can taste fresh cacao directly from the fruit and learn about the role chocolate has played in Maya history and culture.
The tour also explores traditional chocolate-making techniques, with visitors given the opportunity to make their own chocolate bar using traditional methods.
Hamanasi promotes reef-safe sunscreen
Hamanasi is also reminding visitors that their choice of sunscreen can have an impact on the marine environment.
The resort only permits 100% biodegradable, reef-safe sunscreens on its property and during excursions. It recommends that visitors research their sun protection before travelling and points to the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen guide as a resource for comparing products.
Hamanasi also says the EWG recommends mineral-based sunscreens, particularly products containing non-nano zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, as well as cream lotions or sticks instead of aerosol sprays.
With Belize’s reef environment forming an important part of the diving and snorkelling experience, the resort is encouraging visitors to consider the products they use before getting into the water.
Find out more at www.hamanasi.com/belize-diving.
About Hamanasi Resort
Belize is one of the world’s top dive destinations. With Hamanasi, a PADI 5-Star Resort, experience Belize’s best diving with our personal service touch. Hamanasi’s ideal location allows our professional, PADI certified staff to take you to all the best sites in Belize, including miles of the pristine Southern Barrier Reef, and three of the Caribbean’s four atolls. We dive the Southern Barrier Reef, Glover’s Reef Atoll, Turneffe Islands Atoll, the Elbow, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye and more.
