Belize Guides - Our Staff in Belize

Charlie Woodward

Charlie is both a manager and a guide for us. He spends most of his year in Idaho. He works as a geologist, community college teacher, outdoor educator, and outdoor adventure guide. He also designs and installs renewable energy power systems-- solar, wind and hydro--through his own business. He discovered sea kayaking and warm-whitewater on a trip to New Zealand in 1990. This is Charlie's 14th year of guiding for us in Belize.

Neri Chi

A native Mayan, Neri has been guiding inland with us for 14 years. He is a U.S. trained river guide, having worked for Bill Dvorak during the summer of 2001, guiding on the Arkansas and Dolores Rivers in Colorado and the Green River in Utah. He specializes in the natural and environmental interpretation of the jungle and is an expert in Mayan history. He manages our Belize Adventure Week program.

Mary Avila

Mary is our Belize City manager. She does everything! A Belize City native, she is the perfect person to locate all of the hard-to-find items we need for the island. Everyone who visits us meets Mary, she runs our home base where our boat is docked. This is her 10th season with Slickrock.

Mark Hopkins

Mark Hopkins has been guiding since 1988 and started out leading sailing and canoeing trips in Maine. Since then he has worked as a guide and instructor in Jackson Hole, New Mexico, the Virgin Islands, and Alaska - where he also worked as a commercial fisherman. Now based out of Oregon, he spends part of the summer running sea kayak trips in the San Juans and has another career running his own graphic design business. This will be Mark's 13th winter working for Slickrock in Belize and enjoys putting Marie Sharpe's hot sauce on every meal he eats while there, and slaying bonefish during his off-time.

Victor Myers

Victor spends his life outdoors kayaking, biking, climbing and snowboarding. He has been guiding professionally as a sea kayak instructor in Alaska since he was eighteen and has also worked as a climbing instructor in the Red River Gorge. While pursuing a degree in photojournalism he worked as a bike mechanic and raced mountain bikes on the weekend. This is his 12th season with us in Belize. When he's not assisting others on their vacation, he is off to paddle in wherever there is water and gradient. Look for him living in a van down by a river near you.

Related blog post: What does a Belize guide do in the summer?

Joelle Bienvenue

Joelle has always loved the outdoors.  Searching for opportunities to combine working, traveling, and her passion for nature, she started guiding back in 2000.  She has since completed a degree in leadership and adventure tourism in Quebec and has been working in the environmental education field and as a sea kayaking guide in Quebec, BC, Europe, and Central America.

This is Joelle’s 9th season with us.  She returns after a couple years building a home and starting a family in Victoria, British Columbia; Finding balance in combining travelling, water sports and family life!

Magdeleno Yacab

This is Magdeleno's 5th season with us. He is an experienced river guide, having worked for several years for Mopan River Resort, Belizean Sun Tours, and Duplooy's Resort, all in Belize. He's a fabulous addition to our team; we are very happy he has joined us. He is from the village of Benque Viejo in Western Belize.

Matt Szymanowicz

Matt is now in his 3nd season with us. Since graduating from the University of New Hampshire with an Environmental Science degree in 2006, he has pursued unique opportunities to work and play in the natural environment. A passion for sea kayaking and water sports developed through travel experiences at home and abroad.  He thoroughly enjoys getting trashed playing in the waves, or going what feels like 30mph on a windsurfer. A sea kayak guide in the San Juan Islands and a ski afficiando (bum) whenever he can, his worst fear is being landlocked in Kansas.

Meg Griffiths

Meg is our new kiteboard instructor. She is from North Wales in the UK, and spends about half of each year traveling and kiting all over the globe. She has been teaching sailing, kiteboarding, and windsurfing for over 10 years, having worked and kited in Brazil, South Africa, and Turkey. She manages the Kite Turkey Istanbul school. She won the UK amateur freestyle for 2009 and will compete in the pro tour in the future. We are excited to have her on our team for her second season!

Carlos Guerra

Carlos is the latest addition to our staff of island guides. Carlos lives in western Belize and also in Guatemala. He has extensive experience as a tour guide in Belize, and is now in his second season with us on the island. Carlos loves the sea and has quickly gained a great knowledge of the reef ecology and fish identification, and it is a wonderful experience to snorkel with him as he has developed a keen eye in finding all sorts of marine life. Gregarious and friendly, Carlos has been a super addition to our team on the island.

Apolitico Salam

This is Apolitico's 15th season with us, he originally came out to help with the rebuilding after Hurricane Mitch, and he was such a fantastic addition to our island family that we wouldn't let him leave. A Mayan from the community of Silk Grass, Apolitico is our groundskeeper and caretaker. His weekly lecture on the Mayan people is a huge hit. We truly could not do what we do without his help. All of our guests enjoy trying to beat him on the volleyball court!

Aurora Roches

Aurora joined us 14 years ago, and is now our head cook. She is incredible! We love having her out on the island with us. She is from Dangriga, Belize. When not on the island, she spends her time raising her family. She loves working for Slickrock and plans to spend many more years working with us and she hopes all the guests love the food.

Lavern Garcia

Laverne has worked with us out on the island for 10 years. You will love her cooking! She comes from Hopkins Village, a Garinagu community. She speaks Garifuna, Creole, and English.

Marcy Norales

Marcy is now on her 8th year with us. She does a fantastic job helping Aurora and Laverne in our dining hall. Marcy is of Garifuna, and from Dangriga, Belize. When not on the island she enjoys helping her friends with new hair styles and experimenting with new recipes.

Martin Ramirez

Martin originally came to work with us 7 years ago to stand in when Apolitico took a rare week off. He takes such good care of the island grounds, that we get him out to the island as much as we can. Martin is of Mayan descent, and from Silk Grass, Belize.

Have questions about our Belize accommodations?

Don't hesitate to give us a call: (800) 390-5715, or send us an email: slickrock@slickrock.com.