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 15th year of guiding for us in Belize.

Neri Chi

A native Mayan, Neri has been guiding inland with us for 15 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 11th 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 14th 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.

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 10th 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 6th 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 4th 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 kiteboard instructor and she is also a trip manager. 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 3rd season!

Carlos Guerra

Carlos is now in his 3rd season with us as island guide, and boy is he good at it! Carlos lives in western Belize and also in Guatemala. He has extensive experience as a tour guide in Belize. 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.

Luis Gonzalez

Luis’ family moved to Belize from El Salvador when he was four. He got involved in the tourist industry early, working at several different lodges in the Cayo area where he still lives. Several years ago a friend took him out to St. Georges Caye where he discovered his aptitude for water sports, especially snorkeling and diving. He came out to our island last year as a trainee and we quickly learned that he had a lot to teach us about the underwater world of Belizean waters! This is his first season with Slickrock and we are thrilled that he has joined us.

Diego Manfredi

Diego is the latest addition to our staff. A professional kiteboarding instructor, he comes from the Italian Alps and has been teaching kitesurfing and surfing for the last 4 years. He spends 10 months every year around the world searching for wind and beautiful spots. Diego has taught in Capoverde, Fuerteventura, Egypt, Brasil, Italy and now in Belize. He is accustoed to work with all the possible weather conditions like hard, slow and gusty wind; in the shallow and chop water, by the beach lagoon as well as on the boat.Our island is a new experience with him, we are so happy to add him to our staff this season.

Apolitico Salam

This is Apolitico's 16th 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 15 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 11 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 9th 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 8 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.