Instead of a day by day account, this time I will give you some lists of our favorite places to stay, restaurants to visit and activities to do.
We were supposed to be here a month ago but I didn’t realize my passport had expired until the night before. So very important tip: MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR PASSPORT EXPIRATION DATE BEFORE YOU BOOK THE TRIP!!!!
So I had to try to re-book my flight and resort. The Xanadu resort was very gracious and held my reservation until I could get my passport back – which I did with an expedite fee. So we ended up coming on Friday September 21st. It is the off season so there are a lot less tourists here.
Also a lot of restaurants close for the off season. But there are still plenty open and it is still lobster season. The weather tends to be a little bit wetter and cooler but still very pleasant. There are rain showers some days but they usually blow over quickly. Right now there is also tons of seaweed blowing onto the island and it does not smell good once it washes up on the shore. Most resorts keep it raked up and if you are out on a pier or a boat you can’t smell it at all.
So resorts – there are so many to choose from. We have enjoyed every place that we have stayed so far. It really depends on how many are in your group, how much you want to spend, and which end of the island you want to be on.
To stay close to town try The Palms – a very nice, small resort situated very close to town and actually right next to Ramon’s where you can walk over to eat at Pineapple’s or book excursions from their dock.
Also, Ramon’s – very cute thatched roof rooms right on the beach or off the beach in the meticulously kept “jungle”. They have several different layouts and the beach side huts are a great place to stay for honeymoons and anniversaries.
To stay south of town – Athens Gate or Pelican Reef– these places are off the paved road and much farther down the dirt road by golf cart or taxi. However, the condos are beautiful and very up to date and nicely furnished. Pelican Reef has a wonderful outdoor cafe on the beach for breakfast and lunch. Amazing banana pancakes and great nachos and tacos. And if you stay at Athens Gate which is smaller – they only have 12 condos and no restaurant on site – you can just walk down the beach for breakfast or lunch at Pelican Reef.
North of town – There is a beautiful resort called Coco Beach Resort and a couple of “sister” resorts north of town over the bridge. Coco Beach has several styles of accommodations – condos, hotel rooms and little cottages. They also have two swimming pools and a swim up bar area. Their restaurant on site is excellent.
This time we stayed at Xanadu which is just south of town before the road becomes a dirt road. They have a great location pretty close to town and close to stores and restaurants. They have round units that are very cute and unique. Some units are beach front and some are farther back on the grounds but the trees and walks and waterfalls make the entire property inviting. It is very well kept and the pool area and beach area with a sea wall are beautiful. The pier is my favorite place with chairs and steps and a swimming area off the end of it. Because of the views, the gorgeous water and constant breezes, I could stay out on the end of the pier for hours.
So that is a list of the resorts where we have stayed. However, there are many more places to stay. Some are right in town and some very far outside of town and require a golf cart for transportation or a grocery store stop to stock up on food. You can get very inexpensive rooms in hotels or condos up to very expensive rental homes to stay in.
My next blog will list restaurants and food and then I will do one with some of the really fun things to do in San Pedro, Belize.