Best Belize Blog

It’s a fact—Belize does not have a bunch of big-name hotel or resort flags flying around, yet. As a matter of fact it has none…the Radisson in Belize City doesn’t count.  But there are some very cool places to stay in Belize as long as you don’t mind not being in a 300-room Marriott! There is a great mix of nice lower-budget places to stay, but the properties below represent the best Belize has to offer. The funny thing is that as I put this list together with the help of my friends—and to make sure we got what we considered the best in Belize—you realized there is such variety here, even in a relatively short list. All of these represent some prime real estate many with great spas and food. Without further ado (and in no particular order), here are the finest resorts and hotels offered in this Caribbean jewel known as Belize: continue reading…

Why Belize Now?

The answer is simple. You know Mark Twain’s famous quote “buy land, there not making it any more”? Well, they’re is a lot of truth to that especially in Belize. Keep in mind this little English-speaking speck on the map is only 170 miles long and 60 miles wide, barely. It’s just not very big to begin with, and much of it is rainforest and jungle that fortunately can never be disturbed by development. And frankly, the northern section above Belize City is not exactly the paradise most want own a vacation home or to retire to. Flat, a bit barren and hot.

Belize is less than half the size of Costa Rica yet has all that has made that country a famous destination, and a bit more. Don’t get me wrong I love Costa Rica, but I can’t speak Spanish (or read the Spanish contracts), it’s a longer flight to C.R., the beaches and snorkeling are OK at best, it doesn’t have the second longest barrier reef in the world (doesn’t have one at all), and the weather is not as good year-round as Belize. Dry season in Belize is very green, C.R. very hot and brown (at least in Northeast Guanacaste) and both have beautiful rainforests. But as far as real estate is concerned Belize is at least a 30 to 40 percent cheaper if you’re comparing apples to apples. continue reading…

You know as much as I love the Caribbean Sea and the wonders of the reef and living on the beach, each time I go into the mountains of Belize my paradigm begins to shift. Maybe it has permanently. Don’t get me wrong, I love to head out to bang the shallows for bonefish and permit or dive a new cut in the reef or hang out on a little Gilligan’s Island type retreat (there are hundreds) but for me the Mayan Mountains are just as amazing and strikingly beautiful as it gets. Steep green tropical peaks meeting the powder blue sky give such an amazing contrast of colors it’s breathtaking. Staring off at the sea just doesn’t have that same striking visual impact that the mountains of Belize do.

The mountains along the Hummingbird Highway from Belmopan almost to Dangriga looks just like parts of Hawaii. Lush, tall, Jurassic-Park-style mountains. You don’t have to travel far (unless you’re on Ambergris Caye) to drive to a totally a different Belize, a more beautiful Belize. One with 3,000-foot mountains carpeted in huge palm trees with wildlife and birds everywhere. First-time visitors to Belize who ride with me to Placencia from the International airport—friends or clients alike—are all amazed at the beauty in the mountains of Belize. continue reading…

Sometimes, the best way to appreciate a place is to go somewhere else.

In a back-to-back trip last year, I left Belize after an awesome week spent snorkeling, exploring rain forests and catching lots and lots of fish. My next stop: the much more famous Costa Rica, where I looked forward to more of the same.  After all, Costa is the place with the great long-established reputation for eco-adventure, pristine environments, super-friendly people and gorgeous countryside.

I found the people all right. Hundreds of them. Seemingly everywhere I went. I wasn’t in the most touristy part of the country, but it didn’t matter, it’s just not that easy to get away in Costa anymore. continue reading…