Heaven On Earth In Belize, Central America

Local residents are invited to share their summer vacation experiences on this Patch. Reach us at james.baer@patch.com. We are looking for your story; your photos and your best memories.

If you are still planning a summer vacation, please keep on reading.

I have an affinity for spending my vacation time at the beach. I love to spend my time in the ocean or at the pool, soaking up the summer rays. Others like to hike trails and go camping or explore historic cities. I prefer going to the beach and hanging out.

My wife and I just returned from nine glorious days in Belize, located in Central America. I have been to many of the world’s most majestic beaches, such as Bermuda and Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific; Cape Cod and northern Maine; Hilton Head Island, S.C.; Jamaica and all over Florida and California. In my humble opinion, Belize has the most to offer.

We stayed at the beautiful Grand Caribe Suites and Residences on the island of Ambergris Caye, just across a small bridge from San Pedro located just 10 miles offshore from Belize City. The owners call it “Mother Nature’s best kept secret.”

To get there, we flew two and a half hours to Miami, then a quick one hour, 45 minute flight to Belize City. Then, we took Tropic Air on a short 14-minute hop to San Pedro Island. Once off the plane, we'd stepped back about 50 years in history. San Pedro is a bustling city with three narrow streets, lots of bars, restaurants, older resorts and plenty of places to shop. The taxi ride is just 10 minutes over the new steel bridge and onto Ambergris Caye, carved out of reclaimed jungle. The island is mostly comprised of secluded resorts on the beach stretching 23 miles and almost touching the southern most point of the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico.

People come to Belize from around the world, mostly for the consistently hot and dry weather, the tropical environment and some of the world’s greatest snorkeling and deep water diving of the Caribbean sea. The island is protected by a continuous 185 mile barrier reef, second largest in the world behind Australia. (More on diving and other side trips in the second report). We experienced only a couple of brief rain showers the day we went to the mainland by boat.

The Grand Caribe is an outstanding resort and reasonably priced. We negotiated nine nights for the cost of seven at $142 U.S. plus tax nightly.

The resort consists of eight buildings with condominiums of one, two and three bedroom units. The owners hold back a half-dozen condo’s to rent to tourists like us.

The resort is just 1.5 years old, and accommodations include beautiful kitchens with hardwood cabinets and custom counter tops (hand made by the locals craftsmen), and units also feature stone bathrooms; are air conditioned and feature in-unit laundry and a balcony with sweeping views of the pool and the ocean.  The one bedroom condo had wifi connection; two flat screened televisions with a full cable lineup. But who needs TV when you're in paradise?

A maid came in everyday to tidy up the place, do our laundry and wash all the dishes. A generous tip is appreciated.

The resort had a swim-up bar serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the bar was fully stocked. This is not an 'all inclusive' resort however.  Grand Caribe has three sparkling azure blue swimming pools, the largest found anywhere in Belize.

Within five minutes walk are a half dozen other resorts with outstanding restaurants. Island guests are encouraged to sample cuisines at the various resorts on Ambergris Caye and in San Pedro. At these restaurants, the chefs come out to chat at the conclusion of each meal. Dining is always al fresco under thatched roofs. We really fell in love with Aji's at the tiny Bella Vista resort next door.

Palappa Bar is a thatched hut building at the end of a pier just down the beach from the Grand Caribe where visitors hang out and drink the local Belekin beer while chatting with the bartenders.

Transportation comes in two methods: golf carts or water taxis.We chose a cart ($301 per week U.S.) while a week long water taxi pass (taking you anywhere you want to go) is just $55 U.S. per person per week.

Visitors come from around the world to experience Belize culture, water sports and dining experiences. The guest list includes a variety of visitors from China, Europe, Canada and the U.S.

I bought a T-shirt from a neighboring island Caye Caulker which said it all: “Caulker, Go Slow.” It takes a day or two to unwind and soak up all of what grand Belize has to offer. We quickly found out the place had some of the friendliest residents and visitors in the world, and the most beautiful scenery, including miles of pure white sandy beaches. The coral reef give the entire region a beautiful cast of blue, green and turquoise, the most beautiful shades found anywhere.

One caution: The rainy season officially started June 1, and the hurricane season begins in August and September. Belize is a winter haven from November through March yearly and the rates are higher.

What’s there not to like about beautiful Belize?

Tomorrow: Day tripping in Belize