26 Best Hotels in The Southern Coast, Belize

Chabil Mar means \"beautiful sea\" in Kek'chi Mayan, and the sea and almost 400 feet of beach are indeed gorgeous at this gated luxury condo-style resort. The villas, inside a walled and gated compound, are tastefully designed and luxuriously furnished. Although each one is different, they're all upscale, with features such as marble floors, original art, and four-poster king beds. There's a great attention to detail here, from topiary figures created from shrubbery to daily scrubbing of the two swimming pools to washers and dryers in every unit. You can take any or all of your meals at Chabil Mar—on your veranda, in your suite, by the pool, or (with reservations) on the romantically lighted pier. If you'd rather sample local restaurants and bars, it's a moderate walk or a short taxi, bike, or golf-cart ride into Placencia Village. You'll find a large portfolio of dive, snorkeling, fishing, and soft adventure tours.

An exception to the general rule that “there are only budget lodging options in the village” is this snazzy beachfront retreat, smack-dab in the center of Placencia, set off enough to maintain an air of luxurious privacy. Minimalist decor reigns in the studios, one-bedroom suites, and expansive penthouse, with blindingly white walls set off by cool primary-color accents, and huge baths. An on-site spa, rooftop restaurant, and pool round out the offerings.

With beautifully landscaped grounds, top-notch accommodations, and an excellent scuba program, Hamanasi (Garifuna for \"almond\") is among Belize's very best beach and resorts and synonymous with diving here on the Southern Coast. Upon your arrival, you'll notice that the grounds are manicured and the lobby is filled with local artwork, including paintings by the late folklore artist Benjamin Nicholas. The \"zero effect\" pool seems to stretch to infinity. Choose from regular rooms, gorgeous suites with king-size four-poster beds of barba jolote wood, and regular and deluxe \"tree houses,\" which are the most popular accommodations (and the most expensive). These units are not actually built in trees but are set among mangroves and other seaside trees and raised on stilts. Many people come here for the diving opportunities, but you won't feel out of place if you want to snorkel or just laze around the pool. The on-site Singanga restaurant has a romantic outdoor dining area with sea views and serves excellent seafood and other dishes, but dinner can be pricey.

This cozy beachfront cottage keeps the guests returning. In the heart of the village, this cottage colony features tile floors, ceilings paneled in local hardwoods, refrigerators, fans, and porches with sea views. A continental breakfast with fruit and locally baked bread is brought to your cabin each morning. Sundays offer the option of a more ample breakfast with fry jacks and burritos for an extra cost.

This resort aspires to be the country's ultimate spa-centric seaside luxury destination, and we'd agree it succeeds. Naïa totals three dozen guest villas and houses, including stylish studio units with 13-foot ceilings and one-bedroom villas, some with private splash pools, mostly set in and around freshwater ponds, with a few directly on the seafront. Two-bedroom, two-level villas are set in lush gardens, and three larger houses with three bedrooms are on the water. All have original artwork by Belize's most famous artists. A sparkling, modern new beach house sleeps up to 15. There is a large rectangular swimming pool near the main restaurant and another pool at the spa, and several villas have private splash pools. The resort has three restaurants, focusing on seafood, grilled fish and meats, and healthy, lighter fare. Guests have access to a fitness center, yoga studio, and a long stretch of pristine beach, but the star of the show is the enormous 10,000-square-foot spa complex set among freshwater ponds.

Francis Ford Coppola's second of three lodgings in Belize is nothing if not exotic, with the furnishings, art, and most of the construction materials bought in Bali by the film director and his wife. The entrance, on a footbridge over a small pond, leads you to a gorgeous open-air reception area, lobby, and restaurant. Splurge on a seafront cabana to catch the breezes, as there's no air-conditioning, and the units at the back can be very hot. Two-bedroom villas have not one or two but three bathrooms (two Japanese-style ones indoors and one in a walled outdoor garden). The restaurant, Mare, is great for pizza (baked in a wood-burning oven) and other Italian dishes, plus seafood and Neibaum-Coppola wines; a second restaurant, Gauguin, specializes in beach barbecue and a third in Belizean dishes. Service is warm and welcoming, as it should be for the price you're paying. You're only a short bike or taxi ride into the village to sample the restaurants there. There are two pools and a nice stretch of beach. You can add on a few nights at Coral Caye, an equally sumptuous Coppola property on a private island, eight miles and a 25-minute boat ride away.

A pair of wooden Mennonite-style bungalows are set among palm trees here on a lovely beach, with each on stilts. Both have private bath and a kitchen where you can prepare your own meals. The owners can arrange to stock your refrigerator and pantry in advance, if you like, although there are restaurants and groceries nearby. Complimentary bikes and sea kayaks are available. Pickup from the airstrip is free.

A three-story boutique hotel, two octagonal cottages, and various \"tree houses\" (really just cabins among trees at the back of the property that accommodate up to five people) make up this popular laid-back, family-run beach spot. The beachside restaurant, Barracuda, which specializes in seafood, pizza, ribs, and smoked meats, is one of Hopkins's best eateries. The affordable rates include complimentary use of bikes and kayaks.

This collection of seaside villas is among the most upmarket accommodation choices on the Southern Coast. All villas have the same floor plans and furnishings, but some of the villas are directly on the beach, and the others have sea or garden views. The units, with hardwood and natural stone floors and custom-made cedar and mahogany furniture, can be reserved as a complete three-bedroom, three-bath villa or as a single bedroom or two-bedroom suite. All-inclusive packages with meals, some tours, and transfers also are available. The resort's Caribbean-style Woven Palms restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although many guests enjoy the variety of dining choices in Hopkins too.

Located within the beautiful Mayflower Bocawina National Park, the Bocawina Rainforest Resort has comfortable accommodations that include four spacious deluxe suites (with two queen beds, a table and chairs in a sitting area with jungle views through large windows), two thatched casitas (one has two bedrooms that can be rented together or as individual units), and six standard rooms that share a single veranda. A combination solar, wind, and hydro system generates the lodge's electricity. The lodge's zipline complex contains 12 platforms, and the tour division offers a wide range of trips and tours including visits to the nearby Mayflower archaeological sites and miles of jungle trails and waterfalls.

A step above the mostly budget options in Placencia Village—but nowhere near as pricey as The Ellysian—is this all-blue-on-the-outside collection of condolike units. It lets you partake of all the in-town fun in a bit more style. Rooms are a mix of studios, and one-, two-, or three-bedroom suites. All rooms have a balcony, and suites come with full kitchen and make a great option for a housekeeping holiday with everything in the village close by.

A friendly family operates this good-value lodging in the tallest building in town—you can’t miss it in all its green and orange. Rooms in the main building are simple but bright and fresh with air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, and cable TV. If your budget is super tight, an adjoining building offers 10 economy rooms with fan only and shared bath. Go with the standard rooms, though. They're enough of a bargain.

Inside the Cockscomb Wildlife Reserve, a small house and three cabins, each with private bath—the cabins have cold showers only—can accommodate up to four or six people (BZ$165–BZ$240 per house/cabin) and make for a rustic yet moderately comfortable way to experience nature here. If you want to go really rustic, you can also camp at one of three campgrounds in the reserve (BZ$20 per night per person), or stay in rooms in a dormitory with solar-generated electricity (starting at BZ$50 per person). The Belize Audubon Society in Belize City administers the reserve and its accommodations.

Bring your own food and water, as nothing is sold in the reserve.

Almost all the units face the beach at this property made up of three different accommodation types—standard rooms, standalone cabins, and a guesthouse—and all are a step up from most lodgings in the village. This includes air-conditioning (a BZ$20 extra charge for daytime use), well-made furnishings, free Wi-Fi, and refrigerators. The staff is super friendly and helpful in arranging tours and transportation. Coconut Row offers a variety of packages and web discounts.

This resort has Mennonite-built cottages along a nice stretch of beach, each with a kitchenette and dining area. The sleeping quarters are upstairs in a loftlike space with a pitched wooden roof. One nifty feature is an octagonal wall panel, operated by pulleys that you can open for a bedside view of the ocean. Smaller thatch cabanas are a bit more rustic and have outdoor showers. There's a beachside restaurant and bar. Minimum multiday stays are imposed during certain seasons of the year.

A condo colony whose name means \"on the beach\" in the Garifuna language, Laru Beya sits on seven beachfront acres, with well-priced rooms and suites that are bright and sunny. The contemporary tropical design includes tile floors and rattan and bamboo furniture. The larger villa units, with up to three bedrooms, have full kitchens, and some have rooftop Jacuzzis and verandas with sea views. Dive, fishing, and adventure packages are available. There's a pleasant on-site restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily, and a bar. The Moorings and Sunsail yacht charter operations are based at the Laru Beya marina on the lagoon side. You may choose from rates that include all meals or none.

One of the nicer budget options in the village has rooms set back from the road and provides plenty of peace and quiet at value prices. Rooms are simply furnished and decorated in vibrant Caribbean pastels, and each has a private patio. Though not on the beach side of the road, it’s a quick walk to the seafront. Latitude 17 is popular with student and NGO groups.

At Hopkins' original upscale resort, Jaguar Reef's original whitewashed duplex garden and beachfront thatched cabanas is supplemented with newer colonial suites with local artwork, salt-tile floors, and custom-made hardwood furnishings. Although the beach here is good (for Belize), there's a nice pool with swim-up tiki bar. Meals are served in a beautiful glassed-in beachside palapa with a soaring ceiling set off by locally made basket lights.

Jaguar Reef offers frequent summer (July--August) web-only specials.

This is the kind of small, unpretentious beachfront hotel that many come to Belize to enjoy, but few actually find. Rooms are simple and small but pleasant, with polished wood floors, and the rates are highly affordable. Most are only steps from the water, and many have views of False Caye and the sea. There's a swimming pool, on the beach. In addition, the hotel rents several apartments and houses nearby. Some have minimum-stay requirements. A big plus here is the on-site restaurant, one of the country's best.

This small beachfront resort with rooms in earth tones arranged around a courtyard with a pool is an attractive option if you don't need all the amenities of the larger resorts but want an excellent restaurant. Chef Rob's Gourmet Café, with multiple dining concepts, is one of the best restaurants in the entire country. Parrot Cove also has two two-bedroom units in a beach house next door.

This waterfront hotel on the north end of Dangriga, near the airstrip, is the best the town has to offer. Most rooms are in a two-story colonial-style building with a veranda. Some have porches with sea views. The restaurant has dependable food and service—the French fries are great—and the open-air terrace seating is a delightful spot to enjoy a meal. The staff is helpful and knowledgeable. Though there's a pier and small beach area, the water's not always the best for swimming. It's about a half-hour walk to the center of town, but your own vehicle or a taxi is best for making that excursion.  The hotel offers frequent Web-only specials.

Variety is the spice of beach life here, with an assortment of rooms, suites, and villas, some of which can be combined into uber-suites for families. Butterflies, the full-service spa here, is located next to the hotel's coffee shop. Complimentary bikes and kayaks are available. The same management group operates several hotels in the area and around the country and can arrange combo packages that include stays at its beach and rainforest properties.

Robert's Grove is one of the largest (44 units including standard rooms, suites, and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and lagoon-side villas) and most complete resorts in southern Belize, with kayaks, windsurfers, small sailboats, and boats for diving. Or, you can laze on the beach, check out the gym, relax at the spa, take a yoga class, or swim in one of the three beachside pools. The resort has a dive center and marina. There are three restaurants: the main hotel restaurant, Seaside; Habanero at the marina on the lagoon side; and Sweet Mama's, a Belizean-style eatery. All-inclusive and other packages are available.

This small beachfront guesthouse in the heart of Hopkins Village provides a comfortable, no-frills alternative to the coast's upmarket resorts. The inn has rooms that are simple but immaculately clean and, for a lot more comfort, three small beachfront apartments and a separate private cabin. Kayaks and bikes are available for rent.

Gregorio Chun and his family, Mopan Maya people who've lived in this area for many generations, provide affordable accommodations in simple thatch cabañas. The reason to stay at Tutzil Nah is not the accommodations, which are basic at best, but the location near the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and to meet the Chun family. The Chun family were among those who helped Dr. Alan Rabinowitz study the jaguars in southern Belize, resulting in his well-known 2000 book, Jaguar, One Man's Struggle to Establish the World's First Jaguar Preserve. The Chuns provide a range of tours to Cockscomb and Mayan sites, and simple but tasty homemade meals are available at a small restaurant.

Gregorio Chun and his Mopan Maya family who've lived in this area for many generations provide affordable lodging in simple thatched cabanas. You stay here not for the accommodations, which are basic at best, but for its location near the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and to meet the Chun family. The Chuns provide a range of tours to Cockscomb and Maya sites, and simple but tasty homemade meals are available at a small restaurant.