10 Best Hotels in Northern Belize, Belize

This family-owned place is a step up from other hotels in central Orange Walk Town, and the low rates for the standard rooms with air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, and continental breakfast put it among the best values in northern Belize. Nicely furnished premium rooms have queen beds and flat-screen TVs. The hotel arranges trips to Lamanai as well as tours that include cave tubing, the Baboon Sanctuary, Belize Zoo, and Altun Ha. The owners, Orlando and Cindy de la Fuente, also own El Gran Mestizo and Maracas Bar & Grill.

Perched on a low hillside on the New River Lagoon within walking distance of the Lamanai ruins, this eco-lodge's well-designed thatch cabanas sit amid lovely gardens and have porches with lagoon views. The main lodge and restaurant is well appointed. There's a pricey, near-all-inclusive plan with all meals, transfers, and activities, such as a sunrise birding canoe ride and crocodile encounter. A room-only plan is also offered, but dining options in this remote area are very limited. The restaurant serves three-course, filling meals on a set menu, but the gracious staff will gladly accommodate any dietary restrictions. A dock extends 130 feet into the lagoon and is a good place for swimming, but keep an eye out for crocodiles. Bird-watching, croc spotting, and cultural tours, such as a Mestizo cooking class, are offered.

This upscale, eco-oriented bed-and-breakfast is hidden away off the Consejo Road north of Corozal Town, with four tastefully decorated rooms on the second floor with private balconies overlooking gardens, Belizean art, and locally made hardwood furniture. A common room downstairs has TV, a library, and Wi-Fi. The Canadian owners generate their own power, mostly solar, and they work hard to be ecologically sensitive. Although the main B&B building is not directly on the water, Serenity has a beach on the bay a few hundred feet away and a decent-size pool. Rates are a good value for the high quality you enjoy, and delicious full breakfasts, mostly organic, are included. 

A two-bedroom guesthouse is available for families or groups traveling together.

Many of the 30 spotless rooms, all with air-conditioning and all recently refurbished, at this modern concrete hotel have expansive views of the lagoon. There's a two-story main building and an annex next door, covered with bougainvillea and other flowers, and you'll find that the friendly service is consistent with Belize's down-home reputation. The best rooms are the deluxe doubles on the second floor of the original building. Camping is available (BZ$20 per person). The hotel's dining room serves filling Creole and American fare ($$). The lodge also offers many kinds of tours, including a "birding-by-boat" cruise on the lagoon (BZ$300 for up to three people), horseback riding (BZ$50 an hour), and a croc-spotting night safari (BZ$450 for up to three). Transportation from the international airport is BZ$90 for up to three persons.

This stylish three-level, nine-room B&B is located in the middle of the somewhat off-the-beaten-path development in the village of Chunox just beyond the Laguna Seca bridge, catering both to the handful of visitors who find themselves on the road to Sarteneja. The air-conditioned rooms are attractively furnished, and there's a great view of Chetumal Bay from the rooftop terrace and bar. A full English breakfast is included (the owners are from England) in the rates. 

Yucatec Mayan for "coming of the rising sun," Hok'ol K'in, founded by an American Peace Corps veteran and now operated by Belizeans, is a friendly small budget hotel on the Corozal bayfront. It has 11 basic but comfortable and very clean rooms with cable TV. All rooms have air-conditioning, but they still enjoy a nice breeze from the bay most of the time. Rare for Belize, some of the rooms are wheelchair accessible. There's also a two-bedroom apartment for longer-term rental. Free Wi-Fi is available in different sections of the property.

About 3 miles (5 km) from La Milpa Maya site, this field station is a combination lodge and summer camp; stay in rustic thatched cabanas with a private bath or in a dorm that sleeps up to 30. Since you're in a remote area, you'll likely want to eat all your meals, generally simple Belizean-style dishes such as rice and beans with stew chicken or pork, at the field station; you can book a room without meals. Hiking trails are maintained around the lodge, and guides are available to take you to La Milpa and other Maya sites. In spring and summer, you can visit archaeological teams working at La Milpa. You'll likely see lots of wildlife, including spider and howler monkeys, ocelots, peccaries, deer, and possibly even a jaguar.

With balconies perched above the New River, this Belizean-owned resort gives guests the feeling of being in the jungle—keep an eye out for the river crocs that often spend the night under the hotel—while conveniently located just south of Orange Walk Town. The private balconies and riverfront views create a secluded ambience and Sal y Spice, the hotel's newly revamped restaurant and renamed restaurant, is housed in a thatched pavilion. Signature dishes include smoked wings and an assortment of tapas. The restaurant's skilled bartenders are often adding creative cocktails to the menu. Board a boat here and in 1½ hours you're at the Lamanai Maya site.

Hugging the Corozal Bay in the Orchid Bay area, Orchid Bay Resort boasts silky-soft sands, a tranquil sea view, and 18 thatched-roof cabanas all artfully decorated with local wood decor. The property itself is known for the tropical gardens that house 200 species of orchids. Perhaps the resort's most alluring feature is that it's directly in front of the water. While there may not be much to do, the hotel can arrange fishing or snorkeling tours to the reef. Orchid Bay Resort sits an hour's drive away from Corozal in a secluded area of Chunox Village. 

One of the oldest hotels and restaurants in northern Belize, Tony's Inn is still going strong, with spacious, refurbished rooms and a popular bayside restaurant and bar, all on beautifully landscaped grounds. For the most enjoyable stay, choose the upgraded deluxe rooms with modern baths, mahogany furnishings, comfortable beds, and new air-conditioning units.