42 Best Hotels in The Cayes and Atolls, Belize

Sitting pretty and pink in the middle of town, this long-established seafront hotel has basic but pleasant efficiency apartments, lacking only a pool to make it a perfect mid-level choice. French doors open onto verandas with hammocks, where you can eat meals prepared in your well-equipped kitchenette. Some furniture is dated and nothing is fancy here, but you'll still enjoy the friendly service and beautiful views of a nicer resort. All units are oceanfront. Just a few steps away is one of the island's best dive shops, Amigos del Mar. 

If diving is your reason for the season and you don't want to blow the bank, this beachfront inn at the north end of town is a solid launchpad for undersea adventures. Poolside daybeds under shady pergolas are a nice place to unwind after a dive, maybe with a rum from the outdoor bar, The Lazy Pelican. As for the building itself, the three-story wood-frame structure recalls a time before everyone built with reinforced concrete. Top picks here are the second- and third-floor rooms, with balconies overlooking the beach, but all rooms have sea views. Ocean Tide remains a moderate value in pricey San Pedro Town. Located at the north edge of town, you can stroll along the beach to San Pedro's bars and restaurants.

A freshwater pool surrounded by hibiscus and jungle geranium make the centerpiece at Pelican Reef, which is one of the most popular spots on the island. Large butter-yellow three-story buildings house the apartments, which are all tastefully decorated, equipped with modern kitchens, and perfect for families and groups who'd like some privacy and creature comforts. Oceanfront units have especially stunning views, but all units are pleasant. The outdoor restaurant, Pelican's Nest Bar & Grill, is open for breakfast (a nice choice of dishes is included with the room) and lunch. You can enjoy amenities like complimentary paddleboards, kayaks, bikes, and snorkel gear. With its friendly atmosphere, Pelican Reef is a hit with kids. 

This luxury-meets-adventure resort embodies Belize as a destination: cabanas with ragged crowns of thatch, wonderful people, imperfect beaches, and, when not plighted by sargassum, exquisite water. The exteriors and pool are showing their age, but the rooms are unlike anything back home: they feature tropical hardwoods, sultry doorless bathrooms, handpainted sinks, and bamboo bed frames. Honeymooners and families alike are welcome. The Green Parrot Bistro has decent food at special-occasion prices; you may want to explore other dining options up north. Portofino has a dive shop, spa, and all the other trappings of a seasoned resort.

One of the first and most famous resorts on the island, Ramon's really is a village, with its many buildings paneled in furry palmetto and canopied footpaths that you can get lost in. At the south edge of town, the popular resort attracts an active crowd who take their virgin daiquiris to the pool (no alcohol sold here, though guests may drink in their room or on the beach). You may find rates surprisingly spendy for the size and amenities, but you're paying for the setting. The grounds are lush, green, and flowery and the 500-foot beach is among the best in or near town. Snorkeling is decent off the long pier around its artificial reef. Across from Ramon's sits the small sister property Steve & Becky's, which has cute colonial-style cottages. The main restaurant, Pineapples On the Beach, serves so-so food and seems to import Las Vegas kitsch with its looming 16-foot Maya head.

Organic forms characterize these six exotic villas, whose curved walls echo the slate floors that sweep under cathedral ceilings. Private but not too stuffy, you'll have plenty of space for yourself. Each 3,200-square-foot villa has a sunken living room, an outdoor garden with hot tub, and unobstructed sea views. If resort culture isn’t for you, this would be great for an extended family or group who can swing the price tag (though Seascape caters to adults more than kids). You can even hire a personal chef. It still has the trappings of resort amenities, like complimentary bikes, kayaks, a tennis court, and tennis gear.

For an all-inclusive, family-friendly option, this playful getaway---the only thing on the 6-acre caye---is a special experience. Sea kayaking around the mangrove biome, swimming, and playing chess on a giant chessboard make great activities for kids. You won't be roughing it: newly renovated comfortable cottages, set fairly close together, have turndown service, TV, and other amenities. Decor and furnishings feel a little sterile, but you're unlikely to hang out in your room much. The 2022 face-lift brought about a spacious gym and an indoor, air-conditioned hangout spot ideal for children. Families with kids can enjoy movie nights at the Coral Room or simply wind down while reading a book. Though not quite as polished as some luxury island resorts, the casual, intimate atmosphere is what makes it lovable. The boat ride is a mere 25 minutes.

A Spanish arcade makes a pleasant passageway between the rooms and courtyard of this waterfront hotel on the busy southern side of town. Among SunBreeze's virtues are that it's trusty, tasteful, and well-managed, having been successful since opening in 1980. Some remodeled rooms have upscale touches like whirlpool baths and mahogany moldings; most are simply unfussy and fresh in cream and burnt-sienna tones. Some units are equipped for guests with disabilities, a rarity in Belize. Just oceanside of the pool is the noteworthy Blue Water Grill. You can have a coconut-honey scrub (or ear candling) at the spa or get underwater with Ambergris Divers. Also under the same ownership is SunBreeze Suites at the north end of town. Both are part of the Roe Group, a prominent Belize City company that also operates the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City and Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge in the Mountain Pine Ridge.

Thatch Caye is all about you and your private-island vacation; after a day of sea adventures return to elevated bungalows, some entirely over water, at this adventure lodge. Stylish accents like distressed wooden bed frames and sliding barn doors make the design more chic than on many islands, though it can feel too rustic for some guests. Cabanas have high, open-air widow's walks where you can watch the sunrise. You can walk the island from end to end in less than half an hour and poke around the three small natural beaches; however, shore snorkeling isn't very good. Expect to get social at meals (eaten together at a long table) and cocktail hour at the over-the-water Starfish Bar. A host of packages are available, but the basic all-inclusive package runs BZ$350 per person per day. A resort in the Muy'Ono hotel group, Thatch Caye has five sister hotels all over Belize and has a strong eco-conscience.

Whether it's paradise or not depends on your expectations, but if you seek a cute, gently priced cabin built partly over the water, backed by coco palms, with snorkeling and adventure right out your door, this lodge could be for you. It's a pack-your-own-beach-towel type of joint, where the light eco-footprint and solar power mean no hot showers. Tobacco Caye Paradise is run by the Belize Adventure Group; eco-conscious excursions are the hotel's specialty. A full meal plan is an additional BZ$90 per adult per day. Rates don't include transportation or Marine Reserve fees.

Austrian-born owner Doris Creasey brings an eccentric flair and Teutonic cleanliness to this three-story colonial-style guesthouse, set back a ways from the sea. The decor mingles decades—silk flowers, a mysterious empty urn, stained glass—and the furniture can be a little firm. But if you seek a quiet retreat, this is a well-managed, affordable option. The small courtyard garden is a pleasant place to read or lounge in a hammock. Treetops is about 150 feet from the sea (though neighbors' plots are sometimes awash with smelly seagrass), within walking distance of most restaurants. A few guests rankle at the house rules and regulations enforced by the owner, who runs a tight ship: checkout is at 9 am; no outside guests; water bottle refills are BZ$1. But most find this to be a charming guesthouse.

This cluster of turquoise cottages, each with a hammocked porch, is steps from the sea, and while accommodations are simple---just above backpacker level---the Caribbean is your playground. Here, there's a bit more room for stretching out than at other lodges on Tobacco Caye, as the property extends from the sea on the east to the island's back side. A bar is set away from the cabins. Rates do not include Marine Reserve fees or transportation.