11 Best Hotels in The Deep South, Belize

New ownership has moved this former fishing lodge far up the scale of luxury by renovating the main lodge, adding a gorgeous spa, redoing the cottages, and adding four new luxury cottages. The lodge is set on a high hill above the Rio Grande River—you can ride a tram car to the bottom. The hilltop setting offers awesome views of the jungle and, in the distance, the Gulf of Honduras. Howler monkeys troop by regularly. After a day exploring the rain forest, dive into the swimming pool, then sup on fish and fresh vegetables from the lodge's organic farm. The renovated cottages have vaulted ceilings, tile floors, new baths, air-conditioning, and screened decks overlooking the jungle. Newly added ridge suites are even more luxurious. A second swimming pool also has been added near the ridge suites. SUVs take guests on safari-like soft-adventure trips in the Laughing Falcon Reserve, a 12,000-acre private nature reserve, and elsewhere. The lodge has an agritourism component, with programs on chocolate, rum, coffee, and local foods. There are fly-fishing, wedding, birding, and other all-inclusive packages.

From the verandas on the second- or third-floor rooftop terrace of this bright pink, waterfront hotel (beya means beachfront in the Garifuna language, although it isn't much of a beach here) within moderate walking distance of downtown Punta Gorda, you have expansive views of the sea. Despite the name, the hotel has mostly rooms rather than true suites, but they're modern, with tile floors, plaster walls, cable TV, and air-conditioning.

At this pleasant small spot overlooking the water, you can settle in and do your own thing in one of the six attractive self-catering flats, with kitchens or kitchenettes, spacious bedrooms, TVs, and verandas with hammocks. A continental breakfast is included. If you don't feel like cooking, the guesthouse is within a short walk of several of Punta Gorda's best restaurants.

A 1938 British colonial–era home serves as one of the most pleasant small guesthouses in the country, with breezy views of the Bay of Honduras and warm hospitality from owners and staff. You'll identify the house by coral-color paint and the vintage red VW van parked in front. The six guest rooms have tile floors, comfortable beds, air-conditioning, cable TV, and Wi-Fi. There's a swimming pool, honor bar, and complimentary bikes. A continental breakfast, served in a newly expanded dining area, is included in the reasonable rates. Just in front of the inn is a historic small cemetery with the graves of ex-Confederates who moved to Toledo after the U.S. Civil War.

If you want something more private, inquire about the two-story house with two large self-catering suites. Families or groups can rent the entire house.

This jungle lodge is named after the silk cotton tree (also called the kapok or ceiba), and, fittingly, the lodge strives to provide a silky-smooth experience for guests. The lodge sits on 100 acres beside the Moho River about 15 miles (24 km) from Punta Gorda. Guests are usually brought in by boat (though you can also come by road) and stay in one of the thatch cabanas sitting among wild fig trees along the river's edge, or in a garden-view room. The property's walkways are raised; in the summer rainy season the river sometimes floods. The lodge is off the grid, and everything here is solar- or generator-powered. The lodge operates a small chocolate factory—and shop, of course—in downtown Punta Gorda and offers cacao tours and chocolate-making classes. Good meals are served in a huge thatch palapa. All-inclusive packages are also available. 

Just a mile (1½ km) from downtown Punta Gorda, this delightful small lodge has bright, lovely Caribbean-style cottages with zinc roofs and private verandas; it's nestled in lush jungle foliage where you'll hear howler monkeys and see a wide variety of birds. The cottages are beautifully outfitted with locally made furniture and hardwood floors. There's a small splash pool and a botanical garden and nature area. A special treat: once a week you can go with the co-owner to visit the nearby Fallen Stones butterfly farm, which he manages.

With its pitched roofs and stone-and-wood facade, this four-story hotel overlooking the Gulf of Honduras may remind you of a Swiss ski lodge in a tropical setting. With the green humps of Saddle Back Mountain as a backdrop, its top floors command spectacular views. There are a dozen single and double rooms and two suites with kitchenettes. Each is unique, fitted with Belizean hardwood furnishings. A third-floor restaurant (open for guests and only for breakfast) has a roof supported by rosewood tree trunks etched with Maya carvings. For longer stays, there are six apartments in the back.

In a restored century-old colonial home on a 775-acre farm near Punta Gorda, this bed-and-breakfast is among the most appealing small lodgings in Belize, but it's more like visiting a friend's home in the country than a hotel. The two-story, white-wood home enjoys a gorgeous site on a low knoll, cooled by natural breezes and ceiling fans and surrounded by several acres of lawn, flowering trees, and wildflowers. You enter the grounds via a graceful winding driveway lined by royal palms, passing the remains of a rum factory. You'll feel like a houseguest of the owners, enjoying access to the home's elegant living room and lovely swimming pool. You'll sleep in one of two charming bedrooms, both with hardwood floors and 12-foot ceilings. They share a bath, making this ideal for a family or group needing a two-room suite. A full breakfast is included.

If you don't demand luxury, you couldn't find a nicer budget spot in Punta Gorda than this guesthouse on a quiet residential street. With a/c, Wi-Fi, and cable TV, the rooms are immaculate, and the atmosphere's friendly and cheerful. One room has a kitchenette, and there's also a small common kitchen with refrigerator and microwave.

On a 52-acre farm near San Antonio Village, off the San Antonio Road, this South African--run lodge has two self-catering units, one with two bedrooms and baths, the other with one bedroom, and both with kitchenette. Both overlook a pretty creek. A three-legged iron pot, potjie in Afrikaans, is used to slow-cook meat or fish and vegetables over an open fire, but Belizean dishes, burgers, and desserts like cheesecake also are available.

Relax beside a meandering jungle river, listen to otters splash, and admire colorful tropical birds and butterflies at this small lodge on 30 placid acres beside the Rio Grande. This is a birder's paradise: 350 species have been recorded within 5 miles (8 km) of the lodge. There's a pool, six original thatch cabanas, and three newer hardwood cabins with a/c, plus a main lodge for meals, which are an additional fee.