The tiny country of Belize packs an astonishing range of attractions into a space slightly larger than New Jersey. The Maya left numerous enigmatic ruins, ranging from small ceremonial centers to major cities such as Caracol, thought to have had 150,000 inhabitants at its height in the eighth century. Forests of tropical hardwoods and palm trees house hundreds of colorful bird species, such as keel-billed toucans and scarlet macaws. The world’s second-largest barrier reef protects the coastline and shelters a rainbow of marine life. And just above sea level, picturesque cayes and barrier islands are home to mangrove forests, white-sand beaches and small-scale resorts.
With a population of just 350,000, Belize has done an outstanding job of protecting its environmental and historical riches. More than half of its primary forest remains intact, and at least a quarter of the country’s land and sea is set aside as national parks and nature reserves. Local people are more or less fluent in English, the official language. And outside of a few rough neighborhoods in Belize City, a place of little interest, the country is safe.
Many visitors spend all their time by the coast on Ambergris Caye, but my favorite Belize itineraries include time both by the sea and in the jungle. Belcampo Belize, near Punta Gorda, in the relatively undiscovered southern province of Toledo, is the rare property that affords easy access to both. Although set high on a hillside, it takes only six minutes by funicular to descend to the Rio Grande, where Belcampo has kayaks and a large pontoon boat for snorkeling and fishing excursions. The resort comprises some 12,000 acres of land, including a forest-shaded cacao plantation — Belize’s largest — and fields of sugar cane destined to be distilled into rum in Belcampo’s new on-site distillery.
The jungle gives way to ornamental tropical gardens and the resort’s 16 accommodations, the most desirable of which are the four Ridge Suites, built on the crest of the hill. A short funicular (or a long staircase) connects the Ridge Suite complex, complete with its own infinity pool, to the rest of the resort below. Aside from their very spacious interiors, the suites’ most attractive features are their wide furnished terraces with hot tubs, overlooking either the sunrise and distant coast (suites 13 and 16), or sunset and jungle-covered hills (14 and 15).
Alas, these accommodations were all full, so we opted for a Deluxe King Suite, which proved to be comfortable and attractive (request suite 1, 2 or 4 for the most privacy). Beneath a beamed ceiling, we found an open-plan space with tile floors painted white, two inviting rattan armchairs, a campaign-inspired desk and leather chair and a firm king bed flanked by basket-shaded hanging lights. To the left of the bed, sliding doors opened to a screened-in porch with two sofas and a table hewn from half a log. At the other end of the suite, the bath contained a contemporary trough sink of polished concrete and an immense walk-in shower, clad entirely in pebbles. A tall window in the shower overlooked the jungle, allowing one to simultaneously bathe and bird-watch.
Unseasonably cool weather left us with little inclination to use the small pool, nor did we work out in the little “Jungle Gym,” which has attractive views of the forest. But Mrs. Harper did take advantage of the compact spa, where she had a restorative and well-priced scrub of brown sugar, cloves and cacao nibs, a treatment that also included a mini-facial. Belcampo’s other principal amenities are its stylishly decorated bar and restaurant, housed within a two-story building overlooking the treetops. The cocktails proved to be memorable, notably the Spicy Mayan, a refreshing and well-balanced drink of muddled allspice leaves shaken with white rum, lime juice, simple syrup and culantro elixir (a wild cilantro liqueur). Dishes in the restaurant — aside from one misconceived main course of Gulf mackerel with undercooked grilled bok choy and useless chunks of crispy rice — tended to be simply presented but satisfying. I especially enjoyed the fresh fish tacos with papaya salsa; mackerel crudo with ginger and mint; and snook tikini, a dish of crispy fish with a stew of tomatoes, onions and peppers over mashed plantains. Some 70 percent of the ingredients used by the restaurant come from the property’s own organic farm.
On occasions, service at Belcampo was clumsy. For example, when Mrs. Harper emerged from her spa treatment and expected to have some tea in the waiting room, she found the chairs covered with cushions from the pool loungers outside. Similarly, one night we returned to our suite after dinner to discover that all the decorative pillows on our bed had been stacked in one of our armchairs. Nevertheless, our stay was enjoyable, and I would happily return in the future to try more of the resort’s myriad activities and excursions.
The spacious and well-designed accommodations; the secluded hillside location; the professional and well-priced spa treatment; the views from the Ridge Suites; the cheerful service.
Easily avoidable service missteps, such as using the spa waiting room as a storage shed.
The hotel offers a food package including lunch and dinner, but it’s a better value to order à la carte.
We headed next to San Ignacio, an ideal base for exploring Mayan cities such as Xunantunich, Caracol, Yaxha and Tikal, which rank among the most compelling ruins in the world. I opted to stay at Ka’ana, a 17-room contemporary resort set amid colorful gardens not far from my longtime San Ignacio favorite, The Lodge at Chaa Creek. We chose a Master Suite, one step down from the villas with private plunge pools. Although we had plenty of outdoor space, including a daybed and outdoor shower in the back and a small furnished terrace in front, the interior felt like a large deluxe room, not a suite. It had a comfortable king bed, a dinette and a built-in desk, but no sofa or armchairs. I liked the airy vaulted ceiling, the ample storage space and decorative touches such as Mayan-inspired paintings. But the bath did not feel luxurious, with faucets that didn’t fit the twin vessel sinks properly and a glass-block window illuminating the shower.
The restaurant, with a shady terrace and fire pit, served unfussy but delicious food, such as fresh shrimp ceviche; Mayan dukunu (sweet corn porridge) topped with spicy sausages; gnocchi with tomato and basil; and perfectly cooked double-cut molasses-glazed pork chops. Drink orders could be problematic, because the lone barman was clearly overwhelmed at peak times. And when I remarked to our waitress that my cocktail tasted tart and unbalanced, she replied, “Yes. It’s very rare for people to like that drink.” (She did not offer to replace it.)
A spa with two treatment rooms stood behind the small infinity pool. Farther into the gardens, a broad wooden deck hosts complimentary yoga classes twice a week and the occasional private dinner. All these features I liked, but it was difficult to forgive the resort’s location just off the main road. The whoosh of cars constantly reminded me of civilization, which is precisely what I’d wanted to escape. Ka’ana has cheerful staff, well-run excursions and very comfortable accommodations, but I always wished I were back at The Lodge at Chaa Creek instead.
The pretty garden setting; the well-maintained accommodations; our cooking class.
The noise from the nearby road; the bland room décor.
The hotel’s description of the excursion to Yaxha mentions drinks on top of the main temple and trekking back through the jungle with torches. But it is forbidden to have alcohol at the site — we had Prosecco by a lake instead — and there were no torches.
We decided to finish our stay with some relaxation on the coast. The secluded resort El Secreto is about 30 minutes by speedboat north of San Pedro, a colorful and touristy city on Ambergris Caye. This 13-villa property is located along a palm-lined stretch of well-groomed beach, raked daily by the staff. The indoor-outdoor restaurant has a soaring thatched roof, as does the sand-floored open-air bar; a lounger-lined infinity pool overlooks the sea. Our spacious and pretty Sea Villa also had a vaulted thatched roof, a soft king bed, a comfortable sofa and a beach-view terrace with a hot tub surrounded by gauzy curtains.
True to its name, the resort had secrets. There were the small surprises, such as the $4 fee for each small cup of black coffee at breakfast and the fact that a staffer had to turn our hot tub’s heater on two hours in advance of when we wanted to use it. Several guests we spoke with were also surprised that seagrass and shallow water prevented swimming from the beach (complimentary kayaking and paddleboarding were available, however). Most irritating was the secret that the hotel allows non-guests full run of its facilities. A group staying in San Pedro monopolized the main pool’s hot tub, calling for loud reggae music to “get the party started.” After too many frozen margaritas, they decamped to the sofas in front of the check-in desk, where three of them proceeded to pass out. In short, El Secreto is unlikely to be a Harper recommendation anytime soon.
The sensational setting; the dramatic design; the large accommodations.
Non-guests making use of the pool and other facilities; sand fleas on the beach.
Guests we spoke with highly recommended a snorkeling/spearfishing excursion followed by a lunch of your catch.
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
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