US$100–150

The cheerful San Pedro Holiday Hotel (Front St., tel. 501/226-2014 or 501/226-2103, www.sanpedroholiday.com [1], US$110–125), the island’s first hotel (still under the original family’s management), keeps getting better. The 17 clean, spacious rooms have air-conditioning and fans, private baths, and beachfront verandas. Lots of water sports and boats are available. This hotel is very central to restaurants and nightlife in town.

Inside an elegant three-story building of tropical colonial design, on the corner of Sandpiper Street and the ocean, is the Blue Tang Inn (tel. 501/226-2326, U.S. tel. 866/881-1020, www.bluetanginn.com [2], US$120–225). The 14 tasteful rooms sport lots of warm, rich wood paneling and have kitchens, private baths, ceiling fans, and air-conditioning; third-floor rooms have whirlpool tubs. The grounds are well kept and the rooftop balcony is breezy and pleasant.

Popular with birders and nature lovers, Caribbean Villas (Seagrape Dr., tel. 501/226-2715, U.S. tel. 866/522-9960, www.caribbeanvillashotel.com [3], US$105–220) has a fantastic spot on the beach just south of town, offering a range of economy rooms and luxury suites. The property’s small bird sanctuary is one of the few remaining areas of original littoral forest on the island and has a “people perch.” Water heating is supplemented by rooftop solar panels; irrigation is from rainwater catchment tanks. In addition, the rooms are designed to catch the cooling trade winds to reduce the need for air-conditioning.

One of Belize’s only dedicated yoga resorts,
Ak’Bol (1 mile north of the bridge, www.akbol.com [4], US$145–165) has seven cabanas on the beach in a naturally landscaped garden, a small pool, and a shaded yoga garden in earshot of the ocean. This is both a yoga retreat and a great place for travelers who want a new experience that does not remind them of home, as the owner Kirsten says. The cabanas have raised beds, local decor, a loft for the kids, unique conch shell sinks, and private outdoor jungle showers. An on-site beach bar sells local meals as cheap as US$3. There are also daily yoga classes and retreat packages.