10 Best Hotels in The Southern Coast, Belize

A three-story boutique hotel, two octagonal cottages, and various "tree houses" (really just cabins among trees at the back of the property that accommodate up to five people) make up this popular laid-back beach spot. The beachside restaurant, Barracuda Bar & Grill, which specializes in seafood, pizza, ribs, and smoked meats, is one of Hopkins's best eateries. The affordable rates include complimentary use of bikes and kayaks.

This collection of seaside villas is among the most upmarket accommodation choices on the Southern Coast. All villas have the same floor plans and furnishings, but some of the villas are directly on the beach, and the others have sea or garden views. The units, with hardwood and natural stone floors and custom-made cedar and mahogany furniture, can be reserved as a complete three-bedroom, three-bath villa or as a single bedroom or two-bedroom suite. All-inclusive packages with meals, some tours, and transfers also are available. The resort has a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although many guests enjoy trying the variety of dining choices in Hopkins.

This property is made up of three different accommodation types—Coconut Row, Palm Cove Cabins, and Buttonwood Guesthouse—which provides guests with a range of options to choose from including standard rooms, apartments, and cabins. Almost all the units face the beach, and all are a step up from most lodgings in the village, with air-conditioning (a BZ$20 extra charge for daytime use), well-made furnishings, free Wi-Fi, and refrigerators. The staff is superfriendly and helpful in arranging tours and transportation.

With beautifully landscaped grounds, top-notch accommodations, and an excellent scuba program, Hamanasi (Garifuna for "almond") is among Belize's very best beach and resorts and synonymous with diving here on the Southern Coast. Upon your arrival, you'll notice that the grounds are manicured and the lobby is filled with local artwork, including paintings by the late folklore artist Benjamin Nicholas. The "zero effect" pool seems to stretch to infinity. Choose from regular rooms, gorgeous suites with king-size four-poster beds of barba jolote wood, and regular and deluxe "tree houses," which are the most popular accommodations (and the most expensive). These units are not actually built in trees but are set among mangroves and other seaside trees and raised on stilts. Many people come here for the diving opportunities, but you won't feel out of place if you want to snorkel or just laze around the pool. The restaurant has a romantic outdoor dining area with sea views and serves excellent seafood and other dishes; dinner can be pricey.

This cozy beachfront cottage keeps the guests returning. In the heart of the village, this cottage colony features tile floors, ceilings paneled in local hardwoods, refrigerators, fans, and porches with sea views. A continental breakfast with fruit and locally baked bread is brought to your cabin each morning. The owners operate a cheese-making business, the Skating Cow, in the village. The soft cheeses are served at the inn.

One of the nicer budget options in the village has rooms set back from the road and provides plenty of peace and quiet at value prices. Rooms are simply furnished and decorated in vibrant Caribbean pastels. Though not on the beach side of the road, it’s a quick walk to the seafront. Latitude 17 is popular with student and NGO groups.

This small beachfront resort with rooms in earth tones arranged around a courtyard with a pool is an attractive option if you don't need all the amenities of the larger resorts but want an excellent restaurant. The two-in-one restaurant, Chef Rob's Gourmet Cafe/Love on the Rocks, is one of the best on the Southern Coast, nay, in the entire country. Parrot Cove also has two two-bedroom units in a beach house next door.

At Hopkins' original upscale resort, Jaguar Reef's original whitewashed duplex garden and beachfront thatch cabanas is supplemented with newer colonial suites with local artwork, salt-tile floors, and custom-made hardwood furnishings. Although the beach here is good (for Belize), there's a nice pool with swim-up Tiki bar. Meals are served in a beautiful glassed-in beachside palapa with a soaring ceiling set off by locally made basket lights.

Jaguar Reef offers frequent summer (July-August) web-only specials.

Variety is the spice of beach life here, with an assortment of rooms, suites, and villas, some of which can be combined into uber-suites for families. Butterflies is the full-service spa here, located next to the hotel's coffee shop. Complimentary bikes and kayaks are available. The same management group operates several hotels in the area and around the country and can arrange combo packages that include stays at its beach and rain-forest properties.

This small beachfront guesthouse in the heart of Hopkins Village provides a comfortable, no-frills alternative to the coast's upmarket resorts. The inn has rooms that are simple but immaculately clean and, for a lot more comfort, three small beachfront apartments and a separate private cabin. Kayaks and bikes are available for rent.