B

elize is a country rich in islands — the count stands at about 200 — and Ambergris Caye, which is essentially one big stretch of Caribbean waterfront, is a Belizean island that’s flush with places to stay. It’s not for lack of competition, then, that Victoria House, with its 42 plantation-style rooms spread out over ten acres of white sand beaches and tropical gardens, is among the very best of the island’s bunch.

A version of back-to-basics simplicity is on offer here in the form of the State Rooms, which are furnished with a few pieces of Belizean hardwood furniture and decidedly no television. But most of the accommodations have the words suite, casita, or villa in them. There’s a dizzying number of options between that State Room and the 3,500 square-foot Casa Azul Villa, replete with five bedrooms, a private pool and garden overlooking the Caribbean, walk-out access to the beach, a shaded patio, a spacious sun deck and, yes, a television. For something in between, the thatch-roofed casitas, furnished with locally handmade mahogany beds, offer private verandas and views of the sea.

About that sea: it’s home to the Belizean Barrier Reef, second only to Australia’s, and it holds a panoply of colorful fish as well as a couple of sunken pirate ships. After gearing up at the in-house dive shop, you can set out by speedboat from the hotel’s private pier for Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where a 75-foot gap between a lagoon and the open ocean draws sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, barracudas and other marine life into view. If that sounds too tame, there’s also Shark Ray Alley, dense with stingrays and nurse sharks, or the famous, local salt flats where — with years of practice or tremendous luck — you might be able to land a five-pound bonefish on a fly rod. If you’re trying to get back to nature (or back at it), there are fish you can catch and eat for dinner; but if you prefer to have your seafood arrive cooked, perhaps for a picnic on the beach, Victoria House can make that happen as well.

Please note: Victoria House has a 2 night minimum stay requirement and closes seasonally every October for maintenance.

How to get there:
Victoria House is located 35 miles off shore from Belize City, and a local flight is required from BZE to San Pedro. Transfers can be arranged for US$140 per person.