The Best Hotels in San Pedro, Belize

Victoria House is on the waterfront, just a few miles from downtown San Pedro. This colonial-style resort features wide tile floors, rich crown molding and towering four-poster beds. Wind down with a restorative yoga class on the beach, or wind in your fishing rod from one of the resort’s 25-foot (7.6m) skiffs. Whether you catch snapper, grouper or wahoo, you can bring it back to the on-site chefs to grill it up for you.

Tucked among carefully manicured gardens and canals, you’ll find the Mahogany Bay Resort – the only private beach club in Belize. It offers a number of dining and shopping options, so you won’t need to go into San Pedro unless you want to. The hammocks and cabanas suspended over the sea are a must-visit, preferably with a rum craft cocktail or frozen frappé in hand.

With just six cabins, this intimate, adults-only boutique hotel is the leafy escape you didn’t know you needed. You’re just a seven-minute golf cart ride from downtown San Pedro, although PUR’s build-your-own taco bar and swim-up poolside bar, slinging margaritas and rum shots all day long, might keep you firmly on site.

This Tahitian-style tropical resort with thatched-roof cabanas and mahogany wood floors is within easy walking distance of downtown San Pedro. Choose from a balcony with jungle, pool or seaside views. Days are best spent sunbathing by the lagoon-like pool. Head to the smoothie shop for refreshment or to Pineapples on the Beach, the restaurant specializing in – you guessed it – stuffed pineapple boats.

With 800 feet (244m) of sandy beach access, six swimming pools and two piers, Grand Caribe is the top family-friendly resort in San Pedro. Rooms range from one-bedroom oceanside condos to the five-bedroom beachfront villa for all group sizes. Tours such as swimming with stingrays and jungle hikes are specifically designed with families in mind. Parents can have their time away too – with a tiki torch-lit dinner on the pier, while the kids are in the hands of Grand Caribe’s babysitting service.

A few miles north of San Pedro, you’ll land on the shores of Coco Beach. The resort labels itself a haven for barefoot luxury, relaxation and adventure – which you’ll find in the two pools spanning the length of the resort, complete with water slide, swim-up bar and weekday water aerobics classes. Coco Beach is also one of the few resorts in town offering different watersports, like catamaran sailing, windsurfing, kite surfing and parasailing.

After landing in San Pedro, a speedboat will whisk you five miles up the coast, where the Matachica’s staff will be awaiting your arrival. The adults-only resort is filled with fun, bright colors, and each casita has a wildlife-inspired mural spanning the bedroom wall. Stop by Mambo Restaurant, where you’ll have your pick of dishes made with local ingredients – some even grown on site. A rum punch or two from Matachica’s outdoor bar may just have you swinging through the trees.

Sandwiched between lagoon and ocean and a 20-minute drive from San Pedro, Las Terrazas is a quiet respite. With oversized residences ranging from 1,000 to 3,100sqft (93 to 288sqm), each apartment-style suite has enough room to feel secluded from your neighbors. Take a dip in the 70-foot (21.3m) infinity pool, or schedule a Caribbean sea purification treatment at the spa.

This adults-only retreat is the perfect jumping-off spot for snorkelers and divers looking to explore the nearby Mexico Rocks Marine Reserve. Alternatively, float above the water on a kayak or stand-up paddleboard. After a nightcap at the Blu Beach Bar, bed down in your brightly colored cabana – complete with seafoam green sheets and accent walls.

Across the street from San Pedro Airport and a short walk from downtown, this laidback resort has everything you need nearby. Pick from one of the Palms’ 12 Caribbean-inspired suites or opt for a poolside casita – all with a veranda overlooking the ocean. Looking to go off the grid? The hotel offers half-day and full-day trips to neighboring islands like Caye Caulker and Goff’s Caye, where you can snorkel along Shark Ray Alley and look out for West Indian manatees.

Hidden away off one of San Pedro’s main streets, the Mayan Princess is a casual, all-suite hotel on a white sand beach. Each suite is decked out with a kitchenette and an ocean-view balcony. You won’t want to miss one of the Mayan Princess’ fishing tours, where you can angle for bonefish, permit and tarpon along the nearby coral reef and famous Rocky Point. Art lovers should head to the popular Belizean Arts gallery across the street.

No need to look for another shore-side room – Lina Point puts you literally on the water. The resort’s eight cabanas sit on stilts with glass floors in the bedrooms, so you can gaze down into the ocean. Relax by the overwater swimming pool and outdoor bar. For a truly unforgettable experience, head up to the rooftop restaurant, Hooked, for 360-degree views of the San Pedro sky.