Located within a stone’s throw of Belize’s Great Barrier Reef, Matachica is a world-class boutique resort located 5 miles north of the quaint fishing town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye.
Comfortably bohemian and decidedly distinctive, the individual brightly coloured cabanas and villas are decorated with eclectic Central American furnishings, fabrics and artefacts from around the world, with fine linens and beautifully appointed bathrooms.
The award winning Mambo restaurant is set under a giant palapa roof and serves exquisite contemporary dishes, freshly caught seafood and a variety of homemade pastas and breads. The dining room is filled with contemporary paintings, candelabras, local ceramic treasures, exotic hand crafted Belizean art and Central American mahogany furniture.
The beachfront bar and lounge incorporates antique Guatemalan pillars, exotic lounge chairs, a billiard table and intimate lighting. The Cinema-Martini Lounge offers free internet access on widescreen Apple computers and a huge plasma television screening an extensive selection of classic films.
The Jade Spa offers a wide range of treatments all with organic local ingredients, tropical scents and relaxing ambiance.
Region: The Cayes
Type: Boutique Beach Resort
Price: From US $195 per night plus 9% hotel tax and 10% service charge
All of the accommodations are air-conditioned and elegantly decorated with luxurious Central American furnishing, Frette linens, bath robes, feather duvets, spacious full bathrooms with double sinks, comfortable lounging areas and private patios with hammocks.
Whether you want an action packed agenda in the water and the jungle, or simply spend some quality time in a hammock, Belize has something for all tastes and tempos.
Off the sandy peninsular of Placencia boasts some of the best and quietest dive sites in Belize.
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Off the sandy peninsular of Placencia boasts some of the best and quietest dive sites in Belize. The main attraction is the 13 mile long lagoon, home to almost all creatures found on the outer reef, including manatee and dolphins. At the most northern point, due to the seasonal spawning of cubera snapper between April and June, Gladden Split sees an exciting amount of fish accumulate including hammerhead, bull sharks, whale sharks, dolphins and shoaling fish. Throughout the year you can expect to turtles, moray eels, spotted eagle rays, stingrays, large grouper, dolphin, nurse sharks and the usual species of tropical reef fish.
Laughing Bird Caye, part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage Site, is a submerged atoll. On this island you can spot a wide variety of bird life such as brown pelicans, blackbirds, sea eagles, green herons and brown boobies, but the most famous are the laughing gulls that nest here and give the island its name. There is a system of patch reefs and coral ridges teeming with hard coral and sponges, plus dozens of reef species that feed on algae and each other. Keep an eye out for large barracuda feeding on the smaller reef fish.