Review of Belizean Shores Resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize

We visited Ambergris Caye, Belize in May 2023 and spent a week at Belizean Shores Resort. We traveled as a family with our 15-month-old son. Here is our in-depth review of the resort.

Belizean Shores Resort is located north of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye off the coast of Belize. It is a 20 minute golf cart ride from town. Located right on the beach, the resort is situated amongst a strip of small resorts, condos, and restaurants catering to the tourist crowd.

Getting There/Transportation

From Belize City, you will need to take a small plane or water taxi to get to the island. We opted to fly with Maya Island Air and have no complaints. I was a little nervous about flying on a small plane, but the flight was smoother than anticipated and only lasted about 15 minutes. Plus, you will get amazing views of the water. Don’t worry too much about the time you book, the airline doesn’t really go by the time sheet. They run the planes back and forth and put you on the next available plane. Be aware, there is no A/C on the plane or in the terminal for local flights so if you’re coming from colder areas, be ready to shed those layers.

Once on the island, you will want to rent a golf cart. It’s the main mode of transportation on the island and really adds to the vacation vibe. Driving can get a little hectic in San Pedro, but it’s not too bad. There are just a few busy intersections with no apparent rules. Outside of a few blocks downtown which you can easily avoid if you want to, it’s easy and convenient.

Belizean Shores will coordinate both the local flight and golf cart for you. We booked on our own to save money. We paid $85 per person for a one way flight whereas the resort charged $117. For golf carts, we paid $250 to rent our own golf cart for the week. The resort rents carts out by the hour.

Just as a note, the resort does offer bikes at no additional cost but we did not use them. They would be sufficient to get you around to a few restaurants if only staying a couple of days, but you’d have better options and more freedom with a golf cart.

The Room

We rented a lower level sea view suite. The sea view suites are on either side of the pool right next to the pool bar. The room included a good sized sitting area with a TV, a kitchen, a breakfast table, and a separate bedroom and bath. While the kitchen was a little dated, it had everything we needed. The resort provided coffee and coffee filters enough to cover our one-week stay as well as a filtered water dispenser that the resort refilled upon request.

Overall, the service was exceptional. We had some issues with our WiFi and the resort sent someone to fix it right away. They provide a number you can text if you need any assistance. The website says housekeeping is only provided every three days, but they actually provide it upon request. We had them come two days in a row and received no push back.

Traveling with an infant or toddler? Belizean Shores Resort provides pack and plays and high chairs at no additional cost. Call the resort before your stay and they will have them in your room when you arrive. You can even ask for a bucket and shovel and they’ll provide one!

Resort Property

The pool: The pool was amazing! It looked brand new and it was always clean. There’s a shallow area for kids and a deeper end behind the swim-up pool bar. There are plenty of chairs surrounding the pool plus two cabanas that are first come. We never had a problem finding a chair in the shade. We were able to snag a cabana if we went early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

The beach: The beach is not the main attraction here. The beach itself looks lovely, but the water is not the clear, turquoise blue you expect in the Caribbean. There is a lot of seaweed and sea grass, making the ocean pretty inaccessible unless you want to jump in off the end of the dock. The water is deep there, making it a no-go for little kids.

The dock: There’s a dock right in front of the resort with hammocks and lounge chairs at the end. The dock also houses an excursion company if you want to go on any snorkeling trips. Kayaks and paddle boards are available as well.

Food and Drinks

There’s a swim-up pool bar offering drinks. The drinks were very reasonably priced, more so than the local restaurants. To give you an idea, a beer was $4, a rum punch was $6, and a pina colada was $7. The bartender gave us many recommendations on local places to go and eat.

The neighboring resort has a restaurant that will deliver food to your room. Prices are outstanding for room service. It’s the same you would pay in any local restaurant, no big up-charge. Offerings include tacos, quesadillas, fajitas, and burgers.