Vacation Rentals by Owner

Blue Dolphin "Nicest House on the Island" [#154698] | View Property

San Pedro
House, 7 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s), 4 Baths (Sleeps 12-18)
$700-$850/nt - $4595-$5495/wk
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Traveler Reviews (16)

• Sunshine and relaxation

  Sunshine and relaxation

  • Guest Chipper and Ann
  • Date of stay 02/23/13
  • Review Submitted 04/07/13
  The Blue Dolphin is a wonderful place for a mid-winter break from the cold and snow. The house accommodates a large group well, the pool is refreshing and the beach enabled us to take long walks. Gloria and Armando were very helpful and Gloria cooked some amazing dinners. Mark and Joanie were such gracious hosts and we highly recommend the Blue Dolphin for a vacation getaway.

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

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• Awesome beach house

  Awesome beach house

  • Guest Stefan
  • Date of stay 01/12/13
  • Review Submitted 01/28/13
  15 of us from the US came to visit San Pedro and we decided to stay at the Blue Dolphin. We were picked up via water taxi to take us to our beach house. When we arrived at the dock we were welcomed by Gloria and Armando. They gave us a tour of the property and helped us settle in. They were very helpful,kind,gracious and accomodating. They offered to cook meals however we didnt use them for that as we ate out and we made our own home cooked meal one night. Go to Elvi's and Estell's to eat! We had a blast playing music by the pool, while we made drinks and basked in the Belizian sun. Loved the fact that we were right on the beach and although Belize may not have the best beaches they certainly have some of the prettiest water I have ever seen. They provide kayaks which we used as well and laid in the hammocks. The house offers washer and dryer which was great as we were all were able to wash our clothes before travelling. At night you can go to the roof and see shooting stars and a beautiful array of starts. We sat up on the roof almost every night. Even at the peak of a hot day the house remained cool with a breeze coming through and we used the AC's at night. I met Dr. Mark and his wife while there and they both were very friendly nice people. The excursions recommended by the company "Seaduced" set up our tours. The service was not great from them however we did not let them ruin our time and enjoyed our excursions. You do need a golf cart. The golf cart company recommended was great. We enjoyed our rides in and out of town as they were part of the adventure of being somewhere differant. Lastly you would see loose dogs all over the island with almost every property having one. We named the dog at Blue Dolphin "Lassie". Such a loving sweet dog that we adopted him at the pool when hanging out. We created memories in this house that will never be forgotten. Highly recommend this house and would definately stay in this house if I came back to San Pedro.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• This was not the property for our family

  This was not the property for our family

  • Guest Terry
  • Date of stay 11/25/12
  • Review Submitted 12/03/12
  Our family stayed for seven nights - there were 10 of us. The house is in need of remodeling. The tiles around the pool are very slick-- terrible for young children, and or older people. The curtains are old, and let in too much sun at 5am -- need a blackout curtain - made it difficult for babies to sleep with sun coming in early, as well as adults. The house was hot and humid. there is airconditioning in the bedrooms which did help with sleeping but in the remainder of the house, no air, and very hot and humid. The house is too far from town and restaurants especially for my daughter in a wheelchair. - this island is NOT accomodating for a person in a wheelchair. If I owned a facility, and the question was ask about accomodating a person with a disability, I would be honest and say NO - too difficult to get around with steps, sand, and far from restaurants. We purchased a golf cart for the week, which was a huge waste of money. I wish the owners would have encouraged us not to rent a golf cart - the cost was very expensive The roads are horrible making it very difficult to travel. The cost of food is very expensive -- My husband walked to facility close by, and two cups of coffee were $20.00 thats horrible :( I enjoyed Gloria and Armando - they work very hard and are very accomodating -- Unfortunately, we were there during rainy season and bug season. When i investigated it online, rainy seasn and bug season were too be over --- but it wasnt :( Unfortunately, this was not a great vacation for our family Joan and her hubby are very very nice people -- I really enjoyed Joan's company but would encourage them to put money into their property to make it nicer for future families. For the cost of this house, the food, tips, golf cart, we could have been in an all inclusive top notch resort which we will do in the future. Again, I do appreciate your kindness, but encourage you to put some dollars back into your property, and please be honest with guests in future regarding handicap accessible, and to not have guests waste money on golf carts

  Owner response: Dear Appreciated Blue Dolphin Guest, The weather was a huge disappointment for enjoying the island as it was very atypical. On the "books" rainy season ends the end of November, but having a least 5 days out of your 7 of torrential rain was a first for a Blue Dolphin guest!! Typically rain comes across swiftly and strong and lasts all of 10 minutes followed by sunshine, I honestly have never seen it rain all day and 5 days for that matter even in rainy season in 12 years unless during a hurricane. The roads north and south of San Pedro town are not paved so getting over 6inches of rain in less than 48hours did change up the typically exciting exploring adventures had on golf carts which our guests have tremendously enjoyed!! Our home does offer an entrance ramp for wheelchair access, over 2000ft of tile between the pool and main floor bedroom, bath and kitchen/dining room access...I honestly know of no other home which offers this on the island. We do not advertise this on our website. San Pedro town itself is an obstacle course and outside of our beach home you are surrounded by white sugar sand..is difficult in a wheelchair to say the least. It was unfortunate we were unaware of your special needs in advance as we could have offered our experience as to where to go, what to do having hosted other wheelchair bound guests in the past. We do and did send out our informational contract, which answers most questions asked to prepare for a fabulous vacation which admittedly was unread by most of your group. Again, the weather did put a damper on activities for your adorable 14month old twins..it was unfortunate not to be enjoying/exploring the beach but be "stuck inside". At departure it was mentioned you will never go on vacation without a full time nanny, we felt bad as Gloria and Armando do and have offered their services for an evening/afternoon out upon request. Caring about your weather dilemma and situation we tried to help out by supplying fresh lobster and red snapper, a boat to go fishing and dive master for your special needs. In 13years we have never received a negative review and have taken it to heart, so on a positive note, looking at our home with "fresh eyes" we added granite counter tops to compliment all the mahogany cabinets and woodwork and gave Blue Dolphin a "facelift". We enjoyed meeting your lovely family and wish you all the best! Dr. Mark and Joan

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• INCREDIBLE FAMILY VACATION!

  INCREDIBLE FAMILY VACATION!

  • Guest Aaron
  • Date of stay 11/16/12
  • Review Submitted 11/28/12
  Just came back from an amazing stay at the Blue Dolphin! Brought the whole family, 6 adults and 5 kids ages 3, 3, 6, 7, 8 -- perfect house for the group! Everyone had more than enough space and the choice of pool or beach kept everyone entertained! Armando met us at the airstrip and we shopped at SuperBuy and Greenhouse -- not too hard to find everything we needed in 30 minutes or so -- figure we paid 1/2 of what the provisioning companies wanted. We did Ladie Leslie snorkeling and Caye Caulker adventure -- highly recommend. Also did Seaduced trip to the Lamanai -- long day but was a highlight of the trip. Rented golf carts - not sure they were necessary, the road is very rough and we had 3 flat tires in 8 days - water taxi probably would have worked just as well - but they were fun and gave us freedom to run to the store and bars. Thank you Dr. Mark, Joan, Gloria and Armando! Gloria is an excellent cook - Chicken Enchilada's were ready when we arrived! Already missing the Bilikin and Rum Punch!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car.

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• Fabulous Family Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Trip

  Fabulous Family Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary Trip

  • Guest Kelly Childress
  • Date of stay 06/16/12
  • Review Submitted 08/18/12
  What a wonderful family vacation! The Blue Dolphin perfectly accommodated all 16 of us with room to spare. The beautiful sunsets on the rooftop deck and around the pool were amazing and will be remembered for a lifetime. The property offers such a relaxing atmosphere and we all enjoyed just spending time together away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives. Armando and Gloria were so accommodating and were there whenever we needed them. Gloria's cooking was exceptional and enjoyed by all. Thanks, Mark, for recommending the Lady Leslie for our snorkle trip and sunset cruise - both were highlights of our trip. The fishing guide recommendations were spot on as well and the guys really enjoyed their days out and brought home plenty of fish for Gloria to prepare. The kids spent endless hours fishing and snorkling off the pier and had to be drug in at night and for meals. Everyone on the trip said it was the best trip they had ever taken. Thank you so much for making my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary trip the best we could imagine!

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, families with young children.

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• Fabulous Family Vacation!

  Fabulous Family Vacation!

  • Guest Fteam
  • Date of stay 06/03/12
  • Review Submitted 07/01/12
  Our family of nine enjoyed a wonderful week hosted by Dr. Mark and Joan. Their personal touch started with one night at The Conch Shell Inn, followed by six nights at The Blue Dolphin. And right they are about it being the most beautiful house on the island! With plenty of room for 9 adults, the beautiful pool, kayaks and hammocks we relaxed, cooked, swam, and enjoyed our adventure. And having the convenience of pick up on their dock for our scuba diving trips made for a short ride to the dive shop. And we can't forget to mention the wonderful care from Armando and Gloria! Make sure you take advantage of Gloria's island cooking! All in all, a great place to stay with wonderful people helping to make sure your vacation is perfect. And we loved the short walks to wonderful restaurants!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• BEST vacation ever!!

  BEST vacation ever!!

  • Guest Anonymous
  • Date of stay 01/21/12
  • Review Submitted 04/17/12
  What a vacation! Our group of ten enjoyed every minute of our stay at The Blue Dolphin! The spacious bedrooms had the most comfortable beds imaginable! We enjoyed the wonderful private beach, the fabulous pool and deck, and we used the kayaks to snorkel on the reef in front of The Blue Dolphin. Joan and Mark were fantastic hosts and tour guides, and their caretakers, Gloria and Armando, were helpful with all of our needs. We would suggest 1) taking a snorkel trip on "Lady Leslie", 2) touring the island on golf carts, 3) fishing on the lagoon side (and having Gloria prepare the fish for you), and 4) "barhopping" through San Pedro Town. Thanks Captain Mark and Joan! You're the best!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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• Tom and Dianne Polasik from Minnesota

  Tom and Dianne Polasik from Minnesota

  • Guest Tom and Dianne
  • Date of stay 01/21/12
  • Review Submitted 03/22/12
  The Blue Dolphin is absolutely one of the best places we've ever stayed. It accommodated our group of five couples perfectly for dining, sleeping, and socializing at the spacious pool and deck, or on the rooftop for cocktails and beautiful sunsets. The beach is gorgeous and kayaks are provided to paddle out for good snorkeling. The caretakers, Gloria and Armando, were wonderful and the meals at the house fantastic. We were only a golf cart ride away from adventures such as fishing, diving, beach bars with music and night life in San Pedro. Owners Mark and Joan were delightful to spend time with and their recommended activities were always right on! We dream of returning to Blue Dolphin.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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• Incredible week at the Blue Dolphin

  Incredible week at the Blue Dolphin

  • Guest Lee Marvin
  • Date of stay 01/21/12
  • Review Submitted 02/28/12
  Five couples, all friends from college got together for one of the most amazing weeks of my life. The owners were delightful and chock full of suggestions that made each day a great adventure. Our day trips included, a sailing/snorkeling trip to Caye Caulker, shell collecting, snorkeling in the ocean in front of the Blue Dolphin, fishing on the lagoon side of the island, meeting Jerry Jeff Walker at a little bar in San Pedro... seemed like the fun and adventure never stopped. The house is very spacious and comfortable. And the caretakers, sweet wonderful people. I can't say enough about the Blue Dolphin. Thank you Mark and Joan!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, girls getaway, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Blue Dolphin = Delight!!

  Blue Dolphin = Delight!!

  • Guest Norm
  • Date of stay 11/25/11
  • Review Submitted 12/09/11
  We had an extremely good time in Belize and especially because of the house. Blue Dolphin was perfect. A little big for the 6 of us, but it was still perfect. Enjoyed the pool, the quietness of the area, and the safe feeling we had. No worries. Gloria and Armando were the best. Always so nice and helpful. A real joy. We were so busy with all the activities, it really made it nice to have such a comfortable home to hang out at and crash at when all the days activities ended. Would love to come back agan! Soon!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• unbelizable

  unbelizable

  • Guest Still Smiling!
  • Date of stay 11/19/11
  • Review Submitted 11/30/11
  Absolutely loved this house! We had a large group of friends and family and this was the perfect place for us all. The bedrooms were large and the beds were so comfortable. With the space around the pool and the various decks we had plenty of room to spread out, play games, read or just sit and reflect how lucky we were to be there. We had everything we needed including dinner served when we arrived and the ability to cook and serve a Thanksgiving dinner for 20 on our own. We are already trying to plan a return trip. After exploring the island we are sure the Blue Dolphin is the only place we would stay. If you go trust Mark and Joans reccomendations on trips. There are plenty of people who will tell you they are getting a kick back and they will do the trips for less but we learned the hard way that you get what you pay for. When we went with their reccomendations we had the best days ever!

  Recommended for: Age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

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• 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Paradise

  50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration in Paradise

  • Guest Valerie
  • Date of stay 11/19/11
  • Review Submitted 11/28/11
  We just got back on Saturday from the most amazing vacation ever. We had a group of twenty with an age range of 4 years old to 68 years old. We snorkeled on the Lady Leslie, went diving with the White Sands dive shop, fished on the pier, in the mangroves and on a boat, kayaked, rented bikes from Joe's bike rental, rented golf carts from Cholo's, took a mainland tour of the Mayan Ruins & Cave Tubed, and ate Gloria's tasty stewed chicken. We made the mistake of doing a fishing tour from a vendor off the street rather than using a Mark and Joan recommended vendor but then contacted Jill & Martin (owner's of the Lady Leslie) and went on a combo snorkeling/fishing trip that included conch ceviche appetizers, lobster and fish lunch, lobster sushi and we caught more fish than we caught on the "fishing trip" the day before. Gloria and Armando could not have been more accommodating or available. We are lookinf forward to being able to go back to paradise in the future.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• Vacation July 8-16, 2011

  Vacation July 8-16, 2011

  • Guest Dee
  • Date of stay 07/08/11
  • Review Submitted 07/23/11
  Dr. Mark and Joan your are absolutely correct the Blue Dolphin is the nicest house on the island. It was so perfect for our family vacation it not only lived up to our expectations but was above and beyond. Thank you so much for the wonderful side trips you help us plan, we so enjoyed them and I can't say enough about our snorkeling catamaran trip on the 'ladylesliebze' this is one class act. Martin and the boys were wonderful and the great homemade snacks, yummy. What a wonderful day. Loved the trip to the Mayan ruins and you are right the boat trip is a blast. Enjoyed the little town of Bumba, very interesting area to visit. Our family of 12 declared this family vacation, THE TRIP OF A LIFE TIME, we all enjoyed it so much. The house was perfect for our family, loved the fresh water pool. Gloria and armando are incredible they took such good care of us from the moment our plane landed until we left. Gloria is a wonderful cook and Armando spent time with our grandson's showing them how to cut and get coconut milk. I would highly recommend your house to anyone looking to vacation in Ambergris Caye. Our Trip was perfect we could not of wished for anything more. Thanks again for a wonderful vacation. The Flower Family

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, sightseeing.

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• Amazing home in paradise

  Amazing home in paradise

  • Guest VWerly
  • Date of stay 05/12/11
  • Review Submitted 07/25/11
  We rented the Blue Dolphin for our family reunion in May, and we were not disappointed. The staff was great, the house was amazing, and the scuba diving was tremendous. It's quiet, away from the night life of San Pedro, but just a five minute boat ride to anywhere on the island. The house is pure luxury, with a private pool, dock, great King size beds in every room, and just the right amount of seclusion to make our trip once in a lifetime. If you're going to Ambergris Caye, stay at the Blue Dolphin!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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• luxury and value meet in two story villa

  luxury and value meet in two story villa

  • Guest anaispins
  • Date of stay 02/04/11
  • Review Submitted 07/13/11
  The blue dolphin mixes nice people with a nice place to bring you multiple options for group trips close to a small store a dive shop a few bars and restaurants..it also offers it's own pool with ample deck space and a top floor deck that easily could become your own bar with a view when you have many cases of belikin dropped off. You have kayaks as well to go out on the aqua water and catch your own lunch. I tell everyone about the hraen that is Belize and The Blue Dolphin.

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, families with young children, girls getaway, tourists without a car.

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• UnBelizeable week at the Blue Dolphin

  UnBelizeable week at the Blue Dolphin

  • Guest Tom
  • Date of stay 11/19/10
  • Review Submitted 12/01/11
  We (my wife and I) celebrated our 50th anniversary by spending a wonderful week, with a group of friends and family, at the beautiful Blue Dophin. It was a delightful experience in georgeous surroundings. The caretaker and his wife (Amando & Gloria) took great care of all our needs and made great suggestions regarding places to go and sights to see. To sum things up, I would like to suggest that anyone looking for a wonderful visit, at a reasonable price, to a fantastic Carribean area, will be missing the boat, if they don't stay at the "Blue Dolphin"!

  Recommended for: Adventure seekers, age 55+, families with teenagers, families with young children, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

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