Wonderful Guest Homes, Romantic Locale

Guest: Britt (Seattle, WA)
Date of Stay: 12/23/11 Review Submitted: 01/03/12

We had an absolutely FABULOUS time at Bella Vista. We stayed in the Puesta del Sol casita, which was super clean, and incredibly romantic. The guest homes are conveniently located by one of the very best places to snorkel on the reef, and are attached to an absolutely lovely restaurant. There is absolutely NO other place I would consider staying in San Pedro. Nothing even comes close!

Recommended for:Girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Bella Vista

Guest: Michael and Beth (Lakeport, Calif., U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 06/15/11 Review Submitted: 07/01/11

We stayed at Bella Vista for three nights from 6/15/11. We were really very comfortable for our first taste of Belize. We didn't get to meet Susan but Victoria and Hugo made our stay hassle free. From bartender Kennards "world famous" rum punches to Hugo's bacon wrapped dates and paella, the Aji restaurant rocked. What can you say about a restaurant with its dining room on the beach!. We arrived on the opening day of lobster season, Hugo kayaked out and caught about twenty lobsters....try his parmesan lobster or the champagne lobster. We used their kayak and went right out to the reef for snorkeling where there was a convenient buoy to tie off on. Renting a golf cart is the way to go on Ambergris and Cholos gave us the best deal. Even the grounds keeper Juan was kind enough to bring us some coconuts and straws to try. All in all we would definitely return to Bella Vista, the prices are fair and the casita had everything a person needs. Our thanks to all involved for making our first taste of Belize a memorable one.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway.

Fantastic stay at Bella Vista

Guest: sp (Colorado)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/28/10

A friend and stayed at the Bella Vista guest homes in early October, 2010. I had a very positive experience at Bella Vista, and would both recommend and stay there again. Here is my take on the whole setup: The owner/staff: Susan (owner) and her daughter (Victoria) were both fantastic. They were both very helpful with coordinating anything we might need for our vacation and lovely to talk to as well. Susan also has several other staff that were always friendly, smiling, and more than willing to help. Everyone was great! The Casitas: They are very well equipped, clean, much more spacious than I expected. They are close to one another (~30ft apart), and close to neighboring properties (~30ft), but are still very quiet and feel secluded. I loved lounging in the hammock on the porch each morning with my coffee. Susan has also done a wonderful job with the entire property--- it is beautiful. The location: About 2 miles north of town. It's far enough away that you don't want to make lots of trips back and forth between town and back, but still plenty close for a bike-ride into town (or golf cart/water taxi). The property is completely out of the hustle and bustle--- it was relaxing and perfect. Unfortunately, the on-site restaurant (Aji) was closed for the slow season while we were there. However, there are several resorts nearby with restaurants. We ended up walking down to Ak'bol for a good, cheap breakfast right on the beach. We also went down the beach to the Palapa bar for drinks a few times as well.

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Wonderful

Guest: Rog (Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/28/10

This is one of the most relaxing vacations we have ever had. The entire staff at Bella Vista made it great!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, age 55+.

A wonderful place to stay!

Guest: Nick (Washington State)
Date of Stay: 10/10/10 Review Submitted: 10/27/10

We stayed at Bella Vista for two weeks for our honeymoon and I have to say that it was nothing but good. The casita was spacious, well appointed, and clean and the owners were very helpful and available. This is not your average 'resort' which was perfect for us. We loved the small feel, well groomed grounds, and personal touch. Being able to get in touch with the owner to get help, set up tours, and get tips was priceless. The only downside was that the restaurant was closed (we were there in the low season) and the menu looked wonderful! I would recommend Bella Vista to anyone looking for a low key Belizean getaway.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing.

Paradise Found

Guest: Passman (Edmonton, Alberta Canada)
Date of Stay: 02/12/10 Review Submitted: 05/01/10

I had the pleasure of staying at Bella Vista for an entire month this past February.If there's anyway to get a sense of how great or poor a place is, try a long-term stay. I'm fortunate enough to be able to take extended winter vacations and sometimes they aren't the greatest depending on the accomadations and resort facilities. This was my third trip to San Pedro in the last four winters. Bella Vista is the perfect combination of luxury, remoteness, wildlife and pampering, offering everything from crocs in the lagoon to five star dining. Susan and Victoria work very hard to make everything work smoothly for their guests and provide valuable information on local culture and events. The restaurant serves exceptional meals and the desserts are to die for. I usually don't return to a resort two winters in a row but I have already reserved for a 2 months stay this coming winter. If you're looking for the perfect vacation paradise Bella Vista is about as close as you can come. Of special note for any fly fisherman/women the lagoon has Tarpon and Bass and large Bonefish cruise along the beaches making them accessible but still challenging targets.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Perfect Spring Break for the Entire Family

Guest: Joyce99 (Dallas, Texas)
Date of Stay: 03/20/10 Review Submitted: 03/29/10

Like the previous reviewer, I miss Bella Vista! My husband and I joined his daughter and her boyfriend for spring break and birthday celebrations. Bella Vista was a perfect location for us--we each had a comfortable, private casita. The clean, attractive guest homes look exactly as they do on the website; the garden and grounds are more beautiful. Susan and Victoria are wonderful hosts and took care of us from the time we reserved our casitas through our week-long stay. Susan arranged for a trip to Lamanai; Victoria made recommendations and reservations for water taxis and restaurants. There are few things sweeter than watching sunset from the little beachside bar at Aji's. And the food at Aji's is delicious; we ate there several nights. The lack of a pool didn't bother us; we snorkelled from the dock, rented bikes and walked up and down the beach. We made a few breakfasts in the well equipped kitchen. I look forward to returning and recommending this lovely place.

Recommended for:Girls getaway, tourists without a car, romantic getaway, adventure seekers, sightseeing, age 55+.

Guest: Nicola5 (Brooklyn, NY)
Date of Stay: 02/22/10 Review Submitted: 02/22/10

My husband and I stayed at Bella Vista for 9 days in January for our honeymoon. Spending New Years Eve in San Pedro was a blast and we are considering doing it again. Our casita at Bella Vista was our own private tree house paradise. It was wonderful. Susan was extremely helpful in helping us plan our adventures and Victoria was also great in terms of advice and making us reservations at Aji's or other restaurants on the island. Aji's a great, romantic spot for dinner and the frozen mojitos are excellent. We loved Bella Vista and miss it terribly. It really did feel like home for the time we were there. The one thing I would not if you are not going to do diving and snorkeling on the island then you may prefer a place with a pool although we were happy just biking around and lazing on the docks. Also, Captain Morgan's just up the beach is super friendly and they let us use their pool. At Bella Vista we made breakfast each morning and even some dinners because the kitchen was fully equipped and Lulu's market made getting groceries very convenient. Their aren't many ATMs on this part of the island and when we were short on cash Susan even offered to loan us some. All in all the service and experience at Bella Vista was first rate!

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Guest: Sandy and Bruce Moffatt (Edmonton, Alberta)
Date of Stay: 01/13/10 Review Submitted: 01/13/10

We stayed at Bella Vista after reading the comments of other Edmonton visitors. We agree that Susan and Victoria are great hosts, they really helped make our vacation memorable by arranging excellent excurions to Mayan ruins, and fishing and snorkeling trips. Bella Vista has all the necessities for a relaxed holiday and was everything we hoped for in a great out of the way place. Our favourite memory is paddling the kayak out to the reef on Christmas Day to snorkel and watch the sun set from the water - priceless. We would definitely stay here again. Bruce and Sandy, Edmonton, AB

Owner response:Thanks! It's easy to be great hosts when you have such wonderful guests. We hope to see you back here soon. Susan and Victoria

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Guest: Joe & Robin1 (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Date of Stay: 03/21/09 Review Submitted: 03/21/09

Bella Vista Guest House is the place if you are looking for a great location, peace and quiet and wonderful hosts - Bruce & Susan. My wife and I stayed at Bella Vista from Feb 12 - 24th, 2009 and highly recommend it. Susan met us on arrival, allowed us time to get groceries before meeting Bruce for the 2 ½ mile ride to the site. We were overwhelmed by the facilities. They have four casitas located a short walk through their garden from the beach-two with decks fronting the lagoon and two further back in the garden. The area is beautifully landscaped. The cabin was excellent, air-conditioned, spotless with a small bedroom, comfortable queen bed, bathroom with shower, an equipped kitchen area and a comfortable living area/dinette. The deck overhung the lagoon with mangroves in front and trees around giving us great privacy. Lots of wildlife-we fed the small fish below the deck every morning, left pineapple and papaya out for the iguanas, saw anoles, two crocs in the lagoon, a basilisk lizard, and small birds. Having got there a bit after supper time, we tried the on-site restaurant run by their daughter; Victoria, and her boyfriend; Hugo, the latter also being the chef. Meals were very good, reasonably priced and we ate there many times over 12 days. Bicycles are provided and we went into San Pedro a number of times (15 minutes) and it is a delightful ride along the beach. Bruce was wonderful in taking us around in his boat for a very reasonable price. One day he took us 8 miles north up the coast and we rode back. It was one of the highlights of our time on Ambergris and we were back in 3-4 hours including a stop for a fantastic blackened fish sandwich at the Belize Legacy beach bar. Bruce took us snorkelling for a fraction of the cost of the tours, took another acquaintance and I fishing where we had a great time catching plenty of fish (including the big one the shark bit in half on the way in) again for a very fair price. The only negative to our trip were the sand flies that found us all about Ambergris Caye so bring along bug repellent. Bruce, Susan, Victoria and Hugo are great hosts. They really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and offer suggestions to make your holiday more memorable. PS: Don't forget to feed our fish!

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