Vacation Rentals by Owner

5 Days 6 Nights at Los Encantos

Guest: Jill (San diego)
Date of Stay: 05/11/12 Review Submitted: 05/24/12

We just finished an all too quick trip to San Pedro and have wonderful things to say about Belize, San Pedro and Los Encantos as a destination for your holiday. Los Encantos is a two level house on a compound with 4 or 5 other similar structures. A salt water pool is situated in the middle with some very comfy lounge chairs around it (which can also be found on the small beach out front). This was an extremely comfortable place to stay. The house itself is a great location, situated at the front of the lot so there is nothing in front of you but palm tress, a few chairs and beach. The trees would offer privacy in the busy season (which is not when we were there, so this I guess is speculation). I put emphasis on the comfort level of Los Encantos because staying here would not be about plasma screens or super modern furnishings. It's a nice and simple house that you feel welcome in and at home as soon as you walk in the door. Besides, you're not in Belize to watch TV anyway when you can read your book on the hammock outside (if it's not windy, wear bug spray). You can walk to a locally run supermarket (best to order from them before you arrive and all will be situated in the house when you arrive) and a couple restaurants but for the most part you're a little bit away from what I would imagine to be the high level tourist areas (again, wasn't there in high season so this is speculation). For activities we did: Diving (Blue Hole as well as local trips) and Lamanai. Diving locally is great, Blue Hole trip is fantastic and Lamanai is absolutely worth a visit as well. Anyway, as you can tell - we really loved it here. Simple, easy and lovely ... which was perfect for us.

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

Happy Times at Los Encantos!

Guest: Happy Guests
Date of Stay: 03/10/12 Review Submitted: 03/21/12

Your home is WONDERFUL!!!! What a glorious spot. Well appointed and comfortable. Rachel and Sergio couldn't have been more hospitable. They kept the place immaculate. We had a full house(ses) while we were there but it did not feel crowded or noisy. Truly a magnificent trip. We voted your spot the Loveliest of all and we walked way north and down past SP. Thank you for sharing your little piece of Paradise.

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Perfect place to relax and get away from it all....

Guest: Ben and Sue (Portland, Oregon)
Date of Stay: 02/12/12 Review Submitted: 02/29/12

Four of us stayed here for ten relaxing, warm, sunny, wonderful days. The home is incredibly comfortable and roomy, and the view from the patio is unbelievable. Loved the pool, the chaise lounges under the coconut trees, the palapa at the end of the pier, and the quiet. One thing to note: the home is 4+ miles north of town, there's not much around (which was nice!) and the road isn't really golf-cart-friendly. So we rented bikes in San Pedro (you can bring them up with you in the water taxi when you're coming in from the airport) and that was perfect. It's an easy and fun bike ride on the hard-pack beach path all the way down to the Palapa Bar, then you can bike over to the main road into town. There's also great biking and birdwatching (and beautiful sunsets!) on the road behind the house that goes over to the other side of the island. Definitely have Genie take you out to Mexico Rocks (very close, great snorkeling and beautiful coral) and to Hol Chan/Shark Ray Alley for more great snorkeling. We also did a bit of fishing - my stepson caught a 35 lb barracuda, which was very tasty on the BBQ when we got back to the house! Overall, this place was magical. We highly recommend it for anyone looking to relax and enjoy the loveliness and charm that is Belize.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers

From a recent guest...

Guest: A happy guest
Date of Stay: 02/10/12 Review Submitted: 02/29/12

Hi Sally - we got back from Belize late last week - and just wanted to say that the house was AMAZING. What a lovely, comfortable, happy home - the four of us just had a relaxing, fun time. Loved the location, Sergio and Rachel, and San Pedro.

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Fun Times on Ambergris Caye!

Guest: A happy guest
Date of Stay: 01/10/12 Review Submitted: 01/17/12

We had a great time and your home is beautiful. Sergio and Rachel were so very nice and so helpful. Everything went off without a glitch. We did so much that I need a day or two to rest and recuperate. Fishing, tubing, swimming, the ruins and even a few late nights in town. I think next time I'll have to stay longer. Thanks for providing a beautiful home for a wonderful vacation.

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Another Awesome Family Vacation at Los Encantos!

Guest: Murphy (San Diego, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 01/02/12 Review Submitted: 01/16/12

This is our second trip to Los Encantos and it was even better than the first! It was a great way for our family to enjoy time together. We didn't travel to the mainland or town as much this time because everything we needed and wanted was right here. It was great to relax, snorkel, fish, and just hang out by the pool, beach, and on the dock. Oh, the balcony, too. Awsome view. My husband kite boards and he was in heaven. My five year old and I got to watch him from the dock. She enjoyed playing on the beach and we could relax because it's so safe. We felt relaxed the moment we walked back into the house. There was something for everyone. We owe it all to our five year daughter asking to go back. She got it started. We highly recommend Los Encantos and can't wait to go back!!!

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

Vacation at Villa La Jolla

Guest: A happy guest and her family
Date of Stay: 12/25/11 Review Submitted: 01/01/12

Thoroughly enjoyed our vacation in Belize, and our stay at Villa La Jolla in particular. Place was great, and Sergio, Rachel and Genie were all extremely helpful.

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From a happy guest

Guest: A Thankgiving guest and family
Date of Stay: 11/30/11 Review Submitted: 12/03/11

We had a marvelous time and enjoyed the house very much!

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If you can't relax here, you can't relax anywhere.

Guest: Karen & Bill (San Diego)
Date of Stay: 08/18/11 Review Submitted: 09/01/11

Our stay at Los Encantos was everything we hoped for and more. Villa La Jolla is beautiful, comfortable, extremely relaxing and has everything you need for a fabulous stay in Belize. There were only two of us, but the place is spacious and would easily accommodate six guests. The owners went out of their way to make sure that we were greeted at the airport and taken by water taxi to the Villa where we were welcomed by the caretakers, Ms. Rachel and Mr. Sergio---who were so wonderful and helpful during our entire stay. Even though we were steps from the ocean, we loved the saltwater pool for a quick dip or even to simply float and relax. There’s a great little grocery store and a couple nice restaurants within walking distance from the Villa. The most difficult decision of each day was whether to have drinks on the deck, by the pool or on the lounge chairs down on the beach. One night we even hung out at the end of the dock gazing at the stars and watching some kind of “lightening-bug” fish in the water. We were incredibly happy just hanging out at the Villa. Los Encantos is far enough away from San Pedro to completely relax and let go, but close enough to take advantage of all of the adventures that await you. The information provided by Sally and Hal prior to our arrival and on the coffee table at the Villa was extremely helpful in planning our daily activities. Manuel is definitely the man if you’re looking for an exceptional dive master and snorkel guide. As a new diver, he gave me all the tools I needed to explore some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. He also was most helpful in getting us to some incredible snorkeling locations where we saw manatees, sea turtles, stingrays, nurse sharks and an assorted array of other amazing marine life. Manuel even hooked us up with a trip to the mainland to check out the Mayan ruins at Lamanai. While there are many great restaurants in San Pedro, we found that we preferred to return to Los Encantos each night to relax and make our own dinner (the kitchen is fully equipped). One night we even came home to a delicious authentic Belizean prepared by Ms. Rachel. We left on a Belizean high—feeling completely relaxed and re-energized. We are madly in love with Belize and will be going back again and again. We have already recommended Los Encantos to several of our friends and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a little slice of heaven! Thank you for making this a most memorable vacation.

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

Great Beach Villa

Guest: Randy (Northern California )
Date of Stay: 07/15/11 Review Submitted: 07/23/11

Villa La Jolla was everything promised and that we hoped it would be. I was there with my 18 year old son and four of his friends. Everyone enjoyed the house, the pool and the beach. Rachel and Sergio are great; ready to help with every request. We snorkeled, scuba dove, fished and just kicked back. There are good restaurants and the Mata Grande store within walking distance and the water taxi is there to take you into San Pedro if you want night life. The house is very comfortable and has everything you need for a vacation stay. I wholeheartedly recommend Villa la Jolla for a vacation on Ambergris Caye.

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

Guest: Sue E.
Date of Stay: 02/10/11 Review Submitted: 02/21/11

I just wanted to thank your entire organization for our wonderful stay there in Belize. Our rides were perfect and may I say in all sincerity Rachel is just the best. Not only is she thorough, helpful, and such a pleasure to be with!! We were so well cared for and to a person - Belize is our new return destination and your Los Encantos housing was absolutely perfect!

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Would do it all over again!!

Guest: cocoa (Bozeman, MT USA)
Date of Stay: 01/16/11 Review Submitted: 04/01/11

The house was amazing for our group of six. The location was ideally seccluded and a fun distance from town via the go-cart we rented. The area was perfect and quiet...we will definately be back!

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

Guest: Bill
Date of Stay: 10/21/10 Review Submitted: 12/25/10

Had our first trip to AC and it was great, even considering “Richard”. We stayed north of San Pedro at a place called Villa La Jolla in Los Encantos. The place was beautiful and well maintained. The caretakers Sergio and Rachel were very helpful. Our only disappointment was that we relocated to San Pedro right before the hurricane and we didn’t get a chance to have Raquel prepare her Belizean meal. We did the fishing – snorkel – BBQ thing with the guy named Genie. We had a blast and he is quite the character. Caught some fish, did Mexico Rocks and had a great meal (rum too). I have a hard time remembering much after that. The next day we fished with Hillyboo. This guy is a fishing machine, maybe too serious. Another great day - caught some tuna for dinner (we thought). After fishing, we went to San Pedro for lunch. Went to the Waruguma place and got the lobster burritos, unbelievable. Anyway, that’s why we didn’t have the tuna for dinner.

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Best Family Vacation!!!!

Guest: Murphy (San Diego, Ca.)
Date of Stay: 09/26/10 Review Submitted: 01/08/11

This was absolutely the best trip we have taken! The house was extremely comfortable, functional and nice. It had everything we needed. We felt at home the moment we walked in the door. Because there are two bedrooms with their own private bathrooms downstairs, our daughter had her own space and so did we! There is also more room if needed. The beach directly out front was calm, peaceful and perfect to let our daughter play safely (she's 4). The swimming pool is relaxing and the caretakers, Rachel and Sergio, are wonderful. We had them cook a traditional dinner and highly recommend it. Be sure to look up Genie for scuba, snorkeling, beach BBQ's, or anything. He was wonderful and soooo much fun. It's easy to get to town, Jason has a close market and delivers so supplies are easily available. We were happy even just hanging around the house. The people are very friendly and accommodating, and the atmosphere was perfect for spending time together, having adventures and reconnecting. There is also a lot of info and suggestions at the house for finding things to do. They made it so easy! We would go back in a heartbeat!!!

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

Amazing villa, amazing view, amazing staff, amazing vacation

Guest: alia's 30th (chicago, il)
Date of Stay: 05/07/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10

Los Encantos was the perfect place for us to stay for our friend's 30th birthday. We had a fabulous trip thanks to the amazing staff (you must have Raquel's dinner - it is FABULOUS! and Sergio greets you with a gift!), private location, serene setting, and good friends. Thanks Los Encantos for an amazing trip!

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

BEST VACATION EVER!

Guest: alia maria (nyc)
Date of Stay: 05/07/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10

The house was amazing and Sergio and Rachel were so accommodating and sweet. The management company made sure we had transportation via water taxi directly to our private pier and we didnt have to worry about organizing a thing! They also helped us rent a golf cart and book flights back to belize city. It was the most relaxing vacation. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend renting this house. It is private and the spacious. We were able to cook meals in the kitchen as there was a small grocery just a few doors down. This was such an easy trip to organize and I will be going back! Sally- you are fantastic!

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

Guest: Chris
Date of Stay: 05/01/10 Review Submitted: 06/07/10

My girlfriend Kasi and I stayed at Los Encantos back at the beginning of May. I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know it was exactly what we were looking for. Sergio and Rachel were great (we had a wonderful Rachel meal one night). We went diving with Geni...met lots of neighborhood locals...and I caught fish out front! We also saw some glowing/blinking fish or bugs off the end of the dock our last night...still haven't figured out what they were. It started a bit dicey the first night with howling winds, phone and power outages (Caye Managment was great too). After a week it was easy to see we wouldn't have wanted to stay anywhere else. We had an adventure every day, and wouldn't have changed a thing.

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Guest: Ken
Date of Stay: 04/02/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10

Just a quick note to tell you what a wonderful time we had in Belize. Rachel and Sergio were most helpful and our fishing/snorkeling trip with Genie was spectacular. Thanks to you and Mary for making our vacation one to remember.

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Guest: Ilsa
Date of Stay: 02/18/10 Review Submitted: 05/18/10

Sally: Thank you so much for sharing your bit of paradise with us. We absolutely loved Ambergris Caye and all of its charm. Rachel and Sergio were extremely helpful and so nice and sweet. We loveed Little Sergio and were very envious of his mode of transportation to school. Such a fantastic way of life. Thank you again!

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WONDERFUL

Guest: Sue (Chevy Chase, Maryland)
Date of Stay: 01/20/10 Review Submitted: 08/12/10

Villa La Jolla is absolutely THE most relaxing place I have ever been. Everything you need is in the villa and the owner-neighbors are wonderful. It is PERFECT.

Recommended for:Age 55+, girls getaway, romantic getaway.

Our idyllic week at Los Encantos on Ambergris Caye

Guest: Island Afficionado (Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
Date of Stay: 08/18/09 Review Submitted: 06/03/10

We had a wonderful week at this villa in August 2009 and would highly recommend it. Our favorite things included: The oceanfront location – The villa is just steps from the water and you can see waves breaking over the coral reef not far offshore. The quietness and privacy – away from the busy town, BUT with easy and FUN access to the town, via the frequent water taxi service. What a way to get around! We enjoyed seeing the view from the water. Also, some buffer land on all sides. Very peaceful. The villa itself – Spacious, lots of windows, airy, nice light, beautiful exposed wood, tiled bathrooms, quality construction (a very solid look and feel to everything) Great diving (my husband) and snorkeling (me) – many sites within a short distance. Hol Chan is a MUST. Sheer ease of diving - Getting picked up and dropped off at our own dock by the dive operators, who were very accommodating and personable. (Owners gave us some good recommendations.) Dock and palapa - The cluster of four villas has its own dock, and the palapa at the end of the dock has shaded seating with water on all sides. A wonderful spot with a book or a drink, and at any time of the day or evening. Second-floor deck - Overlooking the ocean, with hammock and comfortable chairs. There’s a large and attractive dining table in the villa but we often just carried our meals out to the deck. Attractive landscaping – palm trees, native vegetation Pool – nice tile, substantial wooden chaise lounges Walking for miles – Along the waterfront in either direction Excellent waterfront restaurants – several just a quick walk from the villa, and more in town Overall comfort and “user friendliness” – Owners seem to have thought of everything: board games, books and videos for the occasional rain shower…WiFi (which unfortunately my husband did take advantage of, for some work-related matters…also useful for researching activities)…plenty of kitchen utensils…comfort of knowing you have live-in caretakers nearby

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