Overall, we had a wonderful week staying at Third Coast.
The property was absolutely spotlessly clean and architecturally interesting. Araceli was also a wonderful cook. She (naturally) specializes in Belizean cuisine, and her beans, pico de gallo, salsas, fry jacks, tortillas, and chicken dishes were fantastic. The Texans in our group (which included one vegetarian) were absolutely thrilled to eat almost all meals at the house. One of our group struggled a bit with overall spice levels and unfamiliar foods, but Araceli did her best to accommodate. It was very convenient to have Genie and Coral Diver’s right next door for snorkeling trips - it really felt effortless to boat out to the reef everyday that weather conditions allowed. Christin was very responsive and helpful when our flight to San Pedro was moved to an earlier time. She also provided useful information and tips as the trip approached.
There are some wonderful creatures about, which looked like herons, cormorants, terns, pelicans, even a local lizard colony at the shore.
The biggest drawback to this house is the distance from grocery stores and restaurants. The roads on this part of Ambergris Caye are in very bad condition. My spouse and I (30s/40s) were ok, but the older members of our group (60s-70s) found it extremely uncomfortable to ride even very short distances in the golf cart. There are a couple of restaurants and bars that were walkable from the house for younger folks during daylight hours, but were a bit too far for our whole group. Tino can arrange a van for trips to town/restaurants, which is much more comfortable but also pretty expensive. Another minor con is that the information binder at the house (with info on groceries, restaurants, things to do) was pretty out of date (probably partially due to COVID).
Tips: Stop at the grocery store on your way to the house! There was absolutely nothing in the pantry when we arrived. This was obviously our mistake, but we didn’t understand until we got there how provisioning worked with Araceli cooking meals. Basically, you should stock up on your “essentials” (coffee, milk, snacks, beer/wine) and the stuff you want for your first meal or two when you arrive and before you get dropped off at the house. Once you arrive at the house, talk to Araceli and meal plan with her- you or she can then shop for the specific ingredients for the meals. She was very helpful and accommodating with everything.