Belize – Sun, Sea, and Smiles with Mom!
Belize – what a refreshing change in climate from Costa Rica! Nestled on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize captivates with its vibrant culture, lush jungles, and pristine Caribbean coastline. Formerly known as British Honduras until gaining independence in 1981.
The moment we stepped off the plane and into Belize, we knew life was going to be good.
No high humidity! Flying over the ocean to get to the Island of San Pedro, where we would be staying, was simply beautiful. Yay!
We were beyond excited to be in Belize, especially since we had planned a visit to this lovely country a few years earlier but had to change our plans. This time, we were thrilled because Mom was coming to visit us! It was going to be amazing!
We found a charming little Airbnb right on the shoreline with a breathtaking view overlooking the bay. We were conveniently located near a restaurant serving delicious fish tacos – a pleasant surprise to see that Belizean cuisine had a Mexican flair.
Our accommodation had a lovely beach which was perfect for boats, although not ideal for swimming. However, this didn’t bother us much since we could easily walk a few feet from our house to the boat for snorkeling adventures.
We heard about Caye Caulker, a lovely island south of San Pedro, accessible by ferry.
We spent an afternoon lounging at a spot with a fun ladder to jump from – of course Rick couldn’t resist trying it out. We enjoyed swimming, soaking up the sun, and indulging in tasty snacks. Do you see Rick climbing up on the stairs to jump?
We were able to get in a wonderful kayak trip.
We toodled around the Meso-American Reef. It was a beautiful day, and we really enjoyed the water and the scenery.
When Mom finally arrived, Rick was incredibly sweet and eager to pick her up from the airport.
Despite her flight being delayed and her having to stay a night in Belize City, we were relieved when she finally made it the next morning. Phew, what a relief!
We had an absolute blast with Mom, spending many days leisurely strolling around the little island and soaking in its vibes. We treated ourselves to some delicious freshly made chocolate treats and encountered pretty birds and large stingrays at the water’s edge during our bayshore walks.
Mom even made friends with a stray dog who adored her touch – it truly was a relaxing week.
One highlight was a charming little parade that passed through San Pedro. We rushed down to take a few pictures and enjoyed watching the city’s youth march with their marching band. They were so cute!
We decided to explore snorkeling since we’d heard about Belize’s amazing coral reef – the MesoAmerican Reef, second largest in the world.
We were thrilled that Mom was up for the adventure too, snorkeling even in her 80s – sometimes you just have to seize the moment!
As mentioned earlier, we set off just steps away from our casita to the boat provided by Blue Heaven Tours. It was incredible to see our little blue house from the ocean.
Our tour guide was fascinating – a local, passionate about preserving the reef and its inhabitants for future generations.
Our boat ride out was a beautiful & fun ride. We could see our shore as we took off from the bay.
We marveled at the colorful fish, an octopus, eagle rays, and various coral types. One memorable stop was Shark Ray Alley, teeming with nurse sharks and southern rays – guess who bravely jumped in to swim with the sharks? That’s right, we did!
To our surprise, we discovered that our direct neighbor was the SDA church! How wonderful it was to simply walk next door for church and hear the sermons in English. It had been a long time since Rick and I could fully understand and enjoy a sermon.
We really had no excuse to NOT go to our little church by the sea.
Our time with Mom flew by, and soon it was time for all of us to leave the island. We were so grateful for her visit and hope she’ll be able to join us again at one of our future destinations.
I had a marvelous time in San Pedro with Marta and Rick! They made sure I got to see everything! We walked every day. We saw shops, shoreline, birds, water animals, and had nice daily worships together. The views were picture post card quality. I could look out my window and see the boats rocking on the waves and big birds flying to the palm trees and very blue sky! I saw many sea creatures when we snorkeled, schools of beautiful little and big colorful fish, and amazing coral. It was a trip to a beautiful place with beautiful people!!!
Aw…I love this post!! So fun to see all of you – mom too! – in such a beautiful place enjoying the beauty and activities! Your little blue AirBnb is so cute, and the beach and underwater pictures are beautiful. I love the sunshine and palm trees too. And how nice to not have to deal with humidity!