La Caribe ®  

A Private Retreat                         
               Maya Beach, Belize, C.A.

Maya Beach is largely an American and Canadian expat community. We have some of the friendliest people you would ever want to meet and a few old grumpy ones. To date we have a grocery truck to fulfill your grocery needs, but have another physical store being built. For restaurants we have whatever you can cook,  hotel restaurants at the Maya Beach Hotel, the Bella Maya, the Green Parrot and sometimes at Singing Sands. Mangos, the best bar in Belize, serves sandwiches and is currently revamping their kitchen to serve a full menu. The Maya Beach Hotel has an excellent angel hair pasta. The Bella Maya has a great pizza. All are located on Maya Beach Road, the main road. All are in walking distance from La Caribe with Bella Maya being the farthest just short of a mile away. For bars, we have Mangos, some hotels and resorts, and a new bar called Kudas. Again all are in walking/staggering distance from La Caribe with Kudas being a little closer. Kudas is lagoon side. Mangos is sea side. Mangos has the best breeze being an open thatch roofed bar. Nothing tastes and feels better on a hot day than an ice cold Belikin in Mangos with the sea breezes blowing on you to cool you off. Most of the Maya Beach locals hit Mangos daily about 4:30 PM. As I said, they are very friendly people and will answer any questions you have. They love to socialize with the "turistas".

If your not much of a walker, bicycles can be rented. For more convenience though, there is a car rental agency, Barefoot Rentals, at the Nautical Inn in Sein Beight, and another one, Peninsula SUV, by the Placencia airport. Just ask us and we will reserve for you and take you to pick it up.

Seine Bieght is predominantly a Garifuna village with a very diverse culture. If you happen to be here on a Wednesday, we can arrange a trip to Seine Bieght where you will see Garifuna Dancers, have dinner, and participate in the "coconut bowling" game. Seine Bieght has a well stocked grocery store and a "7-11" that serves up some good fried chicken. The Wimasa is a roadside bar where you can enjoy drinks in an outdoor atmosphere while talking to some of the locals. The Nautical Inn has a seaside bar and restaurant just north of Wimasa.

South of Seine Bieght is Robert's Grove with Habaneros restaurant and bar. They have terrific food and on Tuesdays serve up an all you can eat buffet. Habaneros is built on the water on the lagoon side and has wonderful ambience. A little farther south is Laru Beya. The bar/restaurant is located behind their condos but has a spectacular view of the Caribbean and they get great breezes through there too. The food is delicious but is priced in US dollars, so be aware. Once you're in Belize for awhile, you assume restaurant prices are in Belize dollars, two for one, which they usually are. All in all though, Laru Beya's prices are worth it for what you get and the service you receive.

Placencia has a variety of stores, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants with many street vendors as well selling anything from woven baskets, wood carvings and jewelry to hot dogs and tacos. On Saturdays, there is a horseshoe tournament at a bar called Sugar Reef and on Sundays is a "ring ting" tournament at Yoli's. The Belizean locals frequent these events. Recommended Placencia restaurants include Merlenes, Wendy's, Purple Space Monkey, Da Tatch, and Cozy Corner, with the latter having the best spicy fried chicken.

Riversdale, north of us, has a resort called Lost Reef that has a wonderful restaurant and bar. They have excellent pizza, nachos and burgers and their mixed drinks aren't bad neither. Their pastas are absolutely delectable with the exquisite sauces they make.

If you want to cook your own meals, we can pre-stock your fridge with items you want before you arrive. Remember though this is a third world country so we can't get certain things. A grocery truck comes by La Caribe every Thursday and Sunday where you can purchase meats, cheeses, eggs, milk, orange juice, vegetables and other items.