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Why pick Belize as a single traveler – and tips on how to do it!

2.) It is a destination for people to come when they are seeking out a place with more authentic, non-corporate experiences. While you can probably picture the whole vacation start to finish if you are headed down for a week to rent a beach house in Florida or Myrtle Beach (nothing against those places, it is just that you really know exactly what you are getting, no surprises, lots of chains, and sometimes this is just right!) The average traveler to Belize — ALL over the map. Although there are plenty of families, this is not the most wonderful place on earth for a lot of kids (it is a do-it-yourself place, there isn’t putt putt, wifi everywhere, water parks etc), and you will see a lot of free spirits on the plane to Belize. While the crowd headed to Cancun generally has its share of manicured nails and designer bags in line at the airport, you are more likely to see Tevas, backpacks, and generally more earthy-types (totally generalizing – however – check this out for yourself at the airport!)

3.) You are NOT going to stick out in the Belize crowd as a single traveler – on almost any excursion, there are singles, you will see them at hotels and bars, and it does not look weird here at all. In fact, I have never been to a place in my life where people seem to become best friends over the course of a vacation – and I have been to many places where I didn’t talk to another traveler for a week. Belize is small, intimate, warm, and friendly – and the vibe here is one of openness and inclusion – perfect for a single traveler.

4.) Materialism is NOT a thing here, and it looks almost funny/definitely out of place if you happen to see really nice cars, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. In fact, you will stick out if you are wearing more than a tank top and t-shirt – barefeet are even ok. In general, when traveling alone, you can feel free to be as casual as you want.

5.) Many/most hotels are small/boutique in nature, and the excursion groups can be as small as 3-5. It is so easy to make fast friends here – you aren’t a small fish in a large pond here, quite the opposite. People WILL talk to you if you are a single traveler sitting alone and look reasonably friendly!

6.) You don’t have to navigate public transportation or long drives by yourself – you can stay right in the village in Placencia, or right in the heart of town in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, or San Ignacio, for example, where everything you would want to do is steps away. You can be picked up right at your door for excursions. There will always be people around and you won’t have any scary walking-by-yourself-at-night-in-the-dark moments. (This isn’t recommended anywhere of course, even at home, but because Belize is so small, you can do everything on foot.)

7.) Getting around the entire country by yourself can be easy, painless, and not scary at all – you can hop on the regional puddle jumpers safely and easily and get around the country in no time – minus your fear of flying in something the size of a car, most any traveler will feel comfortable and safe. There are many options of course, like driving, shuttles, or the bus, but even for a beginner traveler you can travel the country with ease in the puddle jumpers.

8.) Pick your hotel wisely. I do not recommend staying at a larger condo-type place – because these generally get more families, children, and groups who tend to be a bit less socially-motivated. The bigger the condo, the easier it is to get lost in the couch/TV comforts of home! You will notice when you go to these many condo type places – you may not see people socializing and interacting at the pool. Many may also have longer-term residents who have different energy than a traveler. You want to find a smaller hotel with common social areas, a pool, or close to the action, or a hostel-type hotel if that is your speed – because those truly are social havens, and Belize has many great ones in every town. You probably also want to stay away from romantic hotels that cater to honeymooners as a single traveler – for obvious reasons 🙂

9.) Do a bit of research before you come to see where to go each night, near your hotel, so nighttime alone travel is minimized. You will probably get invited to group outings before the end of your trip, but at least the first few nights – some great resources are the Placencia Breeze online, the Placencia What’s Happening page, or take a walk around town and read the boards out front at the bars. There are activities aimed at socializing every night in the tourist towns. A great link in San Pedro is THIS for nightly happenings. San Ignacio is a town that is less beach bar/tourism driven so I would travel there for the excursions and adventure, but less for nighttime fun.

10.)Here are some recommended hotels and activities in Placencia and San Pedro for some single traveler fun!
Placencia
Bars- Thirsty Parrot (don’t miss, most social warm place you’ll find), Barefoot Bar, Tipsy Tuna, karaoke at J Dee’s on Sundays
Activities – hang out at the pier beach and The Shak, swim around Barefoot, Cozy Corner or Sailfish during the day, set up a snorkel the first day you are there – you can easily find these by the chalkboards all through town. This is a sure way to meet people! Also go to Caye Caulker and hang out at the Split for an afternoon.
Hotels – Julia’s Cabanas, Miramar, Sea Spray, Cozy Corner, Anda Di Hows, Lydia’s Guest House are all casual, laid back social hotels.

San Pedro – a Single Traveler Meeting Place
Bars- Palapa Bar, Sandy Toes, Wayo’s, Melt, Sandbar, CocoLoco’s, Crazy Canuck’s
Activities – karaoke (check the link above!), the chicken drop, crab races at Crazy Canuck’s, swim at Palapa Bar, Secret Beach, YOLO boat outings, hang out at SandBar during the day
Hotels – Sandbar for sure, this is modest but is truly your best chance of meeting others, Pedro’s Inn for younger backbackers, Sun Breeze Inn, slightly more upscale but great social pool and bar attached -these are all right in the heart of town with social stuff going on all day long.

Since we have opened PUR, in the Tres Cocos neighborhood of Belize, I have had a LOT of questions coming my way about what Tres Cocos neighborhood is like, where it is, why is it up and coming, why should they choose it as a place to stay, what are they missing if they don’t stay in town? There isn’t much info online about this neighborhood so I thought I’d give a fresh perspective about this area!

Tres Cocos is the area just north of the bridge in San Pedro. San Pedro is the biggest town on Ambergris Caye, and there are different neighborhoods around the island that you will hear talked about. One of the more famous destination neighborhoods is called Boca Del Rio – which is the heart of town, where the majority of beach bars and docks are. This is a definite must-do, it has some of the anchor places on the island, like Palapa Bar, Sandy Toes, Wayo’s, all the excursion docks, Melt, Sandbar, and many more. The other great parts of town to visit are south of there, where you’ll find Estelle’s, Nook, Blue Water Grill, and then farther south, an entirely different neighborhood with the fun of Crazy Canuck’s, Road Kill, AJ’s and more….this is why Belize gets many repeat guests, as each area has its own vibe and I am barely scratching the surface of all the places to go, eat, see, and do.

Back to Tres Cocos. Tres Cocos is really, really pretty – and looks different than the rest of the island. It is newer and less developed, and less busy. One definite positive most will agree is that the road north is amazing compared to the rest of the island. Much of the road on the island is cobbestones and bumps and is pretty rough to drive on, not to mention, BUSY! Once you get north of the bridge, you find a very polite, straightforward, smooth, two lane road with mostly golf carts and bikes. The road was just paved within the last couple years, which has helped the growth.

This neighborhood has recently started to be on everyone’s destination list partly because of Truck Stop and Croc’s, which are two super unique experiences to have on the island. Truck Stop is a veritable carnival of fun, with games, movies, food trucks, and is a must do – it is always a hub of activity.

Croc’s is an amazing 3 story tiki bar – HUGE! – that overlooks the lagoon and has amazing sunsets. It has become the place to be for many major events – the Superbowl this year was so packed on every floor that there was barely a seat available.

Many, many condo developments can be found in Tres Cocos, along with an amazing, tranquil beach walk that is a must-do. It is just gorgeous. You can walk to Ak’bol Yoga on the beach, and do yoga on a palapa over the sea.

There are some wonderful resorts north of Tres Cocos for spas and upscale dining, including rooftop dining at Rain. Coco Loco’s is a very friendly, warm pool bar that has some fun events weekly, and Dive Bar is an amazing experience.

I think it is fair to say that there is less authentic local culture north of the bridge, it is newer and many of the larger fancier resorts are just north of Tres Cocos. Downtown San Pedro has a very authentic feel, and it can be crazy – busy, loud, hectic…a little bit gritty – and always fun. North of the bridge in Tres Cocos is quite tranquil, you will awake to hear birds in the morning, and there is some space and nature between each establishment, as opposed to in town where things are right next to each other.

One other reason that north of the bridge is great is that it is a perfect takeoff point to get to Secret Beach, which is most definitely not a secret, but may never lose that name. Secret Beach is a place where there is no sea grass, and the sandbar extends forever, so you can walk out in waist-deep water, and enjoy an amazing number of super fun beach bars that have popped up there. Belize has been getting Sargassum seaweed in large amounts recently, along with all of the Caribbean, and for beach fun, this is definitely the place to go when the sea grass hits the east side of the island.

You can always book something in town for half the trip and spend the other half in Tres Cocos!