Travel: Beautiful Belize in two parts

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Winter on the Canadian prairies begs for a tropical escape, and Belize offers a stunning variety of welcoming places for adventure in the sun.

A recommendation from a friend inspired our two-part trip. English is the official language in this Central American country, where the people are as warm as the weather, so we felt comfortable going a bit off the beaten path.

Our stay began on the mainland with a few nights in an elevated “tree house” overlooking the Belize River — built on tall pilings, not attached to a tree — and ended with a week of snorkelling and relaxing on Caye Caulker, just off the coast.

We were met at the airport in Belize City by Andrew, a delightful man from Burrell Boom, the small village where Howler House, our lofty temporary home, is situated. We made arrangements with Andrew in advance through the owner of Howler House and he was happy to drive us around throughout our stay, for a fee we considered more than reasonable.

Howler House gets its name from the howler monkeys who frequent the treetops around it. It’s fully equipped and quite comfortable, offering close-up views of the monkeys and huge, orange-striped iguanas in the canopy from a wraparound deck. There’s nothing like sipping a morning coffee while watching a juvenile monkey slowly wake up just a few metres away.

The house is accessed by a wooden boardwalk that passes over one side of a pond at the back of the property. At the time of our stay, a young crocodile was living in the pond, affording us some unforgettable moments as it glided over to check us out.

The house is equipped with a canoe for quiet paddles on the slow-moving river, and bicycles for cruising around the village. Guests have access to a pool and restaurant at a nearby hotel. A friendly local man stopped by to sell us fresh coconut water, and one afternoon we had a delicious, memorable meal at a little village restaurant located in the home of another local who chatted with us as she prepared our food in the kitchen a few steps away.

Highlights of our stay in this part of Belize included a day trip to the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha and the wonderful Belize Zoo, where the enclosures are constructed right in the leafy jungle.

The second part of our trip began with a boat ride from Belize City to Caye Caulker, one of a collection of cayes near the Belize Barrier Reef. Staying on such a small island — where everyone walks, bikes or tools around the sandy roads on golf carts — was an enchanting new experience for us.

Our accommodations were perfect for a quiet couple: a fully equipped house, far enough from the busiest part of the island to be undisturbed. We had access to a pool and a seaside dock, both shared with a few other homes. The dock was equipped with comfy lounge chairs under a large palapa for shade, and a ladder for dips in the lagoon’s unforgettable blue water.

The food: Caye Caulker is full of small restaurants serving an array of tasty choices throughout the day and into the evening. Breakfast pastries, fried chicken and the freshest possible seafood — including lobster and conch — had us waddling around contentedly more than once.

A word of warning: this is not a place for lounging on the beach. Most of Caye Caulker’s shoreline is held together with the roots of mangrove trees. The side facing the reef does have a small strip of sand, but sand flies — also called no-see-ums because they’re so tiny — were biting during our stay. The itch is maddening and persistent.

I’ve saved the best for last: no discomfort from a puny insect could possibly take away from the experience of snorkelling this spectacular coral reef. We swam with huge rays, harmless nurse sharks, sea turtles and mind-boggling clouds of colourful tropical fish.

Half-day and full-day snorkel tours — even night tours — are available on Caye Caulker from various operators for good prices. Visitors with diving certification can also visit the famous Blue Hole and other sites.

Author’s note: I do not work in the travel industry, and this is not a paid endorsement. At the time of this trip, I had no intention of writing about it. The views expressed are purely my own.