Snowbird in Belize

Hi,

I'm looking for new places for my mother. She's in her 70's and likes to head somewhere warm for a few months during the winter. She has rented an apt in the old romantic zone of Puerto Vallarta as well as stayed at The Melville in downtown Mazatlan and likes that style though she'd like to try somewhere new this year. Looking at Belize as one of the possibilities...Hoping to find the following:

• likes the ocean/beaches but she's not a sunbather or swimmer
• loves to walk and people watch and hopes to find somewhere she can walk around and be in all the action (for her means stopping at coffee shops, markets, plazas, etc.) with new places to explore for a month or two.
• doesn't drive and would like to be able to walk out the door to everything rather than taking bus/taxi
• she will be alone so hope for accommodation with other seniors especially with a courtyard or common area to be able to meet and chat with others
• looking for a 1 bedroom (with room for 2 beds) with a kitchen for around $1000 per month.
• relatively easy to access from a major airport

I'd love any suggestions you may have whether that be the name of the town or some great accommodation that you may know about (Beilize or elsewhere). We discovered The Melville online before we were even looking at Mazatlan so really open to anything. Thanks so much for any suggestions as it's so hard to find good snowbird info online!

Cheers!

About the only place in Belize that comes close is Ambergris Caye, but I wouldn't call it romantic (it's a major tourist destination) and I can't think of any accommodation specifically for seniors.

It has the beaches.
It's small enough to walk around -- there are shops.
Many people get around in golf carts.

The nearest international airport is on the mainland (near Belize City) and easily accessible on a short flight with one of the two Belizean airlines that fly between Ambergris and the international airport. There are also water taxis. Another option is Cancun airport, but it's a 6 hour bus trip to Belize.

Your mother might also look at Caye Caulker, a small, laid-back island where she can walk everywhere in the village, or for something different at Hopkins village on the southern mainland coast, a friendly Garifuna village. San Pedro (Ambergris Caye) has become so built up and with so many cars and trucks that it is no longer pedestrian-friendly.

--Lan Sluder

Thanks everyone! I wasn't familiar with Caye Caulker so I'll look into that as well as the others..