X’tan Ha Resort – Gorgeous Beach, Plenty of Belizean Charm and VERY Good Times

After a few years of being closed, the old Belize Legacy Resort was renamed , revamped and re-opened in Dec of 2012 as X’tan Ha (pronounced Ish-Tan Ha) or Mayan for “The Waterfront”.  And what a waterfront it is.   Just over 7 miles north of town, the resort is situated on one of the prettiest stretches of water and reef off Ambergris Caye – a snorkeling and dive spot called “Mexico Rocks”.   The water is crystal clear and almost unnaturally blue. GORGEOUS. On Monday, my friends and I visited X’tan Ha for the first time and I was wowed by the sugary sand beach, the super cute Carribean pastel roofed buildings and the gorgeous gorgeous sea. Every single picture that you take at X’tan Ha looks like a postcard.

Like what you dreamed Belize was supposed to look like.As soon as we got off the 20 minute Coastal Express water taxi ride from town, it was clear that this resort is about fun and water sports. Stand-up paddle boards, kayaks, sea bikes, Hobie cats, giant trampoline rafts…all at your disposable. even a sea couch. But first things first. Let’s get something to drink and just lounge in the perfect water for a bit. Here is Adam of Casa Picasso vying for a page, perhaps as Mr. March, or maybe the cover of the 2014 Belikin Beer Calendar. Look at that water!  The beach really is beautiful…I can only think of one other place on the island that rivals this and it is much farther north… And now to the toys! This beach is set up perfectly for those who love activities… This trampoline/slide/sunning raft/prop from the TV show “Wipe Out” is AWESOME for kids and adults. Stand-up paddle boarding is quickly addicting…how fun to paddle out to the reef on a calm day. The resort is perfect for those who like spend their days at a VERY cute beach bar. Picture yourself over the water sipping a Pina Colada here…

And ideal for those who just want to lounge in the sun. Either at the pool… or by the beach.

These two chairs are just perfect for picture taking. Here are my friends Jamie and Adam pretending to have a romantic moment… And then pretending that Adam’s wife Jackie was approaching! Did you know that Adam minored in Theater in college? Of course you did…look at his expression.  Our generations Laurence Olivier is here in Belize!

In reality… Jackie, Adam’s wife, was relaxing on a lounge chair and couldn’t have cared less.  And Adam focused on being a lighting technician while in school.

X’tan Ha Resort has a full service restaurant near the pool… But for lunch we chose to eat over the water at the bar. The menu is simple but really good. We had nachos, bean & cheese dips, a burrito and a DELICIOUS burger.  Also available are sandwiches, seafood, salads and pastas.

The chef is DJ who was born and raised in San Pedro and is well known on the island for making the very best burgers in Belize. (His last job was at the aptly named DJ’s Burgers.)  Once you can master making a great hamburger, especially in a country where beef is not always the best quality, you can cook anything.

I also took a peek in one of the rooms. Each of the dark Belizean wood buildings has candy colored roofs and are decorated with local art and paintings. Super cute. This is not your big cement, “could be in Cancun…could be in Florida” Ramada Inn kind of resort.  Here you really feel like you are in Belize both inside and outside your room.

But who would spend much time inside…look at this view!

Inside the rooms are all wood panelled with a comfy sitting room, kitchen and bedroom. All you need to shower off, sleep and then get back outside.

Here I am enjoying the resort with my friend Jamie.

Exhausted after a FULL day of sun and fun, we reluctantly loaded onto the water taxi to head back to town.  What a beautiful place to spend the day and I can only imagine how amazing it would be for a week or more…

If you are looking for perhaps THE prettiest beach on the island of Ambergris Caye and to wow your friends on your return with photos that don’t even look real, chances are X’tan Ha Resort is your perfect spot.

Click on their website if only to see the aerial view of the resort…it’s beyond stunning.