Perfect Family Getaway

Our extended family, (grandparents, parents and grandchildren) spent 6 wonderful days at Turtle Inn in June. This was our first trip to Belize, and our experience at Turtle Inn left us ready to plan a return visit very soon. We were in Sofia's beach house, which was exactly right for our group of 8. The accommodations are amazing. Very luxurious, but still a relaxed beach vibe. Our personal attendant, Suzy, was simply incredible. She was so knowledgeable and always seemed to know what we needed (or wanted!) I highly recommend Turtle Inn - I cannot imagine anyone not loving this place!

Date of stay: June 2021

Just Right!

Friendly attentive staff. Beautiful large rooms. Tasty food. Fun guided excursions. Gorgeous views of the ocean. What more could we ask for!

The resort is large enough to have multiple room, dining and leisure options but small enough to get to know fellow guest and property staff.

Date of stay: June 2021

Lovely, Chic and Luxurious but also Wonderfully Laid Back and Unpretentious.

I can’t say enough good things about Turtle Inn. Each time I decided something was the highlight of our stay another thing came up that was just as nice or even better! We had stayed here before we had our now 15 year old and this time around did not disappoint at all. The sea is warm and calm and so beautiful for a swim, or a quick lie down on the floating chaise lounge. The cabanas are lovely; ours was in the garden steps away from the beach. I have to admit my favorite space in the cabana is the toilet because of its lovely view with a large, luscious green plant inside and the small courtyard outside containing the wonderful outdoor shower. Even the pillows on the king sized bed are special (long, and dense with feathers). The food is quite good though I would like to see some lighter and more vegetarian options. 

Marvin gave us a tour of his organic garden — all of which ends up in breakfast, lunch, dinner or your afternoon mojito. Coconut water comes straight from a freshly picked and cracked coconut — usually decorated with a hibiscus. All of the staff are friendly and helpful, dispensing smiles freely and easily in this little paradise. Best of all, Turtle Inn, though chic and luxurious, is perfectly laid back and not a bit pretentious.

Date of stay: July 2021

Turtle Inn vacation

We stayed in the family pavilion and Johnny was our butler. Johnny was outstanding making arrangements for trips and diving. He was attentive to all our needs and took great care of the grand children. We will be returning. The dwelling was very comfortable and food was vary good. The setting we could not have asked for a more relaxing environment.!

Date of stay: June 2021

The Pretty-Much-Perfect Intimate Caribbean Getaway

I'll sum it up succinctly: Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize is one of the loveliest vacation resorts at which I've ever stayed. It welcomed our emergence from 16 months of quarantine with unfussy elegance, beauty, and peace. 

Belize itself reminded me of the Caribbean 30-40 years ago. It hasn't been overdeveloped. It's mostly small scale. The landscape, from beach to jungle, is breathtaking - and my God, there is a lot of it. It's easy to get back and forth from the New York area. While I hate making judgements about "the people" based on a single week's visit, every interaction we had felt like a meeting with a friend. 

On most days during our June stay, we had the adult pool (one of two pools on the property) entirely to ourselves. We tended to split our time between this pool, and the large screened-in porch of our ocean-front bungalow, where the sea breezes were constant. The bungalow itself was sizeable and immaculate, with a large bathroom and both indoor and outdoor showers. At most resorts, the room is a place to sleep. Here, the room has its own irresistible draw. 

We ate at two of the three restaurants on the property, and not only was the cuisine excellent, it was varied. Some nights, we just wanted a pizza and a salad, other nights simple grilled fish. But at the other end of the spectrum, the multi-course Indonesian rijsttafel proved too hard to resist, and yes, it was superb.

The staff could not have been more welcoming - the entire atmosphere was calm and familial, and the concierges went out of the way to help. A special shoutout to the Inn's resident birding and tour guide Melvin Arevalo, who took us on two exciting day trips to southern Belize Mayan ruins and to the Coxscomb nature preserve. 

A few detail points: 

Air Conditioning: Turtle Inn describes itself as eco-friendly, and one of its hallmarks is no air conditioning in the rooms. We found the large overhead fan and the sea breezes provided more than enough comfort. 

Diving: Turtle Inn has a dive shop on the premises, but if there aren't enough divers going out, it will place you with another dive operation in Placencia Village. This was perfectly okay. However, the boat I went out on wasn't a dive boat; it was filled with snorklers. On the upside, that meant the one other diver and I had one divemaster to ourselves. On the downside, the boat wasn't the most comfortable. And the sites are nearly an hour away. Net, I wouldn't go to Turtle Inn specifically for a dive vacation, although I'd certainly go there again for a vacation with diving.

Meal planning: As varied and lovely as TI's restaurants are, I wouldn't recommend an all-inclusive plan. There are some other terrific restaurants nearby in Placencia. (We particularly liked Rumfish & Vino.) So I'd recommend experimenting. Of equal note: Placencia village is a 20-25 minute walk. But taxis are only $5 into town, and after 6pm, the resort has a van that will take you in and pick you up after dinner. 

Journeys: There is so much to see in Belize. It's among the world's great diving and birding destinations, the Mayan historical sites are many and accessible. You could make a happy life, I suspect, eco-participating here. Turtle Inn arranges excellent tours, and there are lots of qualified individual guides about. 

Final word: The only other resort I've ever been to that compares with Turtle Inn in terms of overall quality, accommodations, food, intimacy, and staff is the fabled Curtain Bluff in Antigua. I'm so happy I've experienced Turtle Inn. Thanks to the Coppola family and to General Manager Martin Krediet for the magic.

Date of stay: June 2021

Beach Bliss

After spending 4 exhausting days adventuring at Blancaneaux, we arrived (via St. Herman's cave - not to be missed!) at the uber-relaxing Turtle inn with our 4 kids ranging from 9-18 years old. We had a seafront 2 bedroom villa which was really a wonderful spot for all 6 of us to chill out and relax for a few days. Everyone was so kind and inviting upon arrival, always dishing out the cool towels, and the welcome drink was amazing. The room was spacious and clean and breezy because it was literally 10 steps from the ocean. lack of a/c was a bit more of an issue here at Turtle, but if you are staying in an ocean front room, the breeze makes the heat and humidity more bearable. You do sacrifice a ton of privacy, though, since your room (screened in) is otherwise completely open to the resort around you. We didn't mind much though as there were never a ton of people around. The room is truly extra and the outdoor shower is a must try.  

we spent most of the time relaxing by the lovely main pool, but we did go snorkeling as our primary excursion and that was wonderful - don't miss doing the bbq lunch as well!  

the food at Turtle Inn was top notch, although very pricey, especially compared to places in town, and even compared to Blancaneaux. Pizzas, pastas, and the grilled seafood at the Gauguin grill were all excellent and of course the fresh fruit and veggies were to die for. While the Indonesian extravaganza was excellently prepared, I think it was far too overpriced for what you get. Definitely take advantage of the happy hour specials at the beach bar - they are for sure a great deal!

The staff was really the stand out here - as the service by the pool (mostly from Bamboo) was attentive and efficient, the dive guys were fun and knowledgable, and the bartenders and waiters (especially Jahnny) were funny and efficient.  

This place is definitely a splurge - but if you do splurge, go for the seafront rooms for the breeze, and maybe make up the difference with a few meals in town!  

Thank you for the hospitality! we loved staying and relaxing here!

Date of stay: June 2021

Barefoot luxury

Turtle inn was a perfect stop for our Family vacation in Belize. We stayed in the family pavilion and enjoyed dinner on our porch, sunrise, jumping in the water and loved the outdoor showers. There are so many fun adventures to do via Turtle Inn- fishing, snorkeling, cave exploring, biking and relaxing. Turtle inn serves as a perfect spot for families and couples. If you are looking to escape and relax-this is your spot. If you want a bit more adventure- Turtle Inn offers that as well! Make sure to check out their private Island- Coral Caye. The Staff is AMAZING!!!!!!

Date of stay: June 2021

A perfect family getaway!

Our family of four (kids 9 & 13) spent six fabulous nights at Turtle Inn. We had a two bedroom seafront cottage that was amazing! Literally stepped right out our front door and onto the beach! Loved the outdoor showers, comfy beds, large living space and authentic decor. 
The family pool provided lots of fun-as did the bikes for riding into the adorable local village. Meals were excellent at every restaurant as were the cocktails. 
Every staff member that we encountered was top notch! Everyone went out of their way to remember our names and preferences—and were genuinely happy that we were there. 
We loved all the excursions—zip lining in the rain forest, snorkeling around a private island complete with a bbq lunch, Monkey River visit—the guides were all informative and engaging. 
We would come back in a heartbeat! 

Tip: book an oceanfront cottage
Rum fish and Barefoot beach bar in town were both enjoyable

Date of stay: June 2021

Adventurous family friendly luxury

This was an absolutely wonderful resort. The staff were beyond accommodating and lovely. My sons even made friends with the "pool guys" were taught them a few soccer tricks and made time in their day to play. The snorkeling day was really adventurous. The accommodations were adventurous as well but well appointed and comfortable. The food was luxurious! A do-over for our family for sure.

Date of stay: April 2021

Perfection

The grounds are so well kept and beautiful. You could easily stay on the resort for your entire stay. The staff are so polite, friendly, jovial, and all around seem to love working there. The bartenders were excellent and the wine was fantastic. One of the servers, Wendy, she was so great, remembered our names and always was happy. She picked up a toddler of another guest and carried him around so the mom could finally get a bite to eat, I thought that was cute. I saw one of the bartenders bring fancy (non alcohol) beach drinks to two little girls sitting on the patio while their parents had drinks, so sweet! Be sure to check out the local area and take a few excursions. The snorkel trip was top-notch. Friendly, funny, and knowledgeable guides. Awesome lunch on the island we stopped to visit. We caught some fish on our fishing trip and the resort kept all of what we brought back and made us multiple mind-blowing meals with it.  

The only thing I would change is to book a seafront cottage instead of the sea-view. We were one row back and could have used the extra breeze. We don't do well with hot weather and humidity so for us, it was a bit warm at night even with a fan. That is a personal preference. The cottage itself was great. The fresh hibiscus in our bird bath every morning was such a sweet touch. The food is top notch with a price to match, though if you can afford Turtle Inn, you can afford the exquisite dining.

Date of stay: June 2021

Love this place:

 This was our second time to the resort. The staff and property are wonderful. We enjoyed everything about it. The food and atmosphere make you want to stay indefinitely. Coppola has created a resort that seems so personal not like many of the corporate resorts in other places.

Date of stay: March 2021

Beautiful, relaxing and amazing staff!

 Upon arrival you instantly see the beauty of the property and the staff is so welcoming. The beachfront accommodations are luxurious and spacious. Listening the sound of the ocean all day is fabulous! What makes Turtle Inn unique is attention to detail and high quality of service provided by the staff. Martin, the GM, is very friendly and attentive to every guest. It is clear that his attitude trickles down through the entire staff. If you are looking for a place to truly relax, go to the Turtle Inn.

Date of stay: March 202

Turtle Inn is an AMAZING Gem!

I have to echo what so many other reviewers have said - Turtle Inn is an amazing place to stay. We travel all over the world and love to stay at nice places. Turtle Inn is one of the few places that just gets better every time we visit. Martin is a superb host, and the staff has perfected the art of being attentive without being intrusive. I was blown away when I asked Martin for the recipe for Mare's seafood soup (which is to die for!)...next thing I knew, Chef Julian was giving me a private cooking lesson to teach me the secrets to making this scrumptious entree. The on site spa services are absolutely superb, too! Thank you for a wonderful escape, we'll be back!!

Date of stay: March 2021