Belize With a 4 and 7 Year Old

If you’re debating whether Belize works with young kids — it absolutely does. It ended up being one of our favorite family trips because it blended adventure with enough downtime to keep everyone happy. I was also concerned before I went on whether or not it was safe, but I can honestly say there was never a moment I felt unsafe. In fact the people were so kind and happy. I met some really cool people and had some really great conversations.

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Hotel: Coco Beach Resort

We stayed 5 nights and this was an excellent choice for kids this age.

Why Coco Beach Works for Families

•	Multiple pools (huge win)

•	Fun rock feature that my girls loved climbing around and going on the slide

•	Spacious, clean rooms with multiple bedrooms and all the amenities (this really helped make my children feel normal when they needed a moment in between all the beach activities) the room felt like a home. It had a living room in kitchen. They could have some downtime.

•	Quiet location north of town

•	Easy golf cart access to everything

Yes, it’s a little far from town — but with a golf cart that wasn’t a big deal. It actually made it quieter and closer to Secret Beach. Everything does take a bit longer because you’re in a golf cart, but we didn’t mind. I will also say my daughter ended up having an asthma attack and had to go to the hospital and the hotel was amazing. The security driver drove us late at night and waited for us to come home. They were generally super concerned and really helpful.

Only downsides:

•	Beds were firm (I prefer soft — totally subjective).

•	Food at the resort was fine but not amazing.

•	The only heated pool was the one by the pool bar and the hot tub so if there’s a day that’s a bit chilly, you can’t really swim unless you’re OK with chilly water which by the way my kids were I just wasn’t lol. We ended up having a few really warm days so it was refreshing, but on some of the cold days, I wished that the pools were heated.

Beach Situation

People say Coco Beach doesn’t have a swimmable beach. I wouldn’t say that’s entirely fair. They cleared seaweed every morning and it looked fine — we just preferred the pools. The ocean views from the pool honestly made up for it. You still feel beachfront.

First Impressions of San Pedro

I had read it was a big party town. That wasn’t our experience.

Was it lively? Yes.

Was it wild? No.

It felt like real island life — golf carts, families, locals going about their day. We felt safe the entire time.

We were there during a cultural celebration leading up to Ash Wednesday, and watching the kids run around covered in paint and seeing the parade at night was unexpectedly special.

Snorkeling

We booked a family-friendly snorkel to shark ray ally and Mexico Rocks and it was the highlight of the beach portion.

•	Calm, shallow water

•	Fish everywhere

•	Perfect visibility

My 7-year-old only did Mexico rocks and said it was “the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

My 4-year-old did not love snorkeling — but she happily watched from the boat and loved the glass bottom view. We saw so much wildlife 2 different kinds of sharks, rays, turtles, barracudas, groupers, and more. Note these boats do not have bathrooms on them and if you have young children, make sure they go before or they’re comfortable going in the water. It was a three hour trip and my four-year-old was quite upset that she had to use the restroom in the ocean, especially after seeing a shark through the glass bottom boat.

Secret Beach

Secret Beach was fun for a morning/afternoon calm lagoon water, floating docks, swings. It’s about a 25–minute golf cart ride from coco beach. It was clean and easy too busy. My 7 year old really loved the waterpark as well. A lot of reviews said it was dirty packed and not that pretty. Well I didn’t think it was the prettiest beach I’ve ever seen, I would say the water was beautiful. It was clean and it wasn’t that busy. We also went on a Wednesday in the morning.

Good for letting little kids roam safely in shallow water.

A plus was I didn’t experience any sand flies or water bugs that I heard were wild over there. We left bite free. We did wear the Picaridin bug cream. But I’m sure that washed off in the water.

Day Trip to Caye Caulker

We took the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi to Caye Caulker for the day and honestly was such a great day. Easy to get to and easy to get home.

We loved feeding the stingrays near Iguana Reef. It was such a cool experience. The kids didn’t want to leave the water. Iguana reef Inn was probably the only other hotel I would’ve considered saying at after seeing it. It was really pretty and they had a nice beach.

We spent most the day at Bliss Beach and it was a surprise favorite. It felt like a relaxed South of France beach club — but free to enter. The water was warm and clear, and we didn’t deal with seaweed there. It wasn’t crowded and the food and drinks were very good. We even had our own weight staff so we didn’t have to go to the bar. It was a bit of a hike to get to but worth it when you got there if only there was more beach, clubs, and beaches like that one that was by far the best beach I saw the whole trip.

Caye Caulker felt sort of similar to San Pedro but quieter and more relaxed. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. I didn’t leave wishing I had stayed there versus San Pedro again. Cocoa Beach sort of felt like its own little island.

Best Food in San Pedro

Favorites:

•	Estis- get the coconut shrimp. It’s amazing.

•	The Truck Stop – super fun for kids and yummy tacos

•	Blue Water Grill – solid seafood

One place we didn’t love:

•	Aji Tapa Bar & Restaurant – food was disappointing and they were out of several items

Overall though, we really enjoyed San Pedro. My only watch out for families is it did have a lot of older tourists who did not love rambunctious children. My daughter also had an asthma attack when she was there and thus developed a bit of a cough from the attack. The looks I was getting from people were pure disgust. One older woman on the ferry to Caye Caulker got up and moved, and I heard her talking to her friend that my kids were annoying because they were fighting over a toy and that my daughter‘s cough was disgusting. Totally fair if you don’t want to be around kids. There are times I don’t want to be around kids, but if you’re going to a place that’s not adult only, you should expect some sounds of children’s laughter and fights and the occasional cough.

⸻

San Ignacio

Hotel: Cahal Pech Village Resort

This was such a great pivot after beach days.

It’s technically a 3-star hotel, but it felt nicer than that. The property is beautiful with sweeping views and a fantastic pool. We spent a lot of our afternoons in those pools and even though they weren’t heated, they felt really warm. They have shallow options for kids and deep options for adult adults.

We stayed in a family cabana:

•	Two floors (great for space)

•	Very clean

•	Updated bathrooms

•	Not ultra-modern but very comfortable

Important tip:

They provide basics, but if you want coffee, filters, a blow dryer, or extra blankets — just ask the front desk. They have everything, you just need to request it. Once we got blankets, the beds were much cozier.

Belize Zoo Stop

On the way inland we stopped at the Belize Zoo and I highly recommend it.

This isn’t a traditional zoo — it focuses on rehabilitation and conservation. The enclosures are huge and natural.

We did the Jaguar Experience and being able to safely feed them was unforgettable. The tapirs were also adorable.

Perfect stop to break up travel day.

Cave Tubing and zip lining – Nohoch Che’en

We did cave tubing at Nohoch Che’en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve and our whole family loved. My 4-year-old especially loved this — it felt adventurous but not scary. The restaurant is really good as well. They have yummy stewed meat and rice and beans, but they also have a lot of stuff for kids.

•	About a 25-minute jungle walk in

•	Warm water

•	Headlamps through caves

•	Relaxing but adventurous

We did zip lining first it took about an hour and a half. It was a lot of fun. Our four-year-old would not go even though she was allowed to, but our guide hung back with her and made sure she was entertained while we did the zip line.

It is a long day when combined with ziplining, but totally worth it.

Mayan Ruins + Jungle Adventures

We explored the Cahal Pech ruins right near the hotel — perfect with young kids because you don’t need a full-day commitment. My 7-year-old was genuinely interested in the history and loved climbing.

Horseback riding through the jungle was a hit with our 7-year-old (monkeys overhead, beautiful farm). Our 4-year-old wasn’t as into it, but it was her first time riding. The farm was so cute and they treated their horses so well I was really impressed how they didn’t use horseshoes and only use the very light rope and the horses were very friendly and calm.

All in all The staff and drivers arranged by the hotel were excellent — kind, patient, and very family-oriented.

The best food that we ate in San Ignacio was Ko Ox ham nah by for some of the best curry I’ve ever had. My kids even loved it. Get their iced coffee too. It’s so good. We also ate at Lola‘s restaurant by the hotel. It was really good yummy tacos. We also went into the market on Saturday and just ate barbecue off the street. I think it was my husband‘s favorite meal the whole trip the kids loved it too. I also really liked the food at our resort. My daughter is a huge pasta lover, so to break up the meat and rice and beans she got pasta at the resort and it was very very good. They also have traditional meals and pizza, etc..

I will say that the Saturday market unless you’re buying veggies or food was meh. After reading all the positive reviews I was expecting more from it, but check it out for yourself for sure and again the food was yummy.

Overall Thoughts for Families

Belize surprised me.

It’s not luxury-polished like some islands. It’s real, relaxed, and adventurous. I would say that maybe age 4 was a little hard with the heat and some of the activities, but she still had a good time and it really depends on your child.