Written by my handsome husband, Patrick Reck

Do you Belize in love at first sight?

It can happen with people and places. It happened with Belize.

Maybe it was the warm sun after fleeing bitter October Montana mornings. Maybe it was the late-night Atlanta waffle house drama during an extended layover. Or maybe it was simply that Caribbean air and the rainbow sign at the airport welcoming you to Belize.

Getting to Sarteneja is easy. 

You fly into Belize City by circling the iridescent blue of the Caribbean, the waves breaking on the barrier reef stretching across the entire country, and land at a simple airport. From Atlanta, it’s only a three hour flight, but you land in a different, most likely, better world.

The four of us West Yellowstoners had two weeks to get our tropical on, and we were determined to see as much as we could and still relax. So we rented a car for the first week. Using kayak.com, we booked a 4-wheel drive car through Alamo. Customs was laid back. Several international rental agencies are right at the airport, and picking up the car was hassle-free. However, what was advertised as 4-wheel drive, really just meant a manual transmission Hyundai. When the front desk lady shrugged at the discrepancy, we shrugged back and drove off, ready for the tropical adventure to begin.

Side Note: The lack of 4-wheel drive wasn’t a problem even though we spent a good deal of time on dirt roads. With any sort of rain, this would have been a very different story. In Belize, outside of the main highway, most roads are not paved. And automatics aren’t very common. Manual transmission is the cheapest option.

Our first destination was in the remote northeast corner: Sarteneja. Sarteneja is a sleepy fishing village on Corozal Bay and one of the only places in Belize that you can watch the sunset over the water–the little peninsula that holds Sarteneja jutting into the Caribbean like a sickle.

The drive from Belize City to Sarteneja takes about 3 ½ hours.

You head north on the Philip Goldson Northern Highway. Literally the only highway in Belize. The signs are easy to follow. About halfway (one-and-a-half hours), you come to the city of Orange Walk. This is the last chance to stop at a full-sized grocery store. We stocked up on snacks and delicious fresh fruit and continued north.

The directions get a bit trickier. Sarteneja is 70 kilometers of winding country roads from Orange Walk. You take the Orange Walk Bypass east and exit on to San Estevan Road. After 19 km, turn right on Chunox Road. You’re on this road for 44 km, winding through the jungle, passing swampy farms and Amish colonists on mule-driven carts. You pass through the village of Chunox and the road takes you straight east to Sarteneja.

Side Note: There are buses that take you to Sarteneja from Orange Walk, but they are local and not well advertised. Allow more time if you are relying on public transportation.

Travel Hack: Buy a road map of Belize before you go. It’s well worth it and great inspiration for finding lesser known spots; especially if, like us, you travel to explore unique geography.

I had done a little bit research before arriving in Belize and found us an amazing place to stay in Sarteneja: Backpackers Paradise. It lives up to its name.

We pulled off Sarteneja road and opened the rusty gate into the 40 acre clearing in the dense jungle. There are little colorful cabins scattered about, a screened-in outdoor kitchen and a quaint office. We checked in with the friendly French-sounding owner. There were no cabins available, so the boys pitched tents and Clara and I set up our hammocks inside the outdoor kitchen.

Travel Tip: Come prepared for bugs.

The town of Sarteneja is a short walk. We got dinner and sat on the second floor balcony eating Ceviche and watching the sunset. We turned in early, rocked to sleep by the sound of crickets and twinkling of fireflies.

We spent two days in Sarteneja, swimming in the crystal blue bay waters–although they are murkier than many of the other beaches of Belize. And there’s not much sand; mostly Mangrove trees with intricate roots going all the way to shore.

There’s not much to do in Sarteneja. And it was perfect.

Relaxing. Enjoying the sun and water. Getting acclimated to the Caribbean lifestyle. The second night, we were able to stay in one of the cozy cabins–which is just a single, tin roofed room, barely big enough for a queen-sized bed and armoire. It was perfect.

We woke up the next morning to a horse grazing right outside our window. Refreshed, we were ready for our next adventure: the ruins of Lamanai.

Happy Travels Viajeros!