Matachica Resort & Spa

Matachica was stunning and the staff treated us like royalty, from picking us up at the airport, to bringing us coffee every morning. Every excursion was perfectly hosted, and the food and drinks were incredible. We especially enjoyed time with Lance the bartender, Julio (the man), and Heidi at the front desk who took care of everything we needed.

Matachica is absolutely incredible! If you are looking for a romantic getaway on Ambergris Caye this place is it! It is a small luxury hotel that has a relaxed upscale tropical atmosphere. While we were there it was mostly couples and most people were in their rooms by 10pm. It’s not a party scene, which we appreciated. They have a great bar and pool. The tree bar was closed while we were there since it was rainy season. But we could get drinks from the other bar and take them to the hot tub. Our beach front casita was thoughtfully designed and extremely charming. It had a thatch roof, which added a lot of character. It had a beautiful wall mural and nice furniture including a comfortable hanging chair on the porch. The bed was extremely comfortable. The thatch roof makes it harder to keep it cool though. I’d recommend bringing a small travel fan if you’re concerned about it being too hot. We had one and it helped a lot. They provided a large electric fan, but it was nice to have another on the opposite side as well. We also used the mosquito net around the bed since we came during the rainy season. I only saw one mosquito inside our casita though so that was good. They did a good job spraying for them, but they’re just part of it unfortunately. They were really bad around the hot tub. Thankfully the resort provided Off spray in our room and in the lobby. All of the staff at Matachica were genuinely friendly and very helpful. The service at the resort is top notch. When we landed they picked us up at the San Pedro airport and then shuttled us to the resort by boat where they had the drink of our choice waiting for us upon arrival. They came by and tidied our room twice a day. In the evening, they’d leave complimentary cookies, which were such a nice treat. My husband has food allergies and the first morning at breakfast the waiter greeted us by our room name and knew his allergies before we even said anything! The food is all absolutely incredible. We never had a single meal there that was just okay. It was seriously all the best. We went on several excursions through the resort, which were on Matachica’s own boats with their staff. I loved how easy that made it. We went reef fishing our first full day, and we got caught in a heavy rainstorm. Our fishing guides handled it like pros and we felt very at ease. We thankfully had our rain jackets. The rain came down hard for a bit and they tried heading back. Then it let up some so we continued to fish in lighter rain for about 20 more minutes before calling it quits bc we were cold. But we still had a great time and were glad we got to get out on the boat. We caught enough snapper for our dinner, which they cooked for us back at the resort. The price of our dinner was included in our excursion. It was delicious! They also packed snacks for us on the boat, which we took to our room for lunch since we didn’t get to enjoy it on the boat. It was ceviche & chips, fresh fruit, cookies, and beer! We enjoyed our trip very much, but the fact it was their wet season was a bit of a bummer. It wasn’t just quick passing showers like I had hoped. The rain was a bit of a problem as it made it to where we couldn’t leave easily since we only had a golf cart and we didn’t want to get soaked. Plus we found out Secret Beach closes earlier during off season at 5pm and sometimes even earlier if it’s been raining. The drive into San Pedro was a lot harder than I anticipated. It was a bumpy unpaved road for part of it with pot holes and puddles. We drove about 15 minutes to Aji Tapa Bar and then the Truck Stop. It wasn’t so bad going but coming back in the dark was a little scary since our lights were dim and we were alone in only a golf cart, which made us feel a bit more exposed than if we were in a car. I had to hold up my iPhone light so we could see better. Thankfully we made it back without incident except for our backs killing us from the bumpy ride. If we had to do it again I would have seen if anyone else from the resort wanted to go too or made it back before dark. (Fyi it gets dark early with sunset around 6:30pm.) The nice part about going during the rainy season was that the resort wasn’t crowded at all, and we got to know a lot of the other guest. And the resort is very nice so it was okay to have to stay there. We went and hung out at the bar and went to the hot tub between rain showers. And dinner there was so good we really didn’t need to leave. We were also able to book a great summer package deal that included our 4th night for free with free full breakfast, and free couples massage! So be sure to check their website for what packages they’re offering! We hope to go back one day when it’s the dry season because of the sargassum and rain. The water right at the resort was brown the length of the pier and sargassum was piled up all along the shore and right in front of our beach front casita. I realize this is out of their control, and they tried to clear it as best they could. But there was so much during our trip a big pile was by several beach front casitas the entire time we were there. The smell really bothered me the first day and night. But thankfully I grew use to it after that. It didn’t smell if you stayed at the casitas by the pool. But I’m still glad we had beachfront. They did offer free transfers on certain days from 11am-3pm to Secret Beach and Bliss Beach on Caye Caulker because of the sargassum. I wish it would have been until at least 5pm. 3pm came way too fast. We went to Bliss Beach and it was extremely nice. On the way there, we saw dolphins and they stopped the boat to let us swim with them for a few minutes! It was magical! We hung out at Bliss Beach an hour and then paid $10 per person for a boat ride to Caye Caulker. I wish we would have just stayed at Bliss Beach as we didn’t have enough time to really see much of Caye Caulker and Bliss Beach was more of a relaxing chic vibe than Caye Caulker. Thankfully we had beautiful weather our last full day there. We took the resort’s complimentary kayak and snorkeling gear to the nearby reef. We kayaked 15 minutes out to the reef and tied up to the buoy and snorkeled around. We saw stingrays, barracuda, snapper, and all kinds of colorful fish! It was amazing! A snorkel tour boat pulled up while we were out there and people got out to snorkel! It was so cool that we could go there for free from Matachica. I only wish they provided bright orange life jackets to wear and/or put a flag on the kayak. It was a bit nerve wrecking to kayak with several boats driving by on our way out there. We wore life jackets, but they were blue and our kayak was blue. So we felt like we couldn’t be easily seen. We kayaked again our last morning before leaving and Lucas came out on his small raft boat to check on us, which was nice. They’re watching from Matachica to make sure you’re okay which was reassuring. Our resort friends had to kayak back in a rainstorm and the waves were splashing into their kayak. So be sure to be aware of the weather before heading out! We also went on the Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley snorkel excursion from Matachica. It was a blast! We’ve done snorkeling in Mexico, Grand Cayman, Maui, and Kauai and this was by far the best snorkeling! The reef is unbelievable! We loved swimming with the 6ft nurse sharks. That was an experience we will never forget! It was extra fun getting to go with other Matachica guests that we knew. We made it to Secret Beach once we got back from our excursion. We took another couple from the resort with us on our golf cart. We enjoyed Bue Bayou and got there just in time to order drinks and food before they closed at 5pm! All in all we had an amazing time and I would highly recommend Matachica. I truly believe our time on Ambergris Caye wouldn’t have been near as amazing at any other resort on the island. Matachica goes above and beyond in so many ways it made up for any short comings that they couldn’t help like the weather, location, and sargassum. I already can’t wait to go back!

This resort and spa was absolutely amazing. The staff was so kind and accommodating and always made you feel welcome. The restaurants were great and the food was incredible. The Captain's Dinner is a must as well as the snorkel tour!!

Our stay at Matachica resort in Belize was absolutely incredible! The property itself is stunning, immaculately maintained, with lush landscaping and a tranquil, tropical atmosphere that immediately puts you in vacation mode. Everything was clean, beautiful, and thoughtfully designed. Our room was spacious, modern, and very comfortable. We loved the private porch that gave us peaceful views every morning. What really made our trip unforgettable, though, was the exceptional staff. A huge shoutout to Victor, who led our snorkeling excursion. He was not only knowledgeable and professional but also so passionate about the marine life and making sure we had a fun, safe experience. It was a highlight of our trip! Another special mention goes to Caesar from the front desk. He went above and beyond to make sure every detail of our stay was perfect, always greeting us with a warm smile and helping with anything we needed, from excursion planning to dinner reservations. This resort is a true gem, and we can’t wait to come back. Highly recommended to anyone looking for a relaxing, memorable escape in Belize!

Amazing resort with great amenities. Based on conversations with other travelers it sounds like this is the best resort in San O Pedro. The staff were amazing and took very good care of us at one point I needed a tiny screwdriver for my glasses and one of them went home to grab one for me. Chef worked for French Laundry in Napa and it shows through all of the food and especially the desserts including the daily fresh baked cookies they drop off in your room. The tours are pricer then what you'll find on your own but the convenience and reliability is worth it. We were there during Sargassum season so they took us to secret beach and bliss beach daily for free. They also took us to and from the airport/ferry station which was great. I loved all of the special little touches that I could go on about. Came here for our babymoon and definitely want to come back as soon as we can.