Yoga...

Many of our guests enjoy the solitude and peace of our 100 foot pier and Palapa in the early morning for a Yoga session. There are also several yoga groups.

Click for more photos

Monkey see... Monkey do...

One of our guests' favorite excursions is a trip to Monkey River! It's a 30 minute boat ride from Placencia to Monkey River Town. You'll pick up a guide, and begin a fascinating trip up the river... and along the way get a chance to see crocs, iguanas, unusual birds, bats, trees and plants. Trail walking through the rain forest follows, with your guide showing you the endless array of insects, plants, critters and of course, the Howler Monkeys.  With a bit of telescope lens, you may get a photo of one of these big guys... and, on the way back to Placencia, of the manatee and dolphin you are likely to see while winding through the mangroves.

photo by Ron Spilman

Belize - Laughingbird Caye National Park

Here's a photo from and a link to more spectacular photos of Laughing Bird Caye National Park - from the Southern Environmental Association's Facebook page. Laughingbird is visited by many, many Maine Stay guests while on snorkeling trips.

Xunantunich - "tunasandwich" - Belize Mayan Ruin

Check out the YouTube video of one of the Mayan ruins that many of The Maine Stay guests visit. This is a delightful day trip to the San Ignacio area and is easily combined with a visit to the Cahal Pech ruins about 15 minutes from Xunantunich. Read what Wikipedia has to say about Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

Belize - Waterfalls & Sunsets

One of our guests recently snapped the shot of the waterfall and pool at the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve... this is a great day trip for hiking, river tubing, rock sliding and "critter" observing!

And then. of course, you can come back to Kokomo to enjoy a gorgeous lagoon sunset sitting in one of our palapa swings on the Marina boardwalk.

Belize Guest Photos... Always a Treat!

The Eyers family has been enjoying Belize and The Maine Stay for two weeks and Rob was kind enough to share some of his excellent photos of their various travels. The photo below is of Robert's Caye. More of their pics are posted here.

Belize Video

This is a great new video about Belize... very well done and really highlights how much is packed in to this small English speaking country only 2 hours from the US! When you are done, have a look at one of the best family owned beach cabana suites in the country.

Lunch in Belize Anyone...?

One of our favorite places to get a great lunch and enjoy the scenery in Placencia Village is the Barefoot Beach Bar. It's right off the Sidewalk and the food and drinks are excellent. Cassie and Bryce are great folks and the whole atmosphere is just delightful. And yes the colors in the picture are real and untouched!

Sometimes I Forget...

... what a beautiful expanse of beach and ocean we are fortunate to have and share with our family and guests.



Belize and the Placencia Peninsula is a special place.

Whale Shark Season

Guests of The Maine Stay have had wonderful experiences diving and snorkeling in Placencia, but none can surpass the thrill of seeing and being close to a whale shark. These pictures were taken by Bryan White, one of our guests in 2008.

For those folks planning their trip to Placencia, the hub of Whale Shark activity in Belize, here are the time slots associated with the full moon. The Destinations Belize website has wonderful detail.

WHALE SHARK TIME SLOTS 2009:
* 9 MARCH - 20 MARCH
* 7 APRIL - 18 APRIL
* 7 MAY - 18 MAY
* 5 JUNE - 16 JUNE

Friends of Nature in Belize also has more details on whale shark activity.

Contrasts...

Every once in a while, a moment comes along that makes a great photograph. Early one morning, at the end of the Placencia Airstrip, one of those moments presented itself...

Belize Heaven

Well, let's see what everyone thinks of my first video.
Music by Taliesin Orchestra... "Caribbean Blue."

How long do you suppose the guy with the big nose has been waiting for someone to come by and notice him?


And then there's the toothy grin just waiting for the right camera angle...

Laughingbird Caye

When you can go to a great place like Laughingbird Caye and swim with Mommy and Grammy... it's a good day!

Belize Chocolate!!

For quite a while now, I have been planning to write a piece on my addiction to chocolate and my difficulty in finding sources of the "really good stuff" in Belize. It was meant to be witty, humorous and filled with irony and sarcasm... since one of the best sources of great chocolate is now just a few steps down the road from us! Well, much to my delight (and chagrin) someone beat me to it. Check out this wonderful blog entry about Goss Organic Chocolate.

Belize - Make Time for the Adventure of your Life

Here is a 3 minute trailer of the new Belize Tourist Board's promotional video for the tourism industry in Belize. This clip by Naturalight Productions is one of the best we've seen on Belize. Show it to your friends. Click on the title above or this link to play.

Italian Gelato in Belize?

Those of us who live on the Placencia Peninsula and those who visit, have the absolutely improbable and delightful opportunity to enjoy what many consider the best ice cream in this part of the world. The Italian Gelato at TuttiFrutti (right next to The Purple Space Monkey) is so good, that it has become a weekly obligatory part of our shopping... one container of chocolate, one of Bailey's or cappucino, and one of mixed berry. Deciding is almost as much fun as the eating.