White Sands Cove Resort - Ambergris Caye

We stayed for 7 nights at the White Sands Resort and loved every moment of our vacation. We were looking for the special place to have a very private, intimate wedding and one of our friends mentioned Belize. I had never been out of the US nor been privy to the ocean and sandy beaches but my future husband had been to Mexico and other island destinations and had also heard that Belize was a wonderful place to visit.

After searching the internet for a resort, I ran across the White Sands Resort website and immediately fell in love with the idea. Dan called and spoke to Marilyn and was very impressed with her wiliness to make this wedding everything we had dreamed of!

When we arrived in San Pedro everything was organized just how they explained it and it all went like clockwork. The taxi driver met us at the airport and took us to the produce market followed up with a grocery store. Once we finished shopping, he dropped us off and made sure we were settled with the water taxi driver, who takes you to the resort since no cars are allowed on that end of the island. We were met by Marlin, who helped us with your bags and got us checked into our condo.

The grounds were beautiful and very quaint. It was a very small resort that has lots of romantic charm to it. We stayed in a one-bedroom condo right on the beach and it was wonderful. It had a full kitchen, a little dining and living room area and of course the bedroom. There is an AC unit in the bedroom only – which was fine for the time of year. We kept the bedroom door closed to keep the room cool, but left the windows open and fan going in the living room. It was really nice.

The bar and pool area are great and the staff was wonderful and their level of service exceeded everything we've seen. Within the first day everyone knew our names and made us feel like part of the family. Michelle and Marilyn (the owners) were great and met with us everyday to ensue our wedding plans were set and ready to go for later that week. When we took excursions, the concierge would call to check in to ensure we were seeing everything we wanted to and on schedule. There are a lot of good restaurants, but you either need to hike along the beach or rent a golf cart to get to them. We highly recommend the Palapa Bar and Beach n' Kitchen about 10 minutes down on the beach. On certain nights, dinner was also offered at White Sands and it was delicious.

The morning of the wedding the staff decorated the grounds and it was just beautiful. Before, during and after the wedding everyone made us feel like royalty and our small quite little wedding turned into a beach side event! It was wonderful. We highly recommend White Sands Resort and will be making a trip back very soon.

My husband and I stayed at White Sands Cove for 4 nights in the one bedroom ocean front room. We booked through the hotel directly. The communication between us and the hotel was excellent. They answered all of our emailed questions and more! They even booked out inter-country flights on Maya Air which was very convenient for us.

The room itself was very clean and well organized. We loved that our room was literally a few steps to the beach. The air-conditioning unit is in the bedroom and kept out room pretty cool at night. The bed itself was a bit soft for our taste, but we still managed to get a good night's rest. The bathroom takes away any modesty that you have because there is no door separating the bedroom and bathroom.

We can't begin to say enough about their dive shop! We completed our open water scuba certification with Junior, their divemaster. He was so patient with us, despite some anxiety filled moments! He taught us alot and we are so thankful for him and the other members of his team (Sam.) We totally recommend him to anyone!

The location of White Sands is close to many excellent restaurants. We highly recommend Capricorn and Captain Morgan's Restaurant. They are about 10 minutes walking time along the beach.

Here are some tips that might be helpful: remember bug spray and a LED flashlight for walking in the beach at night. It is a good idea to bring breakfast food items (we brought oatmeal packets and coffee.) Don't be alarmed if you loose power some time during your stay. If you are flying within the country, don't be surprised if the flights don't leave on time....we left before and after our scheduled time on a few flights that we took.

We highly recommend White Sands and hope to visit them again!

We stayed at White Sands for our honeymoon and let me tell you, everything was wonderful and flawless! We were there for 10 beautiful days.

The grounds: We stayed in B4 which is a sea front room. It was worth the extra money to stay there. The view was amazing and the wind off of the sea seemed to keep the mosquitoes away from our room. (Another couple complained that there were mosquitoes in their room). It was also on the 2nd floor, which was nice because people weren’t walking passed your windows. The pool and bar area were well kept and there were plenty of places to sit, relax and lay out. We loved the hammock at the end of the dock. No, you can not walk into the water from the beach, but it was not a problem for us!

The room: The room was great! The kitchen is fully stocked with everything you could need. The microwave went out while we were there, but it was replaced the same day. The bed was comfortable. The sheets and towels were clean and newer. Housekeeping did a great job and even cleaned some of our leftover dishes. The bathroom is not really a room, which was fine for us, but may be a problem for some. It is more just an addition to the bedroom. The bedroom had an AC window unit. The front room does not; however the winds help keep things cool. Cable TV was also in the bedroom.

Staff: Everyone on the staff is amazing. They were always easy to find and more than happy to answer any questions you have. All traveling connections were flawless! We never had to wait to be picked up from the airport or the dock. No need to be nervous (as I was)! After we landing in San Pedro, there was a taxi there to pick us up. They took us to the grocery to buy some food and then to the dock where a boat was waiting to pick us up. They took us to White Sands dock where Marlon was waiting with a wheelbarrow to take our suitcases to our room while we checked in. Our day excursion traveling was just as flawless as the days we came and left!

Activities: First off, plan your activities through the resort. Marlon made everything extremely easy and the guides that we had were great. We snorkeled with Tony on 2 different days. Shark Ray Alley and hol Chan are a must. Tony held a stingray and a nurse shark so that we could touch them. There were also a ton of large fish and sea turtles at these sites. Mexico rocks and some of the other smaller snorkeling sites were OK. The island hop to Caye Caulker was nice and Rasta Pasta was a really good restaurant over there.

We also went on the ALL day trip to Xunantunich, cave tubing and zip lining. Our guide was Brainard, which was fun and knowledgeable. The Mayan ruins were definitely something to see! We also got hand carved slate pieces near here. They were a lot cheaper than in San Pedro. Cave tubing was relaxing yet a little scary for me. (You float down a river through a dark cave. The only light is your headlamp. When we went there were only 5 of us in the entire cave!) Zip lining was again a little scary, but a lot of fun. The lines were not as long as I would have thought. It was over pretty quick. BEWARE of the mosquitoes here. I have never seen so many of them in one place. You truly are in the jungle! If possibly, do the zip lining first because you will be pretty hot and smelly from the gear, so the water during the cave tubing is refreshing. The day was long but I am glad we did it.

We took advantage of the free bike and kayak usage. We biked into town one day, which was a great way to explore. The bikes also have baskets on them, which makes it easy to transport things. Beware it is a pretty far trek. It didn’t seem that bad until on the way back! Boy was I tired. The golf cart was much easier and my husband had a blast navigating the small dirt road into town. You must pay a small fee to cross the bridge into town. The kayak was also a lot of fun. We paddled to the reef where we snorkeled again and fished. Make sure your sunscreen your legs if you kayak! We also fished off the dock and caught a large silver snapper and a smaller yellow snapper. My husband grilled them up and had them for dinner.

We also received massages (we had the honeymoon package). The only complaint I had the entire stay was that they tried to charge us for the oils we picked ($20 USD extra). We were unaware of this extra charge until we checked out. Thankfully Marilyn was more than helpful and took off the extra charge that we were never told about. So, if you receive massages, be aware that the aromatherapy oils are an extra charge! The massage itself was OK.

Town: San Pedro was great, although I am glad that we were not staying in town. There were some great handmade items being sold on the side of the road. Most everyone can be talked down in price. The currency was really easy.
2 Belize dollars = 1 UD dollar. Everywhere we went would take either US or BZ.

Tips: -Bring mosquito repellant. You will need it
-Pack some dry food. Food prices are expensive. We checked an entire bag of food. It was great not to leave the condo 3 times a day to eat and we saved a lot of money. The fully stocked kitchen made it extremely easy to cook. Remember no vegetables or meat are allowed through customs.
-Check dates on food items there. Even on the coke bottles. I got one that was a couple months out of date.
-Bring a flashlight. Our room had one, but you will need it to walk the beach at night or during one of the power outages. It was dark by 7pm while we were there. We experienced one power outage, which seem to be common on the island. There are no generators at the resort.
-An underwater camera is great if you are going to go snorkeling.
-No need for fancy clothes. T-shirts and shorts are fine. Sandals are a must.

My wife and I stayed at the White Sands from June 23rd to June 28th. Everything went smoothly from the start. We were picked up at the San Pedro Airport and driven to the grocery store and then dropped off at the water taxi pier. The boat ride to the resort only took about 5 minutes or so and was quite fun.

Check-in was a piece of cake and Marilyn (one of the owners) was there to greet us in person. After a few free rum punches at the bar, we were led to our spacious unit to unpack.

My wife was taking her PADI Open Water certification/exam with the resort's dive shop. Junior was truly an outstanding teacher and very patient and attentive to my wife during the entire process. I can't say enough positive things about Junior and his team -- Sam and Juan Carlos. As a certified diver myself, I have dived all over the Caribbean and experienced many different dive shops. The team they have on-site at White Sands is awesome!

The two bartenders at the bar next to the pool were great as well. Rolando and Eden knew our names by the end of the first day. They really go out of there way to get to know you and make you feel right at home. Another shout out goes out to Marlon. He will help you with any of your activities while at the resort. Marlon did a great job of helping us with dinner reservations, ordering the water taxi to come and pick us up, as well as an excursion to the Mayan ruins/cave tubing/zip lining through the rain forest. Marlon has connections all over the island and we felt very confident that he would follow through on our requests.

As for food, we bought groceries and usually made our own breakfast and lunches in the condo itself. The kitchens are fully stocked with anything you may need -- i.e. plates, pans, oven, microwave, blender, etc. We did go to Capricorns, Rojo, Captain Morgan's, and Elvi's in San Pedro for dinners. All were very good. Our favorite was between Captain Morgan's and Capricorns.

Overall, the diving was great and enjoyable. The units at White Sands are spacious, clean, and totally adequate. The staff was absolutely wonderful and very friendly. The island itself is very beautiful and full of great things to keep you busy. We can't wait to go back!!

White Sands Cove – Simply Paradise!

We stayed at White Sands Cove in May of 2006 and returned again this year staying with them from May 25th through June 1st 2008. Since this was our second trip we thought we knew what to expect – but were we wrong. Mark, Marilyn and Michelle Juneau keep improving upon Paradise.

Our pickup at the San Pedro airport was flawless as was the water taxi ride to the resort. As we remembered, Marlon met us at the dock with his wheelbarrow to take our luggage straight to our room. We then had complimentary welcome drinks at the new poolside Palapa bar while we checked in.

White Sands Cove is relatively small which means they can provide top notch service with a friendly family atmosphere. By our second day, Eden and Rolando the bar tenders knew our names as did Marlon and Alejandro who manage the resort and activities.

My wife and I love to snorkel and fish and since we had gotten most of the tourista trips accomplished on our last visit, we concentrated on these activities. The on site Dive Shop arranged several snorkeling trips for us as well as a day of fishing with beach bar-b-que. Trips to Xunantunich, Lamanai, Altun Ha, the Belize Zoo, the Baboon Community, Cave Tubing or Zip Lining can be quickly arranged through Marlon and Alejandro.

At tip – Do NOT prepay for trips on your own. White Sands Cove only deals with the best guides and will schedule your trips around the weather. If you’ve booked your own excursion and it rains – you will probably lose your money.

We snorkeled Hol Chan, Shark Ray Alley, Mexico Rocks, Mata Cut, Tres Cocos and fished near the reef. We saw spotted eagle rays, sharks, green moray eels, octopi, squid, black and white spotted moray eels, black and white sea urchins, beautiful corals and fish of every description.

On two of our trips we had Carlos as a guide and on two others we had Tony. Both are very experienced divers and they took their time to point out all the sea life. Carlos could free dive to 70 feet and blow the most amazing air rings while lying upside down on the bottom. Carlos took our camera to depths well below our limit and snapped fantastic photos for us. Tony collected conch and we ate fresh conch ceviche at the bar within two hours of catching them. On our fishing trip, Tony cleaned our catch and cooked the fish on a coconut husk fire on the beach. We then rolled the fish into homemade tortillas with fresh cooked tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and potatoes. Chef Ramsey had better look over his shoulder.

And I don’t know how they did it but White Sands arranged for us to leave just as Tropical Storm Arthur hit Ambergris Caye. The water taxi ride in sustained 40 mph winds and rain is something we will always remember. My wife and I were laughing our heads off as we bounced in the waves – what a story this would make. And the pilot of our single engine plane at the San Pedro airport said not to worry – he could take off in winds up to 60 mph and it was only gusting to 50-55 mph – no problem.

This is a different kind of resort. The owners and staff are friendly, courteous and bend over backwards to make your stay enjoyable and memorable. We are already planning our return to White Sands Cove. On our third trip back, we want to swim with whale sharks and see manatees and have another beach bar-b-que with fish we caught. We can’t wait.

We had an amazing time! Belize is truly a beautiful place. Thank you for everything. You and your staff made our vacation exactly what we were looking for, full of fun, adventure and relaxation. Paul & I would love to return one day for sure and have Marlon marry us! Ha

Please let your team see the pictures and thank them again for us. We really enjoyed meeting all of you and want you guys to know you will be remembered forever.

May 2008
Broomfield, NJ

Wow - I read through the reviews on Trip Advisor and thought "Come on, if it sounds to good to be true... it probably is". However, I decided to go ahead and book it even with those doubts and I have to say I AM SOO GLAD I DID!

Our vacation was a surprise trip for my husband and our first time in Central America and it was perfect. Most importantly, White Sands made it perfect! They were so easy to work with in planning and they really took care of every detail.

Marlon (the Guest Services Manager) recommended a three event in one day excursion given we were only there for five days that was fantastic... we went to Xunantunich (Mayan Ruin in San Ignacio), zip line and cave tubing (in Cave Branch). Our guide - Brainard August (True Vine Adventures) was wonderful - so knowledgable and plesant. While this is a less common Mayan destination and package - we highly recommend it, especially for a short stay. You climb the 130 ft. ruin and can see the great expanse of jungle including Guatemala and the 250 ft. desecnt to the jungle floor.

This is a dream vacation - Really! We loved the location, weather, view, staff and the other guests. I would recommend a sea front room - the view is amazing.

May 2008
Phoenix, AZ from TripAdvisor.com user review

This was my first trip to Belize, and when (not if) I return, I most definitely will be coming back to the White Sands. It is not a luxury resort, it reminds me more of going to the lake cottage as a child, but the service exceeds what I’ve experienced at some of the most high end hotels I’ve stayed at. First, with the accommodations; we stayed in a one-bedroom condo. I think all of the units there have full kitchens, a little dining and living room area and of course the bedroom. Our unit only had AC in the bedroom – which was fine for the time of year. We kept the bedroom door closed to keep the room cool, but left the windows open and fan going in the living room. If you go in the summer it might get a little hot if you aren’t used to southern climates. Beyond that, the rooms are clean and they have all the dishes / pots / pans you might need (we did cook while we were there a couple times).

The bar and pool area are great and aside from the snorkel / dive excursions offered by the staff, I highly recommend taking the kayak out to the snorkel area they have right of the shore of the hotel. I think it might be too shallow to take their power boats to that spot and it was actually the best snorkel we had the entire time. It was just the two of us and the fish and coral (we even saw a nurse shark swim by us). There are a lot of good restaurants, but you either need to hike along the beach or rent a golf cart to get to them. And there is a reason they take you to the hotel via water taxi. The only paved roads on the island are in downtown San Pedro and the road to the hotel is dirt (mud when it rains) and filled with pot holes. Taking the golf cart into town for additional shopping is a bumpy ride indeed.

While those may sound like negatives, it really just adds to the air of adventure that this is still a somewhat ‘undiscovered’ place. Everyone on the island is truly glad you are there. As I mentioned, the staff’s level of service exceeded everything I’ve seen. Within two days everyone knew our names. When we took excursions, the concierge would call to check in to ensure we were seeing everything we wanted to and on schedule. When we had to leave early in the morning to get back to the airport, the manager met us out at the pier to say goodbye and see us off. And the townspeople are that way too – grocery store clerks make small talk, gift shop operators willing to help you look for things in your size. Our golf cart even broke down on one occasion and several people stopped to help us out. I never once felt unsafe or hesitant to talk with someone on the street – it is like you are visiting one big extended family (I can’t really speak to the rest of the country – but in San Pedro this is the case). I have definitely become a fan of Belize on this trip and plan on returning again next Spring.

I wanted to write to tell you that we had a fantastic time at White Sands during our visit to Belize. You and your staff are exceptional! We especially appreciated the extra efforts provided by Marlon. He definitely went out of his way to make sure we were well taken care of in all the activities we planned. Now it is back to reality and our JOBS!!!

April 2008
Altamonte Springs, FL

I highly recommend this resort! We stayed at White Sands Cove 3/24-29 . The accommodations are beautifully decorated and very comfortable. I slept so well! The views are outstanding. The staff were very friendly, and helpful. We took several dives and snorkeling trips and the divemasters were wonderful. We are novice divers and they were very supportive. Great equipment to rent. Delicious drinks at the bar. Sometimes dinner is also offered and was also delicious. For other dinners we walked or biked down the beach. We went to - Capricorn (10 min) Luna at Journeys End (30 min), Palapa Bar and Beach n'Kitchens (both about 20 min). Bring a flashlight for walking back on the beach at night. We went on a Fishing/Snorkeling/ Beach Picnic trip and I hightly recommend it. It was so much fun.

April 2008
Eugene, OR from TripAdvisor.com user review

We just returned from 8 nights in Belize - 3 in San Ignacio and 5 at White Sands Cove. It was the perfect split for a Belizean adventure - got the jungle and Tikal time in without traveling extra hours from the caye, got the relaxing time by the ocean too. I highly recommend splitting a trip like this if you're looking to both explore ruins / jungle and enjoy the ocean.

This resort is very well organized - the taxi driver at the airport takes you to the grocery store, then gets you settled with the water taxi driver, who takes you to the resort's dock, where you are met by a staff person to help with your bags. And the reverse on the way home - it was so nice to have it go just like clockwork!

We chose to eat at our condo a few nights and for breakfasts, opting for lunch and a couple of dinners out. The options are limited in the store and things are a bit different, but we found the makings for great pasta and tacos, breakfasts, and snacks. Turned out to be a good balance - plus, it helped us avoid the skeeters at night. They're right, bring your bug spray! (But you're going to get bites anyway, just like on any tropical island. The bug spray does help though!). There were several good, inexpensive restaurants within walking distance...just stroll along the beach and wander up to anyone of them. The food was much better than I'd anticipated.

I do recommend the bar at White Sands - there was one great bar-tender and a new one still learning the ropes. They told us the bar was built within the last year - and we can't imagine the place without it!

By far the best, however, was the dive shop. The diving was SPECTACULAR!! At least try a resort course if you haven't been before, you won't regret it. And they connected us with a fabulous, larger dive shop (Amigos del Mar) for the trip to the Blue Hole (a must do for more experienced divers).

It was a wonderful trip, met wonderful people, the diving couldn't have been better, and the weather was perfect!

March 2008
San Francisco, CA from TripAdvisor.com user review

My boyfriend Dave and I stayed at White Sands Cove Resort February 23 through March 1. We absolutely loved the resort. The owners, Mark, Marilyn and Michelle were wonderful, I felt like I had my own family there with us. The staff was great too, Marlon met us right at the dock and helped us to our room, Eden cooked the most delicious meals for dinner, the bartenders Dion and Alex were very attentive and fun to hang out with. A group of us did get a little crazy one night at the bar and closed it down, but we all had a really fun time, and I don't think we bothered the other visitors too much, luckily it was only one night and not every night! My boyfriend got his PADI certification on site and Elbert, Junior, Sam and Juan Carlos were all great. Not being a diver myself, I was able to go out snorkeling on one of the training dives. That was an adventure in itself, but quite fun.

Our first day there was a little hectic, we almost missed our connecting flight to Belize City, but we made it, however, our luggage did not. When we first arrived and met the taxi driver Isaias, he took us to the grocery store and also recommended a couple of stores so Dave could get swimming trunks and we could get sunscreen, since it was all in our luggage. Luckily, the luggage arrived the next day, but at that point, we were so happy to be in the sun, we didn't care if we had to wear the same clothes every day.

One of the things I loved the most about Ambergris Caye and White sands, is the casual atmosphere, you could have worn the same clothes every day and nobody would have cared, it was a tank top and shorts type of vacation.

We did go into town a few times, but we preferred the peacefulness of White Sands.

There are a few restaurants around within walking distance and even a pizza delievery place, so we were never lacking in the food department.

All in all, White Sands is a top place to stay. The rooms were very clean, the beach was raked every day and the pool was very clean as well.

Thanks so much Marilyn, Mark and Michelle! We look forward to coming back and hopefully very soon!

March 2008
Palatine, IL from TripAdvisor.com user review

My husband and I just returned from a week at White Sands Cove. The resort is beautiful, clean, and well maintained, with a lovely pool and bar area for sitting in the sun (or shade) and relaxing. Although we were disappointed not to meet the owners, Marlon was extremely helpful in putting together whatever activities we wanted, from arranging for water taxi's into San Pedro, to setting up a day on the mainland, complete with a personalized guide to the ruins and cave tubing. All the arrangements went very smoothly--the staff took care of everything. My husband took several dive trips, which he loved, as well as a fishing trip which was fun despite catching only 2 fish. A few caveats however: there are only a few restaurants within walking distance, and for the most part, very expensive. Definitely you need to bring groceries! Also, our sea view condo was in the worst possible location, with the front door (and windows) looking directly into the bar. The bedroom windows looked directly into the pool of the resort next door. So we felt like there was not enough privacy (we wanted to keep the windows open to cool the condo with the ocean breezes). Other than that, we enjoyed our time immensely.

February 2008
Hinsdale, IL from TripAdvisor.com user review

Wonderful location & vacation. The resort picks you up at the airport, takes you to a market or two, then wisks you off to your private water transportation. The transfers and check-in were flawless. We stayed in a sea front (B2) and loved the ocean view from the room. The room was very clean and the AC worked great, almost to cold sometimes. The property was spotless and Marilyn was very helpful in setting up any tours and answering any questions that we had. My husband went fishing from the dock every morning and caught a couple fish, and released them. We loved using the bikes that the resort has. We rented then a few days to ride into town and to the bars. Did the Hol Chan Snorkling Tour and had a wonderful time, the guides were great and seemed to like handling the Rays and feeding the fish.

The hightlight of our trip was the ATM Tour. I could not imagine traveling all the way to Belize and not doing this tour. Bernard was our guide & he was tops. He picked us up from the airport and drove us out to the site and conducted our tour. Everything was private, ground transportation and the tour. I can't talk enough about this tour and how AMAZING it was.

The location of the resort was perfect. I would have been disappointed if we had stayed in town, it's very busy and there are always people on the bike path. From the resort, it's a short bike ride, or walk to the Palapa Bar, which was one of our favorites or if you go North, a short walk to Captian Morgans.

If your planning your trip, I would highly reccomend you staying at this resort and doing the ATM tour. The tour costs a bit more than the other tours, but it's worth every penny. There is noting else like it anywhere in the world!

February 2008
CA from TripAdvisor.com user review

We stayed over Christmas and couldn't have enjoyed it more! All of the staff are extremely friendly, cooperative and helpful. They would arrange anything we wanted to do with almost no notice....from scuba lessons to a fishing trip...we caught 10 red snapper and a barracuda! There was a barbecue there for us to use to cook our catch. There are great hammocks to fall asleep in and a great pool to cool off in on those hot afternoons. The units are clean and well kept.

January 2008
Delta, BC from TripAdvisor.com user review

Are you looking for the best place to stay in Ambergris? White Sands Resort is the place. We just returned from one of our best vacations and what made it so great was White Sands. We are divers and wanted a place that could accommodate our diving needs and be a better experience than those –down-at-the-heels dive places. White Sands is just outside of town (close enough to bike, water taxi or golf cart) with its own dive shop. If you are a diver, you will love this place. Elbert Greer runs the shop and is there everyday. He is the Zen master of diving. Junior and his divemaster crews were great. They lead us on the most fantastic dives, paying attention to every detail. We are advanced divers and they gave some freedom to roam while at the same time paying attention. And best of all, the dives were not crowded. In fact, several dives were just us and the divemaster!

Marilyn and her husband Mark live at White Sands. This ensures the place runs smoothly and all guests are well taken care of. I can’t say enough about Marilyn. She is warm, friendly and you are immediately taken care of as family. We loved her dogs and being able to listen to her great stories.

For anything you want, you talk with Marlon. Marlon is connected. Any trip, restaurant etc, he handles with grace and ease. Everything was flawless and seamless. The others guests were great and we now have some new friends. Our trip provided rest, fun and adventure. I am sure we will return to White Sands.

December 2007
San Diego, CA from TripAdvisor.com user review

We had a wonderful stay at a seafront suite here. Went snorkelling, rented a golf cart for rides into town, spent a lot of time on the hammock. The location is gorgeous.

The facilities and suites are excellent, clean, beautifully done and well equipped.

Some cautions/ things to be aware of: there are about 7 dogs on the property. They are generally well behaved, but some people could be bothered by so many running around. Also, you cannot easily get in the water itself. There is too much seaweed (this is true of almost all resorts in the area, not just this one).

Everything we read about White Sands was true and we had a great time! I pretty much booked this place for three days after reading all the great reviews on tripadvisor. We ended up getting a really great rate for an ocean front single because we checked out the day before the busy season picked up. Also part of our room rate was one free snorkel trip to Hol Chan (a trip well worth paying for!). Marilyn was great talking with and corresponding by email to get all or reservations and airline tickets booked. We were promptly met at the airport and upon seeing San Pedro at night I could tell we were going to love the island. We were dropped off at the water taxi and had a private ride to the hotel. All of our bags were delivered to our room, we just quickly checked in at the front desk. We met Marilyn and another gentleman checked us in. Everyone was very friendly, at the time of year it was very quiet but we did meet some other travelers.

Rooms were nice, loved the beautiful tile in the shower. Nice to have a fridge for drinks and such. Housekeeping was great. Only comment I would make on the room is that the bed could have been more comfortable. I don't mind firm but you could feel or hear the springs when you moved. Still it wasn't the worst bed I've slept in. View from room was great and there are nice chairs to lounge in just outside your door. While they don't really have a walk in beach since there is turtle grass (I think that's what it's called) they do have beautiful white sand beach all throughout the property.The pool and their new bar is beautiful wood and lovely ligting. The bartenders are all they say they are. Loved the Bananna Diana's, local beers and some of their other frozen drinks. I couldn't believe it when the head bartender said hello to me by name one day before he had officially met me! Every person that works at the hotel addressed us by name!

While we didn't dive with their dive shop, we did do the snorkel trip and the dive shop was great. We had our own personal boat from White Sands Dive shop on our snorkel trip to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. Hol Chan was amazing, huge schools of fish, large stingrays, turtle and several spotted eagle rays that just swim throughout the channel (totally made me wish we had our dive gear instead of snorkeling). We loved the golf carts that you can rent from the hotel (which are about $27 or so for 2 hours and you can rent all day. To go into town by water taxi it's almost the same price for two people so we thought the carts were more fun. The "road" behind the hotel is pretty rough but is only that way just behind the hotel and around a curve, the rest of the way is pretty flat. You do have to pay about $5 round trip to go across the bridge into and out of town. Loved town, always felt safe (but use common sense), the locals seemed much more friendly here than many other places we've been.

Overall, very happy with our stay and we wish we could have stayed for longer! Would definitely stay there again.

White Sands Cove Resort is a wonderful place to stay. My husband and I went there to relax and unwind, and relax and unwind we did! The resort is by far the prettiest on the beach. The owners who are a wonderful family have done an absolutely beautiful job designing and building many aspects of the resort personally.

Our room opened up to a gorgeous beach, it was litterally steps away. The resort provided plenty of comfy lounge chairs and hammocks to read or nap in. At the White Sands dock my husband and I caught a couple of good size snapper and we actually BBQd one of them on the resort BBQ for dinner one evening. The rooms are beautiful and very spacious, the kitchen has everything you need to cook.

The pool is nice and the resort bar is located at the back. I have to say that we visited many bars and I sampled many Pina Coladas while in Belize but the bartender Deon at White Sands makes the best I have ever tasted. All the drinks he made us were wonderful and he is a very nice and fun guy.

The resort also has a huge book of activities including everything from diving to touring the Mayan ruins. So you can choose to book activities or just relax and enjoy the beautiful beach at the resort. There are a couple of restaurants within walking distance from the resort, our favorite was Capricorns. We also did a lot of shopping in town where you can find everything from souvenirs to groceries as well as many restaurants and bars. We found the best way to get to town and go shopping was to rent a golf cart from the resort and take the main road. You can also rent bikes with baskets and ride down the beach to town. The resort also has a spa and we got wonderful massages there.

The entire staff at White Sands was great we really enjoyed getting to know them. I honestly can't say enough good things about our trip, it was beautiful, relaxing, romantic and incredibly fun.

With the kids in sleep away camp, my Wife and I decided to take a little summer vacation. How we chose Belize is a long story, but it was a wonderful choice. What made it wonderful were the people at White Sands. They give us great tips on places to visit, things to do, places to eat, etc. They were extremely accomodating. Marlon was great at booking our day trips and was very helpful in answering our many questions. The Juneau's were so nice to us and we loved their dogs who acted as the welcoming committee. Elbert and his crew at the dive shop were great. Although I wasn't a fan of scuba diving, my Wife fell in love with it. I got to go fishing which is my love.

The cottages are clean and very tastefully done. The housekeeping staff always left our place spotless. The pool was great as were the surroundings. Awesome, totally awesome!

If you want a nice, laid back place to vacation, this place is for you. This is certainly a great value for the price.

We plan on returning next year and we may even take the kids. Hopefully, they'll be at sleep away camp so my Wife and I can be alone for another wonderful week at White Sands.

My wife and I loved this place! The facilities are very nice and clean. The staff will bend over backwards to help you during your stay.

It began with a flawless air port transfer from Belize City to San Pedro. There was a taxi waiting at San Pedro to take you to the market and to the water taxi. Marylin and Marlon were waiting for us to take our bags directly to our room. We checked in at the office after a well needed shower from all the travels.

The room was very spacious and modern and we were 20 feet from the water's edge.

We renewed our vows during our visit and the decorations that were set-up by the staff were amazing and at no charge. The owners were also our photographers and gave us a picture CD before we departed, also no charge.

The pool is very nice and the bar can serve whatever your heart desires.

I recommend the local cook that delivers to the resort. That was some of the best food we had during our trip. Also, there aren't too many food options within walking distance, so definitely buy breakfast items from town and store EVERYTHING in the fridge. As clean and as sealed as the room was, nature still finds it's way in to see what food you have. (They have bottled water at the resort at a good price.)

It was great and we were sad to leave.

After major flight delays in the U.S., the staff at the resort calmed us down over the phone, booked us on the last flight out of Belize City, and had a taxi and chartered boat meet us to take us to their dock. Not only that, as we arrived after 8 pm, tired and completely starving, Michelle heated up delicious leftovers of her own dinner in our suite while we were checking in so we would have something to eat.

The rooms were great, with a wonderfully comfortable bed and fabulous views. The bar was top-notch and the pool was awesome. The family's dogs were cute and well-behaved and made us pine for ours back home.

The entire staff was more than accommodating our entire stay. When the weather washed out one of our snorkel trips, they arranged for us to have a private trip the last day of our stay, making sure we got back in time to pack and catch our flight back to the mainland. It was the best excursion the whole stay.

We've already started planning our trip next year, and we're bringing friends this time!

We had a fantastic time and found White Sands Cove Resort to have everything we wanted and more!! The owners: Michelle, Marilyn and Mark were gracious, warm and very helpful. We immediately felt it was our home away from home. We are both gardeners and appreciated how beautiful the grounds were with very pleasing plantings around the property.

Marlon, the manager, made all our excursion reservations, and there was no lack of wonderful things to do. My husband and I took several snorkeling excursions and twice rented a kyak and made the 15 minute 'trip' to the reef where we had a magnificent time snorkeling.

White Sands Cove is in the perfect location, close enough to town to easily bike or walk in which we did several times. In addition we biked to the north end for romantic lunches on the beach. We spent relaxing time also at the pool, swinging in hammocks, and sitting on our deck. We could not have been happier with our choice of resort!

We were at White Sands Cove in early June and fell in love with the property! We arrived to a greeting from the owner herself and two of her dogs, which immediately made us feel at home. After getting situated in our condo (just feet from the water), she helped us out in finding a place for dinner and offered more help in the morning concerning the rest of our stay.

Our condo was like a mini apartment with a full kitchen including all cooking items you would need to make a meal at "home." Because we were directly by the ocean, the front room had a lot of windows to allow the sea breezes in. The back bedroom was air conditioned which gave us a comfortable place to sleep as well as that dry cold air you just need sometimes. Each day the condo was cleaned and the cleaning staff did a wonderful job.

Marlon was the man to go to for anything and everything you would want or need. He set up restaurant reservations for us, got us an ocean kayak (you definitely need to do - snorkel out on the reef), and one evening when the water taxi was full, he called for another one to come and pick us up. Very great man and made our stay there very easy, particularly since we hadn't visited San Pedro before.

Our main excursions were diving excursions. The resort has a dive shop on site with a very experienced dive master, Elbert. In fact he instructed several people staying there the same week to get their SCUBA certification. I looked online and read many reviews about the dive shops on the island, good and bad. The dive shop had very good equipment and in good shape. And sometimes you just don't know what you get when you rent equipment in another country. Tony and Louis are the two dive tour guides who took us out on our dives. Because this resort wasn't overly populated with divers, we were actually able to personalize our dives and Tony took us to where we were interested and considered our level of diving in choosing the sites. We really were comfortable with him.

The pool was very refreshing and clean with plenty of cushioned lounge chairs to lay in and shade provided by palm trees and a palapa. There were also several chairs on the beach area if you would rather stare out at the blue, blue ocean.

There is also a beach bar with great bartenders who introduced us to some great drinks. Make sure you ask Brian to make you a BBCK - yum yum!

Overall, it is a small resort with a lot of charm. We have done the large beach resorts in other areas in the Carribean. White Sands provided us with service that we probably wouldn't have gotten at the larger resorts. The owner and her family live there and are willing to help out if you need anything. Yes, there are 4 dogs there that belong to them. I was a little apprehensive about that after reading a review about the place, but they were no problem at all. First of all, they do not run free all day long. I never heard them bark. They were not in the swimming pool as one reviewer remarked, and they were very friendly. They were not aggressive and it was actually nice having them there.

White Sands Cove Resort was a great choice for our 10th wedding anniversary. It is also a great place to get married. A wedding took place on the beach and it was beautiful. There is a sea wall so you cannot walk into the ocean. But on the pier there is a ladder so that you can get directly in the ocean to swim or snorkel. It is a resort that is far enough away from San Pedro so it is quiet. The only sounds you hear are the waves crashing at the reef and the wind blowing through the palm trees.

Obviously by my rambling on, I cannot say enough about the place. I would definitely go back and stay there again.

First marriage, first honeymoon, first time in Belize... thank God we stayed at White Sands Cove!

The staff, I hate calling them that for they are now friends, was incredibly accommodating from our arrival to our departure. Their willingness and ability to organize all of our days trips to the mainland or snorkel around the island eased our minds enabling us to enjoy more time together- just ask Marlon!

Owned and operated by a charming family from the states, Mark, Mariland, Michelle, and Stephanie both share and provide a quality of life that is so infectious we are already planning another trip down. However, next time we won't plan so many day trips away on land... more snorkeling and diving closer to home for sure! The reef is just a short paddle away in a kayak provided and delivered to the shore by WSC- just ask Marlon!

Their dogs are well mannered but hysterical when playing around. Each has a character of their own while helping provide a feeling of security after the sun sets- similar to that of home.

The condos are immaculate and kept so daily by lovely Belizean women. The showers are huge (even roomy enough for two :))! The beds are comfy with soft sheets and pillows. The kitchens are spacious and well stocked with cooking utensils if you want to stay in and cook your fresh catch or prepare a dish to share at a pot luck at the bar.

As for the bar, there is not enough room to list all of the delicious drinks Brian makes to order, but you must try a banana colada or a Chi Chi Mama. Although every one is delicious, the quality of Brian's drinks are not his only strong points...also are his character and disposition. Ask him for food recommendations along with night time activities in town- he was right on the money everytime!

All in all, not only is WSC a perfect place to stay if you want a relaxed atmosphere, but it is also a place to stay if you want friendly and honest people waiting for you when you return from an organized excursion or an independent adventure in paradise. Expect to be spoiled, not coddled.

P.S. We are still suffering from post vacation depression- see you again soon White Sands Cove!

May 7- May 19, 2007 (we extended our stay an extra day!)
Nashville, TN from TripAdvisor.com user review

Hi Michelle! I am completely worthless now at work.....you guys forever ruined me for any useful purpose....and I thank you for that!!! Had a good trip home and back at work and daily routine, although this stuff doesn't seem as important now....

I want to thank you and your family for really taking me in and making me feel welcome, especially being a solo traveler. You were extremely gracious. Please say hello to Marilyn, Mark, Elbert, Marlon, and everyone else there, I really miss it....I have some pictures that I have gotten back early and some are pretty good....I'll send when I get them...

Thank you again for the time of my life!!!

P.S. Could you let me know what the booking looks like for Next February or March?

My husband and I just got back from a wonderful stay in Belize at White Sands Cove Resort. I cannot say enough good things about this place...it's perfect! The resort grounds are kept in beautiful condition with tropical flowers everywhere. They even had banana trees on the property and offered fresh ripe bananas to the guests in the morning. The groundskeepers rake the beach daily and the pool is crystal clear. We absolutely LOVED our room. The bed was really comfortable and we loved the way everything was decorated.

The owners are wonderful and really go out of their way to make you feel like you're one of the family. They were helpful all the way through the booking process and answered a million questions that we had. They hung out with us at the bar in the evening and are really warm and genuine people. We loved all of their dogs too!

The bar is a fun place to hang out where we placed cards and the dice game threes with other gusts and the bartender Brian. Speaking of Brian, you HAVE to try his Pina Coladas. They are amazing. By the end of our trip were begging for the recipe so we could recreate these tasty concoctions at home!

We had spectacular dive trips courtesy of Elbert, Tony and Luis who work at the on-site dive shop. They were great and very patient with me when I had some trouble with my ears on one of the days.

All in all, we had such a great time and didn't want to leave. We have never been back to the same place twice, but I have a feeling White Sands Cove will be seeing us again very soon!

My husband and I just got back from a week on Ambergris Caye. It was one of the best trips we've taken and White Sands was the perfect home base!

Unlike some other trips where we've had to make reservations months in advance for dinners and plan everything to excess, all we had to do was show up at White Sands. Michelle and Marilyn organized all of our excursions and even went out of their way to change one of the reservations late in the evening (I'd been to scared to go zip lining until I had a few margaritas and got talked into it). We did cave tubing + zip lining. The best! Plus, it gave us a chance to see the mainland and lots of howler monkeys.

I walked into the dive shop to plan some snorkeling trips and Elbert put us on a boat that afternoon to snorkel at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley (spectacular!) We also snorkeled at Mexico Rocks. Luis, our guide, was really fun and totally knowledgeable. He also let us dive for conch.

There are tons of shady spots on the property and around the pool perfect for reading, napping and enjoying the amazing view. Brian the bartender is tons of fun and makes delicious, stiff drinks. We met really cool people and spent many a night playing dice at the bar.

There are 6 dogs onsite - 2 mellow big dogs and four small, sweet and playful ones. I invited one of them in and he took a few naps in our room during our stay.

Our room was a one bedroom sea front. Comfy bed, great working kitchen, spectacular view.

We will definitely go back! The only question is: how soon can we?

We still have a little White Sands sand left (in the corners of our luggage), but the memories we made while staying with you will last forever. It seems like a dream.

Give Keira and the other pups a pat for us....we miss them a lot (cats seem so boring, now)

I just wanted to thank you again and to say that Heather and I had a great time at White Sands Cove.