I've been to a lot of countries, and tons of hotels and hostels. The Smuggler's Den is my favorite experience that I've had. My previous favorite was an expensive hotel in Venice, with my own private canal........but now, I have to vote for The Smuggler's Den.

Do yourselves a favor, get off the beaten track and visit Ray & his family for a few days. If you go to San Pedro, make sure you make it here.

If a person wanted to do a destination wedding, I would say forget the expensive mega-resorts, and rent out this place!

This is my favorite place that I have ever stayed. It's no Marriott, but in my opinion it's better. The downfall is that it is about a 20 minute cab ride outside of Corozal so once you're there you don't really wan to leave b/c it's not convenient. The great thing is though if you are prepared you can bring your own food in and cook and eat for a lot less since the cabanas have their own kitchens. There is a restaurant on site where the wife of the hotel owner cooks amazing dinners. They have a bar as well to order beer or well drinks. Fairly priced. The cabana was very roomy and comfortable. There was only one other couple staying there while we were there and we only saw them at dinner and on occasion a couple of other times for a brief moment. It was like we had a private beach to ourselves. Very peaceful and beautiful - about 50 paces from the beach. We watched the sunrise from our front porch. The "hot water" however was luke warm at best but the other couple staying there said they had hot water so maybe it was some fluke. They gave you ice and fresh water upon arrival and were very hospitable. This place is truly amazing for a nice break in your trip or a week-long getaway. Not a place to go and party it up though as you may be the only ones there. . . unless those are the kinds of parties you like. There is sand volleyball there and you can walk through the jungle (bugs may be an issue then though). No bugs on the beach - we LOVED this place!!! Go visit and experience the oasis!

My husband and I will never forget how wonderful we felt as we rounded the corner of the rugged road that leads to Smuggler's Den, in Consejo, Belize. We both gasped in delight at the beautiful setting in front of us ... truly we had arrived in paradise! As our taxi departed, we stood on the grounds by the large thatched roof restaurant, amid flaming red hibiscus, gazed out at the sea, and were stunned to see a pink flamingo fly past us! A rare thing indeed, even in exotic Belize. We took it as a sign of good things to come, and we were not disappointed. Smuggler's Den is a small, family owned and operated business. Ray, born in Canada, is the quintessential Indiana Jones, who won the heart of beautiful Rosa, a native Belizean, some 20 years ago, and together, they have put their hearts and souls into creating their version of Shangri-La in this very quiet, out-of-the-way corner of Corozol District. This is a very unique establishment that needs to be experienced and judged on its' own merits, without getting into too many comparisons with other resorts, because the people who live here and own this place are very much a part of the whole experience. If you like to truly experience a place, this establishment will satisfy your curiosity about the way of life in northern Belize. Sit up at the bar, on hand-crafted exotic hardwood stools, surrounded by mahogany floors and views of the sea, with Ray and some of the locals, share a Belikin, or a generous serving of One Barrel Rum with cola and lime, and get them talking about their time here. You will quickly find yourself sharing their adventures, and thinking about creating your own. The ambience of this place is incredibly good, if you like this sort of thing. The accommodations are spacious and impeccably kept. Hot water is plentiful. Each thatched roof cabin is very large with a full kitchen and full bathroom, and each one faces the sea. My husband and I enjoyed evenings sitting on the verandah of our cabin, gazing at the moonlight on the sea, which was only 50 metres from our doorstep. The sound of the lapping waves and the gentle sea breeze blowing through our windows lulled us to sleep every night. We had many options while staying here: we could dine at Smuggler's restaurant and enjoy Rosa's wonderful family cuisine, we could purchase food at the local market and grocery stores in nearby Corozol Town and make some meals/snacks/lunches ourselves or we could try a few other places around the area. We also had the choice of enjoying the area on foot, walking around the unexcavated Mayan ruins nearby and enjoying the nature trails, or we could hitch a ride in Ray's truck into town on a school day, have Ray drop us off with his children at their bus stop, hop on board the local school bus and for $3 BZ each, get a ride on the school bus right into the town square in Corozol Town. There, we enjoyed a picnic lunch at the seawall park, explored the town, got some great photos, chatted with people in the stores and market, picked up some fabulous exotic wood carvings in a local shop, then took a cab back to Smuggler's Den, for about $10 BZ. Just down the road, at the port in Consejo, you can hop on board a boat and for $15 BZ can enjoy a great boat ride across the bay to Chetumal, Mexico, where you can shop, visit the Chederai Mall and even watch a matinee movie. You can easily do day trips to the cayes, catching a boat or air flight from Corozol town. Cerros is just a short boat ride away as well. Smuggler's Den is the perfect spot in which to relax, learn about living in Belize without the hoopla of a tourist area to influence you, to reflect and enjoy exotic natural surroundings, with good people nearby to assist you with any request you may have. It is approximately two hours drive north of Belize airport in Ladyville, and only a 20 minute drive south of the Mexican border. Ray can assist you with transportation suggestions, via email. Enjoy!

We went to belize for the 1st time, not knowing what to expect. We stayed in corzal, about 7 miles north, at the smugglers den. We have stayed in MANY 5 star resorts, this was NOT a 5 star, but the best resort we have ever stayed in. It is a nice famliy run resort, right on the beach. We had a very cute little cabin, full with kitchen, and all!! By the time we left, we felt like part of the family,ray and rosa were great to us, not to mention their 2 kids.
We stayed for 1 month, and smugglers den was very affordable, and everyone was always around to answer any questiopns we had and advise us on where to go in belize. They also have a small bar and restraunt, best bartender and food in belize, and once again very good price. Please check it out.
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We will be back next year, but for 2 months next year.