I guess my take would be that that once you're in the water they're all pretty similar for swimming. I might give the edge to Mata Chica's beach, which is beautiful. Turtle Inn's is pretty nice as well.

Turtle Inn's pool I would rate at the top (actually it has two pools but one is private to Frances Ford Copolla's villa). Victoria House's pool is great, too, though. Both are zero effect pools. Mata Chica and Portofino don't have pools.

Pretty much the same wind conditions exist in Placencia as Ambergris. May can be fairly windy, though that's a plus at Turtle Inn as it has no air-conditioning.

--Lan Sluder

Lan Sluder/Belize First
http://www.belizefirst.com