I know that A.C. is not the spot to go if you are looking for the gorgeous beaches, etc. BUT, if anyone has any opinion regarding which resort offers the nicest beach, I would love to hear it!

up north somewhere, i'd say. i hear playa blanca is pretty. see my pics of journey's end (also up north) at
//ambergriscaye.com/jane

are the beaches truly not gorgeous? the pictures look so fabulous

Great photos Jane. I now know what the infamous ChooChoo looks like! Are there any Mainland trips that you would recommend? The Belmopan area looks gorgeous!

these pics are from 8/00. (the beach looked exactly as you see it in the photos). up north they are lovely, just the water was 2 feet deep as far out as i walked. swimming is what it lacks, not beauty. i sat there all day staring...

the mainland ones are from '93. we did not do day trips. we stayed there 7 days. that is my recommendation. someday, plan to do the rain forest for a few days. it was amazing. day trip? phooey! not my style. (too tourist-y!)i would be heading to the jungle again this trip, but i think my kids are a bit young. but i want to take them before it is gone.

traveling by jeep around was half the fun. horsebackriding thru the jungle was the coolest. and waking to the screeches of parrots, the mist evaporating off the foliage...

sactownsista, the beaches are fine. However, they are not like the beaches in Playa del Carman, Cancun or even Puerto Vallarta. They aren't very wide, in many areas are used for constant foot traffic and as Jane pointed out, they aren't good for swimming. Also, in most areas other than up north, the beach is virtually littered with docks. Since most of the swimming is done off of docks, this is not a true hardship but it does break up the view of the ocean somewhat.

thanks for painting a great picture seashell, i am into diving and snorkeling anyway, i was just surprised when i read that they were lacking because i always felt they looked so beautiful in the pictures, i wasn't thinking along the lines if they were shallow or deep etc...i was thinking purely about the visual

Personally I love the beaches on Ambergris, and the joy and peace of using the beach for foot traffic is wonderful, where every you are walking to, you get to keep one foot in the caribbean sea during your journey. Now is that heaven or what?
Also, you do not have to dodge the vehicles on the streets. Actually the beach is the super express way, compared to the streets.

[This message has been edited by Chloe (edited 03-23-2002).]

Thank you all for your replies! This really helps me out--one more question. In your opinion, which location has the better beach for "sunning" and swimming--Victoria House or Ramon's--I can't really tell by their websites, but it looks like Victoria House has a barrier between the beach and the water--can anyone advise?

i am just guessing, but i think ramon's beach would be a bit busier & more foot traffic around than VH. i stayed there (ramon's) long ago, and it was nice, i just remember a lot of people being around. best sunning beaches? take a cart up north, they are by far the best lounging beaches. the beach at journeys end was breath-taking, and i was the only one on it