We have booked our flight and, thanks to a member of this board, Bobber, we're shaking off Puerto Rico and coming to AC this December.
We're looking for clean, well appointed accomodations but short of luxury and about a mile or so from town. How do Banana Beach, Mata Rooks and Tropica compare?
Thanks for any insights... right here, mi amigos in the great white north, Joe Kino.

hi joe...

toronto, eh? that hardly qualifies for the "great white north"...i'm from manitoulin island...now living in rochester, ny...just a "fast ferry" ride from you...

stayed at banana beach which is right beside mata rocks...so location is the same for both in terms of getting to town...a nice walk along the beach...about 20 minutes.

banana beach is bigger...more "hotel" style...but the rooms are fabulous and if you get an oceanfront room with a balcony...the privacy and view are wonderful...can't beat it. the rooms at mata rocks wouldn't have quite the same view being set a bit back from the beach...but i loved the beach area there...small but a nice beach bar with lounging area in the sand.

highly recommend BB...great hospitality and all the services you need...great restaurant and travel/tour shop. have lots of pictures of the property if you are interested in looking.

can't tell you anything about tropica...same general locations and we passed it...looked interesting...maybe someone else stayed there...

ambergris caye...good choice!

Tropica, NOT ! Banana Beach, YES !

Thanks Mikell, still looking for as much info as possible.
Yeah, what about that ferry, I can't see it surviving a season. My signifigant other is the box office manager at CanStage and can get great seats for most theatres (those people trade house seats like baseball cards). If you're planning a trip to Toronto by ferry or not, don't be bashfull, send me requests by email.

I'd rate them:

1. Banana Beach
2. Mata Rocks

3. (way down) Tropica

They're more like a mile and a half from town, not a mile.

--Lan Sluder
www.belizefirst.com

joe...

thanks for the great offer...

send me your email...we can keep in touch about "cross boarder issues"!!

mikellb@hotmail.com

sure hope the ferry survives...will make it easy for me to visit "home"...(i think more people are pessimistic on YOUR side of the lake...but just wait til the yankee dollars start pouring in! )

i think you're getting good feedback on banana beach...can't really go wrong staying there!

Thanks to all who responded, We have made reservations at BB and are looking forward to our first AC experience. Mikell, watch your hotmailbox.