Director Francis Ford Coppola brings his Bali-tinged vision of sandy chic to one of the best beaches in Belize.
Indagare Loves
The triangular pool
The modern Beach House complex, where Sofia Coppola stays when she visits
In-room “shellphones” that connect you to the reception desk made from massive conch shells (there are no phones, TVs or Internet access in the villas)
Review
When director Francis Ford Coppola’s first iteration of Turtle Inn was virtually wiped out by Hurricane Iris in 2001, he hired Balinese-based designer Made Wijaya to re-create it, working with Mayan artisans and Balinese craftsmen. Coppola’s daughter, Sofia, helped design the small but exquisite Balinese spa.
The result is a Robinson Crusoe–style island hideout fit for royalty, with 19 thatched-roof villas and cottages that range from 600 to 1,500 square-feet. A large screened-in porch (where a wooden day bed invites lounging) leads to a living area and bedrooms. Elaborately carved doorways imported from Bali separate the rooms, where the furnishings are set on polished wood floors. Overhead fans, large wicker chairs and couches strewn with batik pillows create an atmosphere of island ease. Coppola brings his family here to de-stress but when he’s not in residence it’s possible to rent his house, which is slightly larger than the others and includes a small private pool and a tiny screening room for watching movies.
The laid-back atmosphere is the real luxury at Turtle Inn. Craving coconut water? One of the beach attendants will scurry up a nearby palm for a coconut, hack a hole in the top and stick a straw in it for you. Guests relax in hammocks strung up between palm trees.
As you’d expect from Coppola, a celebrated winemaker as well as a celebrated moviemaker, the Italian-inspired restaurant does not disappoint and features wonderful wines from his Napa vineyard. Guests can also enjoy fresh charcoal-grilled lobsters and snapper at the beachside Gauguin Grill, and on Mondays and Thursdays, a traditional Indonesian rice table in the main restaurant. Across the street, guests can enjoy casual, authentic Belizean food at Auntie Luba’s Kitchen.
In 2013 many of the accommodations, the main restaurant, lobby, pool deck, and landscaping were refurbished and the organic garden was expanded as well. It now includes chickens that produce organic eggs. Complimentary on-site bird watching is offered in addition to a full roster of land and sea tours and new yoga packages for those who can manage to get out of that hammock.
Who Should Stay
Sybaritic beach bums and families who want to explore Southern Belize. This is the top spot in the area for both families and couples, although the property holds true to Francis’s mantra of back to basics – no AC, phones, TV, or wifi in the villas.
Author
Karen Catchpole
Indagare Plus Amenities
$100 resort credit per room, per reservation towards in house tours only
Complimentary Breakfast
Upgraded Room Category on Availability at Check-In
From Indagare members Meredith and Paul Reilly, who honeymooned in Belize:
“Our first stop was the Turtle Inn, where we were escorted to our private villa upon arrival. Our accommodations were very spacious, and we loved the giant, secluded patio. The restaurant was fantastic, and we especially loved the happy hour at the hotel’s beach bar, which boasts stunning views. One of our favorite parts of the trip was a private snorkeling trip. We chartered a big, beautiful boat and sailed to Laughing Bird Caye for a day of swimming and sunshine.”
Indagare
9:33 pm | November 21, 2019
From Indagare member M.B.:
“Turtle Inn was totally beautiful. Our room was absolutely amazing and right on the beach. Unfortunately… there was a cold weather front that seemed to linger for our entire stay; it manifested itself as extreme wind. It was so windy that we couldn’t swim in the sea, as it was too choppy and filled seaweed. It also meant that we couldn’t go snorkeling or do any water sports. It also meant that it was kind of hard to sleep as the huts rattled like mad. When they put the canvas curtains down they rattled even more. Obviously this was nothing that they could do anything about… but it was a bummer.
“The Inn is on a peninsula which is pretty well developed… and what is not developed is something partially developed (and then stopped). The town (Placencia) was kind of depressing—touristy shops, not very friendly/happy people. I guess it was pretty hard to go from a place that is seemed so rich culturally and with pure nature… to a place that was very developed and then have poor weather…. All this said, we did have a nice time at Turtle Inn, it just wasn’t what we expected.”
Indagare
9:16 pm | March 2, 2021
From an Indagare Member:
“Turtle Inn is so self-selecting, it’s almost like a private club. People who go there repeatedly just get it—it’s low-key, but there’s always something to do if you want it. I learned to dive with Bertram, the in-house dive master and ended up doing two 40-foot dives, seeing nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, giant moray eels and a remarkable array of reef life. Hannah caught a 20-pound barracuda on our reef fishing trip with Rico (same guide we’ve had three years now). The rainforest hike in the Jaguar Preserve was a welcome break from the beach, and we saw howler monkeys and lots of birds, swam in a gorgeous waterfall pool and learned a ton about jungle plant medicine and Maya culture from our guide. I did yoga twice a day with Stephanie, the in-house instructor, and had an open-air massage every other day with June, the Thai masseuse, who completely unwound me. I can’t stress enough what a truly unique property Turtle Inn is. If you’re there during a busy time, try and get a cottage a little further from the pool/restaurant.”
Top Tip:
“Request sunrise and sunset yoga with Stephanie on the pier to enjoy reef wildlife viewing during your vinyasa. We saw an albino manatee swimming right under us during downward dog!”
Bonus: “The extended Coppola family was in residence They are truly so hospitable you forget he’s a filmmaker before a hotelier!”
You are about to check room availability as a guest. If you would like to take advantage of our member rates and benefits, please join Indagare now.
Book as a Member
Sign in to be able to book the best rates and amenities available only to Indagare members. If you do not see the special Indagare plus rates, contact our Bookings Team.
Book as a Member
Contact the Indagare Team
SAFARI JACKET ORDER REQUEST
Select your jacket size and a member of our team will reach out to you directly for shipping and payment information.
Fields marked with (*) are mandatory.
Submitting this form constitutes acceptance of our terms of use and privacy policy.
Share This Page
Member Login
Member Login
START MY TRIP
Contact the Indagare team to see how we can help with your next adventure.
Fields marked with (*) are mandatory.
Submitting this form constitutes acceptance of our terms of use and privacy policy.
Exterior View - Turtle Inn, Belize
Exterior View - Turtle Inn, Belize
Comments (3) OpenClose
3 Comments
From Indagare members Meredith and Paul Reilly, who honeymooned in Belize:
“Our first stop was the Turtle Inn, where we were escorted to our private villa upon arrival. Our accommodations were very spacious, and we loved the giant, secluded patio. The restaurant was fantastic, and we especially loved the happy hour at the hotel’s beach bar, which boasts stunning views. One of our favorite parts of the trip was a private snorkeling trip. We chartered a big, beautiful boat and sailed to Laughing Bird Caye for a day of swimming and sunshine.”
From Indagare member M.B.:
“Turtle Inn was totally beautiful. Our room was absolutely amazing and right on the beach. Unfortunately… there was a cold weather front that seemed to linger for our entire stay; it manifested itself as extreme wind. It was so windy that we couldn’t swim in the sea, as it was too choppy and filled seaweed. It also meant that we couldn’t go snorkeling or do any water sports. It also meant that it was kind of hard to sleep as the huts rattled like mad. When they put the canvas curtains down they rattled even more. Obviously this was nothing that they could do anything about… but it was a bummer.
“The Inn is on a peninsula which is pretty well developed… and what is not developed is something partially developed (and then stopped). The town (Placencia) was kind of depressing—touristy shops, not very friendly/happy people. I guess it was pretty hard to go from a place that is seemed so rich culturally and with pure nature… to a place that was very developed and then have poor weather…. All this said, we did have a nice time at Turtle Inn, it just wasn’t what we expected.”
From an Indagare Member:
“Turtle Inn is so self-selecting, it’s almost like a private club. People who go there repeatedly just get it—it’s low-key, but there’s always something to do if you want it. I learned to dive with Bertram, the in-house dive master and ended up doing two 40-foot dives, seeing nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, giant moray eels and a remarkable array of reef life. Hannah caught a 20-pound barracuda on our reef fishing trip with Rico (same guide we’ve had three years now). The rainforest hike in the Jaguar Preserve was a welcome break from the beach, and we saw howler monkeys and lots of birds, swam in a gorgeous waterfall pool and learned a ton about jungle plant medicine and Maya culture from our guide. I did yoga twice a day with Stephanie, the in-house instructor, and had an open-air massage every other day with June, the Thai masseuse, who completely unwound me. I can’t stress enough what a truly unique property Turtle Inn is. If you’re there during a busy time, try and get a cottage a little further from the pool/restaurant.”
Top Tip:
“Request sunrise and sunset yoga with Stephanie on the pier to enjoy reef wildlife viewing during your vinyasa. We saw an albino manatee swimming right under us during downward dog!”
Bonus: “The extended Coppola family was in residence They are truly so hospitable you forget he’s a filmmaker before a hotelier!”