Had a great vacation. Property was beautiful and was exactly as advertised in the website. Ernesto and Samantha, the caretakers, were a delight, and the trip would not have been near as enjoyable without them. Ernesto is an excellent tour guide and arranged all of our day trips. He did all of the work for us on the trip. Would highly recommend snorkeling, trip to Mayan ruins, and cave tubing. Be prepared to spend $50/person for snorkeling, $250/person for day trip to Mayan ruins combined with cave tubing, $250/person for deep sea fishing, and $50/person for a good meal at a nice sit down restaurant. Would recommend a bit of caution when reserving a deep sea fishing charter. Need to check on their track record for how good they are at catching fish and whether than have sonar to help locatate fish. Would not recommend taking a boat ride outside of the reef to Mexico. It's a nice place to visit with great food, but the boat ride is way too dangerous with huge waves that come over into the boat and spine jarring falls when the boat motors through a cresting wave. Would recommend taking plenty of cash. Traveler's checks are not preferred and credit card machines are frequently not working. Scared of caring a lot of cash? You can get a cash withdrawal at a bank in town for a small fee. Definitely, I am glad we went and made some unforgettable memories.

Amazing, the house is even better than the photos! We travel a bit, and this was our best vacation ever. Caretakers Ernesto and Samantha were fun, thoughtful and offered us any help we needed while respecting our privacy. House and grounds are clean and stylish. Would stay here again in a heartbeat. Two thumbs way, way up!!

Beautiful Vacation Home on the ocean with great views, pier, pool, boat, Ernesto the caretaker who is also a professional tour guide, and the option of having a chef to cook all the fresh fish, lobster, conch that you can catch daily. You are on an island and the only way off is by boat. The water ferries and taxis run frequently by your dock. The beaches are very narrow and there's few places to walk. So, you need to like the water activities. Fishing snorkeling, and diving are fun in the crystal clear ocean waters right by the barrier reef. Would not recommend the deep sea fishing unless you are on a really large boat. The ocean waves get very treacherous as you sail through the channels to get past the long barrier reef. We experienced some injuries and ruined some expensive cameras and video equipment from the big waves washing over our average size boat. Everything except beer is very expensive. You'll need lots of cash. The shopping is limited and not very interesting. A trip to Belize City on the mainland is about a 2 hour boat trip to catch the inland tours. Cave tubing was one of our favorite tours. Try to do the inland tours on days when the cruise ships are not bringing in thousands of tourists for shore excursions (like Monday or Tuesday). Ernesto is an incredible tour guide and can recommend the best days for your excursions. We and our three daughters had an amazing vacation at this home with lots of adventure and plenty of time to to relax. The property was well maintained and the owner was very helpful answering our questions prior to our arrival. We would recommend this property. Recommended for: Sightseeing, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Romantic Getaway, Families with Teenagers

I just came back and had the best vacation ever! 18 Degrees North is in a wonderful location, with lots of privacy and set up for plenty of relaxation! The house was just as advertised and had all the amenities you'll want for a great tropical getaway. When it got too hot by the pool, the breeze off the water made relaxing in the hammocks under the palapa perfect! Ernesto the caretaker is AMAZING! For about the price of a group tour, Ernesto will take pamper you on a completely personalized and private trip; whether you go to the ruins, the zoo, snorkeling, or more. He'll take amazing care of you and can always be counted on to suggest good restaurants, the best shops, and must-see trips. He seems to know everyone and really helps you feel like you're part of his family, without being intrusive when you just want to be left alone to relax by the pool. We can't wait to visit again, and will definitely be staying at 18 Degrees North again. The owners were extremely responsive to all emails and questions prior to our trip and the house was perfect for our group (two couples). It's so nice to have a computer with internet for those times you have to do a quick email check, too. My one tip for visitors to Ambergris Caye, though, is that it will be more expensive than you think. Groceries and liquor are expensive to import, and that cost is passed along to you. Sometimes referred to as "Rich Man's Island", we didn't find any huge bargains on food or entertainment, but it was still completely worth it! We were quoted about the same prices as the previous reviewer for private tours with Ernesto. Keep in mind those are prices in US dollars. Groceries will cost at least the same as what you pay in the states (things like booze and snack foods can be significantly more). Get your liquor at the Duty Free shop in the airport and you'll save TONS OF MONEY! We went outside the reef to Mexico for lunch during a snorkeling trip and did not experience the dangerous waves the previous reviewer did. I think weather must make a big difference. We had a great time with outstanding food in Mexico and a once-in-a-lifetime snorkeling experience with Ernesto. WE LOVE 18 DEGREES NORTH! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WONDERFUL HOME WITH US!

My wife and I were looking for a quiet beach home with a pool at which to celebrate our 40th anniversary and my 60th birthday. This home and its beautiful pool were perfect. There is undisturbed jungle on both sides of the house and little foot traffic passing on the beach. The kitchen is great - the whole house has an airy feeling. The patio around the pool offers lots of choices for sun or shade. We plugged our Ipod into the stereo system and we were set to relax! We shopped for the first three days when we landed in San Pedro (there is an excellent wine store - wine de vine) and only went shopping again once. Don't miss the papaya. Bonus number one was the variety of birds that flew into our view while sitting by the pool. We soon became intrigued with identifying them (there is a book, "Birds of Belize", at the house) and taking pictures (bring a long lens). They provided hours of enjoyment. Bonus number two was Ernesto. He met us at the airport, escorted us by mini-van to shop, and took us by boat to the house. He took us snorkeling and fished for my birthday dinner, cooked by his wife Samantha. He noticed that we were captivated by the variety of bird life and offered to take us to see more. We spent most of a day with him going around the cay into the national park, viewing some of the most spectacular aggregations of birds we have ever seen. Ernesto capped it off by fixing lunch on the boat while we snorkeled. He is easy to be with, a prudent master at piloting his boat in inches of water and on the open ocean, and has years of accumulated knowledge to draw on when you ask a question. We have had great success staying at homes with pools in Portugal, France, and Italy. This home and its surroundings take the cake so far! Recommended for: Sightseeing, Girls Getaway, Tourists without a Car, Adventure Seekers, Age 55+, Romantic Getaway, Families with Teenagers