Athens Gate Beach Resort - San Pedro, Belize

I have a confession. After reading all the 5-star reviews on Trip Advisor about this beach resort, I started to wonder if these stellar reviews were the truth.  Yes, as a consumer of travel services, I always want to read exceptional ratings, but I’m always a little skeptical…as if to say, “is this too good to be true?”  


Well, fear not fellow travelers, Athens Gate Resort is 10-stars!!!  This elegant, central air conditioned, turn-key suite had everything you could possibly want and then some.  

Our suite (number 10) with 2 bedrooms (the master bedroom has a

sleep-number bed…HEAVENLY) and two bathrooms, large living room, large dining room, chef’s kitchen,  large balcony that looks over the stunning and breathtaking grounds and pool, full-sized stack-able washer/dryer (with detergent and softener), full size refrigerator, stove/oven, microwave, dishwasher, pots, pans, bake-ware, flatware, stemware, dishes, bowls, tons of closet space, drawers, shelves, built in safe, jetted tub, separate large shower, lots of towels, hand and face clothes, shampoo/conditioner, bath and facial bars, ceiling fans, three televisions, stereo, books, games, flashlight, extra supplies (dish soap, paper towel, toilet paper, trash bags, etc.)…was massive, immaculate, and provided the perfect ambiance for our vacation.  They even provided a large 5-gallon bottle of drinking water.  They have literally thought of everything!

And for the techies that are always looking for electrical outlets, no worries. I believe there are a million electrical outlets throughout the suite.  OK. Maybe not a million, but you get my point.  You will not run out of outlets, including on that spacious balcony.

I kid you not…my husband and I fell in love with Athens Gate and did not want to leave.  In fact, we started looking at how we could extend our vacation, but with round trip tickets already purchased, we reluctantly (and tearfully) stayed with our original plans.  

Cindy was the best and took exceptional care of us during our entire stay. In addition, she even took time out of her day to show us a 3-bedroom suite and answer a thousand questions about San Pedro.  We are always thinking ahead about our upcoming events, so, it was great to see other floor plans.

And her dining recommendations were perfect, since I am plant-based: Wild Mangos, Lone Star, Elvi’s Kitchen (not Elvis), Belize Chocolate Company, and Caramba…all delectable. In addition, we ate breakfast every morning at Athens Gate sister resort; The Pelican Reef Villas (the Pelican Nest Grill), which is just a very short walk along the beach front (about 4 piers away) …oh my gosh…talk about YUMMY and mouthwatering (see photos below).

Our breakfast included: 
French toast
Banana Pancakes
Syrup/butter
Fry bread and sweet honey
Hash brown potatoes
Fruit platter
Pineapple Juice
Orange Juice

They just had the best food and having breakfast on the beach every morning was so surreal. After we returned home to Puerto Aventuras, Mexico from our wonderful stay at Athens Gate, my husband and I teased each other about going to The Pelican Nest Grill for breakfast…we really miss it.

But now, let me turn your attention to a little surprise I received in our suite after we had been out walking around town one day.  Normally my husband is very good about decorating our room with balloons, party hats and favors, confetti and anything else our celebration may call for.  However, he was so involved in planning our trip to Athens Gate (he planned the entire vacation), he completely forgot to purchase any of those things.  We happened to mention to Cindy that it was my birthday and that we were there to celebrate a milestone.  She greeted me with a hug, and wished me happy birthday, as we were on our way out for the day.  When we returned to our suite later, our room had been decorated with beautiful balloons, a birthday banner, and flowers! Talk about making our stay special…I was overjoyed with gratitude and felt so happy and blessed that we had selected Athens Gate.  A MILLION THANKS CINDY!!!  You made my birthday very special and kept my husband out of trouble (smile).

Let me tell you about Rob, the mixologist at the pool bar. My husband and I do not consume alcohol, but Rob mentioned that he would make us virgin drinks. We had our first ever virgin Pina Coladas and they were delicious! He made us feel so welcome and did not try to shame, embarrass or judge us about being non-drinkers. Between mixing great drinks (alcohol and non-alcohol), playing great music and being helpful with anything anyone needed, he is the MAN.

Now, my husband and I are not really into water sports, but we do like to walk (and I mean walk…a lot) and explore, so Cindy made arrangements with Mr. and Mrs. Carlos, and their team (they are a family owned taxi business), and they would pick us up at Athens Gate and drop up off in town about 2 to 3 miles away from the resort (they also provided us arrival and departure transportation).  In addition, they provided us with a phone number and told us that whenever we were ready to come back to the resort, just ask any of the businesses we were at to call them and they would pick us up.  And that’s exactly what they did.  We had a wonderful time wandering and walking around paradise and just enjoying ourselves.  Everyone, wherever we went, ALWAYS made us feel at home.

In closing let me say this…you CAN believe all the 5-star reviews, including mine.  Run, don’t walk to your desktop, smart phone, and/or tablet and book your reservations today.  You will not be disappointed.  Besides, your french toast and banana pancakes are waiting for you.

We absolutely loved being at Athens Gate and are already planning our next trip there.  Thank you, Athens Gate, for being the BEST beach resort in San Pedro, Belize!!!

Enjoy our videos and photos!