When Simone Biles isn’t collecting Olympic medals and breaking world records, she retreats to one of her favorite destinations – Belize.
This Central American country is not just a getaway for Biles; it’s her second home. The gymnast has citizenship through her mother, and throughout the years, she has shared her love for the Ambergris Caye island via her Instagram.
Ambergris Caye is home to the popular town of San Pedro, which is known for its food, nightlife, and water activities. Biles’ trips to San Pedro include participating in parades, fishing, enjoying baecations with her husband, and hosting her bachelorette girls trip.
I got a glimpse into how to vacation like the G.O.A.T. during a recent trip to San Pedro. Here’s how to win on vacation in northern Belize, like the 23-time gold medalist.
Sleep Like a Winner
Not only are TikTokers choosing Alaia Belize as the best place to stay in San Pedro, but Biles also made the Autograph Collection Hotel the backdrop for her bachelorette girls’ trip. Alaia Belize is the first Marriott property in the nation. It has over 150 spacious rooms and villas to accommodate big groups and couples alike. I stayed in a three-bedroom villa, like Biles, to enjoy the resort’s amenities, including six dining concepts, three pools, 1,000 linear feet of a sandy beach, and the spa.
When you’re a villa guest, you get additional amenities, including airport transfers, complimentary one-day access to an Alaia Golf Cart, spa service, and a complimentary cabana at the pool that you can decorate for a special occasion. Villa guests can also reserve a private chef, which Biles did with her friends for dinner on her patio overlooking the ocean.
Each villa has a patio, including a private plunge pool and access to the beach. The villa’s bedrooms each have a full bathroom, creating more space for a vacation with friends and families traveling together. The common spaces included a fully equipped kitchen stocked with bottled water, plates, and cutlery to snack on any leftovers.
Seek Adventure Like a Gymnast
Alaia Belize was the first resort I experienced where most guests looked like me. Being greeted with welcome drinks and seeing friendly smiles from Black American guests from around the U.S. in San Pedro to celebrate love and life was beautiful. There was even an all-Black diving group of about 30 people led by Gabby Shepard, creator of Black Girl Blue World, to explore the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second largest in the world. Diving is a popular attraction for travelers, but if you’re not into that, the Alaia Belize offers an excursion to snorkel and swim at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley to see parts of the famous reef and visit the fishing village of Caye Caulker. Fishing is an activity Biles loves to do when she visits the island. During her stay at Alaia, she enjoyed the private boat excursion to do some of her favorite water activities.
She usually gets around San Pedro like a local, but if you’re new to Belize, you can ask the concierge to help reserve your activities or offer suggestions. Activities in San Pedro range from water sports to chocolate making. You can shop, or you can take a food tour. During the slow season, some restaurants or activities have limited hours, but looking at their website or social media pages in advance helps to know their schedule. One of the top suggested activities by the Alaia staff was a trip to Secret Beach.
The 45-minute golf cart ride took us on a bumpy journey to an area lined with bars, restaurants, and water activities. We visited Blue Bayou and sat at the ocean picnic tables to enjoy drinks and paddling while fishes swam around us. During the ride to and from Secret Beach, you’ll pass roadside markets to purchase souvenirs and encounter other dining options if you get hungry.
Dine (and Drink) Like an Olympian
Biles enjoys the different restaurants and bars on the island that fuel her after long days out in the water. Travelers must add popular local restaurants like Caramba or Elvi’s Kitchen to their itinerary. Elvi’s Kitchen is one of the oldest restaurants in San Pedro, with a mix of Caribbean and Mexican food on the menu. The shrimp guacamole was a delicious starter, while the Creole dish with fish reminded me of a Caribbean take on Louisiana-style gumbo. While we dined, I listened to a musician on hand play classic R&B songs, from “Can We Talk” to “I’m Every Woman.”
Alaia Belize is home to Belize’s first-ever suspended rooftop infinity pool. It was a perfect place for sunset cocktails or dinner at the sushi restaurant in the rooftop’s Vista Rooftop Lounge. The mixology program at Alaia Belize was also top-tier. During her stay, Biles and her friends enjoyed the Molecular Mixology Master Class. The immersive dining experience pairs food with cocktails and education about different aspects of mixing cocktails.
If you don’t take the class, you can still experience impressive mixology throughout the resort, but the Piano Bar is the best place for a nightcap. The bartenders made each drink with love, and I enjoyed craft cocktails that were impressive in presentation and to the palate and were delivered in unique glassware throughout my stay. When you’re out by the pool, try the resort’s specialty cocktail, the coconut mojito, a coconut cream-based drink that is the island’s signature beverage.
Despite the great number of things to do in Belize, once you arrive, you’ll find yourself taking things nice and slow, leaving you with not enough time to do it all but a desire to come back to experience more. Belize has a special place in Biles’ heart and will become a favorite destination for you, too, after your first trip.
