" AT THE END OF THE ROAD, ST. CHARLES INN HOTEL PUNTA GORDA "
Written: Jan 09 '02 (Updated May 09 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Clean, comfortable and cheap.
Cons: No wake up call.
The Bottom Line: It may be hard to get to, but Punta Gorda is worth the effort.
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| JAMES23's Full Review: Belize |
"So where in PG are you staying at?"
The question came from my fellow traveller across the aisle as the bus puttered down the last few miles of winding dirt road and pot holes that the Belize Government somewhat optimistically calls the "Southern Highway."
She wasn't being intrusive. In fact we'd been chatting on and off since the bus departed Belize City some seven hours earlier. More so now that most of the passengers had got off at various stops and there were only a few of us perched on the seats at the back.
We'd met back in Belize City when I boarded. Her and her husband stuck out almost as much as I did, mainly due to his size and of course his accent, which told me they were not locals. They lived in New Jersey although she was originally from Belize and he from the Turks and Caicos.
They were on a trip "home" to visit family. While she pointed out she was originally from Belize City she had plenty of family down in Punta Gorda, or "PG" as the locals call it. The couple of fishing rods amongst his luggage told me how he was planning to spend at least part of this visit.
By lunch time the bus had cleared out enough for us to get seats together and get a fairly lengthy conversation going. Among the great local information I received both from her and confirmed by a few others sitting around us was the reason for the state of the road. We passed a large sign proudly proclaiming that this stretch of the road was being improved, read paved, by the Government for the benefit of all. This brought a chuckle from most of the passengers in the know.
It seems the Government has been promising this for years now, and the road is still a dirt one for most of the way. At the rate they're going they should finish paving the whole thing about the time of the next millennium. About the only thing that seems to get built are the signs.
These by the way also list which foreign country has generously donated the money, and/or equipment and expertise to the project. This time round, according to the signs, we should have been grateful to the Government of Taiwan for the funds, and New Zealand for the contractor.
Belize buses are tough though, and a few pot holes can't stop them. Eventually we limped into Punta Gorda. It was just before we got there that she politely asked me if I'd booked a room.
Punta Gorda has quite a few choices for accommodations for such a small town. According to both of my guide books and the Belize Tourist Board there were 8 hotels and guest houses in and around the town covering both ends of the comfort and price scale. Not bad for a sleepy little village literally at the end of the road.
There is a reason for that of course. While it may be hard to get to, either small plane, or bone jarring ten hour bus ride, a lot of people make the effort. "PG" is a good start point for those wishing to explore the Mayan villages, mountains and other eco sites in the Toledo District of southern Belize. It is also the jumping off point for those heading onto Guatemala and Honduras, as I was, via the thrice daily ferry to Puerto Barrios and/or Livingston in Guatemala.
My luck held true. Of all the passengers I could have chose to talk to, she was the one whose relatives owned not one but two hotels in town, and could recommend both to me. I chose the St. Charles Inn Hotel on King Street at the north end of town. I based this both on her suggestions as well as what my battered guide books and other pre trip research had told me. This one was owned by her uncle. It was a good choice.
A quick word to the conductor as we pulled into town and I was dropped off a block away from the hotel. Great now I wouldn't have to walk back through the town, the bus terminal is at the south end, lugging my rucksack. I quickly strolled up the block and got my first look at the place.
The St. Charles Inn Hotel is on the corner of King and Jose Maria Nunez Back Streets. It is a two storey structure and the rooms are all on the second floor and surrounded by a wide porch. The building is painted a pleasant white and red, and in some ways actually resembles an Elizabethan Tudor building. This of course really stands out in a Caribbean small town.
There is no lobby. The first floor is the family's other business. A small general store of the type common in small towns around the world. The kind of place where they sell just about everything. A couple of minutes to register and I had my room key, $30.00 Belize/$15.00 US for a single with a private bath.
The rooms are small, but comfortable. They are carpeted, the only place I stayed in on this trip that had carpet aside from the airport hotel in Houston. The bathroom was indeed private and a full separate room, not just a curtained off enclosure with a sink and a toilet. Luxury of luxuries there was hot water, and plenty of it. Good water pressure too.
There was no A/C but both a stand up fan and an older ceiling fan. These were more than enough to deal with the heat and humidity. The final luxury was a small colour TV mounted high on the wall.
Belize cable doesn't appear to have too much of a selection, but there was CNN and a couple of other US channels as well as local ones. I really didn't watch the tube. The covered porch was a better alternative to relax with a cold drink and while away the evening as my body recovered from the bus ride.
The place is safe and secure as well as comfortable. The shop downstairs closes up at 8:00 pm but there is a uniformed security guard on duty during the night who patrols the building. There must also be a way for guests to check in after the "office" closes as when I returned from a late dinner, a couple of new guests were moving into the room next to mine.
There are no in room safes, but the family will secure your Passport for you if you wish. I saw no need for this as "PG" struck me as a pretty safe town. Besides I had an early start the next morning. In fact I was gone before the store opened up the next day.
There's no restaurant, but that's not a problem as there are plenty near by. I recommend Grace's around the corner for breakfast. Bacon, eggs, toast, coffee and fresh juice for $3.50 US.
St. Charles Inn Hotel, 23 King Street Punta Gorda Toledo Belize CA
Tel: 07-22149
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Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Singles
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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JAMES23
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Member: James Smith
Location: Toronto Ontario CANADA
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