You can book and pay for your reservation directly through our website. Your reservation is confirmed with a 50% deposit. The remaining 50% will be charged upon arrival. If you intend to use a different credit card to pay for the balance, please let us know prior to your arrival. You will always get the best rate by booking directly with us. Book Now!

Check-in is at 3:00pm. Check-out is at 11:00am. Based on availability, we may be able to offer early check-in or a late check-out, but this typically won’t be able to be guaranteed until very close to arrival. However we will be able to store your bags and luggage for you if you are arriving early or departing later than 11:00am.

Driftwood Gardens Guesthouse has been certified by the Belize Tourism Board as a Gold Standard property. Gold Standard properties have adapted enhanced health and safety standards that are designed to ensure the safety of all travellers as they enjoy vacationing in Belize. We recommend you check out the Belize Tourism Board’s travel website to stay up to date with the latest guidelines or recommendations or just email/message us and we will provide you with the latest!. 

Currently each traveler needs to download the Belize Health App and enter your travel information no more than 72 hours prior to arrival in Belize. You also need to bring a negative PCR test administered no more than 72 hours prior to your arrival. If you don’t bring a negative test, you will be tested at the airport upon your arrival in Belize. The cost for the test in Belize is $50 USD.

• The quickest and most popular method is to take one of Belize’s small “puddle jumper” planes from the Belize International Airport (BZE) to Placencia (PLJ) for the 35 minute flight. The two local airlines are Tropic Air and Maya Island Air. There is not much of a price difference between the two. When we book our flights, we choose primarily based on the flight schedule. We recommend booking your flight for about 60-75 minutes after your scheduled arrival time at BZE in order to give you time to get through immigration and customs. When you arrive at the Placencia airstrip (PLJ), there will be taxis waiting to take you into the village to our property. The taxi ride to our property will cost about $7-8 US.
• Another option to Placencia is via a shuttle. Some shuttles that we have personal experience with and can recommend are Live Belize, Taste Belize, and Barefoot Services . The scenic drive is anywhere from 3.5-5 hours. Your driver will likely be a source of an enormous wealth of information about Belize and they enjoy sharing their love of their country with their passengers.
• Renting a car is another option. It is a bit expensive, figure $60-100 US per day , plus the cost of gas (currently about $5.50 US/gallon). However driving through the country at your own pace is a great experience. When you arrive at BZE, the car rental places are located just outside the main entrance to the airport, easy to find, and works like a US car rental. Budget and Crystal Auto Rental are two to consider at the airport

• Local currency is the Belize Dollar. One US dollar is pegged at two Belize dollars- this rate does not change. Almost all prices are in Belize dollars except where noted (typically accommodations, tours, and real estate are in US dollars). There is no need to exchange money as US dollars are accepted everywhere, as long as the bill is in good condition (no tears, no writing on it). You will typically get change in Belize dollars.
• There are four ATMs in the village. The closest (Scotia Bank) is less than a 5 minute walk from the property. Most ATMs charge a small fee, 3-4 US dollars, and your own bank may also charge a fee for using a foreign ATM on top of that.
• A few restaurants are cash only. Some of the local artisans on the sidewalk only take cash as well. Tour operators will typically take both, but suggest checking ahead of time to be sure.

A three minute walk directly across the street will put you in the Caribbean Sea.

The water at Driftwood Gardens is safe to drink from the tap. Placencia has arguably the best water in the country. While it’s not necessary to buy bottled water, it is available and very affordable.

Belize uses 110 volt, 60 cycle electricity, same as in the United States. Plugs are typically the 2 or 3 pronged flat type so US travelers will not typically need a converter or adapter. A small surge protector is highly recommended for laptops and other electrical devices. Each unit at Driftwood Gardens has a basic surge protector but due to current fluctuations that occur randomly, we do not recommend leaving devices plugged in any longer than necessary.

The internet is improving all the time, although there are still occasional outages. Speeds have more than quadrupled in the past 3 years, up to about 20 mbps at its best right now. Even when it is running slower, we are usually able to still stream Netflix, watch YouTube, and FaceTime family in the US.

• No, a car is not necessary. Driftwood Gardens is conveniently located towards the top of the village. The entire village is walkable from the property. A 15 minute walk south (turn right when you leave the property) will take you to the Municipal Pier and “The Point” ( the best place for swimming), and a 5 minute walk north of the property takes you to Atlantic Bank and Top Value Supermarket which are at the top of the village.
• If you want to explore further up the peninsula beyond the airstrip, we suggest renting golf carts from neighbor Captain Jaks. Renting a golf cart is a great way to check out the restaurants and resorts in the Maya Beach area (about 8 miles north of the village). Some resorts will even let you use their pool if you are buying food and drinks. 
• Taxis are also readily available and will be happy to take you anywhere you want to go. A taxi ride to Maya Beach is probably about $20 US.

We have a few complementary bikes that are available for guests on a first come, first serve basis.

Yes, the pool is available to all registered guests and is open from 8am to 9pm.

Yes, a gas barbecue grill is available for all guests.

• The village has 7 grocery stores, all within walking distance of the property. The closest is a 30 second walk across the street. Most stores carry basically the same products. Staples (bread, cereal, meat/poultry, cheese, eggs, condiments, snacks) are always available. Specific specialty items may be hit or miss. Imported items (think International Delight coffee creamer, Doritos, Jif peanut butter, Starbucks coffee, etc.) will cost more, but local brands are very affordable. Alcohol is sold in the grocery stores as well.
• *HINT* If you prefer alcohol other than rum, buy your alcohol at the duty-free shop at the international airport when you arrive in Belize. Vodka and other liquors will be half the price that you will find in the grocery stores.
• There are three fruit and vegetable stands in the village, all located south of the property (turn right). The first, David’s is on the left hand side behind the bus stop. Continue further down the road and Clive’s will be on your right hand side just before the basketball court. A bit further down on the right just before the end of the soccer field is Greg’s. We typically shop at Clive’s. He gets fresh deliveries on Tuesday and Friday, so you will find the best selection on those days. 

Yes. The two bedroom and one bedroom apartments each have a full kitchen (stove/oven, microwave, full-sized refrigerator). The studio apartment has a kitchenette (microwave, hot plate, minifridge). The gas BBQ grill is steps away from the studio apartment, so you can cook something more substantial if you wish.