When she first visited Punta Gorda in 1997, Rachel Graham wandered to the southern edge of town and fell in love with the high coastal land and beautiful views of the sea and nearby Guatemala that she found there. Refusing to settle for any other land in the area, She was eventually able to purchase the site in 2001, and over the course of a decade designed and built her house and subsequently BlueBelize Boutique B&B.
Originally wanting a place for family and friends to stay, Rachel created two suites above her house. Asked repeatedly by Belizeans and visitors if these were for rent, she decided to turn them into a bed and breakfast. Over the years, and due to increasing demand for bright airy living spaces that provided self-catering facilities, she expanded BlueBelize and included additional amenities such as free wireless, bicycles and a complimentary continental breakfast.
Rachel still owns BlueBelize but now works with managers to ensure the smooth running of the suites while she devotes more time to her boys, to marine science and conservation and the NGO MarAlliance (www.maralliance.org) that she founded in 2014.
