The difference between vacationing in a house and a hotel room is that in the former you can actually live. As in catch a fish on the wild blue yonder of the Caribbean, cook it on the grill at your villa, then retire to a bonfire on the beach with your family. (Try that at a traditional resort and you likely will be escorted off the premises.)

Hopkins Bay Belize is just such a resort, a villa resort as they call them if you’re not familiar. Equipped with 19 upscale beach houses that can be separated into 1, 2 and 3-bedroom units, the resort hosts couples and families who like a little space when on vacation. After receiving the 2013 Belize Leading Villa Resort awards from the prestigious World Travel Awards, you can rest assured that they do it well.

The homes come with furnished patios, air conditioning, robes and garden or ocean views (your choice). Larger homes are equipped with full kitchens for those who like to cook. Outside you’ll find swimming pools, kayaks and bikes—with a pristine beach on one side and the lush green Belizean jungle on the other.

Hopkins Bay focuses on integrating guests into the local Garifuna culture and landscape. Guests can experience world-class scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing nearby, as well as jungle tours. At night you can learn to Punta (a Garifuna traditional dance) to the beat of tribal drums. Other adventures include waterfall rappelling, zip lining, tubing through ancient cave systems and journeying back in time to nearby Mayan ruins. Local guides are always the way to go, and Hopkins Bay uses the best in Belize on all of their adventures.

If exploring the country sounds like too much, you can also sit poolside and sip piña coladas from the Rhum Shack or the Drum Bar, both on-site mixology hubs. The Rhum Shack also serves insanely delicious local fare like conch ceviche, local fish and shrimp with coconut rice and the ever-popular chicken nachos. (Who doesn’t want nachos on vacation?) More adventurous foodies can head to the town of Hopkins, where eateries like Chef Rob’s Love on the Rocks (I would go just for the name) serve up international and Garifuna cuisine daily.

Travel is about getting away from your home and trying something new. It doesn’t mean you have to go without a home, though. So why not book one at Hopkins Bay Belize? At the end of your week there, you might not want to give it back.