As soon as the plane buzzed over Placencia's Airstrip, a single building leading to a grass-edged runway, we knew we had accomplished our goal: finding a destination where the rainforest meets the beach. From the air, we admired the cafe au lait-colored sands fronting the Caribbean on one side of the Placencia Peninsula as well as acres of mangroves laced with rivers and lagoons that reach to the dense, green rainforest canopy on the peninsula's mainland side.

Belize is a haven for eco-tourists. Families can explore rainforests, rivers, Maya ruins and spectacular reefs. The Placencia Peninsula provides access to these attractions and is home to Belize's best beaches.

Located on the peninsula, the Inn at Robert's Grove is a find. At this family-friendly resort, you can enjoy both eco-adventures and up-market accommodations. Snorkel and dive to your heart's content, swim with whale sharks in season, search for howler monkeys in the treetops, look for jaguar tracks in the rainforest and then relax on the beach.

This 22-acre resort stretches from the sea to the Placencia Lagoon and has a long strip of beach, a PADI dive center, several tour boats, two private islands, three pools and two restaurants.

The Inn began as a second home for Risa and Robert Frackman, who happened upon the property by chance after a cold front in southern Florida sent them to Belize in search of sun. Soon after building their house, the Frackmans added a few guest cottages. Officially, the resort debuted in 1997. Since then, the Inn at Robert's Grove has grown to several two-story buildings containing 52 units. Along with standard and deluxe rooms and suites, the resort offers two and three bedroom units, some of which have kitchenettes. Most accommodations also come with large balconies or patios.

Risa and Robert treat vacationers more like personal guests than mere travelers, chatting with them in the lounge before dinner. The Inn is a family-run business whose owners remain on-property for much of the year and the staff members follow the Frackmans' example of hospitality and attention to detail.

The Inn is upscale, but without pretension. Staying here, we felt as if we were at a friend's wonderful Belizean getaway rather than at a hotel. It's no surprise that the property earned the Belize Tourist Board's 2008 Belize Hotel of the Year award.

The main inn building still feels very much like the home it once was. There's no porte-cochere, pillared lobby or doorman. Instead, you wind through the back garden, past Belizean green parrots in a six-foot tall enclosure, around the first pool to the building’s front that faces the water. The check-in desk opens onto a corridor lined with glass doors that face the sea and connect the bar, sitting areas and dining room. The tile floors, ceiling fans, wicker and cane furnishings create an island feel.

The Inn at Robert's Grove, the first luxury resort on Placencia, welcomes families, along with couples, divers, honeymooners, fishing buddies and girlfriends on getaway. It does not, however, offer any organized activities for children. Come here to enjoy a laid-back vacation with your family. The resort is best for beach and water loving families, particularly those with older grade-schoolers, tweens and teens who like snorkeling and diving as well as exploring the rainforest.

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