Cruising the Western Caribbean

[davil]

Reading a post asking suggestions for sailing from the Keys to Isla Mujeres and been bored out of my mind plus serious questions about cruising to the Islands this fall started to look at the Western Caribbean as an alternate destination.
I am very superficially knowledgeable on this vast area as I sailed from the Panama Canal to Florida via San Andres, Honduras, Swan Island and Isla Mujeres.
I avoided Belize at that time because felt uncomfortable sailing short-handed through the coral reef basic topography and at the time to check in the office of the Port Captain was inland.
Looking with new eyes seems as a possible alternative to the more frequented Eastern Caribbean,the distances from Florida shorter and if able to use Cuba as a place to refuel a relative better angle for sailing the prevalent winds?
Isla Mujeres/Cancun is not a desirable area for cruising but a good stopping place for refuel, wait out for better weather and then is Belize and Rio Dulce (best hurricane hole in the area)
Any experience with this area?