Belize Eco tour travel lodging

Sea and Jungle River Kayaking and Canoeing

Kayaking is a great way to explore Belize's reef or inland jungle river systems. The calm waters, gentle sea breezes and hundreds of uninhabited islands are the perfect paddling playground for ocean-going kayakers. Winding rivers, both gentle and exuberant, reveal a vibrant and fascinating rainforest.

You can spend a week kayaking and camping on various islands or along jungle rivers. You could also base yourself at a permanent camp on Glovers Reef Marine Reserve. This atoll, a ring shaped coral reef that encompasses a shallow lagoon, harbors 5 small islands. As the most remote of the three atolls in Belize, Glover's Reef has had the least intrusion by humans and is a veritable underwater museum.

Your guides are at home in these environments and will be able to identify flora and fauna in the jungle as well as marine life and reef ecology on the sea. The guides will also help hone your kayaking skills and prepare hearty and tasty meals.

These trips can encompass visits to ruins and caves, scuba diving, fishing and snorkeling, offering a well rounded visit to Belize.

Jaguar Preserve/Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Stann Creek District

This 120,000 acre Preserve is perhaps your best opportunity to explore deep and dense jungle and still sleep with a roof (albeit rustic) over your head. The Jaguar Preserve is home to all 5 species of wild cats, 500 plus bird species and Victoria Peak, which at 3,700 feet, is the highest point in Belize. The Preserve has an abundance of flora and fauna and is laced with jungle rivers, waterfalls and well-maintained hiking trails. The Mayas, who have made this region their home for thousands of years, will guide you through their back yard jungle.

Our package includes accommodations, meals, a choice of hiking, river tubing, river rafting and birding) and a night time nature walk, when you may catch a glimpse of the more elusive nocturnal creatures.

Catered Campground, Cayo District

This magical spot on the Macal River offers the ambiance of jungle camping mixed with the comforts of a tented safari. The thatched roof casitas are constructed of tropical hardwoods and rest on raised wooden platforms with verandahs. Each furnished casita has two beds. A bank of hot water showers and flush toilets are located close by. The meals are prepared by your Maya hosts and served under a spacious thatched roof palapa. This campground is on the property of one of Belize's finest jungle lodges. On premise activities include guided nature hikes, horseback riding, canoeing, mountain biking, spa, an informative natural history museum and butterfly-breeding farm. They also offer day trips to Maya ruins (Tikal, Caracol, Xunantunich), caving, kayaking and more.

Island Camping, Placencia

Numerous coral encrusted islands lie off the coast of Placencia in Southern Belize. The traditional base camps for fishermen, they now also offer a rustic caye setting for the more adventurous traveler. You can fish, kayak and snorkel in the shallow waters of these islands sitting right on the reef! In the evening you'll enjoy a great home cooked meal, refreshing breezes and relaxing under the brilliant night sky, watching the moonlight shimmer on the sea.

Jungle Trekking

Hiking and camping in the jungle is an extraordinary experience. Our local guides are intimately familiar with the plants and animals. This is a wonderful way to become familiar with our rain forests and the species that thrive there. You'll be enthralled by the sounds and sights of the jungle, especially after dark, when the nocturnal creatures you won't see by day, become active. Jaguar sightings are very rare, but if you are determined to spot a wild cat, hiking and camping is the best way to try. Trips include guide, gear and meals.

Horseback Riding and Trekking

Spanish conquistadors introduced the first equines to Central America and thus began an interdependent relationship that has endured to the present. Belizeans love their horses and you'll see dandies on their mounts along the roadsides on weekends. Horse racing in the villages is well attended and horses still play a vital role as beasts of burden in the rural areas. Certain groups of Mennonites use horses for their sole source of transport and muscle on the farm.

The Cayo district is the heart of horse country in Belize. Most of the jungle lodges have stables on premises. We have two lodges that cater to equestrians, but also offer a variety of other interesting activities.

Riding in Belize is a pleasure. You can ride slow and easy, or as fast and hard as your ability allows. We have easy trails for beginners and more challenging trails that wind up and down hills, across rivers and through open fields.

Exploring the jungle on horseback offers it's own unique perspective and advantages. The additional height increases your field of vision. Horses are much quieter than vehicles, and thus won't alert and frighten away as much wildlife. You can also access more rugged terrain and remote areas vehicles are unable traverse.

If you would like a more extended ride, we can arrange for overnight treks with guides and camping gear or to more remote overnight accommodations. Contact us with your questions and we'll promptly reply with more information.

Waterfalls

Waterfalls have been the subject of much literature and art throughout history. Their images bring to mind both power and tranquility. Some waterfalls are tumultuous enough to produce electricity. Others reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Our geology and rains have created an abundance of picturesque waterfalls in the Cayo district. The 1000 Foot Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge is the most visited. Also known as Hidden Valley Falls, this is the highest waterfall in all of Central America. .

Hidden Valley Inn , a lodge on 7200 private acres of land adjacent to the 1000 foot falls, has seven remarkable waterfalls on the property. All are accessible via the lodge's 90 miles of well maintained hiking trails. King Vulture Falls and Tiger Falls are similar to the 1000 ft falls-rivers tumbling down granite cliffs into deep verdant gorges below.

Three others, Butterfly Falls, Manakin Falls and Secret Falls, are smaller, gentler, more serene and private. Butterfly Falls, at 80 feet, is the largest. All three plunge into crystal clear natural swimming pools below.

Book your own private waterfall for the afternoon? Guests at the lodge can reserve one of the orchid laden waterfalls, complete with picnic lunch and champagne. The falls could also provide a dramatic backdrop for a wedding ceremony.

Contact us for more information.