The Lodge at Chaa Creek

cayo, belize

From $65/ night
  • airport transfers
  • babysitting
  • bar / lounge
  • bath products
  • bedside lighting
  • bicycles
  • ceiling fan
  • coffee maker
  • concierge
  • conference facilities
  • flower garden
  • front desk
  • hair dryer
  • housekeeping
  • organic garden / farm
  • restaurant
  • spa
  • wi-fi
  • adventure course / park
  • biking
  • bird watching
  • boating
  • campfire activities
  • canoeing
  • children's activities
  • excursions
  • farmers market
  • farming / cultivating
  • guided tours
  • helicopter tour
  • hiking
  • massage
  • nature walks
  • off-road vehicle tours
  • safari tours
  • snorkeling
  • social and cultural visits
  • swimming
  • tubing
  • winery / wine tasting
  • zip-lining
  • On-site restaurant
  • On-site organic Maya farm
  • Reservation and Cancellation Policy

    Cancellations received within 60 days of arrival receive a full refund less $75.00 US processing fee.

    Cancellations received within 45 days of arrival receive a 50% refund.

    Cancellations 45 days or less prior to arrival receive no refund.

    No refunds will be given for unused package portions, accommodations, meals, transfers or tours during your stay.

    No refunds will be given for unused hotel rooms, meals, sightseeing, or tours. Land cost is quoted as a package and credits are not given for services not used.

How Do I Get There?

DIRECTIONS FROM BELIZE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO CHAA CREEK

1. Take the northern highway south into Belize City.

2. Upon entering Belize City, you will come upon a roundabout; go right and over a bridge. You will be on Central American Boulevard.

3. Stay on Central American Boulevard until you see a gas station on your left and another (smaller) roundabout. Make a right here, and you will be on the Western Highway. You will be on the Western Highway for about 68-1/2 miles before entering the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.

4. After entering Santa Elena, you will pass CP gas station on your right. You will take the third right after the gas station; there is a Social Security building on the corner.

5. Follow the "Diversion" signs which will lead you over a low wooden bridge into San Ignacio town.

6. Make a left after crossing the bridge. You will pass the bus terminals and come to an intersection.

7. At the intersection, take the street that is immediately to the left of the bright yellow "Courts" building.

8. Drive straight up the hill. When you reach the T intersection, make a right to get back on the Western Highway leading to the Guatemalan border.

9. Continue on the Western Highway for about 6 miles, keeping a look out for the Chaa Creek sign on the right side of the road.

10. Make a left on the Chial Road (a dirt road); there is a concrete bus stop at the roadside. 

11. Follow this road, and the Chaa Creek signs, for 3-1/2 miles up to the Chaa Creek property. 

We also can arrange pick-up and transfer from the international airport in Belize City.

View Google Maps

Home to the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, Belize has long been popular with scuba divers who head to the island of Ambergris Cay to float among the manta rays, turtles, dolphins and sharks. As of late, however, travelers are heading inland to hike in a rainforest full of parrots and butterflies, visit rarely seen Mayan ruins and canoe along the Macal River. This is where you'll find a 365-acre nature preserve in the Cayo district called Chaa Creek.

Mick and Lucy Fleming opened this eco-resort in Belize long before green was the magic word. They have grown over the past 27 years to include two dozen deluxe bungalows with thatched roofs, a more affordable mobile tent set-up with screened A-frames and communal bathrooms and a spa that features massages and facials. But it's the grounds, with their brightly colored flowers and a forest of tall mahoganies and cedars on a hill overlooking the river, that give the locale its deep-in-the-jungle allure.

The resort's expertise is setting up rainforest and Mayan tours with guides—if you can somehow tear yourself away from the soothing environs. Explore the Mountain Pine Ridge on foot or horseback or stay closer to home on the Macal River, where you can swim under waterfalls and very likely spot toucans. At Barton Creek Cave, paddle in canoes past the stalagmites and stalactites. Whatever you do, don't miss the Mayan ruins at Caracol to view the 140-foot high Caana (Sky Palace). Only the intrepid will want to climb the steep stairs in the humid climate.

Of course, children can go on all of these adventures, but the resort recently introduced a kids program for ages 6–15. Called Mac Morpho Rainforest Adventures, each child will receive a blue morpho butterfly upon arrival that will hatch and be released during their stay. They can canoe down the Macal to meet a family in the nearby Cristo Rey village to prepare corn tortillas and have lunch together. They'll also be junior archaeologists and visit Mayan temples to unearth this lost civilization. An added bonus is that all children stay for free and those under 12 eat for half price.

Glamping Types

  • Cabins
  • Villas
  • Huts & Cottages
  • Lodges

Great For

  • couples
  • families
  • honeymoon
  • romantic
  • small children
  • solo travelers
  • wedding

Setting

  • caves
  • countryside
  • eco-lodging
  • eco-reserve
  • farm
  • forest / woods
  • jungle
  • mountain
  • river / stream
  • tour / excursion

Total Accommodations

  • 29

Minimum Night Stay

  • 1

Rates Based On

  • Per person

Best time to visit

Open: Year-Round.

Peak season: November–July

Recommend travel months: January–June

Best travel deals: June–August

TripAdvisor Traveler Rating
5.0 2102 Reviews
Email

Accommodations

  • Camp Casitas

    From $65/ night
    01
    01
  • Spa Villa

    From $699/ night
    01
    03
  • The Cottage Collection

    From $143/ night
    01
    02
  • Treetop Suite

    From $559/ night
    01
    02
  • Amenities
    • airport transfers
    • babysitting
    • bar / lounge
    • bath products
    • bedside lighting
    • bicycles
    • ceiling fan
    • coffee maker
    • concierge
    • conference facilities
    • flower garden
    • front desk
    • hair dryer
    • housekeeping
    • organic garden / farm
    • restaurant
    • spa
    • wi-fi
  • Experiences
    • adventure course / park
    • biking
    • bird watching
    • boating
    • campfire activities
    • canoeing
    • children's activities
    • excursions
    • farmers market
    • farming / cultivating
    • guided tours
    • helicopter tour
    • hiking
    • massage
    • nature walks
    • off-road vehicle tours
    • safari tours
    • snorkeling
    • social and cultural visits
    • swimming
    • tubing
    • winery / wine tasting
    • zip-lining
  • Dining Options
    • On-site restaurant
    • On-site organic Maya farm
  • Policies
    • Reservation and Cancellation Policy

      Cancellations received within 60 days of arrival receive a full refund less $75.00 US processing fee.

      Cancellations received within 45 days of arrival receive a 50% refund.

      Cancellations 45 days or less prior to arrival receive no refund.

      No refunds will be given for unused package portions, accommodations, meals, transfers or tours during your stay.

      No refunds will be given for unused hotel rooms, meals, sightseeing, or tours. Land cost is quoted as a package and credits are not given for services not used.

  • Location

    How Do I Get There?

    DIRECTIONS FROM BELIZE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO CHAA CREEK

    1. Take the northern highway south into Belize City.

    2. Upon entering Belize City, you will come upon a roundabout; go right and over a bridge. You will be on Central American Boulevard.

    3. Stay on Central American Boulevard until you see a gas station on your left and another (smaller) roundabout. Make a right here, and you will be on the Western Highway. You will be on the Western Highway for about 68-1/2 miles before entering the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena.

    4. After entering Santa Elena, you will pass CP gas station on your right. You will take the third right after the gas station; there is a Social Security building on the corner.

    5. Follow the "Diversion" signs which will lead you over a low wooden bridge into San Ignacio town.

    6. Make a left after crossing the bridge. You will pass the bus terminals and come to an intersection.

    7. At the intersection, take the street that is immediately to the left of the bright yellow "Courts" building.

    8. Drive straight up the hill. When you reach the T intersection, make a right to get back on the Western Highway leading to the Guatemalan border.

    9. Continue on the Western Highway for about 6 miles, keeping a look out for the Chaa Creek sign on the right side of the road.

    10. Make a left on the Chial Road (a dirt road); there is a concrete bus stop at the roadside. 

    11. Follow this road, and the Chaa Creek signs, for 3-1/2 miles up to the Chaa Creek property. 

    We also can arrange pick-up and transfer from the international airport in Belize City.

    View Google Maps

Inside Scoop

  • Many guests combine a trip to Chaa Creek with a jaunt on the ocean. The resort has package deals with the Inn at Robert's Grove, set on a beach near the fishing village of Placencia. There are no worries here in the jungle. Everything is chill at Chaa Creek.

  • Adhering to the traditions of sustainable tourism, Chaa Creek employs local artisans to create the art and furniture in each hut and uses local farms to put fresh food on the table each day. Breakfast with hot baked bread, jams, mangoes, papayas, sweet bananas and Guatemalan coffee is always tasty. Dinner is served at an open-air restaurant with lantern lighting. The entrees include pollo asado, with requisite black beans and yellow rice, and grilled tilapia.

  • Rates are not inclusive of 9% hotel tax and 12% service charge

    Children in Accommodations: Under 18 years old, sharing parents’ room, always free

    Children and Meals: Ages 1–5: no charge; 6–11: half price; 12 and older: full price