My Honest Review Of The Lodge At Chaa Creek: Belize’s Best Eco Luxury Resort

If the idea of a serene luxury resort tucked deep in Belize’s remote jungle — where bird calls and howler monkeys provide the soundtrack — sounds like paradise, then let me introduce you to The Lodge at Chaa Creek.

Located about 2 hours from Belize City in San Ignacio, this is one of the best eco luxury resorts I’ve ever been to, and a highlight of my week spent in Belize.

Below is my honest review of The Lodge At Chaa Creek.

Note: I am not sponsored by the resort, nor was I paid to write about it. I found The Lodge At Chaa Creek organically as I was researching my 7 Day Belize Vacation.  

What Sets The Lodge At Chaa Creek Apart From Other Eco Luxury Resorts?

Chaa Creek is nestled up against the calm Macal River, at the edge of a beautiful 400-acre private rainforest reserve.

Their rooms are stunning, the food is homemade, produce is grown on site, and the full service spa is excellent. 

Even so, what sets them apart is their commitment to excellent service and the extensive, free amenities available to all guests. 

Did You Know? Prince Harry stayed at The Lodge At Chaa Creek during a royal visit in 2012. 

The Lodge At Chaa Creek Review

Amenities

In addition to standard amenities, such as the infinity pool, all guests enjoy the following at no extra charge: 

• Entry into the 400-acre Rainforest Reserve
• Guided tours of the Natural History Center 
• Guided tours of the Butterfly Farm
• Access to the Ruta Maya Trail System
• Canoe rentals
• Early Morning Bird Walk with a naturalist guide
• Guided interpretive tour of the Rainforest Medicine Trail

Additional amenities available for purchase are: 

• Full service spa
• Horseback riding 
• Mayan Ruin Tours
• Cave Tubing Tours
• Zipling Tours
• Snorkeling Tours
• Helicopter Tours

Service

Chaa Creek is officially ranked as a 4-star hotel, but the service here is what you’d expect from a 5-star resort. 

From the minute rooms are booked to when you depart, expect excellent care and attention. Throughout our stay staff members were gracious and helpful as we needed. 

Upon booking our rooms we received a personalized email — not the usual automated reservation confirmation. Through concierge I was able to book our airport transfer and private Caracol Tour before we even arrived. 

As we left Chaa Creek and drove past the bus stop just outside the resort, we spotted several staff members we’d chatted with throughout our stay. They weren’t even on the clock, yet they waved us off with the same warmth and hospitality they’d shown all week.

The Rooms 

There are a variety of beautiful rooms available.

We stayed in two during our visit: The cottage-style room with airy, thatched roofs. And the Ix Chel Villa, a very modern and sleek private villa.

Available Accommodations Are As Follows: 

There are twenty-three cottage style rooms featuring tasteful interiors and airy palm thatched roofs.

These are nestled amid tropical gardens and each have a hammock on the front porch. I loved this room because each morning we could hear the distant calls of howler monkeys. 

They also offer the Garden Suite & Garden Jacuzzi Suite, which can be rented separately or together as the Complete Garden Suite. If traveling in a group, I recommend booking this as a complete suite. 

Additionally, the Spa Villa, Macal Cottage, and Tree Top Villas all have their own style, plus featured amenities such as private jacuzzis or plunge pools and stunning garden views. These are great if you’d prefer some extra privacy during your stay.

Last, there’s the Ix Chel Luxury Rainforest Villas. These blend the resort’s environmentally friendly philosophy with clean, elegant design and furnishings.

The villas have stunning, uninterrupted views from private verandas. They also have a private infinity pool, jacuzzi, al fresco showers, and the services of a personal butler. 

The two Ix Chel Villas can be rented separately or as a whole. This allows flexibility for families, couples, or groups seeking the highest degree of luxury in a pristine rainforest setting.

We spent one night in the full villa, I hardly have words for how incredible it was. 

Good to know: 10% of all room revenue goes directly towards environmental and community projects. 

The Lodge At Chaa Creek: Food & Drink

The resort has one restaurant, Mariposa. The food was always excellent and the chef was able to accommodate our dietary restrictions, which we were very gracious for. 

Meals are prepared with fresh organic produce from the resort’s Maya organic farm. There’s also an on site bakery producing fresh bread and pastries. 

Breakfast is always free, lunch and dinner can be purchased. Meals can be ordered for dine-in or with poolside service.

Next to the restaurant is a small, open air bar with cozy couches and tons of infused liquors. There’s a huge variety of excellent cocktails, we enjoyed trying a new drink each night during our visit. 

The bar also has cold, filtered water that’s been infused with different flavors every day. This was a welcome treat each afternoon following a day of activities in the heat.  

Looking for more ideas? Check out Where To Stay In Belize

How To Book The Lodge At Chaa Creek

Ready to book your stay at an unforgettable resort?

You can book your room here, at The Lodge at Chaa Creek. This offers a price guarantee, if you find a better price, they’ll match it!

The resort offers a very limited number of rooms, so be sure to book your trip well in advance!

Is The Lodge At Chaa Creek Worth The Money?

Yes.

Staying at Chaa Creek is an experience, not simply a place to sleep.

The level of care, attention to detail, and abundant free amenities validates the cost of staying at this beautiful jungle resort. 

If You’re On A Budget

When I visited Chaa Creek I was on a budget.

I traveled with two other girls, we all shared one room making the ‘cost per person’ more affordable. 

Following our three nights at Chaa Creek, we spent 4 nights between Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. The island hotels were very inexpensive which kept our average price per night in Belize low, even considering our stay at luxurious Chaa Creek. 

How To Get Here

Chaa Creek offers private transfers to and from the airport in air conditioned vans. The duration of the ride is just under 2 hours. 

The cost for a one way transfer is $150.00 for a group of 1 – 4. This price is comparable to other private transfers.

Additional Transportation Options:

Book a public shuttle which costs about $20 – $35 per person. Expect the shuttle to take 2 – 2.5 hours depending on total stops required. 

Rent a car, the price will vary. Driving directly to the resort from the airport takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Take the bus, which will only set you back a few dollars and takes about 2.5 hours.

Safety 

Chaa Creek takes a very proactive approach to the safety, security, and well being of all guests. 

They maintain a 24 hour security staff should a guest require assistance at any hour. 

All guides and frontline personnel are CPR and First Response trained. A professionally trained paramedic resides on the property along with security manager. A local physician is always on call.

What My Long Weekend at The Lodge at Chaa Creek Looked Like:

Day 1:

Our first day at Chaa Creek was mostly a travel day. The hotel arranged a pickup from the airport, followed by a scenic two-hour drive to the resort. After a quick orientation, we spent the evening walking along the Macal River (definitely bring bug spray), spotting howler monkeys, and having dinner at the on-site restaurant.

Day 2:

Day two was our first full day, and easily one of our favorites. We started with an early morning birdwatching tour, where our guide pointed out colorful species unique to the region. Afterward, we took advantage of the resort’s complimentary canoes and spent a couple of hours on the Macal River — calm, quiet, and full of wildlife. It ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.

Later, we explored the butterfly farm, natural history center, and medicinal plant trail before relaxing at the infinity pool and hammocks. Dinner at Mariposa was another standout, and they were great about accommodating a vegan diet. Aside from dinner, all of this was included with the cost of our stay.

Day 3 & 4:

On day three, we did a private guided tour of Caracol, Belize’s largest Mayan site (booked through the hotel). The drive was long and bumpy, but our guide made it worthwhile with incredible insight into Mayan history. We also visited Rio Frio Cave and swam at Big Rock Falls. That evening, we moved into the Ix Chel Villa — a beautiful indoor-outdoor space with a private pool, jacuzzi, and sweeping jungle views.

Our final morning was slow and rainy, spent enjoying the villa before heading to the islands. Honestly, it was very hard to leave!

Additional Things To Do Near Chaa Creek

Chaa Creek is located in San Ignacio, Belize which is one of the largest towns in inland Belize, and an excellent base for the area’s many attractions.

While visiting Chaa Creek also consider the following activities:

• Explore The Strip and the markets in San Ignacio.
• Relax at Rio On Pools.
• Explore Belize’s extensive cave systems, including the highly popular ATM Cave Tour.
• Visit Mayan Ruins.
• Canoe Barton Creek Cave.
• Visit the Belize Botanical Gardens.

Be sure to check out my full guide: San Ignacio, Belize Top Things To Do.

I hope you’ve found my review of The Lodge At Chaa Creek to be helpful. As you can tell, we very much enjoyed our stay and I can’t wait to return again some day.

Looking for more ideas? Check out my Belize guides below!