Lodge
Cotton Tree Lodge is a jungle eco-resort situated on 100 acres along the banks of the Moho River in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, in the deep south of Belize. It is a unique eco-lodge in that it supports and cooperates with a local chocolate farm. It is one of the best lodges to combine superb nature adventures with cultural experiences in Belize.
Tours take you chocolate-making with a Mayan cacao farmer and his family, swimming through wet caves to an underground waterfall, and exploring ruins of the ancient Maya. We will show you the real Belize.
Activities available at the lodge include birding, kayaking, swimming, medicinal plant walks, yoga, massage or simply relaxing in a hammock and enjoying our incredible farm-to-table foods in a jungle paradise. We are only eight miles from the Caribbean – close enough to enjoy snorkeling, diving, or fishing on one of our day trips.
Rooms
Rates in 2020
Based on double occupancy. For single or triple rates, please inquire.
| Room Type | Rate per couple per night of stay. (All-inclusive package) |
|---|---|
| Garden Vista | $534 |
| Standard Cabana | $547 |
| Deluxe Cabana | $587 |
| Honeymoon Cabana | $627 |
| Family Cabana | $627 |
| Jungle Cabana | $627 |
| Cabana Boat | $627 |
| Two-Bedroom Cabana | $720 |
The main airport is outside of Belize City. Smaller, local planes service different airstrips around the country, starting either from the International Airport or from the domestic airport.
To get to Cotton Tree Lodge it is easiest to grab a short hopper flight to Punta Gorda, where you will be picked up and transferred to the lodge.
- Ground transfers between Punta Gorda and Cotton Tree Lodge
- Accommodations
- All meals starting with dinner on arrival day and ending with breakfast on departure day,
- One guided off-site tour each day excluding arrival and departure days.
- Local taxes
Each day the Cotton Tree Lodge office will arrange one, two, or three guided group tours around the Toledo District, depending on the number of guests staying at the lodge and their interests. While we make every effort to accommodate your preferences, local conditions in Belize often require some flexibility from our guests. Most tours, unless otherwise specified, are included in the “All-Inclusive” rate.
Tours and activities available daily:
- Horseback Riding Excursions
- Kayaking* (Guided or Unguided)
- Early Morning Bird Walk
- Biking* (Unguided)
- Lubaantun Mayan Ruins
- Nim Li Punit Mayan Ruins
- Pusil Ha Mayan Ruins
- Blue Creek Cave
- Blue Creek Hike
- Rio Blanco Waterfall
- San Antonio Waterfall
- Medicinal Plant Walk
- Jungle Survival Hike
- Tortilla Making
- Tiger Cave
- Mayan Harpmaking Demonstration
- Barranco Garifuna Village
- Eladio Pop’s Farm Tour, Chocolate Making, and Lunch with a Mayan Family
- Chocolate Making and Lunch in a Mayan Home with Cyrila & Abelina Cho
- Cacao Juan Cho’s Organic Cacao Farm (Weekends Only)
- Cotton Tree Chocolate Factory Tour (Weekdays and Saturdays Only)
- Punta Gorda Market (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday Mornings)
The lodge is an informal place. Bring what you would wear in a sunny warm climate (casual wear, hat, sunglasses). In addition, bring:
- At least two of the following: sandals, sneakers, shoes, hiking boots. Water shoes or sports sandals like Tevas and Keens are great for Blue Creek Cave exploration
- At least one lightweight long sleeve shirt
- At least one warmer fleece or sweatshirt
- At least two lightweight long pants
- Waterproof light jacket
- Sunscreen and insect repellent (those containing DEET seem to work the best)
- Flashlight or headlamp and extra batteries.
- Extra film or memory cards for your camera
- A refillable water bottle. Filtered drinking water is available in all the cabañas, and we try to minimize our waste by discouraging the use of disposable water bottles.
Belize enjoys a sub-tropical climate, which means it is warm to hot year round. The wet season is from June-December. In southern Belize, it can get very wet at that time. In the evening it can cool down enough to warrant wearing a light sweater.
Electricity
Electricity is 110V and no special adapters are needed for US travelers. You can easily charge cameras, phones (though they won’t have signal except at the Main Lodge), iPods, etc. in your cabana. Please note that we are off the grid and run our electricity through batteries charged by solar panels and supplemented with generator power. Don’t be surprised by a momentary loss of power as we switch between the two. Appliances like hairdryers and curling irons drain a lot of power from our system, so please consider leaving them at home.
Water
Filtered water is provided in all rooms for drinking and brushing teeth. Please consider bringing a refillable water bottle from home to reduce waste.
Internet
If you have an international data plan, there is cell service in the main dining area. We also have Digicel phones for rent at $5US per day. You can purchase 1GB of data for $10US which is valid for 7 days. Your phone can then be used as a hotspot if you wish to share.
Please note that we are at a remote location, and occasionally service is interrupted.
Giving Back to Toledo: Sustainable Harvest International is a non-profit that teaches Central American subsistence farmers sustainable agriculture techniques. SHI is responsible for the organic kitchen garden on our property. You might wish to volunteer with them for a day (see below under “Trips that must be booked in advance”) or you could make a monetary donation to their projects. Angel Says: Read is a small non-profit which collects books from hotels and other tourist destinations to be donated to Belizean libraries. Please consider leaving your books at the lodge when you depart. They will be collected by Angel Says: Read and incorporated into the Punta Gorda Library.