External Reviews
The New York Times But here at Blancaneaux - travelers who might have been backpackers in another era can enter an authentic but sensually gratifying version of the third world stage-managed by a master. The feeling at Blancaneaux Lodge and at La Lancha, which I also visited, is that of being at a private club for experienced travelers hip to the notion of exploring, preserving and celebrating the indigenous culture without sacrificing laundry service and a wine list...
Your cabana’s deck overlooks a waterfall and a fragrant tropical pine forest, while inside each room is perfectly decorated
Features
- Swimming
- Riverside Spa with massive hot tub
- Horse Riding
- Organic Food
- Hiking
- Mountain Biking
- Child Friendly
| Blancaneaux Lodge - Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, Maya Mountains, Belize | |
Sustainability Scorecard
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From $225 USD Per Double per night including beakfast
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Good For You
Owner Francis Ford Coppola says he came to Belize searching for the same jungle paradise he fell in love with while shooting Apocalypse Now – he found it here in Belize, and has built this exceptional lodge on the edge of the magnificent Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve.
Tumbling through the Blancaneaux grounds, the Privassion River drops over a series of waterfalls, kindly leaving behind some crystal clear pools along its way. Adventurous travelers can paddle the waters in search of a secluded picnic spot, and bathers can lounge in the natural waters to cool off. The lodge’s grounds are surrounded by the 300-suqare-mile Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, which you can explore on foot, horseback or mountain bikes provided by the lodge. You’ll spot rare howler monkeys, iguanas and butterflies, along with an impressive variety of bird species.
Your cabana’s deck overlooks a waterfall and a fragrant tropical pine forest, while inside each room is perfectly decorated with exotic furnishings, comfy beds, and delightful details. You’ll dine in style at the lodge’s excellent restaurant, serving Italian and international cuisine, and treat yourself to a massage at the hands of the in-house Thai masseuses – and, of course, you’ll soak up the magnificent scenery and the fascinating Mayan history that abounds here.
Good For Belize
Francis Ford Coppola’s three Central American lodges – Blancaneaux, Turtle Inn and La Lancha – are all excellent examples of sustainable luxury. From the organic gardens that supply the restaurant, to the local employment policies, to the self-ventilating cabanas and villas and the hydro-electric technology that powers Blancaneaux, genuine efforts are being made to invest in Belize and Guatemala while leaving a relatively light footprint.
There’s no air conditioning or TVs in the rooms, offering you both a peaceful escape and a greener holiday, and plans are afoot to regenerate damaged pine forest at Blancaneaux Lodge as part of a carbon offsetting program for all three lodges.
HighsLocation: This hotel’s setting is truly idyllic, with the beautiful waterfalls that bubble under your deck and the pine forest that surrounds you. It also puts you within easy reach of a range of activities, exotic wildlife and fascinating Mayan ruins. Sustainable luxury: This hotel meets a very high standard both in terms of comfort and sustainability – it’s totally self-sufficient energy-wise, and its organic garden supplies much of the food you’ll enjoy. |
LowsAccess: It’s a bumpy ride by road from Belize City, while a charter flight is both expensive and environmentally costly. Beach: Most travelers come to Belize for the beaches, which are well out of reach here at Blancaneaux. If you’d like to combine a beach stay with this hotel, check out its sister property, Turtle Inn. |
Rooms
All the rooms at Blancaneux Lodge are beautifully decorated with fine quality furnishings that are both elegant and rustic.
The five luxurious riverfront cabanas feature expansive decks with wrap-around walkways offering dramatic views of the Privassion River. Decorated with native art and local textiles, each has a queen-sized bed and a hand-painted tile bath.
Two honeymoon cabanas are perched right over a waterfall in the Privassion River, offering extra-large private decks overlooking the falls and the other boating its own private garden. Each ones features a four-poster bed and lounge area.
The family cabana is spacious, with a large table, queen-size bed and a pair of twin beds. The large screened porch overlooks the gardens.
The six two-bedroom villas skirt the Privassion River. The 1,600 spare foot villas feature a large living room with a kitchenette, opening onto the deck, with its wonderful view of the forest and river. Off the living room are two luxurious bedrooms, each with its own full bathroom.
The wonderful Francis Ford Coppola Villa is raised on stilts to take in dramatic views from its delightful open-air living area. There are two large bedrooms with a full bathroom for each, as well as a kitchenette and an outdoor dining table that seats 14 guests. Objects from the director’s personal art and antiques collection grace the impeccable furnishings throughout the villa. To top it all off, the FFC villa comes with a personal butler.
The two modest garden view cabanas are nestled in Blancaneux’s carefully landscaped tropical garden, and offer large screened in porches hung with hammocks.
Food
Tasty Italian cuisine, including superb brick-oven pizza, is on offer at the Blancaneaux Montagna Restaurant, in keeping with its owner’s Italian heritage. The Jungle Bar offers drinks and cocktails before and after dinner.
80% of the produce comes from Blancaneaux's own organic gardens, which feature acres of vegtables and herbs plus a fruit and not orchard. Additionally, the carefully maintained chicken coop provides fresh eggs daily.
Features & Facilities
- Natural River Pools ideal for Swimming
- Spa
- Hot Pool
- Traditional Thai Massage
- Horse Stables
- Spa
Tumbling directly through Blancaneeaux, the Privassion River thoughtfully leaves crystal clear pools along the way that are ideal for swimming. The more adventurous can traverse the river in search of a private river side picnic spot.
Local Info & Activities
Mayan Ruins
Blancaneaux offers a range of excursions to the many ruins within reach of the lodge. The most important and most magnificent are at Tikal, just over the border in Guatemala, while there are many sites within Belize where the Maya’s detailed sculptural work is visible. Caracol is hidden deep in the Chiquibil Forest, so you’ll see many wild animals on your way there, while the ceremonial centre at Xunantunich offers spectacular views from the top of its main pyramid, El Castillo.
Horseback Riding
This makes a great way to explore the area around the lodge, from hidden waterfalls to the nearby rainforest. The lodge offers guided rides that are suitable for levels of experience. The Blancaneaux kitchen is happy to pack a picnic lunch so you can head out for a full day’s ride.
Barton Creek Cave
Take an exciting canoe trip that takes you two miles deep into a Mayan burial site. These caves are adorned with Mayan pottery, skeletons and stalagmites.
Mountain Pine Ridge
The oldest and largest of Belize’s national parks, Mountain Pine Ridge boasts and extensive network of waterfalls, white-water rivers, Mayan ceremonial caves and sweeping views. There are plenty of freshwater swimming pools, so bring your bathing suit.
Flower Tour
Blancaneaux offers a tour through its gardens and the forest beyond that introduces guests to the rich variety of beautiful tropical flowers growing in this part of Belize.
Sustainability
All three Blancaneaux Resorts – Blancaneaux Lodge, Turtle Inn and La Lancha – are committed to making a difference through environmentally and socially sound management practices and stewardship. Conserving local resources, employing and purchasing locally and supporting local conservation and social projects are all part of the lodges’ policies.
With just 17 rooms, Blancaneaux Lodge is a relatively low-impact resort. Its open-plan design encouraged interaction with the environment and careful site-planning aims to minimise the lodge’s footprint. Buildings blend into the environment and are built mostly from sustainable local materials. The gardens are landscaped with local and regional plants that do not rely on intensive irrigation.
Blancaneaux is self-sustaining in energy use due to a hydro-electric plant that harnesses the energy of the Privassion River. Excess energy is used to heat the hot pool at the Waterfall Spa. Piping for the hydro is hidden beneath raised walkways, minimizing visual and environmental impact.
The guest rooms have no TVs, air conditioning or sound systems, guaranteeing peace and quiet and reducing energy use. Energy-efficient design means that louvred windows, screened doors, ceiling fans and high thatched ceilings allow for excellent circulation.
Use of natural light is maximized, which also cuts down on power usage, while all lights are fitted with energy efficient bulbs. Solar energy is planned for future developments.
A three-acre organic garden that produces vegetables, herbs and fruits supplies the kitchens of both Francis Ford Coppola lodges in Belize – Turtle Inn and Blancaneaux - with up to 80% of their needs. The live-in chickens supply organic eggs to these two properties, while local fishermen provide fresh fish and seafood, and local farmers provide fresh meats. Organic wine comes from Coppola’s Papa Rubicon Estate. All future construction at the property will incorporate sustainable waste water recycling, using an aerobic biological treatment unit to process all waste water, enabling the lodge to use the treated water to irrigate the garden.
Flow control shower heads will replace current shower heads in all rooms over time. Water is also saved by reducing the garden’s irrigation needs – mulching reduces transpiration from the flower beds and landscaped areas, as well as the organic garden.
All swimming and plunge pools are sanitized with non-chlorine based treatments.
The vast majority of construction used are locally or regionally sourced with sustainable hardwoods, Caribbean pine, bamboo, bay leaf thatch, regional ceramic and saltilla tiles being the main materials.
Waste is carefully separated with organic waste and grass clippings used for composting while non-organic waste is transported a short distance to a local government landfill. Solid waste is compacted prior to disposal.
Biodegradable detergents are used throughout the lodge, while the rooms all have locally produced organic soaps, shampoos and conditioners. These are ought in bulk and transferred to non-disposable wood and ceramic containers for guest’ use. All bed linens are 100% cotton.
The lodge has plans to start a pine-planting program to offset guests’ carbon emissions. Pine bark beetle has severely impacted the number of pines in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, and the bug has speared to the pine forest on Blancaneaux Lodge’s neighbouring property, so this effort will help restore the balance of the ecosystem on the property.
Blancaneaux Resorts supports Dr Marcella Kelly’s Jaguar Density Project, which is a long-term effort on the part of Virginia Tech to monitor and evaluate the jaguar, puma and ocelot populations in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.
The resorts have a local hiring policy – 98% of all staff at the three lodges is made of locals, with a total of more than 250 people. All service charges are split between employees, and there is an ‘Emergency Benefit Savings’ system that offers staff members the opportunity to apply for emergency loans and housing loans.
The lodges financially support the Placencia Health Centre, sponsor a local boys’ football team and cover the cost of educating three local girls through school and college.
The offices at the lodges use recycled paper where possible and LED light bulbs. The offices recycle all paper and tries to use electronic communication whenever possible, in order to save paper waste.
Getting There
Blancaneaux Lodge is located just outside the town of San Ignacio in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of Belize, which is about two hours by plane from Dallas, Houston and Miami.
For an additional fee, the lodge can arrange overland transport to the lodge from Belize’s airport. Contact Good Travel if you’d like to arrange this.
Blancaneaux also has its own airstrip and charter flights can be arranged from Belize City.
Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.
Rates & Bookings
Continental breakfast buffet is included, as is use of the Lodge's mountain bikes & hiking trails.
Peak Season:
Christmas - December 20, 2007 - January 05, 2008
Easter - April 02 - 09, 2008 (4 Night Minimum Stay)
Winter Season:
January 06 - April 01, 2008 April 10 - May 31, 2007 December 01 - December 19, 2008 (Two Night Minimum Stay)
Summer Season:
June 01 - November 30, 2008 (No Minimum Stay)
Garden View Cabanas
Peak
$245.00 Single, $275.00 Double, $375.00 Triple
Winter
$215.00 Single, $250.00 Double, $325.00 Triple
Summer
$170.00 Single, $225.00 Double, $275.00 Triple
Riverfront Cabanas
Peak $275 Single, $325 Double, $375 Triple
Winter
$250 Single, $295 Double, $345 Triple
Summer
$200 Single, $250 Double, $300 Triple
Honeymoon Cabanas
Peak
$350.00
Winter
$325.00
Summer $275.00
Family Garden Cabana
Peak
Single / Dble $300, Triple $335, Quad $370
Winter
Single / Dble $270, Triple $295, Quad $325
Summer
Single/ Dble $215, Triple $255, Quad $300
Deluxe Two Bedroom Villa
Peak Single /Dble $525, Triple $575, Quad $625
Winter
Single /Dble $475, Triple $525, Triple $575
Summer
Single /Dble $450, Triple $500, Quad $550.
Francis Ford Coppola Villa
Peak
Single /Dble $700, Triple $800, Quad $900
Winter
Single /Dble $650, Triple $700, Quad $750
Summer
Single /Dble $600, Triple $650, Quad $700.
booking & cancellation policy
A 10% non refundable deposit secures a reservation.
At least 45 days prior to guest’s arrival date, all reservations must be prepaid in full.
A minimum of three nights is required for reservations within the peak season dates at Blancaneaux Lodge, while a minimum of two nights is required for reservations within the winter season.
In the Winter and Summer seasons all payments will be refunded in full, less a $100.00 plus tax per room cancellation fee, if we receive notice in writing 45 days or more prior to guest arrival. For notices received less than 45 days, no refund will be issued. Note that a 2-Bedroom Villa is considered two rooms therefore a fee of $200.00 plus tax applies for the cancellation of a Villa.
For Blancaneaux’s Peak Season the cancellation fee is US$200.00 per room, US$400.00 per 2-Bedroom Villa, if we receive written cancellation notice 60 days or more prior to guest arrival. For notices received less than 60 days, no refund will be issued.
Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.
