WELCOME TO CHAN CHICH LODGEYour Rainforest Retreat in the Heart of Belize
Deep in northwestern Belize, Chan Chich Lodge waits inside a 30,000-acre private reserve that has been left, quite deliberately, wild.
So Many Ways to Explore the Reserve
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Driving Tours
Explore the reserve on our guided safari drives, spotting birds, wildlife and beautiful views along the rainforest roads.
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![A woodpecker with black, white, and yellow plumage perched on a diagonal branch against a blurred dark green background.]()
Birdwatching
Spot some of our 370+ recorded bird species with our expert guides, from colorful hummingbirds to ocellated turkeys.
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![A man and a woman in a jungle, looking up and pointing at the sky while holding binoculars and a camera.]()
Walks & Hikes
Wander the rainforest trails with a guide on nature walks and medicinal plant walks that reveal the jungle up close.
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Gallon Jug Farm
Tour the working farm, stables and coffee plantation at Gallon Jug Estate and see how the land is cared for season by season.
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![Group of four people walking along a trail at night, surrounded by dense green foliage, illuminated by artificial light.]()
Tours After Dark
Experience the rainforest after sundown on guided night walks and drives, with glowing eyes and nocturnal creatures.
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![Guide speaking to tourists in a cave with rocky walls, holding a flashlight, with binoculars hanging around his neck.]()
Archaeology
Join a knowledgeable guide on a walk through the ancient Maya city where the lodge was built.
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Boat Tours
Glide across the peaceful waters of Laguna Seca and watch for crocodiles, birds, and other wildlife along the shore.
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![Ancient Mayan ruins with stepped stone pyramids surrounded by lush green jungle and a grassy clearing, under a clear blue sky with scattered white clouds.]()
Off-Site Tours
Venture beyond the reserve to famous Maya sites and caves across Belize and beyond, all planned by our helpful team.
Wildlife You're a Guest in Their Home
Ocellated turkeys pick their way across the lawn most mornings. Monkeys move, unhurried, through the canopy overhead. Somewhere out past the lodge, Baird's tapir, Belize's national animal, goes about its own business on its own schedule, in a rainforest that was its home long before it was ours to visit. Nothing here performs on cue, and that's rather the point: you're passing quietly through their world, and welcome to watch.
370 SPECIES AND COUNTINGA Rainforest Built for Birders
Chan Chich sits inside a stretch of Belize Maya Forest that has drawn birders for decades, with more than 370 species recorded across 35 families right on the reserve. Mornings start with birdsong before the sun is up, walks and drives run through both day and night, and canoe trips across Laguna Seca and Laguna Verde open up habitat you won't find near the lodge itself. Whether you're working through a checklist or just learning to tell one call from another, our guides know where to look and when.
The JaguarsAmong the Last Great Strongholds of the Jaguar
Few places left on earth still hold as many jaguars as the rainforest around Chan Chich. Nine have been individually identified within the reserve, each patrolling a territory of nine or ten square miles, moving mostly unseen through the undergrowth. For years, our trail cameras have quietly kept watch, recording not just jaguars but every one of Belize's five wild cat species passing through the same stretch of rainforest, night after night.
Where You'll StayCabanas, Casitas and a Villa
Some rely on natural breezes and fans, in the old way of jungle lodges; others feature air conditioning, for guests who'd simply prefer that. Either way, a private veranda and the sound of the rainforest are standard features of every stay here at the lodge. Breakfast is included in every stay booked directly with the lodge.
The Jungle Collection
Private, thatched-roof retreats just steps from the trailhead, all available with air conditioning.
Casitas & Family Cabanas
A little more outside room with wrap around verandahs & including layouts built with families in mind.
2-Bedroom Jungle Villa
Our most spacious stay, air-conditioned throughout and made for a family or friends under one roof.
Getting HereRemote, But Within Reach
Chan Chich feels remote because it is, and intentionally so. Most guests arrive by way of Belize City, on a scenic road transfer with a final unpaved stretch that lets you know you've truly left the city behind, or by a short charter flight straight onto the Gallon Jug airstrip. However you'd like to come, tell us your flight details and we'll build the transfer around them.
The fastest, most scenic way in.
Easiest option, no rental needed.
For guests who want the most independence.
Farm to TableFrom Our Farm to Your Table
Much of what arrives at your table began just down the road. Coffee, fruit, and vegetables come from our own working farm at Gallon Jug, filling the kitchen with far more than most guests expect from somewhere this remote. As evening falls, the day's stories get traded over a drink at Looter's Trench Bar, before dinner draws everyone back together.
Lodge Offers
Year-round, guests can take advantage of special offers available exclusively when booking directly with us. Reach out today to learn more.
Why the Lodge EXISTS
Built to Protect What Was Already Here
Chan Chich began with an unusual act of protection. Sir Barry Manfield Bowen, K.C.M.G. built this lodge on the plaza of an un-excavated Maya city, precisely to put a stop to the looting that was taking place back in 1984, choosing to safeguard the site rather than disturb it further. The lodge opened its doors on December 4, 1988, and the land around it, 30,000 private acres nested within roughly half a million acres of protected Maya Forest, has remained a reserve ever since.
The Bowen family has cared for Chan Chich from that first day, and every guest who stays here today becomes part of the same story, helping to protect a stretch of rainforest, and the wildlife within it, that might otherwise have been lost.
Come and Stay With Us
Book instantly online, or tell us a bit about your trip and one of our vacation planners will help you put the details together.
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See live rates, pick your dates, and complete checkout in a few minutes.
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- Breakfast always included when booking direct
Talk to a Vacation Planner
Our team can plan your vacation from start to finish. A few items not bookable online are:
- Reef and Rainforest Packages
- Air Charter Transfers
- Special Tour Requests
Just share a few details and our team will follow up with a custom itinerary and quote.
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