Preserving Paradise, Safeguarding Belize
Conservation That Lasts
Chan Chich Lodge rests within 30,000 acres of privately protected rainforest at Gallon Jug Estate in northwestern Belize, and by design, there's only one lodge and our working farm on all of it. By limiting development and protecting the rainforest around us, we've created a place where wildlife can move freely and guests can experience one of the largest privately protected landscapes in the country.
Conservation was never an afterthought here, it's the reason Chan Chich exists to begin with. Every stay helps preserve the rainforest, protect wildlife habitat, and safeguard a cultural heritage found nowhere else.
A Lodge Built to Protect History
Chan Chich's conservation story began long before its first guest arrived.
In 1984, Sir Barry Bowen purchased the Belize Estates property that included this land where an ancient Maya city was quietly being looted for artifacts. Rather than let the site keep deteriorating, he envisioned something different, a lodge that would protect the ruins simply by keeping a respectful human presence nearby.
That vision became Chan Chich Lodge, which welcomed its first guests on December 4, 1988. Named for the creek running past it. Chan Chich means "little bird" in Maya and the lodge was built thoughtfully on the plaza of an un-excavated Maya city. We've continued that responsibility ever since through conservation, education, and careful stewardship of both the ruins and the rainforest around them.
Read more about our history here.
Supporting the Belize Maya Forest
Protecting the rainforest doesn't stop at our property line.
In 2021, Gallon Jug Estate joined more than a dozen conservation partners to help secure the 236,000-acre Belize Maya Forest, now permanently protected by the Belize Maya Forest Trust. Though separate from our own reserve, this landmark effort helps safeguard one of the largest remaining stretches of rainforest in Central America, preserving critical habitat and strengthening the ecological threads that reach far beyond Chan Chich.
Conservation works best when whole landscapes, not just individual properties, are protected for the generations that follow, and that's a belief we hold closely.
A Long History of Conservation
Gallon Jug's commitment to conservation predates the Belize Maya Forest Trust by decades.
Land from the original 1984 purchase was later donated to help establish what is now the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, managed by Programme for Belize, a contribution that helped lay the groundwork for one of Belize's most significant protected areas. It's a philosophy that has guided this property from the very beginning, and one Chan Chich carries forward today by protecting the rainforest, preserving Belize's cultural heritage, and sharing this extraordinary landscape with travelers from around the world.
Everyday Practices That Add Up
Sustainability at Chan Chich isn't a once-a-year commitment. It shows up in dozens of small decisions made every day, the kind that rarely make it onto a website but add up to a meaningfully lighter footprint:
Pathways to guest rooms are lit with efficient LED lighting.
Recyclable bottles replace single-use plastic wherever we can manage it.
Biodegradable products are prioritized throughout the property.
Our waste management practices are built to reduce our footprint, not just handle it.
Smart, bulk purchasing means fewer supply runs and less fuel burned getting goods here.
Our gift shop features crafts and ornaments made locally rather than imported.
Furniture throughout the lodge is built from fallen trees rather than newly cut timber.
Paper is recycled and reused rather than thrown away.
A farm-to-table approach keeps our kitchen connected to local farmers.
Night driving on reserve roads is restricted after 6pm, with one guided tour as the only exception, ending by 9pm, to minimize disruption to nocturnal wildlife.
A dedicated staff bus reduces the number of individual vehicles on the road each day.
Partnerships with like-minded properties let us offer guests eco-conscious stays in the rainforest and along the coast beyond Chan Chich.
When wildlife wanders into guest areas, our team relocates it back to its natural habitat with care.
Landscaping around our pool is chosen to need less water and maintenance, alongside eco-friendly chlorine alternatives.
Built From the Land: Our Cottages
Our cottages are built from locally sourced hardwoods and thatch, using traditional Maya construction techniques. It's a choice that does two things at once: it keeps a living craft in practice, and it relies on hardwoods harvested responsibly rather than materials that carry a heavier environmental cost.
In Every Room
Amenities and water are served in recyclable bottles and glasses.
Sodas come in returnable glass bottles.
Room keys are reusable rather than disposable.
Shampoo, body wash, and conditioner are provided in refillable containers.
Wraparound windows bring in natural light and ventilation, cutting down on air conditioning and artificial lighting.
Room cards gently remind guests of small housekeeping choices that save energy and water.
Thatch roofing provides natural insulation.
Soaps, lotions, and shampoos are biodegradable EO products.
Linens are eco-friendly Living Fresh linens.
Water dispensers are non-electric.
Furniture is made from fallen trees, as it is throughout the property.
From Farm to Table: Food & Beverage
About 60% of the produce on your plate comes from our own Gallon Jug Estate, picked close to when it's served. The rest comes from nearby farmers and regional markets, including a Mennonite community, so even what we don't grow ourselves tends to travel a short distance.
Our farm organically grows and raises:
Shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee
Pepper sauces and jellies made on site
Raw, organic rainforest honey
Seasonal fruit trees that stock our kitchen and refreshments
A wide range of greens, vegetables, and herbs from our Veg, Roots & Shoots greenhouse
Grass-fed cattle, for organic dairy and meat
Pigs raised with sustainable farming practices
Free-range chickens and ducks
Curious what actually lands on your plate? Our culinary page has more information.
Wildlife We Help Protect
Chan Chich sits inside a rainforest corridor that connects to a much larger network of protected land, and that connectivity is what lets so many species move through it and hold territory here. Among the roughly 200 tree species, 371 bird species, and 80 mammal species we help protect are some of the region's most vulnerable animals:
Ocellated Turkey
White-lipped peccaries
Jaguars
Puma
Jaguarundi
Margay
Ocelot
Baird's Tapir
Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
Yucatán Black Howler Monkey
The critically endangered Central American River Turtle, known locally as the Hickatee or Tortuga Blanca
Great Curassow
White-tailed Deer
Questions About Our Conservation Work
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30,000 acres in the Belize Maya Forest in northwestern Belize.
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No. Access is controlled, and while our guides can take you deep into rainforest, a stay doesn't mean the run of all 30,000 acres.
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No. Chan Chich's 30,000 acres is a private reserve that sits alongside additional protected land in the region. That additional protected land is approximately 236,000 acres.
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No. The 236,000-acre Belize Maya Forest is held by the Belize Maya Forest Trust. Chan Chich was part of the coalition that helped secure it in 2021, but the land itself is separate from our reserve.
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Not a fixed amount, no. Guests who stay with us generate the income that keeps the reserve and its conservation work running.
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