Get Inspired | Travel Tips | Montecito Village Travel

Your Dream Island Hideaway – Bennett & Mercado

Written by Chris Weatherhead | March 11, 2018

From Bennett & Mercado

Blancaneaux Lodge is a dramatic hideaway in Belize’s rainforest wonderland

In the early 1980s, Francis Ford Coppola visited Belize, immediately fell in love with the location, and purchased the abandoned Blancaneaux Lodge. For more than a decade the hideaway was used as a family retreat before Francis opened his tropical paradise to the public in 1993.

A hidden paradise

Blancaneaux Lodge is located in the northwest corner of Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in western Belize’s Cayo District. The lodge itself is nestled on the bank of Privassion Creek and is set among tropical pines, oaks and ancient melastome shrubs. The dense jungle, steep ravines, flowing rivers and waterfalls are home to many rare or endangered species of flora and fauna.

Horseback riding at Blancaneaux Lodge

Ideal for riders of all skill levels, enjoy an equestrian sightseeing tour through the lowlands of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Blancaneaux horse stables allow you both convenience and the assurance that your riding adventures meet impeccable standards.

Where waterfalls tumble into turquoise pools above the jungle canopy.

Each of the 20 units is decorated with interior furnishings from Mexico and Guatemala. Its remote mountain setting allows guests to explore the ancient civilization of the Maya and return to their own thatched roof dwelling, nestled in the foliage of the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve.

Blancaneaux Lodge is a leader in conservation and sustainability.

The resort’s renewable energy is generated from the Privassion Creek, and its 3.5-acre garden supplies all vegetables and most fruit for the restaurants. Ideal for adventure seekers and excursionists, Blancaneaux Lodge and its surrounding areas offer endless activities and excursions.

Insider Tip: For the adventurous, visit ATM Cave, ranked as one of the Top 10 Caves in the world by National Geographic Magazine