Black Rock Lodge:
A Remote Oasis in the Maya Mountains
Black Rock Lodge
San Ignacio, Belize
More Info To Come
(top) A view overlooking the Black River Valley. (middle) Me, literally waiting for the water to rise so that we could go canoeing (dam controlled water levels). (bottom) En route to the coast we stopped at the inland Blue Hole. A great place to swim,walk the trails and spot wildlife.
BELIZE
Black Rock Lodge
Perched above the Macul River and nestled in the rainforest outside of San Ignacio, Belize near the Guatemalan border, sits the spectacular Black Rock Lodge (BRL). This isolated location is home to almost 400 species of birds and numerous other wildlife, and is truly an escape from the everyday. If you need room service, air conditioning, television, and reliable internet connection, this is not for you. But, if you would enjoy watching toucans feasting on tropical fruits as you sip your morning coffee, horseback riding to ancient Maya sites, hiking along dramatic ridge lines, canoeing into dark caves to explore small passages sheltering ancient pottery shards, or searching for nocturnal creatures such as tarantulas and the red eye tree frog on night explorations, then you will love every moment of your stay at this remote paradise.
BRL is located at the end of 4-mile long bumpy, dirt road outside of the lively Cayo town of San Ignacio. Offering stunning views of the Black Rock Canyon and the surrounding wildlife-rich rainforest, the property consists of a main open-air, thatched-roof dining/lounge area and 20 stand alone cabins perched on a hillside. Once you arrive, a sense of tranquility immediately takes over. On our day of arrival, the little toucanette peaking out of the tree in the photo below greeted us as we pulled up. Does it get any better than that?
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Completely isolated, the lodge is off-the-grid and produces its own electricity through solar and hydro power, grows much of the food for guests and staff in its organic garden, harvests fruit from its many trees, cultivates a small coffee plantation and sugar cane grove, and composts food scraps, in addition to recycling and treating waste water onsite. For those interested, tours of the gardens and infrastructure facilities are available.
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BRL is truly a birders paradise and attracts a large number of visitors who come just for this purpose. The three species of toucan found in Central America can seen at BRL, and are a highlight for all guests. These colorful birds are frequent visitors to the lounge area, attracted to the fruit left out for them. For the lazy birder, it is easy to spot a vast array of species from a human perch on a stool at the railing overlooking the river (this can be done quite easily with a cocktail in one hand) Don’t worry if you can’t identify what you are seeing, a multitude of guidebooks and binoculars are available for guest use, but if your hands are too busy with the binocular and drink, just ask one of the helpful and vastly knowledgeable guides who seem to always be available.
Among the many other bird species you are likely to spot include Trogon, Blue-crowned and Tody motmot, Golden-hooded tanager, and Olive-throated parakeet. Due to the elevation, raptors such as the Laughing falcon, and the Ornate hawk-eagle may also be seen. If you are lucky you may spot the rare Orange-breasted falcon, which we learned through an evening lecture given at the lodge, can be found in the area. For beginners and more experienced birders alike, BRL is ideally suited for viewing birds both resident and migratory. Each morning naturalists lead birding walks around the property and in the evenings excursions in search of owls, nightjars, potoos, and other creatures of the night are offered.
Cabins are scattered around the main common area, and while they are not 5-star luxurious, they are very much ‘of the place.’ Eco-chic, if you will. Rustic but with their own unique local style, replete with handicrafts and local woods. All cabins have private outdoor spaces with a hammock and all feature a view. We chose the river view cabin, which is furthest away from the main building (which is still only a couple of minutes walk) but has no close neighbors and looks out to a waterfall. Our cabin was spacious and comfortable, but we especially enjoyed relaxing after excursions on our private patio (which also provided the ideal spot to attempt to dry wet items in the sun since the humidity makes this an extremely challenging proposition!)
The remote setting means that it is not an easy task to wander off-site for meals. Some people choose to do this, and if you have a car, driving to San Ignacio to sample local restaurants is a definite possibility, albeit not the easiest of endeavors. We were absorbed in our little rainforest cocoon and did not venture off for dinner but instead enjoyed the lodge’s tasty offerings which are served in candlelight. Each evening the staff assigns guests to a different table to encourage interaction (don’t worry your group will always be seated together). This may not be to everyone's liking, but we really enjoyed meeting other travelers and hearing about their Belizean adventures. Each evening we were there it rained and the experience of hearing the rain hitting the roof while candlelight flickered in the breeze was simply magical.
Included in the cost of your stay at BRL are some excursions and activities, while others (mostly just those off-site) are an extra cost. There is really something for everyone from zip-lining, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, and several opportunities to explore Belize's famous ancient Maya sites of Caracol, Xunantunich, Che Chem Ha Cave and others, as well as a day-long excursion to Tikal in Guatemala.
We participated in off-site excursions to Tikal, a canoe trip to Barton Creek Cave, and zip-lining and enjoyed all of them and were well taken care of by BRL guides each time. But, in keeping with the self imposed cocoon we favored, we found that hiking, canoeing and swimming from the lodge were our favorite activities and really made us feel that we were experiencing the area to the fullest. A perk for fans of tubing is the ability to grab a tube and float down the river right in front of the lodge. Those who manage to successfully traverse the rapids without flipping receive a complimentary cocktail at the bar - certainly worth at least one attempt!
Anyone considering a stay at BRL should really stop to consider whether this is the right place for them. If you have been to a remote, rainforest eco-lodge before, BRL will likely be in line with what you have experienced. If this is a new experience for you, consider whether the activities and amenities suit your travel style. Negative TripAdvisor reviews of the property seem to be largely based on travelers not making the right choice for them. This is a spectacular property, but it is not for everyone.
Black Rock Lodge is truly a magical place and my family and I loved ever minute we spent there. Our guides were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and attentive. My son, who was 10 years old when we visited, was the only child there for most of the time, and the staff and guides went out of their way to make him feel comfortable. There are too many places in the world to visit to do a lot of repeats, but BRL is on that very short list of mine.