The Lodge at Big Falls is situated on the banks of the Rio Grande river in Belize’s southern Toledo District. The property is located on a meander of the river with almost a mile of river frontage. There are views towards the Maya Mountains to the north west while the south eastern bank faces the village of Big Falls where villagers come down to the riverside to wash their clothes and bathe.
The Location:
Big Falls lies at the end of the Southern Highway eighteen miles inland from Punta Gorda the district capital. The lodge’s location provides easy access to all sites and places of interest within Toledo (journey times are usually less than one hour) as well as attractions further north such as the Scarlet Macaw breeding area at Red Bank and the Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve. There is also easy access to the cayes and coastal parks such as Payne’s Creek in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve twenty miles north of Punta Gorda. The Guatemalan towns of Livingston and Puerto Barrios are just seventy minutes ride by skiff across the Bay of Honduras.
5-night/6-day package
Includes one FREE night’s accommodation.
FREE use of kayaks, mountain bikes, inner tubes and internet
One full-day tour to Lubaantun Mayan site and waterfalls
Accommodation, meals & transfers
US$110 per person per day rack
4-night/5-day package
Includes one-day’s FREE meals.
FREE use of kayaks, mountain bikes, inner tubes and internet
One full-day tour to Lubaantun Mayan site and waterfalls
Accommodation, meals & transfers
US$113 pppd rack
3-night/4-day package
FREE use of kayaks, mountain bikes, inner tubes and internet
One full-day tour to Lubaantun Mayan site and waterfalls
One full-day tour to the Snake Cayes in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve
Accommodation, meals & transfers
US$175 pppd rack
All prices based on double occupancy. Apply for full details.
Combine the Lodge at Big Falls with Placencia or Hopkins resorts for an unforgettable reef and rainforest experience in southern Belize
PACKAGES
Mayan Footprints High Season
$603.71
Mayan Footprints Green Season
$555.47
Toledo Explorer High Season
$815.96
Toledo Explorer Green Season
$747.64
Toledo Rainforest and Reef High Season
$819.91
Toledo Rainforest and Reef Green Season
$751.59
Birds of Southern Belize 3-nights/4-days High Season
$621.76
Birds of Southern Belize 3-nights/4-days Green Season
$573.52
Birds of Southern Belize 4-nights/5-days High Season
$844.55
Birds of Southern Belize 4-nights/5-days Green Season
$776.23
We have other established day tours available for clients who want to stay longer and try other activities and be even more adventurous or who would like to get out to the Sapodilla Cayes the southernmost extension of Belize’s barrier reef about 35 miles off the Toledo coastline and a designated World Heritage site.
All packages include:
Accommodation in our elegant riverside thatched cabanas
All meals including dinner on day of arrival and breakfast on day of departure
Tours with knowledgeable local guides
Amenities include our new swimming pool, and use of mountain bikes, inner tubes, kayaks and table tennis
Transfers to and from Punta Gorda airport to Big Falls
Packages DO NOT include:
Bar sales
Staff & tour guide gratuities which are left at your discretion. There is no service charge.
Flights from and to Belize International Airport.
Notes to packages:
The indicated tours may be subject to change due to weather conditions and the sequence of tours may vary according to weather and availability of guides etc.
No refund can be offered for any element of the package not used by the guest for any reason whatsoever.
Visitors to Belize should hold a valid passport and a return/onward ticket.
Visas are not required for citizens of the USA, European Union, Commonwealth or Caricom Nation.
Mayan Footprints
The 3-night Mayan Footprint package includes:
Day 1
Arrival at the Lodge in time for cocktails and orientation to the Lodge before you dine in the softly lit ambience of the Lodge’s restaurant.
Day 2
A tour to Lubaantun Mayan site where the Crystal Skull was discovered in 1926 followed by a visit to Rio Blanco National Park for lunch and a swim beneath the waterfall and to explore the natural history of the riverside with a local Mayan guide. The day also includes an opportunity to visit a local home-based craftsperson who will demonstrate their skills in carving slate to produce the Mayan calendar glyphs, making Mayan harps or weaving baskets and cuxtals, (a local knapsack used by farmers to carry food and drink to their plantations).
Day 3
Begins with an early morning guided bird walk along the riverbank and through the orchard and meadows around the Lodge. After breakfast we drive close to the village of San Felipe and hike into stands of undisturbed rainforest to see birds, animals, orchids and medicinal rainforest plants. After lunch back at the Lodge guests may kayak, go for a guided dory trip, float around the lodge’s river peninsula on inner tubes or take a guided bike tour of Big Falls village.
Day 4
Breakfast at the Lodge and opportunity to have a last walk around the Lodge or dip in the pool. If your flight departure from Punta Gorda allows we will drop your luggage off at the air terminal and then leave you on Front Street to explore PG and its market (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday) before boarding your onward flight.
Toledo Explorer
The 4-night Toledo Explorer package includes:
Day 1
Arrival at the Lodge in time for cocktails and orientation before you dine in the softly lit ambience of the Lodge’s restaurant.
Day 2
A guided tour to Lubaantun Mayan site where the Crystal Skull was discovered in 1926 followed by a visit to Rio Blanco National Park for lunch and a swim beneath the waterfall and to explore the natural history of the riverside. The day also includes an opportunity to visit a home-based craftsperson who will demonstrate their skills in carving slate to produce the Mayan calendar glyphs, making Mayan harps or weaving baskets and cuxtals, (a local knapsack used by farmers to carry food and drink to their plantations).
Day 3
Begins with an early morning guided bird walk along the river bank and through the orchard and meadows around the Lodge. After breakfast we drive close to the village of San Felipe and hike into stands of undisturbed rainforest to see birds, animals, orchids and medicinal rainforest plants. After lunch back at the Lodge guests may kayak, go for a guided dory trip, float around the lodge’s river peninsula on inner tubes or take a bike tour of Big Falls village.
Day 4
After breakfast you will be driven the thirteen miles to Blue Creek village where you will spend the day with very experienced local guides with a deep knowledge of rainforest medicinal plants and of the caves system in the hills and mountainsides around Blue Creek. Blue Creek offers variety of activities to suit the seasons including swimming into the cave where Blue Creek emerges from the mountainside, hiking through a dry cave higher up in the mountainside, exploring a medicinal plant trail or visiting your Mayan guide’s home and learning how to grind corn and make tortillas. For the very energetic there is also the option of climbing the steep side of the valley to the peak where you can gain magnificent views of the forest between Blue Creek and the coast twenty miles away.
Day 5
Breakfast at the Lodge and opportunity to have a last walk around the Lodge or dip in the pool. If your flight departure from Punta Gorda allows we will drop your luggage off at the air terminal and then leave you on Front Street to explore PG and its market (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday) before boarding your onward flight.
Toledo Rainforest and Reef
The 4-night Toledo Rainforest and Reef package includes:
Day 1
Arrival at the Lodge in time for cocktails and orientation before you dine in the softly lit ambience of the Lodge’s restaurant.
Day 2
A guided tour to Lubaantun Mayan site where the Crystal Skull was discovered in 1926 followed by a visit to Rio Blanco National Park for lunch and a swim beneath the waterfall and to explore the natural history of the riverside. The day also includes an opportunity to visit a home-based craftsperson who will demonstrate their skills in carving slate to produce the Mayan calendar glyphs, making Mayan harps or weaving baskets and cuxtals, (a local knapsack used by farmers to carry food and drink to their plantations).
Day 3
Offers guests a chance to relax and choose from the activities and amenities around the Lodge. You can spend all day relaxing around the swimming pool or in the hammocks on your verandah, explore the Lodge’s trails or mess around in kayaks and inner tubes on the river. Mountain bikes are also available for guests who want to strike out on their own and explore the locality.
Day 4
A twenty minute drive into Punta Gorda on the coast, then into a motor boat to begin this idyllic tour through some of the most beautiful of Toledo’s offshore cayes. The Port Honduras Marine Reserve is one of the newest conservation areas in Belize and you will visit the ranger station on tiny Abalone Caye. Climb the observation tower for a magnificent view of the Bay of Honduras and it’s many emerald cayes. As you make your way out to the Snake Cayes, keep your eyes open for Manatee, Dolphins, Magnificent Frigate Birds and Brown Boobies. You will snorkel, swim and lunch on West Snake Caye renowned for its crystal clear, turquoise waters. In the afternoon, your guide will undoubtedly suggest a bit of fishing on the way home. People in Toledo love to fish and these are, after all, some of the best fishing grounds in the Caribbean. You may catch your own dinner of snapper, barracuda, grouper or kingfish. You may, however, choose to let others do the work and just lie back and enjoy the late afternoon breeze over the water.
Day 5
Breakfast at the Lodge and opportunity to have a last walk around the Lodge. If your flight departure from Punta Gorda allows we will drop your luggage off at the air terminal and then leave you on Front Street to explore PG and its market (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday) before boarding your onward flight.
Birds of Southern Belize
The 3-night Birds of Southern Belize package includes:
Day 1
Arrival at the Lodge in time for cocktails and orientation to the Lodge before you dine in the softly lit ambience of the Lodge’s restaurant.
Day 2
Begins with an early morning bird walk along the riverbank and through the orchard and meadows around the Lodge with our guide Steven Choco who has a keen eye and a fine ear for identifying bird calls. Steven will be your guide for the duration of your stay at the Lodge. We typically encounter between forty and fifty species before breakfast. After breakfast we will spend the day in broadleaf forest habitats and visiting the Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary where the lagoons in this shallow drainage basin are home to Woodstorks, Jabiru, Limpkin, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, kingfishers and herons. Back at the Lodge as dusk falls and the sun sets over the Maya mountains to the west you can observe flocks of egrets and other waders returning to their night-time roosts or see and hear Yellow-crowned Night Herons calling as they fly out to their feeding grounds. Listen for the Mottled Owl and Black and White Owl which frequent the forest giants on the riverbank in the front of the Lodge and listen for the first calls of the Common Pauraque which are a common sight on dirt roads at night-time.
Day 3
Begins with an early morning drive eighteen miles north to an area of pines, oaks, saw palmetto and savannah grasslands. Your visit may include the sight of flocks of indigo bunting feeding on the grasses with their plumage illuminated by the early morning sun. You can also see and hear Yellow-crowned Parrots, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Fork-tailed and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Sedge Wren, Grace’s Warbler, Rusty Sparrow and Hepatic Tanager among other species. After a late breakfast back at the Lodge we will spend the day visiting the Mayan site of Lubaantun and the waterfalls at San Antonio and the Rio Blanco National Park birding as we go. You will spend some time at dusk on the way back to the Lodge at a local wetland swamp where we can observe the Northern Jacana, Ruddy Crake and American Bittern as well as raptors such as the Peregrine Falcon.
Day 4
Breakfast at the Lodge and opportunity to have a final self-guided bird walk around the Lodge property. If your flight departure from Punta Gorda allows we will drop your luggage off at the air terminal and then leave you on Front Street to explore PG and its market (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday) before boarding your onward flight.
Birds of Southern Belize II
The 4-night Birds of Southern Belize package includes:
Day 1
Arrival at the Lodge in time for cocktails and orientation to the Lodge before you dine in the softly lit ambience of the Lodge’s restaurant.
Day 2
Begins with an early morning bird walk along the riverbank and through the orchard and meadows around the Lodge with our guide Steven Choco who has a keen eye and a fine ear for identifying bird calls. Steven will be your guide for the duration of your stay at the Lodge. We typically observe between forty and fifty species before breakfast. After breakfast we will spend the day in broadleaf forest habitats and visiting the Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary where the lagoons in this shallow drainage basin are home to Woodstorks, Jabiru, Limpkin, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, kingfishers and herons. In the later afternoon you can take a guided river trip and observe the herons and kingfishers and other riparian species along the Rio Grande near the Lodge. As dusk falls and the sun sets over the Maya mountains to the west you can observe flocks of egrets and other waders returning to their night-time roosts or see and hear Yellow-crowned Night Herons calling as they fly out to their feeding grounds. Listen for the Mottled Owl and Black and White Owl which frequent the forest giants on the riverbank in the front of the Lodge and listen for the first calls of the Common Pauraque which are a common sight on dirt roads at night-time.
Day 3
Begins with an early morning drive eighteen miles north to an area of pines, oaks, saw palmetto and savannah grasslands. Your visit may include the sight of flocks of indigo bunting feeding on the grasses with their plumage illuminated by the early morning sun. You can also see and hear Yellow-crowned Parrots, the Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Fork-tailed and Scissor-tailed Flycatchers, Sedge Wren, Grace’s Warbler, Rusty Sparrow and Hepatic Tanager among other species. After a late breakfast back at the Lodge we will spend the day visiting the Mayan site of Lubaantun and the waterfalls at San Antonio and the Rio Blanco making birding stops along the way. You will spend some time at dusk on the way back to the Lodge at a local wetland swamp where we can observe the Northern Jacana, Ruddy Crake and American Bittern as well as raptors such as the Peregrine Falcon.
Day 4
We will depart the Lodge early and drive down to the coast to begin our day birding among the tall coastal forest that lines the coast north of Punta Gorda and then make our way along the seafront into Punta Gorda itself where we will stop for breakfast. We will then continue birding in the forest south of Punta Gorda before returning to the Lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the later afternoon you can take a guided river trip and observe the herons and kingfishers and other riparian species along the Rio Grande near the Lodge.
Day 5
Breakfast at the Lodge and opportunity to have a final self-guided bird walk around the Lodge property. If your flight departure from Punta Gorda allows we will drop your luggage off at the air terminal and then leave you on Front Street to explore PG and its market (Saturday, Monday, Wednesday & Friday) before boarding your onward flight.
Honeymoon Package
Spoil yourselves with our honeymoon package including:
. Accommodation in a luxury thatched cabana overlooking the Rio Grande
. Elegant dining in our open restaurant with views of the rainforest and Maya Mountains
. A bottle of fine Champagne delivered to your cabana
. A tropical fruit and snack basket in your cabana
. Tropical flower arrangement in your cabana
. Morning coffee and fresh juices delivered to your veranda
. A romantic early evening trip in a dory up the Rio Grande
. A set of twelve digital pictures e-mailed to your new home
7 Night Mountain To Mangroves Birding Package
4 Nights at The Lodge at Big Falls and 3 Nights at Hidden Valley Inn:
The Mountain Pine Ridge and Caracol area of Belize is a prime bird watching destination and Hidden Valley Inn offers birding tours to view the many species of rare birds. Birders will marvel at the colourful array of tropical birds. Darting hummingbirds, Green Jay, Blue-Crowned Mot-Mot, Golden Hooded Tanager, Hepatic Tanager, Montezuma’s Oropendula, Keel-Billed Toucan and Crested Guan are just a few of the flamboyant species you may encounter in the area. Highlights for birders from all over the world include King Vulture, Stygian Owl, Laughing Falcon, Grace’s Warbler, Lovely Cotinga and Tody Motmot. The jungle around the Mayan Site of Caracol provides regular views of the exquisite Keel Billed Motmot.
Birding Package Includes:
. A road transfer between Belize City & Hidden Valley Inn
. 4 nights accommodations at Hidden Valley Inn & 3 nights at Lodge at Big Falls
. A full day birding tour on Hidden Valley Inn’s private reserve
. Tour of Caracol, Rio Frio Caves and Rio On Pools
. 2 on property guided walks (choice of morning or night walks)
. Dinner, lunch and breakfast at Hidden Valley Inn
. Service charge at Hidden Valley Inn
. Road transfer between Hidden Valley Inn and the Lodge at Big Falls
. Guided morning bird walk at the Lodge at Big Falls
. Birding tour to Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary
. Tour of Lubaantun Mayan Ruin and the waterfalls of San Antonio and Rio Blanco National Park
. Dinner, lunch and breakfast at the Lodge at Big Falls
. Road transfer to Punta Gorda
. Flight to Belize International Airport
. All taxes
Package does not include:
. Gratuities for the guides
. Gratuities at the Lodge at Big Falls (no service charge is levied)
. Any purchases from the bar or gift shop
. . Entrance fees to sites where applicable
ALL INFORMATION AND PACKAGE PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ACCORDING TO TRAVEL DATES.