Pine Ridge Lodge

Pine Ridge Lodge is a spectacular property and Neil, his family, and the Lodge’s small, highly attentive staff went above and beyond to provide our family with the very best experience. My family will always cherish the time we spent there. We stayed three nights in the gorgeous VIP Family Cabana. It's the most remarkable 'hotel room' we've experienced. The unit is extremely spacious, clean, comfortable, and full of amazing Guatemalan art. Like other properties in the Belize mountains, the units don’t have air conditioning because the temperatures and humidity drop at night. We were there during one of the hottest spells, but there were plenty of fans in the rooms, while the screened windows allowed great air movement and the amazing sounds of the surrounding forest. The Lodge grounds are fantastic--there are many flowering plants, trees (mangos and cashews) and a very nice bubbling brook. The breakfasts (included) and dinners were superb. Neil and Marcia provided potential options for meals but were happy to improvise. For breakfast, Marcia’s fry jacks are the best we had in Belize and the egg and salsa tortillas were scrumptious. For dinner, a family style meal was served, including appetizer, entree, and dessert. We had fantastic foods and flavors from around the world. The Yorkshire pudding and shrimp pesto were killer. You’ll walk away from the table full but looking forward to your next gourmet meal at the Lodge! Pine Ridge Lodge is convenient to ATM cave, Caracol, cave tubing, and the Rio on Pools. Rather than rent a car and try to navigate all the sites, we had Neil provide transportation to/from the airport and coordinate the tours to all the sites we wanted to visit. This maximized the amount of Western Belize that our family got to experience, dramatically reduced the stress of travel (especially when cellular is spotty), and provided extremely insightful, well guided tours for the entire family. What made Pine Ridge Lodge truly special was spending time with Neil, his family, and Marcia. They’re extremely warm, caring, and fun and made the mornings and evenings we spent together a treasure of our family vacation.

This ecolodge is beautifully maintained, with gardens, walkways, plantings large and small, and patrolled by a flock of guinia fowl. The cottages are cute, they look like they came out of a fairy tale book. My cottage was half a cottage, since I was alone. I loved it, but it had only one electrical outlet, which made charging devices tricky. the owner went out of his way to make me feel welcome. He also cooks many of the meals, which are exquisite and personally brought to you. Yorkshire pudding was part of one meal. Although I was birding and did record a couple dozen species from this property, my guide and I travel each day. The road goes directly to Caracol, although the last half of the trip is rough, with road construction actively underway. There is also a butterfly farm nearby that is worth a few hours, because it has more than butterflies! I highly recommend Pine Ridge Ecolodge!

The resort is super nice, the owner goes out of his way to make the stay perfect. The meals are all unique and unforgetable. The cottage was nice, be warned that there is only one outlet in my cottage. There were many birds in the area, I wish I had stayed one more day to see them all. The road leads to Caracol, there is a wonderful butterfly farm that is so much more, just down the road.

This Lodge outside San Ignacio and close to the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is managed in a very committed way by Neil and his style also affects the staff like Marcia in the service or the drivers George and Nadir. There is a very personal touch to it, where guests are greeted by name, and where one tries to do the best for any personal wishes. The location is ideal for outdoor activities, which can get organized through the accommodation. Thus we visited Caracol on our own with a driver from the Lodge or took together with other guests a tour to Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Maya ruins. Before arrival Neil offered us for our transfer from the airport to the Lodge a stop for free at the very worthwhile Belize Zoo with local animals in very natural surroundings. Our traditionally decorated room was quite basic with no outdoor seating and no WiFi, with no bed lamps and just one socket, so we used it mainly for sleeping and a shower. But one can take a nice walk on the grounds to a small river and waterfall. It can be that sometimes traffic noice is heard from the nearby road, especially with big vehicles used for the works on the road to Caracol. A place to be is the quite big hall (with WiFi), where on one side reception is located and where breakfast and dinner is served. The food was a highlight here, a mixture of Belizean and English specialities, mostly prepared by Neil himself, who cannot deny his background. So besides Garnaches or Fry Jack for breakfast or Bollos and Tamales on Banana Leaf as starters for dinner we also had Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Beef and Mashed Potatoes. My wife and me left this place with very fond memories.

We had a wonderful time staying at the pine ridge lodge! The location is perfect, located at the top of the mountains, so the weather was beautiful and breezier than in the jungle. The grounds are gorgeous, with lots of flowering plants and wildlife, and a beautiful creek big enough to bathe in located right outside the room that we stayed in! Neil is an extremely knowledgeable and helpful host, and recommended activities to do in the area, and also booked us a tour of the ATM cave with a fantastic guide. The meals are wonderful annd Neil accommodated dietary needs, and the staff, (especially Marcia!) is so lovely. We can’t wait to hopefully come back!

We felt so comfortable and lucky to have chosen Pine Ridge Lodge for our first visit to Belize. Neil, Jose and all the staff at were like family during our 5 day stay. Our cottage was perfect for my husband and I, plus our adult son and his partner. The food, cooked by Neil and the kitchen staff was delicious and daily activities arranged by Jose were personalized to our interests and included a mix of Mayan sites and nature explorations. We learned so much about the region, it's culture and history and felt at home in a very special place. Thank you!

Absolutly wonderful experience. We are in Belize for the first time and Neill and his team made us feel so welcome. We extended our stay from 4 to 5 nights because we enjoyed everything so much. Our cabin was delightful and . there is plenty to do in close proximity. Neill and his Team will love to help you if you need suggestions. And don‘t get me started on the food: breakfast is delicious as was every dinner we had there. Marcia does an amazing job (and THE best fried jacks) ! Thanks for having us, you made our trip start very special!

Wow, the Pine Ridge Lodge is a truly fabulous place, with wonderful folks who live and work there. My only regret is that we couldn't stay longer. Grounds are gorgeous, with a lovely stream flowing through it, and super adorable accommodations. We were a group of 16 (assortment of families, couples, and singles) and were very very comfortable. Kitchen is staffed with highly talented folks, and the attention to detail is awesome and yet not overbearing at all. Decent proximity to Xunatunich Mayan ruins, and Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave, two amAzing sites and experiences.

Pine Ridge Lodge is beautifully maintained and a fabulous stay. We had a creek outside our cabin and got to enjoy the sound of water, insects and birds. It’s like a slice of heaven. All of the employees are friendly and helpful. The food was excellent and I have high standards. They did a great job of accommodating, my spouses medical dietary needs. Food was delicious and beautifully presented. We had them book us tour guides, including birding. We were really pleased with the tours. Guides were very knowledgeable, and tailored the day to our interest and needs. I hope to have the opportunity to return again.