Tucked into the lush, wild rainforest of the 12,000-acre Laughing Falcon Nature Preserve, where howling monkeys and breezes lift off the Rio Grande River below, is a place where pampering is uncompromised.
At Machaca Hill, an all-inclusive property that opened last year in English-speaking Belize, organic snacks are served in the spa, the wine list is top notch and guides are at guests’ disposal. There are no packed beaches, late-night discos or carb-heavy buffets; rather, the flat nightly rate includes private cabins (with airy screened-in porches overlooking the rainforest), escorted excursions and healthful meals that draw from an organic farm on the property. The onsite spa and yoga classes assure that you’ll find deep relaxation.
Machaca Hill pampers the environs as well as its guests. Several production initiatives are underway, including cacao growing and chocolate manufacturing, gourmet coffee growing and roasting, and artisan cheese making. Fast-growing teak trees on the property are used to build furnishings in the lodge’s dining areas, cabins and main building. And any of the garden’s bounteous coffee, fruit, rice, vegetables and herbs not allocated to guests is donated to the community.
Guests are invited to join in the farm’s agricultural pursuits or venture on off-property adventures with trusted guides. In addition to rainforest excursions (especially exciting by night), snorkeling and fishing, there are 30 tiny Mayan villages in the region to explore. Punta Gorda (pop. 6,000), five miles to the south, is the capital of the Toledo District and fans out to the villages of San Antonio, Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Blue Creek, 20 miles north- and southwest. The villages are dotted with thatched huts of only one or two rooms, and villagers eat traditional meals of tortillas, rice and beans. Women walking along the unpaved road carry baskets of food and wear brightly colored, handmade dresses.
At a farmers market on Front Street in Punta Gorda, I watched fish mongers slice their fresh catch, chatted with a local Amish farmer about his gigantic vegetables, and shopped at the Fajina Craft Center, where locals sell handcrafted items, from baskets to clothing to raw chocolate.
Afterward we dropped by a cacao farm called The Organic Chocolate Master and received a chocolate-making demo—and some delicious hands-on immersion. Shots of chocolate wine were a new treat to discover—it’s got the intensity and heat of sherry, with only hints of chocolate.
Another day we brought a picnic lunch on a boat ride to the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, which is easily accessible via the Rio Grande River behind the lodge, and relaxed on an island in the reserve’s Snake Cayes. We also drove to Rio Blanco National Park, 30 miles west of Punta Gorda, where travelers enjoy easy hiking or a more adventurous challenge—jumping off cliffs into sparkling lagoons below.
On our way back we stopped along the roadside to purchase baskets woven by local women. As our car slowed a handful of women ran down a sloping hillside, their dresses a rainbow of color. The delight in one woman’s eyes as she handed me one of her beautiful creations and gently took the $20-dollar bill from my hands was priceless. I was glad my payment would help her family, and equally delighted to be the proud owner of an authentic, beautiful souvenir.
—Kristine Hansen
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