Cristo Rey Village
Seeking the safest place to stay in Belize? Our lodge prioritizes your safety and security, making us the ideal choice for your Belizean adventure. Situated directly on the Macal River, Cristo Rey Village is nestled in a lush jungle between San Ignacio and the Mountain Pine Ridge area of the Cayo District. Cristo Rey Village was settled by the Mayan and much of that cultural influence still exists. Furthermore, Cristo Rey village boasts a population of approximately 700 mostly ‘Mestizo’ (Mexican + Mayan heritage) residents. While English is the official language, the villagers grow up speaking Spanish, and start learning English in school about the age of 4 years old. And you may also hear Kriol and Mayan spoken in the village.
Our village is a beautiful place to live, mostly because of all the wonderful Belizeans that welcomed us with open arms! On any given day you’ll see kids going door-to-door selling homemade goodies, or veggies from their gardens. The tortilla man delivers fresh tortillas twice a day (Sun-Fri) – for @ $1 U.S. a pound! There is a small convenience grocery store directly across the road from us. There you’ll find just about everything you need for simple meals.
Just a short walk down the road are “Carms” & “Sandals” two local restaurants that serve made to order local-style meals. A short walk up the road is a place to go horseback riding! About a mile down the road is a local spot called “The Showers” – a waterfall area, that very few tourists know about. And it’s free!
Off-the-Beaten-Path Adventures/Activities
Look no further than our lodge, for the safest place in Belize, where we provide a secure and tranquil environment for all our guests.
We are a jumping off point for all the local adventures including Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, ATM cave, Cave Tubing, Ziplining, Tikal, Caracol, etc….. San Ignacio is a quick 10 minute drive.
Here are some additional adventures/activities nearby:
Getting Around Cristo Rey
For Local Transport between us and San Ignacio (and San Antonio)
The local bus and shuttle services stop right in front of our property from 7am to about 5pm daily, Mon-Saturday. (There is no public transportation available on Sunday, other than taxi service) The bus & shuttle cost @ $1 U.S. each way, per person. The ride takes 10-15 minutes. There really is no set schedule for the bus or shuttle service.
If you don’t want to wait on the shuttle or bus, there are taxis available. The price for one way to or from San Ignacio should be @ $25-$35 BZ each way based on time of day. Always confirm price before getting into the Taxi, and that it is quoted in Belize dollars.
We recommend:
Cesar Gonzalez (WhatsApp +501-671-4054)
Note: You can catch just about any Taxi in San Ignacio and they will all tell you they know exactly where we are…… 99% don’t know.
Longer Distance Transportation Options
We recommend two different ground transportation companies for longer distances within Belize (and to/from Belize City, Hopkins, Placencia, Orange Walk or even Chetumal or Tikal/Flores):
Belize Taxis – which can be booked through belizetaxis@gmail.com or via WhatsApp
Current Rates as of 7/2024 are $130-$150 U.S. for 2-3 people one way. Prices are subject to change due to wild fluctuations in fuel prices here.
Guest Access
Guests have access to the 1.6 acre property, which includes a genuine Mayan mound (yes, you WILL find Mayan pottery, guaranteed!) but you have to leave it behind.
Other features include a shared outdoor dining area/kitchen with a full-size frig and charcoal grill. There is also a double sink and 6-burner gas stove and oven – and lots of countertop space.
We also have a guest laundry facility where guests can do laundry for no additional charge. Please let us know if you want to do laundry so we can turn on the butane and electricity.
We grow fruits, herbs and vegetables. You are welcome to anything ready to harvest! See the list of our Edible Landscape for the over 50 varieties planted on our property. [And we haven’t listed them all!]
There is a 2-person kayak available at no extra charge, as well as two inner tubes for use on the Macal River – which is in our backyard! We recommend guests that want to take out the kayak, paddle up river only in the morning and then casually float back to our property.
Pick-up service for the kayak is not available. There are places to stop upriver where you can safely dock our kayak. There are no secure places downriver to dock (other than the Belize Raptor Center). San Ignacio is down river and therefore it is not feasible to kayak to San Ignacio.
There are dams on the river, so in the afternoon the river rises and flows quicker – that’s why we recommend kayaking only in the morning.
Please note that the bicycles are available to use within our village. They are ‘used’ bikes and would not fare well on the roads outside of our village.
Other Details to Note
We are fully licensed and Gold Standard Certified by the Belize Tourism Board. (License #2078). There are a LOT accommodations in Belize that are not licensed (a few in our village) – so please ask them before booking, if the listing doesn’t mention their BTB license#.
We do not charge a Housekeeping/Cleaning Fee!
Please note that we are required to collect 9% sales tax. This tax is automatically included when you book your stay.
We do not charge any automatic gratuities.
We are a member of ‘Pack for a Purpose’ – we collect donated supplies for two local organizations – Cayo Animal Welfare Society and the Cristo Rey R.C. Village School.
Cristo Rey Village is in the jungle region of Belize. While this provides incredible beauty and natural wonders, it also means that heat, humidity, sudden tropical squalls, power outages and water outages are not uncommon (However, we do have a back-up generator, and back-up water supply & pump).
We have free high speed wi-fi service on the property and in the bungalow. It is fast (35mbps) and reliable! However, if the power to the village goes out, we do lose internet service, but that doesn’t happen often.
We strive for a calm, serene & relaxing environment; and most of the time it is just that. However, the local birds are very active as daylight breaks, and the Howler Monkeys can be a bit startling at night. We are also in the middle of a small, but active village. Sometimes the neighboring roosters, dogs, church music, road traffic, etc. can be heard. For those guests who are extremely noise sensitive please keep these things in mind.
Remember, if you’re looking for the Safest Place in Belize for your next vacation, Cristo Rey Village should be on your short list!
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