Pine Ridge Lodge

What a gorgeous little place! Pine Ridge Lodge is an eco-lodge set on generous grounds which are beautifully landscaped. The amenities are good, including hot water for showers. Breakfast is cooked fresh every morning and you can also get lunch and dinner - vegetarian available too. Best of all is the staff. Benoni, the manager, is such a kind and helpful guy, and gave us some very interesting insights into the local culture and wildlife. The chef and kitchen/bar staff are great too. The place is kept spotlessly clean by the housekeeping staff, and they make up the rooms every day with fresh towels etc. Highly recommended to anyone who is visiting the area.

Clean and quiet. Very welcoming. It was nice that breakfast was included.

Pine Ridge Lodge is a magical jungle retreat that created unforgettable memories for our family of four. The setting is serene and beautiful, with a small number of friendly animals that added to the charm without being overwhelming. Penomi, the front host, was always warm and welcoming, offering us thoughtful recommendations that made our stay even more enjoyable. The service throughout our stay was five star, personal, attentive, and full of heart. We ended up eating most of our dinners at the lodge because Oscar’s cooking was simply outstanding, creative, flavorful, and made with love. Every meal felt like a celebration of Belizean flavors in a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Our cabin was comfortable, clean, and tucked into the jungle, allowing us to feel connected with nature while still enjoying modern comfort. This place is truly special and we’re already dreaming about coming back.

A truly wonderful property. The staff is outstanding, the food is delicious and the entire property is beautiful.

I had an extended stay of 13 days at Pine Ridge Lodge. This allowed me to experience and evaluate details of the hospitality and facilities. The bottom line: Each staff member from the crew maintaining the beautiful grounds, the housekeepers, cooks (Oscar and Marcia!), wait staff and the site manager Benoni created a home away from home for me. The staff also hosted a dinner with drinks for the project participants I worked with during my stay at Mountain Pine Ridge. I travel across the world for my work and no amount of superficial flourishes such as one will find at the nearby high end lodges can compare to the exquisite professionalism and kindness of this staff. I was able to go on a few tours there as well. The experience was amazing. The WiFi is strong enough in the dining/common area for zoom calls. More importantly, the rooms were WiFi free allowing guests to experience the natural surroundings including the creek. Often Belizean lodge owners try to “improve” resorts by adding amenities like swimming pools and in room internet. Doing this diminishes the comfortable rustic nature of the location for us who wish to avoid the contrived and overpriced experiences available at nearby lodging. There is a sustainable market for rustic but comfortable lodging in stunning natural beauty complimented by staff who are caring people. One note for improvement-purchase a safe and reliable vehicle to transport visitors. Remember that visitors feel safer with seatbelts.

The lodge provided some of the very best food we had in our 3 weeks in Belize. Oscar & Marcia, the cooks provided very inspired local, fresh food and catered to our tastes twice daily. The cabins (a bit of the rustic side) on the property are well spaced out and the landscaping is mature with all sorts of interesting trees and plants. We were lucky enough to see the Belize national orchid in bloom on the property. A real bonus is the lack of light pollution. It could well be billed as a dark sky lodge. We had spectacular views of planets and stars at night. It was something we had not expected and but they should promote!

This is a quiet and friendly place to stay. The staff make you feel at home and make a lot of effort to make your feel welcome. The best part is that it is unique. You do not feel like you have checked into a resort bubble. It has beautiful nature and the stars at night are fantastic. There is not wifi in the rooms, but this is part of what makes this place a great getaway. I hope they do not change it too much to look like any other resort in Belize. The nature and staff make this a great get-away!

Great location, excellent staff, cabins were comfortable.

We arrived in Belize a night earlier than expected and booked a one night stay. Every stay we had in Belize was lovely, but we still talk about the hospitality at Pine Ridge. Our dinner and breakfast were delicious. The lodge grounds were beautiful. We highly recommend a stay here!

Pine ridge lodge was a great place to stay for a few days in mountain pine ridge. The grounds are full of native plants and even chickens, turkeys, and 2 friendly dogs. The hosts are very friendly and eager to offer recommendations for local sights. Do yourself a favor and eat on site. The chef, Marcia, is very talented. I would definitely stay here again for my next visit to the area.

The place has a unique and quirky charm. While there was no internet or tv in the bedroom, that wasn’t an issue for us. However, we found it frustrating that the staff constantly pressed us to decide on our breakfast and dinner choices. Upon check-in, we were informed that breakfast would cost $10 USD per person, and a chicken-and-rice dinner was priced at $25 USD per person. Due to these prices, we opted to dine in San Antonio, where the food was delicious and more affordable. On the morning of our departure, we planned to have breakfast at the hotel since we were leaving early. When I checked on Expedia, I noticed that breakfast was supposed to be included in our stay, which was surprising. Additionally, during check-out, we couldn’t pay by card because the hotel didn’t have the necessary equipment. They suggested using Zelle or transferring between Bank of America accounts, but the process never worked despite trying for 30 minutes. This was extremely frustrating, especially since they don’t support card payments directly. It raises the question of why they don’t allow payments through Expedia instead.

Simply put, our experience at Pine Ridge Lodge was something special. From the moment of our arrival, we were made to feel like exclusive guests at this family-operated lodge. Our family of three stayed in VIP1, a beautifully decorated jungle bungalow complete with hammock, screened-in porch, a large and luxurious bathroom, and a loft—accessible by stairs—with plenty of space to spread out and feel immersed in the natural landscape — sights and sounds included. The property itself is one of only a handful that rests within the Pine Ridge Reserve. Nested atop the mountain ridge, the weather is noticeably cooler, a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of the mainland or Cayes. Well manicured gardens, a natural steam, and all the wildlife that comes with the property felt like ours to enjoy. Throughout our stay, the staff ensured that every need was met — from fresh water at night to recommendations for our 4 day itinerary. We were us with the best tour operators in the area (we were part of intimate tours of ATM Cave, Caracol and Tikal archeological reserves, and enjoyed nearby “freebies” such as Big Rock Falls and Rio Frío river), The home cooked “traditional Belizean” meals we ate at the lodge itself were the best of our 10 day stay in the country. Within the newly renovated screened in porch, one feels as though they are joining for family dinner. We enjoyed traditional Mayan breakfasts as well as Stew Chicken with Rice and Beans served family style — all made

Impeccably clean, wonderfully decorated and excellent food. Neil and his family run a wonderful lodge and we were lucky with have crossed path with them. Thank you Neil for making our stay in pine ridge memorable.

Pine Ridge Lodge is a special place. Just go ahead and check out the reviews. They are not lying. Neil, Marcia, and the staff at Pine Ridge will do anything that they can to accommodate you and make your stay enjoyable. The resort is definitely rustic and out in the wilderness, but it is impeccably clean, wonderfully decorated and appointed with whatever you need. There are personal touches (Neil would send us on excursions with a jug of water and plastic cups, as one example) and they really do try to make sure your stay is above and beyond expectations! Neil helped us schedule tours to Caracol and also to the ATM cave. As other reviews have mentioned, the staff always asked what you wanted to eat the next day and prepared delicious food, dessert, and breakfast. My 3 teenage kids also had an amazing experience.... interacting with Neil's family to Neil showing us some amazing animals on his property (chickens, guinea hens, turkeys, and also some Belizean wildlife). There is WiFi in the main lodge building but not in the cabins, so it's a good balance for screen time, if your teens are like mine! Staying at Pine Ridge is the real deal....real Belize, real hospitality, and a really nice experience. Highly recommended.

The property is stunning and in the middle of amazing nature (short hike to a waterfall, short drive to the best swimming hole we’ve ever experienced). Great location, easy central access to all the amazing pine ridge forest experiences, Caracol, ATM, Xunantunich, San Ignacio, etc. Immaculately clean, spacious, and comfortable rooms dripping with art (the use of daily incense kept all bugs completely out of our rooms as well). Jose (property manager) had quick and timely communication with any questions beforehand and during all of our excursions which he personally made happen (so much better than a large tour group imo). Neil (owner/chef) made absolutely amazing food. He asked us the morning/night before what we wanted ready for us making it incredibly easy as well. Finally, truly wonderful people. It’s a small operation which I prefer, but in no way did that sacrifice any aspect of quality during our stay (and for us, enhanced it). Thank you so much, true highlight of our trip! Cheers until next time.

Could not recommend this place ENOUGH! Absolutely loved Pine Ridge for our stay in the Cayo district. The location was perfect for exploring Big Rock Falls, Rio on Pools, ATM cave etc, but outside of those things, Jose and Neil were just the best. Jose made sure we felt welcome and had everything we needed / planned. We had most of our meals at the lodge due to convenience and I wouldn't have had it any other way - Neil is a phenomenal cook and always asked what our preferences were and customized the meals to our liking. I looked forward to every meal because I knew it was going to be great! This place was perfect for a quiet, relaxing stay!

We stayed at this hotel for 1 night. Everything was perfect from the second we arrived. Jose greeted us at our car and was there for us if we needed anything at all. They cooked us a lovely dinner and sent us with a packed lunch and snacks the next day seeing we had to leave early. He also had coffee and a fruit plate ready for us before we left for Caracol. We booked the room by the river and it was clean and beautiful. I would highly recommend this hotel if you are in the area. Can't wait to go back.

Quiet, relaxing stay. The property is so beautiful and relaxing- but be forewarned that you’re really “out there” so there’s no quick run to a drug store, so bring anything with you that you think you might need. The lodges were airy and comfortable. Neil is so hospitable and a great cook. Jose is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide. We couldn’t have asked for more and will stay longer next time!

Loved the food, guests and ambiance! Wonderfully quiet and refreshing! Thanks, Neal!!

I had a wonderful time at Pine Ridge Lodge. The staff, particularly Jose, are extremely helpful. It feels like family when you're there. I wish I'd booked for more than two nights! Best place I stayed during my whole 2 week trip.