Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge in Belize: All You Need to Know to Book a Stay
- Updated: 04/03/2024
- Janice
On a trip to Belize, my family and I stayed at a jungle lodge outside San Ignacio, a town near the western border with Guatemala that travelers use as a base to visit Mayan ruins, explore the jungle, and go on cave adventures.
Located about an hour and 45-minute drive from the Philip S.W. Goldson International airport, I show where to find San Ignacio and how to get there in the companion article, “How to Best Spend Your Time in Belize: 36 Things to Do Near San Ignacio.”
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We had four nights and three full days to spend in the area on our week-long Belize trip. After researching several jungle resorts and hotels, I booked our stay at Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge on the banks of the Macal River and a 30-minute drive from town.
Find a ranked list of the ten jungle lodges I considered staying in around the San Ignacio area in “7 Belize Jungle Lodges You Will Love to Stay.”
The natural riverside location appealed to me, as did Macaw Bank’s prices— more affordable than other nearby resorts—along with its high ratings and reviews praising the caring lodge managers.
I recap our experience at Macaw Bank, which ended up being one of the top five places we have ever stayed below. However, as this lodge and its remote location are not for everyone, I provide a list of what we loved about it and a summary of the pros and cons below.
All opinions in this article are my own. Macaw Bank did not pay me for this post, or my resort stay.
Where Is Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge?
Find Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge along the southern bank of the Macal River, about 10 miles outside San Ignacio. You can reach the lodge via the Western Highway, known locally as the Mountain Pine Ridge Road, turning off around 7.5 miles onto Mystic River Road, a one-lane dirt route. I show where to find it, in this quick Google Earth clip below.
Once on this last leg of the journey, expect a complimentary car chair massage as you make your way along a bumpy 10-minute low-speed drive, passing Mystic River Resort on your right a mile in, before arriving at Macaw Bank.
If you plan to drive yourself—Macaw Bank recommends renting a 4×4 vehicle. As road crews grade this route only once every few years, you will find parts of this road tough going. Otherwise, Macaw Bank can arrange a transfer for you.
Macaw Bank: First Impressions
The main thought I had on the last mile of the two-mile dirt road that led to Macaw Bank the night we arrived was—I made a mistake.
It was our first visit to Belize. Our flight from Chicago was late getting in. Then, it took two hours in a snaking line to go through airport immigration before meeting up with our driver, Derek, hired by Macaw Bank to pick us up to transfer us to the lodge. We were travel-tired, night had fallen, and the very last leg of the road was rough.
To further complicate things, heavy rains the week prior had washed out a particularly choppy section of the road at the bottom of a steep downhill that Derek was slowly and carefully negotiating in his 4×4.
As Derek picked his path, inching us slowly forward to the lodge, and with nothing but dark jungle in front or behind us, I considered how far we were from town, cell connectivity, and another choice. Then we arrived.
With nothing but dark jungle in front or behind us, I considered how far we were from town, cell connectivity, and another choice.
Leticia—one-half of the Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge management duo—warmly came to meet us with flashlights. She led us down a manicured gravel path edged by tropical foliage to the family cabana we booked online months ago as the night jungle noises pressed in.
And it was from that moment on, once we were in the expert and capable care of Letty and her husband, Raul—the lodge chef, bird guide, and grounds caretaker, who have both spent a lifetime in the tourism and hospitality industry, that any doubts I had about making the right lodging choice vanished.
5 Things We Loved About Macaw Bank
After only a short time at Macaw Bank, it was easy to recognize that Letty and Raul have poured their heart and soul into the lodge and its grounds, making it a home and haven for themselves, their two teenage boys who work and attend schools in nearby San Ignacio, and for their guests.
Here are the top five things we loved most:
1. The grounds and the trail system Raul upkeeps are beautiful, especially the trail that leads to the river and then loops back around to connect to the garden—more of a giant tropical park filled with fruit trees and plants yielding fruits and vegetables for lodge guests—and the impressive ceiba tree, otherwise hidden from view.
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2. The peaceful quiet staying so far away from the bustle of town. At Macaw Bank, nature, and wildlife—particularly bird species that feed and congregate along the river—will surround you.
3. The rustic cabanas are meticulously clean and free of critters which must be a near herculean task in the jungle.
4. The food is excellent. Among many talents, Raul is an incredible chef. He made our breakfast, dinners, and desserts each day. We loved every meal—especially the Belizean ones.
5. The welcome—we felt incredibly and authentically welcome by Letty and Raul, as well as their two sons. Letty was our all-in-one resource—activity director, caregiver, tour guide, fruit and vegetable educator, and new friend.
Letty was our all-in-one resource—activity director, caregiver, tour guide, fruit and vegetable educator, and new friend.
On our first full day at the lodge, Letty drove us around, accompanying us ziplining—feeding us slices of tangerine picked from the lodge garden—joining us for a tour of a butterfly farm, and hiking down with us to a waterfall.
When my 12-year-old fell asleep in the truck before the waterfall hike and groggily announced she did not want to go, Letty expertly took her under her wing, hiking along with her, talking with her, and fueling her with more tangerine slices. We were all grateful.
It’s no surprise that we later learned other guides in town refer to her as “Mamma Letty,” a nickname likely earned for the loving care she showers on all. I am not sure we could have felt more welcome during our stay than we did.
Pros & Cons of a Stay at Macaw Bank
Straight talk about a stay at Macaw Bank—as mentioned above, booking a room here may not appeal to all travelers.
I share my recommendations here for who should book a stay at Macaw Bank.
My husband and I are former backpackers who took a year off to travel around the world before having kids. We have both been to over 50 countries.
Over the years and as our travel budgets shrank and then expanded, we have stayed at rock-bottom budget places whose best feature was yielding massively sized bug horror stories. And we have also enjoyed the comfort and service of five-star luxury. These experiences give us a unique and knowledgeable perspective on what makes lodging and the people who run it exceptional.
Our travel background gives us a unique and knowledgeable perspective on what makes lodging and the people who run it exceptional.
I summarize our Macaw Bank pros and cons below to help you make the best booking decision for your group.
Size of the Resort
PRO: Like most jungle resorts in Belize, Macaw Bank is small and intimate. It offers only six cabanas spread out on its property that accommodate two to four guests each. This intimacy and small size mean you will have personalized service and privacy.
CON: Macaw Bank is smaller than most. You could be the only group of guests staying at the lodge during your visit—though this may be a pro for some. Also, due to its small size, it has limited amenities, such as no swimming pool.
Jungle Location
PRO: For guests, and especially birders, who want a nature and jungle experience, you will be in a little slice of heaven. Macaw Bank sits on a large, manicured property, surrounded by jungle, and offers several well-maintained trails, including one leading to the river, and has lots of wildlife.
Additionally, its location allows you to do several on-site activities such as day or guided night walks, bird watching, canoeing—if the river level is not high, or a booked horseback ride. It also offers closer access to San Antonio village and the Mountain Pine Ridge areas. If you prefer to do activities off-site and do not have a vehicle—we did not—Letty and Raul will provide your transport or arrange it for you.
CON: You are a 30-minute drive from the town of San Ignacio, which you may want to visit for its market, ruins, iguana reserve, or to meet up with a tour group. Traversing the two-mile dirt road to and from the lodge takes 10 minutes of this drive time. If you plan to get around yourself, you will likely want to pay extra to rent a 4×4 vehicle.
And for travelers who prefer to have lots of choices when it comes to dining, given the drive time to get to other locations, you will need to rely on Macaw Bank for most of your meals—though, given Raul’s excellent cooking this is hardly a con.
Limited Wi-Fi
PRO: Go to Macaw Bank to unplug. The cabanas have no Wi-Fi, and the Wi-Fi signal in the dining lodge coming from the extender at Letty and Raul’s home up the path is weak. You will barely be able to check your phone if you want to. Give your family and friends the lodge phone number and then kick back, relax, and immerse yourself in your surroundings as you take an old-school break from the constant connectivity.
Another bonus—if you bring your kids or teens, they will eventually run out of downloaded content and talk to each other and you, which is what serendipitously happened for us.
Kick back, relax, and immerse yourself in your surroundings as you take an old-school break from the constant connectivity.
CON: There is no or limited Wi-Fi and cell signal. Letty explained that since the lodge sits in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, the signal it receives—especially since 2020 when so many people began working from home—is particularly weak. If you plan to get work done, need to stay connected for emergency reasons, or know you or your family will have a tough time unplugging, you will want to consider this before booking.
Rustic Lodging
PRO: You are in the jungle. And the cabanas at Macaw Bank perfectly reflect their surroundings with thatch roofs and a mix of stone and wood design. Expect a meticulously clean rustic wood interior that provides all the comforts you need as you settle in each evening to fall asleep to a real-life jungle night noise soundtrack.
CON: The aesthetic at Macaw Bank is rustic jungle comfort—think upscale glamping or camp lodge—not luxury. If you prioritize luxe amenities, you may prefer elsewhere. For a better sense of the rooms, check out my overview of our cabana below.
Off-The-Grid Energy & Locally Grown Food
PRO: During your stay at Macaw Bank, most of your electricity will come from solar power, and much of your food will be grown on-site. If you like to travel sustainably, a stay here will check all your boxes.
Additionally, you will eat fruits and vegetables—abiu and chaya for us—you have never heard of and will dine on Belizean specialties prepared by Raul. And when Letty asks if you would like a juice that she can blend from different fruits grown on-site, say yes, these are delicious!
CON: When the solar power runs out for the day, the power shuts off, and Raul switches on the generator. The generator will provide power through the evening hours until Raul turns it off overnight, switching it back on around 5 AM. If you need to get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, have your phone powered up to use its light, or bring flashlights or headlamps as we did.
A Closer Look at the Cabanas
I have kicked myself for forgetting to take pictures and video of the inside of our Cotton Tree Cabana—the unit we booked for our stay. I likely forgot because we arrived at night.
However, I took great footage of other beautiful areas inside and outside the cabana to create this video. And I borrowed interior room photos from Macaw Bank website, which I share below.
It may be difficult to tell from the footage, but this cabana is one room when not counting the screened-in porch. I usually prefer more space, though if you choose to travel during the Christmas or New Year holiday high season as we did, there will be limited options for more spacious layouts at the local lodges without spending a small fortune.
As I am not a fan of spending small fortunes, I was happy to have bunk beds for the kids, with a double bed for us in one room to keep things affordable.
Credit: Interior room photos courtesy of Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge.
Plus, since we did not end up spending much time in the main room, as we went on day trips or chose to explore the lodge grounds, or opted to hang out in the screened-in porch, it turned out we had more space to spread out than we thought.
Also, and I could not have anticipated this, I think everyone—even our older kids—appreciated being altogether as we heard the nightly concert of completely foreign jungle noises.
What to Expect With the Cotton Tree Cabana:
- One main sleeping room of medium size designed to accommodate a group of up to four people, with one double bed and a bunk bed.
- A screened-in porch with a sitting area, hammock, and kerosene lantern.
- An attached bathroom with an outdoor shower with hot water—while you soap yourself off, look up to see sky and trees above.
- Daily housekeeping
- Limited storage space—one bookshelf, one side table, a desk, and wall hooks—to stow away personal items or bags. For four people, you will likely need to live out of your bag during your stay.
- One main room wall outlet—bring a multi-port charger like this one to charge up multiple devices at the same time (US travelers do not not need a power converter when traveling to Belize).
- A great location on the primary property closest to the office and dining lodge.
Other Cabana Options
Macaw Bank offers five other stand-alone cabanas that accommodate anywhere from two to four guests. If you need to book multiple units for a larger group, know that several cabanas are not close to each other.
This distance offers excellent privacy but may make it more challenging for larger groups. Be sure to contact Macaw Bank to see how they can meet your group’s needs.
Know that two of the cabanas are on the other side of the dirt road, down a jungle path. The Cotton Tree Cabana we stayed in is on the primary property close to the office and dining lodge.
Another cabana—the smaller Toucan Cabana is ideal for couples and has a lovely location slightly closer to the river and on the main property.
Who Should Stay at Macaw Bank
Guests who have a sense of adventure, who want to embrace nature—particularly the birders, and those who hope to unplug. If you and your group are the kinds of travelers who prefer authentic experience over five-star treatment, this is your place.
Additionally, you are likely the kind of person who sees this homemade replacement flush Raul installed on our cabana toilet as an interim fix while he searches all of Belize for the correct part and thinks, “Wow, what a clever solution in a resource-limited environment.” Instead of “Where is the handle? I am out of here.”
Though if you are the type of traveler who craves the activity of a more urban environment or has your heart set on living a few days in the lap of jungle luxury, you may need to take a pass and leave a cabana open for the rest of us.
Macaw Bank Quick Facts
- Address: Mile 2 Macaw Bank Road (Mystic River Road), P.O. Box 248, San Ignacio, Cayo, Belize
- Mobile Phone #: 011 501-660-2228
- Email: macalbank@yahoo.com
- How to get there: refer to these directions
- When to go: Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge is open year-round, though it is best to visit during Belize’s dry season from December through May
- Number of units: Macaw Bank has six stand-alone cabana units that can accommodate anywhere from two to four guests each
- Good for families? Yes, Macaw Bank is an excellent resort for families, especially given the service and personal attention Letty and Raul provide. However, due to its small size, it does not have amenities larger resorts have, such as a swimming pool.
- Dining options: Macaw Bank offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner service, charging a flat rate per person per meal and half-price for children under 10. Learn more here. Additionally, help yourself to the self-serve honor fridge in the bar area for sodas and beer, and complimentary fruit snacks.
- Activities: Macaw Bank offers several on-site activities, such as early morning bird walks or nighttime jungle walks led by Raoul, nature and medicinal trails, and river activities, such as fishing, canoeing, or tubing—depending on water levels. Learn more here. Or check out my list of 36 things you can do in and around the San Ignacio area here, including our top picks.
Where to Book
Go to the Macaw Bank Jungle Lodge website to book a stay or direct your inquiries. They do not accept reservations from hotel booking portals such as Booking.com or Expedia.
Related Reading
If you are traveling to Belize, check out these related articles to help you get the information you need to plan your best visit.
Or view my “Belize: The Best Books to Read Before a Trip” below to get a Belize reading list.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. Check out her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s.
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Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, an experienced traveler to over 50 countries and a travel writer, book lover, and blogger. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me.
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