Belize, Central America
Belize, and the Rainforest Chan Chich Calls Home
Belize sits on the Caribbean coast of Central America, wedged between Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula to the north and Guatemala to the west and south, with Honduras just across the water to the southeast. It's a mainland country, not an island, though its reef and cayes make people forget that often enough. English-speaking and small enough to cross in a day's drive, Belize packs an outsized amount of adventure, above and below the waterline, into that modest footprint.
Chan Chich sits deep in the rainforest half, in the country's northwest, about as far from the coast as Belize gets.
A Rainforest Bigger Than the Border
The rainforest around Chan Chich isn't a pocket of green on its own. It's part of the Belize Maya Forest, the second-largest tropical rainforest left in the Americas after the Amazon. It spans roughly 14 million hectares across Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico.
In 2021, a coalition of conservation groups, with Gallon Jug Estate among the partner organizations, secured roughly 236,000 acres of that rainforest across the Cayo and Orange Walk districts, one of the largest privately protected land purchases in Belize's history. That land is now managed by the Belize Maya Forest Trust, which runs the daily work of keeping it intact: ranger patrols, fire prevention, and wildlife monitoring.
Chan Chich's own 30,000-acre private reserve is a working piece of that same corridor. It's part of why a healthy, breeding jaguar population still moves through this part of Belize, and why guarding this rainforest matters well beyond Chan Chich's own gate.
Curious what that protection actually looks like day to day?
Read more on our Jaguars page, or see what's been recorded across the reserve on our Wildlife page.
Two Coasts, One Small Country
Belize packs two entirely different ecosystems into a country you can drive across in a few hours. A reef along its coast and a rainforest inland, and most visitors only ever see one of them.
The Reef
Running the length of Belize's coast is the Belize Barrier Reef, stretching 180 miles. It is the second largest barrier reef in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Hundreds of cayes are scattered along its length, and it's what most people picture when they first think of Belize: turquoise water, sailing, and diving down into the Great Blue Hole.
The Rainforest
Want to head inland instead? The coastline gives way to the rainforest within an hour or two of driving. That's the Belize most visitors never see. The broadleaf canopy, Maya ruins and a private reserve like Chan Chich. Both halves of the country are protected for the same reason. They're rare, and they're worth keeping intact.
A trip to Belize doesn't mean you have to choose one or the other. Plenty of guests split their stay between the reef and the rainforest. Sand in the morning and jungle canopy by afternoon.
FLYING TO BELIZEPhilip S.W. Goldson International Airport
Most visitors arrive through Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE), just outside Belize City, with direct flights from a growing list of North American cities.
From the United States
American Airlines, from Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Charlotte
United Airlines, from Houston, Newark, and Denver
Delta, from Atlanta
Southwest, from Houston and Denver
Alaska Airlines, from Los Angeles and Seattle
Bermuda Air, from Fort Lauderdale
From Canada & Latin America
Air Canada, from Toronto year-round, with seasonal Montreal service
WestJet, from Toronto and Calgary
Copa Airlines, from Panama City, with onward connections across Latin America
TAG Airlines, from Guatemala City
A JOURNEY TO THE RAINFORESTGetting to Chan Chich
Once you've landed in Belize, three ways get you the rest of the way to the lodge, depending on how you'd like to arrive.
Full pricing, weight limits, and turn-by-turn routes are all on our Getting Here page.
Charter Flight
Fly from Belize International Airport straight to our private Gallon Jug airstrip, then a 15-minute drive to the lodge.
Lodge Road Transfer
A scenic drive in a lodge-provided vehicle, direct from the airport, no rental car or navigating required.
Self-Drive Rental
Keep a car for exploring more of Belize before or after your stay. Your reservation confirmation serves as your entry permit onto the private road in.
Ready to See It for Yourself?
Chan Chich is the way into this rainforest, not a separate destination from it.