Cotton Tree Lodge
Cotton Tree Lodge is a jungle lodge in the Toledo District of Belize. The lodge was built in 2006 and opened January 2007. The property is situated 12 miles (19 km) west of the nearest major town, Punta Gorda, between the two Maya villages of Santa Ana and San Felipe, and on the banks of the Moho River.
The lodge is all-inclusive and offers fresh local cuisine, daily tours, and on-the-grounds activities. Tours include Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit, the Garifuna village of Barranco, swimming in Blue Creek Cave, waterfalls, cacao (chocolate) making workshops, tortilla-making workshops, and more. Kayaking, horseback riding, swimming, medicinal plant walks, birding, and mountain biking are available on the grounds. Accommodations include eleven guest cabanas with private bathrooms.
The focus is on ecotourism and the lodge has implemented sustainability efforts throughout the property. Cotton Tree Lodge is off-the-grid and uses solar panels for most of its energy needs. Toilets are composting and waste flows into a self-contained tank which is drained by banana trees. Sustainable Harvest International, a non-profit focuses on sustainable agriculture,[1] and Cotton Tree Lodge have partnered to establish and organic demonstration garden at the lodge.
Gallery
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The Main Lodge
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Boardwalk to the Jungle House
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Excursion to Tiger Cave
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Sunset Over Santa Ana
References
- Kulander, Charles (January 2010), "Sleeping Arrangements: Back to Nature, In Style", National Geographic Traveler
- Swerdloff, Alex (12 May 2009), "Four Hotels with an Edge on "Voluntourism"", Oprah Magazine
- Tsui, Bonnie (15 April 2007), "Local Culture as Part of the Green Experience", New York Times
- Volz, Joe, "Eco" is the Way to Go, retrieved 2008-09-19
- Goodwin, Jane (30 March 2007), How to Be Environmentally Green in Belize While Having the Time of Your Life, retrieved 2008-09-19
- Vitti, Melissa (16 April 2007), How to Be Environmentally Green in Belize While Having the Time of Your Life, retrieved 2008-09-19