Crystal Paradise Resort

We were lucky enough to stay at Crystal Paradise with the Tut family. Words cannot express how hospitable and kind the family was towards us. Staying at Crystal Paradise Resort was like staying with family. The whole family was very welcoming and we ended up celebrating grandpa, the patriarch of the family's birthday with them. It was wonderful getting to eat delicious meals outside (covered, outdoor dining area), watching the variety of birds feast on fresh fruit on the patio (toucans, hummingbirds, you name it) and soaking in the sunrise and sunset. Hands down some of the best food we ate in Belize was here! Definitely be sure to add on the meals here! Carolita's cooking does not disappoint. I got injured on a tour (not through Crystal Paradise) and we didn't discover the extent of the injury until returning to Crystal Paradise. Alba came to our rescue! In quick fashion, she called up a local doctor, drove us to the hospital, assisted us throughout the whole process of going in for stitches, picking up antibiotics, and driving us back. So grateful for her! Also, shout out to Luz, who took us on a super fun, informative and enjoyable tour of Barton Creek Cave. Not only did we learn a ton but we got to enjoy a quick swim and a pit stop at a great local fruit/veg store and bakery on the way home. A perfect afternoon!

This was our second visit to the resort, and once again it felt like visiting family. We were met at the airport by Eric, our bird guide from last time. All packed up and rolling we stopped at a roadside restaurant to have lunch. Marvelous small place that set us up for the drive to San Ignacio and our home for a week. It’s round about 2 hours via a good road to the lodging. You can, if requested, make a stop at the Belize Zoo, but we can’t comment on that, because we’ve never stopped there. It’s an option though if you need to break up the drive. On arrival we were met by Alba, the very nice person that handles all the day to day reservations and details. She’s been our contact for both our stays at the resort. She’ll answer your emails and phone calls to handle all your questions about a stay. We were able to squeeze into the place in December even though it was super busy. The main thrust of our travel is to do birding in the area and to see a few of the abundant Mayan ruins in the area. Most are easily accessed from the lodge. This time we only visited Caracol, a rather large site that’s a bit farther away. We’d visited Caracol with a small group from the resort last time, so birding was the main objective. Great birds among the amazing remains of a major city. Be warned, the road is under construction; paving, new bridges, will make the drive much easier in coming years. The rest of our stay consisted of birding areas, some that were new to us, and some that we’d done before. All marvelous places. A couple of things that I should mention; the dining area is open and covered. All meals are served in this area. The food, prepared by Carolita and her staff is wonderful. Local cuisine that is prepared and served fresh daily. They’ll ask you on arrival if you have food requirements that need to be met, so it’s up to you to tell them. The menu varies from day to day and we had no repeats in the week of our visit. Coffee and tea are provided a bit earlier than the food to allow you to get a bit of caffeine in before your meal. They are marvelous, inventive cooks, and lovely people. The cabanas that we’ve stayed in are the ones facing the lawn. We’ve stayed in 3, 5, 6. All with two beds. A/C and fan were in all the rooms we inhabited. We never needed the A/C, but only the fan. In closing; if you want to stay at a reasonable, family owned and operated place, by people from Belize we’d recommend Crystal Paradise. It won’t be our last visit.

A family operation that is locally owned and operated by Beliezians. The food was all local dishes and very good. The service was excellent and all of them were polite and friendly. Our bird guide was excellent. Grounds were well kept. I would definitely return.