Black Rock FAQs

Belize is located in the heart of Central America, bordered by Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula (think Cancun, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen!) to the North, Guatemala to the West and South and the Caribbean Sea to the East. Belize is located in Central America, which is also part of North America. Formerly known as British Honduras.

Due to the fact that Belize was once a British colony, it is English speaking. Spanish is also spoken throughout Belize.

Visitors to Belize are required to be in possession of valid passports and return/onward tickets upon arrival. Belizean officials will provide a 30 day entry stamp to visitors, who meet these requirements. Visas are not required for citizens of the U.S., European Union, Commonwealth or Caricom Nations, Mexico, Austria and Costa Rica. Visas are required for all other nationalities and can be obtained from any Belizean Embassy, consulate or British Embassy. For further information on visa entry requirements please visit the Belize Tourism Board website by clicking the following link: Visa and Immigration.

Direct flights to Belize fly into Belize City (BZE) Philip Goldson International Airport. More and more airlines add direct flights to Belize each year and seasonally.
Current direct flights (updated May 2018):

• Houston, Newark & Chicago- United Airlines
• Houston, Fort Lauderdale & Denver- Southwest Airlines
• Miami, Dallas & Los Angeles, Charlotte - American Airlines
• Atlanta & Los Angeles-Delta Airlines
• Cancun & Flores- Tropic Air
• El Salvador- Avianca
• Panama- Copa Airlines
• Toronto & Calgary- West Jet (Seasonal)

There are currently no direct flights from Europe. Many travelers to Belize fly direct to Mexico and onward to BZE from there.

Black Rock Lodge is approximately 2.5 hours by road.
Tropic Air, the only intra-Belizean airline, flies to our nearest town, San Ignacio. The flight is about 30 minutes. The airstrip is about 20 min form the lodge. We are agents for Tropic Air and would be happy to assist with reservations. Click HERE for Tropic Air’s schedule of flights between (BZE) and San Ignacio

Black Rock Lodge is a 30 to 40-minute drive from San Ignacio. The 13-mile stretch includes seven miles on the paved highway and then a six-mile turn on a dirt road. Our road signs are large and very visible day and night. Get directions here

Due to our unique and sound eco-system, mosquitos are scarcely found in the Black Rock jungle environment and risk of malaria is low. It is not necessary to take anti-malaria medication unless you desire or your doctor highly recommends it. For a list of recommended vaccines and shots please visit the CDC’s guide for traveling in Belize.

We accept all major credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. We also accept U.S. or Belizean currency.

U.S. Dollars are accepted everywhere in Belize and there is no need to exchange your currency. It is recommended that you bring along smaller bills for small purchases or tipping. US coins are not accepted in Belize and notes must be in very good condition -no tears or markings.

We use standard 110V US outlets. If you are coming from outside the US, you will need an adapter.

We offer complimentary WiFi in our restaurant and public areas. It is sufficient for downloading email, Skype, and popular social media channels.

Absolutely! Our kitchen crew is on hand to cater to almost any dietary requests, food restrictions, or allergies. Please let us have one week’s notice to prepare for any dietary needs mentioned above. Read more about our restaurant here.

No, we welcome children of all ages -please view our family page to learn more about all of Black Rock Lodge’s exciting options for children and families visiting Belize.

We currently do not offer babysitting services on a regular basis but childcare can be arranged upon request for short sessions, ideally more than 1 week before your arrival. All children must be under adult supervision, at all times on the Black Rock Lodge jungle property.

Highchairs are available in our restaurant and car seats can be provided upon request for transfers or tours. However, it is not a law requirement in Belize for toddler or infants to use car seats or booster seats. A pack and play can be provided for babies and toddlers.

For more information on what our adventure tours are like, we recommend you browse our Adventure page. There are many tour operators who offer the same tours. Why use Black Rock guides? Because our team consists of 10 extremely qualified, super friendly, experts in different fields and our tour desk is able to match your adventure needs precisely with the right guide and tour -for you!

Yes, ground transportation can be provided in and around Belize and neighboring cities. Our knowledgeable team of tour guides can provide valuable information along your drive and we can arrange adventure stops en route if you so desire. Car seats are also available for younger children. Assistance with domestic flight bookings within Belize can also be done by our reservations team.

Black Rock Lodge is a two hour drive from the Belize International Airport. We offer transfer services which can be scheduled upon request. There are three daily flights scheduled to San Ignacio’s Maya Flats Airstrip. The airstrip is a 20-minute drive from the lodge and transfer service and flight reservations can also be arranged with us. Click here for driving directions .

All our cabins are furnished with ceiling fans and we can supply additional standing fans upon request. There is no air conditioning at Black Rock Lodge due to our commitment to using sustainable energy. All our cabins are lined along the banks of the Macal River, which brings in a cool river breeze. Cabins are well ventilated and fully screened to allow guests to leave the windows open and enjoy the night breeze.

Sorry, unfortunately not. Due to our sustainability efforts and hydro/solar energy production program, we encourage our guests to refrain from using appliances with high power usage. Mother Nature does a great job in helping to keep our guests looking naturally beautiful.

Yes, we do! The cost is $10 US + tax, per load. Laundry service includes: wash, dry and folded. Due to our power supply, we encourage guests to do full loads to maximize the power use. We can also dry shoes overnight after water activities.

Yes, our restaurant and bar offer a wide array of specialty drinks as well as local and imported wines and spirits. The bar opens at 6 am and closes when the last guest goes to bed.

Due to our off-the-beaten-path location, cell reception is not available at the Lodge. For Emergencies, please don’t hesitate to provide family, friends, and colleagues with our main Lodge numbers: 00 501 -8344038 /49. We will be sure to locate you and pass on any messages.

Belize enjoys a comfortable subtropical climate with a yearly average temperature of 84 degrees fahrenheit (29 degrees celsius). Two main seasons are observed in Belize: wet and dry. Our rainy season being June through December and mostly dry throughout the rest of the year. In the cooler months, nighttime temperatures rarely fall lower than 60 degrees Fahrenheit. April and May are our hottest months and the coolest months are December & January. Although not always 100% accurate, we recommend the local weather bureau for up-to-the-hour updates: www.hydromet.gov.bz

Hopefully not. Please note when booking that Belize hurricane season commences on June 1st. Black Rock Lodge has a fully prepared Hurricane Shelter and Hurricane Preparedness program. Our management and staff are fully trained to evacuate if necessary or provide safe lodging for our guests. We strongly recommend that our guests take out adequate travel insurance in the event that airports are closed in such an unlikely event.

Belize offers many great sites and tourist attractions right along the highways or accessible by a short turn-off. Based on your route, the following sites are available as add-on options to maximize your time, minimize your cost and turn a day of travel into adventures; if time permits: Westbound: To or from Belize City:

• The Belize Zoo
• Cave tubing at Nohoch Che’en National Park
• Zip-lining at Nohoch Che’en National Park or Calico Jacks
• Xunantunich or Cahal Pech Mayan Site
• Green Iguana Conservation Project
• Belize Botanical Garden
• Southbound: To or from Dangriga, Placencia or Punta Gorda
• The Inland Blue Hole
• Zip-lining at Mayflower Bocawina National Park or Angel Falls
• Waterfall rappelling at Mayflower Bocawina National Park

You are welcome to book your tours in advance. Our reservations team has all the information available and our website provides detailed information on all tours and onsite activities . If you prefer to wait until you have arrived, our very knowledgeable and efficient tour desk and tour managers will be on hand to help you plan all your adventures and on-site activities once you are here. In peak season (December - April), we do recommend giving us at least a week’s notice for bookings of ATM. Due to the rainy season which can be unpredictable at times and ATM’s location in a river system, this tour specifically is in very high demand. Black Rock lodge cannot be held liable for tours cancelled due to unforeseen weather conditions.

Breakfast and our specially brewed Black Rock morning coffee: 6:00 am - 11:00 am For early departures breakfast is available as of 6:00 am as well as packed breakfast - please advise your server the night before.
Lunch 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Dinner 7:00 pm
Read more about our restaurant here.

Our meals are not included. Both our breakfast and lunch menus offer delicious fresh and healthy meal options, many of our ingredients being freshly harvested from our organic garden. Our dinner a 4 course set menu daily offering a meat/fish or vegetarian option. Breakfast and lunches prices are between US$5 - US$20. Our set 4 course dinner is US$26 per person or US$13 for children at a half portion. We also offer a kids menu for smaller children under 8. Read more about our restaurant here.

Other restaurants are available at nearby lodges, in San Ignacio or Benque and Succotz Village. Drive time is approximately 30-40 minutes away. We can offer a transfer service for guests who would like to venture out for local cuisine at a fee of US$40 one way.

Our spring-fed tap water goes through several stages of filtration and is potable. Still for your benefit, complimentary purified water is available in the restaurant and yoga palapa. Please bring along your water bottle and refill as often as needed. Bottled water is also available for sale at the bar at USD $2 per 1 litre bottle.

Yes, we provide all of the above and our small organic hand soaps are a big delight to our guests. They are also for sale in our gift shop.

We have a very well stocked first aid cabinet on site and all our tour guides and managers are first -aid trained. We have 2 excellent hospitals - La Loma Luz and San Ignacio Medical with excellent emergency wards - about 40 minutes away. We have 24 hours medical assistance available from 3 doctors in town and we have a helicopter air-evacuation service available. We have three pharmacies who have proven very helpful with emergency prescription needs.

There is an extra person charge of US$10 plus 9% hotel tax for children 5 years and older for room occupancy that is 2 or more.

Drones are only permitted in Belize through special application to the Civil Aviation Company and can only be for commercial or contractual needs. Black Rock Lodge makes every effort to protect our wonderful natural environment which is so key to our guests enjoyment and the intrusive nature of drones to our natural habitat is something we would like to avoid at all cost. Read more here

Crystal Auto Rental will give Black Rock Lodge guests a 10% discount.

In the rainy season - mainly August through October, a 4 wheel drive is recommended for driving throughout Belize as most sites access are off-road and dirt roads.

Sorry, pets are not allowed at Black Rock Lodge.

As an off grid property, we do not have facilities to provide such services. We absolutely welcome Honeymooners!

Unfortunately not. Due to our remote rainforest location, and the steep riverbank requires access with stairs, not only to our cabins but our public areas such as restaurant as well.