Gallon Jug Estates
Once part of the venerable Belize Estates & Produce Company that owned one-fifth of all the land in Belize, Gallon Jug Estates is now 130,000 private acres that straddle the Orange Walk and Cayo Districts. There's a 3,000-acre working farm that produces coffee, grows cacao and corn, and raises cattle; it's the only truly commercial coffee operation in Belize. Gallon Jug also produces hot sauces and delicious mango and other jams, which sell in Belize and elsewhere. Tours of the coffee plantings and the production facility, along with other farm and jungle tours, can be arranged through Chan Chich Lodge. Jaguar sightings are fairly common around the Chan Chich Lodge, averaging around one a week. You're likely to see toucans, many different hummingbirds, flocks of parrots and ocellated turkeys, as well as deer. Chan Chich, one of the best jungle lodges in Central America, is the only place to stay in the area. It's possible to visit on a day-trip from La Milpa Field Station, Blue Creek Village, or even Lamanai or Orange Walk Town, but you need your own transportation and advance permission to come on the gated, private Gallon Jug lands. Gallon Jug has its own private landing strip.
