3 Best Hotels in The Deep South, Belize

This jungle lodge is named after the silk cotton tree (also called the kapok or ceiba), and, fittingly, the lodge strives to provide a silky-smooth experience for guests. The lodge sits on 100 acres beside the Moho River about 15 miles (24 km) from Punta Gorda. Guests are usually brought in by boat (although you can also come by road) and stay in one of the thatch cabanas sitting among wild fig trees along the river's edge, or in a garden-view room. The property's walkways are raised; in the summer rainy season the river sometimes floods. Cotton Tree offers a fun, popular \"Jungle Survivor\" tour, a day of tips for negotiating the rainforest. The lodge is off the grid, and everything here is solar- or generator-powered. The lodge operates a small chocolate factory—and shop, of course—in downtown Punta Gorda and offers cacao tours and chocolate-making classes. Good meals are served in a huge thatch palapa. All-inclusive packages are also available. 

The folks at the Coral House operate these fully equipped apartments three blocks away, including an upper and a lower flat. The one-bedroom upper unit is decorated in subdued tans and mauves and comes with a spacious veranda and wonderful views of the Caribbean Sea. The brighter two-bedroom lower unit can sleep up to four. Both come with full kitchens, but breakfast at the Coral House is included in the rates if you desire. Discounts are offered for long-term stays.

Relax beside a meandering jungle river, listen to otters splash, and admire colorful tropical birds and butterflies at this small lodge on 30 placid acres beside the Rio Grande. This is a birder's paradise: 350 species have been recorded within 5 miles (8 km) of the lodge. There's a pool, six original thatch cabanas, and three newer hardwood cabins with a/c, with or without kitchenette. You can take meals in the main lodge for an additional fee.