This was the perfect retreat to start our holiday in Belize. It feels miles from anywhere but you can walk to town in 15 minutes if you choose. Enjoyed the food, hospitality and clean rooms. The staff really made the experience complete. Andy picked us up from the airport and was the best guide. Then Jamie and all the others at the property were extremely helpful and kind. Sandra drove us to Hopkins and was a fabulous guide the entire way. I would highly recommend a day with her. Overall I would give this property a thumbs up. The only negative feedback I have is that the food prices are high and so are the tour prices. If you are on a budget you can find better deals on the tours in town. Would definitely stay at Maya Mountain again and would recommend it.

This is not the place to stay if you expect formulaic 5 star resort accommodations - but if you do, I have to ask what are you doing in Santa Elena? These are charming, genuine, down to earth people who work as a near family unit to provide interesting and satisfying cuisine, and a serene relaxing environment to serve as a base of operations for your explorations of the area. The guides and associate service providers they work with are 3-dimensional, highly competent, interesting local people who interact with you as equals. That was invaluable to me. We are tempted to look at this area for retirement having seen it through the lens provided by this host.

You will want to do everything, and pack every day with adventure...We strongly urge you to take a day to simply rest and explore St. Elena and San Ignacio. .

We recently stayed at Maya Mountain Lodge and the two best things about the lodge are the staff and the food. We were really impressed by the staff and their willingness to help us work out the right itinerary for us. The food is really good, and there is plenty of it. The accommodations are pretty average, although I think they are a good value if you are on a budget. Our one complaint about our room was that the bathroom had a gap between the wall and ceiling that allowed bugs to come in. We really enjoyed all the tours that we went on, and found the guides to be very knowledgeable and helpful. Although it probably is a little cheaper to book tours through town, we found it much easier to book tours through the lodge and have the convenience of being picked up at the lodge, getting guaranteed great tour guides, and best of all, enormous picnic lunches filled with freshly-made treats packed by the staff.

My stay at Maya Mountain Lodge was phenomenal. My boyfriend and I stayed for a long weekend Thurs - Mon, and it was our first time in Belize. We did virtually no planning in terms of activities. We emailed Bart (the owner) prior to our visit describing a few things we would like to do, and he promptly replied with a customized package at a very reasonable price. At the time, we took a leap of faith and signed up. Now, I don't think I can stay anywhere else in Belize. A driver was waiting for us upon our arrival to Belize City Airport, and she was very friendly. When we arrived at MML, Bart came to greet us personally, and the staff just made us feel very welcomed. The first day, we joined the Pottery Cave / Xunantiunich tour and everything was provided for: bottled water, snacks, home-cooked lunch, flashlights, etc. Our tour guide was fantastic. He was knowledgable about the area, funny, and just great to hang around. The dinners at MML are excellent. They're healthy, tasty, and fresh squeezed juice is always available. The next day we visited Tikal in Guatemala. Again, all we had to do was show up, and everything was taken care of. The full day excursion was SO much fun, and we never felt unsafe/ripped off, etc. The following day, we went cave canoeing and swam in a waterfall, what a perfect way to end our weekend trip. And next morning, a driver was waiting to take us back to the airport.

This was the most effortless vacation I've experienced. I HIGHLY recommend MML to anyone who wants a stress-free, hassle-free, safe, and active vacation.