We were going to stay at Jaguar Paw for two days and then go to Ambergris Caye. We loved Jaguar Paw so much that we never left. It was myself, my best friend and her 13 year old son. The people were so amazing, the food was great and the animals on the property were the highlight of the trip. Lucky the dog, hung with us for our entire stay. We loved this place so much, we are going to make it a yearly thing. Why would you need to go anywhere else when everything that you could want to do is right at Jaguar Paw???
WE LOVE JAGUAR PAW!!!

I want to start by saying this place has some potential to be an amazing place but it needs to have some time and money invested first.

The Jaguar Paw is located at the end of a dirt road right in the heart of some beautiful tropical flora. My wife and I had a rental vehicle for our stay in Belize and had no problems finding the place and the first impression on arriving at the lodge was very positive.

The staff was very friendly and very helpful which is pretty representative of most of the people we met in Belize. The hotel was fairly quiet when we were there so we spent lots of time chatting with the bartenders and staff about life in general. The food in the restaurant is average for quality. The tres leches cake was incredible and the breakfasts were good and filling (make sure to order Fry Jacks with your breakfast). Overall though the food and drinks were expensive compared to everywhere else in Belize we stayed, but somewhat understandable when you realize it would take extra time and effort to bring everything to the lodge.

The location couldn’t be better for the tours. We wanted to do the ATM cave tour but it was flooded due to heavy rains, so you can’t blame them that, just bad timing on our part. We did the cave tubing which was pretty cool. Our guide was excellent and very informative. One recommendation is to go first thing in the morning (like 8am). It is a bit cooler in temperature, but big bus loads of people (from the cruise ships) start showing up a few hours later and then the caves turn into a mass of people. When we did the Crystal cave tubing, there was only me, my wife, the guide, and the German Shepard dog that follows you everywhere. It was definitely worth waking up early to beat the rush. If you have a vehicle or pay for the tour, the Belize zoo is pretty close to the lodge and is well worth the time. Also driving into Belmopan and walking around the market was easy, safe, and worth it for some of the local food.

The downside to the hotel is really the rooms themselves. I mean no personal offense to the owner who I believe did the decorating, but the brothel/Moulin Rouge theme room we had was so tacky and out of place we actually avoided being in it as much as possible. The lodge would be SO much nicer if the rooms were just tastefully decorated with some simple locally made furnishings and were a bit more bright and airy. Also the bed was quite uncomfortable and 2 nights of our stay I received numerous mysterious bug bites at night all over my body. Granted we are staying at a jungle lodge, so it may not be fault of the lodge, but these bites only happened in bed while we were sleeping.

One other thing that bothered my wife and myself was seeing one of the staff walking a coati (like a raccoon and there are number on the property). It was on a leash and the guy walking it was dragging it and smacking it because it wasn’t cooperating. Once again not really the fault of the lodge itself but seeing that really left a bad taste.

The room price we paid was more or less fair for what we got, but I would be prepared to pay more if the rooms were redone/updated/etc.

Overall we enjoyed staying here because of the setting and location, but the lodge itself was not a place I would stay at again, unless there were some changes made to the accommodations.

I have visited Jaguar Paw for over 15 years. It just gets better. It is a quick flight from Houston and in an hour you feel like you are in the Amazon,but with air conditioned comfort. I travel all over the world, and I know how hard it is to run a top notch lodge in remote areas. Each room is decorated differently and they represent something in Belize that is either ecological or historical. From the minute you step into the reception and see the bar and restaurant you know you have found something wonderful. Now there is a Jacuzzi and repelling. I always take a long hike along the trails in the jungle and there are some great places to swim in the crystal clear river. I used to stay in a lot of different places, but if you are visiting anything around the main Western Highway, you can do day trips from here. Kids love it. They can run and swim and play with the Kinkajoos at night. Guests are always on an excursion, so the days are quiet around the lodge. I just got back from a month in Africa and immediately went there for R&R. There are hand painted murals of the Maya in the main lodge and many of the rooms have murals painted by local artists.

My husband and I originally had intended on staying in another jungle resort, but when we arrived at our original destination didn't feel welcomed, so we just left and headed back to the sign we had passed advertising Jaguar Paw. Locating it down the dirt road off the main road was difficult, we later learned someone keeps tearing down their direction signs. Although we arrived without reservations, and during a private party for dignitaries, including the US ambassador to Belize, for the support of the Belize Zoo, we were welcomed. We were even invited to join the magic show and party. The resort is beautiful, and you feel like you are miles from civilization, although you are very close to the Belize Zoo, several local restaurants (although the resort food is wonderful and reasonable) and a great local art boutique. The Caves Branch cave tubing operation is located on their property. The cottages are not five star, but are comfortable. The pool and hot tub are beautiful and exotic, especially at night. The owner is such a nice person, and seemed sincerely interested in making sure we enjoyed our stay. We were touring around Belize on our own, and had originally planned on staying only one night, but we like the location and hotel so much we stayed two nights. Our only complaint is that we are early risers and the restaurant didn't open until about 9 and there was no in room coffee maker (very few of these anywhere in Belize!) so we had to wait for our coffee. Belize is such a laid back country we learned most people don't get going before nine am! Overall, we will certainly go back to Jaguar Paw, as we try to go to Belize at least once a year.