If you are going to Belize to not only relax and enjoy the country's splendid nature and history, but to experience Belizean culture, this is the perfect place for you. The fact that it is owned and operated by Belizeans is SUPER IMPORTANT because it means you know you are supporting the local people. It also means that you get INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE GUIDES (like Eric and Fernando Tut, who are the BEST), and great home-cooked food straight from the San Ignacio Market cooked for you. Everyone works incredibly hard to make your experience perfect. Whether you are going to Belize to go birding, hiking, canoeing, caving, or chilling, you will not be let down by the professionalism and friendliness of all the folks at Crystal Paradise.

Always wanted to go birding in Belize and found CPR on the web. Wondered what we were getting into and found it to be perfect! The Tut family who run the lodge are just fantastic and what talented people.We chose to bird most of Belize and spent 12 days in the capable hands of Eric Tut...aka Prince Tut! As our birding guide, Eric, was outstanding. He knows where the birds are, can identify them by song, flight and sight and will make sure everyone in the party sees the bird. He has fantastic people skills, a great sense of duty to his clients and a wonderful sense of humor. We have birded many places and Eric is by far the most knowledgable guide we have had. The food is outstanding as the Tut family has gifted cooks.The menu was varied and typical Belizean fare. When we went on one our day excursions to 1000 Falls, a lunch was packed for us that was wonderful! You will not go hungry at CPR! This is an ecolodge and the entire resorts blends into the jungle which made it even more appealing. We were especially impressed with the environmental ethic that Eric and all the Tut family display. They are truly concerned about the future of the natural resources in Belize and are doing what they can to preserve it. We can only pray they are successful in their endeavor. On our trip we saw 221 species, thought we had 222, but one got counted twice, so now I must go back when the figs are ripe so I can see the Lovely C .so the number will be even!...
If you are a serious birder or casual birder, I would highly recommend a stay at CPR be at the top of your list and Eric Tut at the top of your guide request. It is a real pleasure to spend time with him. Highly recommend the 12 day trip to get the full Belizean birding and Mayan culture experience.

We stayed at Crystal Paradise resort for three nights during our bird watching tour in Belize. The resort is owned by a local family and well located to explore nearby reserves, parks and archeological sites. Free WiFi is available. Service is friendly, being provided by members of the Tut family, and members of the family are very knowledgeable about wildlife and various attractions in Belize. We booked our tour directly through Paradise Expeditions - Birding in Belize, a company also owned by members of the Tut family. Eric Tut, our bird watching guide, was very generous of his time, with a schedule optimized to see a wide variety of birds while visiting some Maya archeological sites, natural parks and reserves. Their tours are good value for the money spent and I would recommend them for someone who wants to do some serious bird watching in Belize. They also offer wildlife and cave explorations tours, as well as visits to archeological sites, and would customize their tours upon request. Crystal Paradise Resort is often on the list of the places visited by birdwatchers.

We are just back from Belize where we stayed 2 nites at the CPR and 2 nites in Palacio. We loved our stay at the CPR. This is not a luxury resort by any means. This is an eco-lodge, located in the middle of wildlife with very simple rooms and common area. It is kept very clean and the setting is beautiful. Service is excellent and the food is outstanding. Everything is homemade and they serve typical Belizean food. Most of the people working there are part of the Tutt family- the owner. We went to visit the Barton Creek cave with Eric ( son on the owner) and we had a great time.Eric was very knowledgeable and we learnt a lot from him. They are very flexible to work around your needs.
To access CPR, you will need to take a dirt road from the Western Highway for 15 minutes. A good car is always a plus. We arrived at night around 7pm and everything was so dark. Don't be surprised. Llighting is kept at a minimum in the evening since CPR is in the middle of Wildlife.
We will be back for sure. Thanks the Tutt family for a wonderful 2 days!