Fodor's Expert Review Gaia Riverlodge

Drive deep into the Mountain Pine Ridge and you’ll find, perched on a steep hill above the Five Sisters waterfalls, this elegant lodge and staging ground for exploration. All is decorated to appear distinctly Belizean—canopied thatch cabanas hold local hardwoods, handmade furniture, and art in tropical tones. A small, open-air tram will carry you to the Privassion River if you'd rather avoid the 286 steps, and there you can swim in the natural spring or recline riverside on lounge chairs. Note that with no children under 12 allowed, no pool, no television, and Internet only in the restaurant, this is ideal for a couple’s retreat rather than a family vacation. The lack of pool helps earn Gaia’s eco-friendly status, as does its hydropower system and garden, which grows 60% of the restaurant’s produce. Packages with its sister resort Matachica on North Ambergris Caye give you entry to reef and rain-forest excursions.