About Checo Hill Guest House

Please note: Checo Hill Guesthouse is temporarily closed and not currently accepting bookings. Sorry! Please email us for further information.

Checo Hill is a small, family run guesthouse, with a laid back, relaxed atmosphere. We hope it is somewhere that you can make yourself at home – tea and coffee are always available in the guest kitchen and there is selection of books to read in the sitting room – as well as a base from which to explore the local area, and perhaps learn about Belizean village life and farming.

We (Kate and Adam) have worked for many years in conservation in Belize; we try to be as sensitive as possible to the environment in our management of the guesthouse, forest and farm.

Our 11 acres of land are a mix of rainforest and farmland, giving us a patchwork of habitats which is particularly attractive to birds and other wildlife. There is excellent birdwatching straight from the veranda where you are likely to see species associated with open areas, scrub and broadleaf forest. The land is also home to many species of mammal including kinkajous, armadillos and porcupines, and we are occasionally visited by ocelots, jaguars and other cat species.

Our trail network allows you to explore the forest and brings you to the summit of Checo Hill. From here there are magnificent views over the Belize River valley to Belmopan, and out across the Mountain Pine Ridge to some of the largest hills in the country – Baldy Beacon and the Bald Hills.

Farm

The remainder of our land, about 3 acres, is farmland, though not all of it is currently under cultivation. When we bought the land it had been abandoned, and needed some restoration after years of being burnt and farmed with chemicals. This restoration is very much a work in progress! We don't use chemicals on the land, and are drawing on the principles of organic farming and permaculture.

At the moment we are growing fruit trees such as mango, citrus and avocado, as well as bananas and plantains, and many other crops including chaya (a bit like spinach), sweet potatoes, cassava, sugar cane, ginger, turmeric and lemon grass. We're planning to dig a pond some time (hopefully soon!) and put in a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, sweet peppers and other more delicate vegetables.

Village

We are located on the outskirts of the village of Seven Miles (also known as El Progresso), close to the Mountain Pine Ridge, and are very much a part of the community. We are not a jungle lodge, but a place where you can experience day to day life in Belize. Most people make their living from farming, so you will see people walking to their farms and driving to the market with their produce.

Seven Miles from Checo Hill