Staying at Kane Villas, Belize
Looking for a detailed and honest firsthand account of what it is like to stay at Kane Villas in Mountain Pine Ridge, Belize? You’ve found it!
This beautiful property is only has a few cabins and feels super secluded, though it is not too far from the rest of Mountain Pine Ridge’s attractions. But honestly, you spend your entire stay at Kane Villas because the property has private access to waterfalls, a cave, and hiking trails. Plus, you get the onsite pool and tranquil villas.
My husband, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law went on a long weekend getaway to Kane Villas during my recent month-long visit to Belize. If you’ve read some of my other Belize travel guides you know that a lot of my husband’s family lives in this gorgeous country, so we’ve spent a decent amount of time exploring Belize, including hidden gems that few tourists ever experience.
Our time at Kane Villas was full of experiences that far exceeded our expectations, and I can’t wait to share all about it in this guide!
👋🏽 Note from the author: Did this article impact the way you planned your trip? Have any questions? Please comment at the end of the article! It helps this blog grow and helps me know what types of articles to write more. 💛
🌺 My Belize Favorites 🏝
🤿 Barrier Reef Snorkeling & Diving: Belize has the best snorkeling I’ve ever experienced! You can book guided snorkel and dive trips from Hopkins, San Pedro, or Caye Caulker. Browse Belize snorkel and dive trips.
🌲 Escape to Mountain Pine Ridge: Climb up in elevation to a cooler (and less visited) area with gorgeous waterfalls, fun swimming holes, Mayan ruins, and so much more! You will need a vehicle with 4WD here, but this day trip from San Ignacio is also an option.
🥾 Cave Adventures: Cave tubing is an adventure unique to Belize, and many people come all the way here to experience the ATM Cave, where you can witness human remains and Mayan artifacts.
🚙 Explore the Hummingbird Highway: This breathtaking lush scenic drive connects the Cayo District and the Caribbean coast. Stop along the way at waterfalls, a cenote, a chocolate workshop, caves, and more! My guide to the Hummingbird Highway.
🌴 Where to Stay: A sustainable jungle treehouse beside the beach in Hopkins at Hamanasi, a quiet breezy room at Weezie’s on the vibrant small island of Caye Caulker, or a luxury bungalow overlooking waterfalls at Gaia Riverlodge. My guide on Where to Stay in Belize.
Staying at Kane Villas in Mountain Pine Ridge, Belize
Staying at Kane Villas is true luxury on a budget! The gorgeous 3-cabin property is secluded in Belize’s mostly undeveloped Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. The songs of tropical birds greet you each morning, and the cool mountain breezes cool you down in the evenings.
I have high standards when it comes to hotels and vacation rentals, so I typically only book places with over a 9.0/10 rating on Booking.com (my preferred booking platform for their generous discounts!)
Kane Villas has a 9.2/10 on Booking.com and incredible reviews from past vacationers. But I knew I’d made the right choice when I met a Canadian woman who frequently visits Belize at a resort along the Hummingbird Highway. I told her I was heading to Mountain Pine Ridge later on and she immediately responded “Are you staying at Kane Villas??” Shocked, I said “yes!” and she told me all about how much she loves this place.
Kane Villas only has three cabins, so its quite a shock that I happened to meet someone who’d stayed there — just goes to show how the entire country of Belize can feel a bit like a small town!
I absolutely recommend Kane Villas, particularly if you’re interested in getting far away from the sound and busyness of life and straight into nature (without spending too much). That being said, there are quite a few things to consider if you’re thinking about staying here. Read my takeaway to make sure Kane Villas is a good choice for you (and to make sure you prepare properly!)
Key takeaways: What to know before booking a stay at Kane Villas
🌮 Pack all your food: There is no onsite restaurant, and no grocery stores nearby so make sure you have everything you’ll need for your whole stay at Kane Villas
🚙 Rent high-clearance 4WD vehicle: Parts of the road to Kane Villas is paved, but once you exit the main highway you’ll drive several miles down a bumpy dirt road. It might be possible to do with a 2WD vehicle, but if you want to visit anywhere else in Mountain Pine Ridge (especially places like Caracol and Rio Frio Cave), you’ll definetly want a high-clear 4WD vehicle. (Yes, the Belizean government is in the process of paving roads in Mountain Pine Ridge but right now they’re working on the main road, not side roads!)
🏠 Properly set your expectations: Kane Villas is not a hotel or resort, it is a privately owned vacation rental property (like an Airbnb, but better in my opinion!) You won’t get your room cleaned daily, but you’ll save a lot of $$ if you stay here instead of one of the luxury ecolodges in Mountain Pine Ridge. Check Kane Villas nightly prices here.
🍻 You can buy a few things onsite: You can purchase a small selection of snacks and drinks for a fair price from the groundskeeper.
🥾 Don’t miss the waterfall and cave hikes: You don’t have to hike to the waterfall or cave, but just know that they are only accessible via Kane Villas, and they are different from the well-known Big Rock Falls (which is a short drive away) and Rio Frio Cave. You’re almost guaranteed to get the place to yourself.
🛜 Expect wifi: Believe it or not, there is high speed wifi available at Kane Villas! I’m not sure how reliable the network is, but it might be a place you could get some work done if you’re a digital nomad exploring Belize.
🌤️ Expect (and pack for) cooler temperatures: Kane Villas is located in Belize’s Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, which is at a higher elevation than the rest of the country. Temperatures here can be 10+ degrees lower than the rest of the country. We happened to visit during a country-wide cold front in February and were still able to enjoy swimming but were thankful for long linen pants and sweaters in the cool evenings.
👙 Pack hiking shoes and a bathing suit: Make sure you have a swim suit to enjoy the beautiful swimming pool at Kane Villas (and nearby Rio On Pools), plus hiking shoes in case you decide to do any hikes, including the hike down to nearby Big Rock Falls.
Kane Villas’ Cabins: Our Honest Experience
We stayed in Kane Villas’ Mahalo House, which is a two story cabin that feels like a treehouse and sleeps up to 6 people.
The design of the house is like nothing I’ve seen before, with an enclosed wrap-around screened-in veranda that circles the small kitchen, then an open-air room above the kitchen with bunkbeds and a twin size bed (room for 3-4 people). The only room with a door is the master suite, which has a comfy queen size bed, large TV, and small private balcony. But the best part of the house is the covered deck with a large fireplace where we spent the majority of our waking hours at Kane Villas.
It is worth mentioning that the only bathroom in the Mahalo House is downstairs, and the staircases’ thin, steep stairs make it a little tricky to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night night. Also, there is not AC in the Mahalo House (there is AC in the Pua Villa and Mango Villa), but since Mountain Pine Ridge is significantly cooler than the rest of Belize, it wasn’t an issue for us!
However, one challenge that we faced was the entire cabin filling up with smoke after the first time we had a fire in the outdoor fire-pit. We quickly learned that unless you close the shutters on the kitchen, there is nothing stopping smoke from floating into the kitchen and bedrooms above since the windows around the veranda are mesh (not glass).
Overall, the Mahalo House was perfect for our group of four! We loved having access to a full kitchen since there are only few places to eat in Mountain Pine Ridge and we love cooking meals together. As I mentioned before, we also loved the tranquil deck and warm fire. The pool is only a short walk away, which is another perk!
In addition to the Mahalo House, Kane Villas has two villas (Pua Villa and Mango Villa) that sleep up to 4-5 guests. The villas have AC and small kitchens too.
👙 Click for updated pricing and booking details for Kane Villas 🏔️
Best Things to do Nearby Kane Villas
Hike to Big Rock Falls (10 minutes away)
One of the most popular places to visit in Mountain Pine Ridge, Big Rock Falls, is just a short drive away from Kane Villas. It’s a short (but steep) hike down to the base of the falls from the parking lot, and the picturequse waterfall is a lovely place to swim, cliff jump, or sunbathe. Read my full guide to visiting Big Rock Falls.
Swim at the Rio On Pools (25 minutes away)
My favorite place to swim in Mountain Pine Ridge? The hundreds (maybe thousands?) of tiny pools and gorgeous little waterfalls at Rio On Pools! It’s an easy walk from the parking lot and a must-visit spot for anyone visiting Mountain Pine Ridge. Read my full guide to visiting Rio On Pools.
Explore Rio Frio Cave (35 minutes away)
This massive cave blew us away! I’ve been all around the world (and gone caving in several places) and I’ve never seen anything like this. The road to Rio Frio Cave is in rough shape, so be sure to read my full guide to Rio Frio Cave for all my tips on getting there. But once you arrive at the parking lot, the gigantic mouth of the cave is a short 5 minute walk away and you don’t need a headlamp to explore it since the large opening lets in so much natural light.
Dine (or sip) at Five Sisters Restaurant (10 minutes away)
Just down the road from Kane Villas you’ll find Gaia Riverlodge, which is one of the most gorgeous luxury resorts in Belize (although I highly recommend Kane Villas for a budget-stay, definitely consider staying at Gaia if you can afford it, check current prices here). The resort’s Five Sisters Restaurant sits atop a cliff overlooking a waterfall and the river below. Although I didn’t dine here, I’ve heard great things about it. We did stop by for some delicious mocktails on our last day at Kane Villas and was the perfect way to end our serene time in Mountain Pine Ridge.
Visit Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (15 minutes away)
Green Hills Butterfly Ranch was our last stop in Mountain Pine Ridge on our way back to my family’s home in Northern Belize. Their $20 USD ($10 BZE) butterfly tour far exceeded our expectations and was the cherry on top of our getaway. We were in awe as our local guide taught us about (and showed us) the lifecycle of butterflies, and as well watched these incredible little creatures land on all of us over and over again. The property is also an excellent place to spot 7 types of hummingbirds and they have dozens of hummingbird feeders to attract them! It’s conveniently located right off the main highway near the entrance of Mountain Pine Ridge and you can expect to spend 1+ hour here.
Hike to the private waterfalls and cave at Kane Villas (onsite)
As I mentioned earlier in this article, there are waterfalls and a cave that you can hike to right from Kane Villas! The waterfall hike takes about 15 minutes one-way, and is a bit steep but worth it for the small tranquil falls and natural pool. I didn’t make it to the cave, but the hike is a little longer. Kane Villas has an info book with details about all the onsite hiking trails!
Full guide: Best Things to do in Mountain Pine Ridge
Book Your Stay at Kane Villas
When possible, I always book my hotels and vacation rentals through this site because they offer excellent discounts and rewards. We often get 10-15% off when booking here, and once we got a free taxi to our hotel from the airport! And no, the discounts you get do not reduce the amount that the hotel/rental owner gets paid. The discounts are covered by Booking.com for your loyalty.
Full transparency, I do earn a small commission if you book through my link (again, the property owners don’t make any less as the commission is paid by Booking.com). But I’ve loved Booking.com for far longer than I’ve been running this travel blog. I’ve been recommending it to friends and family for years and I’m thankful that now Booking.com is finally paying me back for all those recommendations and funding this free travel blog 😜
You can also book direct with Kane Villas if you prefer. Either way, I recommend comparing prices on Booking and Kane Villas’ website to see which makes most sense for you.
Have a lovely time in Belize, and let me know if you ever have any questions about my experience at Kane Villas (or if you need Belize suggestions!) You can also browse my other Belize travel guides as I have articles about traveling most parts of the country.
Thanks for reading!
- Browse my favorite Belize tours and experiences.
- See the best hotels in Belize.
- Check out my other Belize travel guides.
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