With film and culture at the core of Francis Ford Coppola’s being, perhaps no one better understands the power of an ideal setting. In the early 1980s, Francis Ford Coppola visited Belize, immediately fell in love with the location, and impulsively purchased the abandoned Blancaneaux Lodge.
Throughout his renowned filmmaking career, Francis set on a parallel path to build a collection of resorts his family could travel to so they could experience the richness of his favorite filming locales. For more than a decade, Blancaneaux Lodge was used as a family retreat, as was the original purpose behind all of his resort properties. However, in 1993 Francis transformed the tropical paradise into a hideaway for luxury-seekers, adventurers, and those eager to immerse themselves in the natural and cultural beauty of Belize.
Acting as the ultimate director, Francis oversaw the property’s exhaustive renovations to ensure the lodge retained its original spirit, while exceeding the expectations of the modern traveler. Francis was involved in everything – from the design of the resort grounds and the installation of sustainable hydroelectric technologies, all the way down to the art and furnishings in each of the guest rooms.
Today, Blancaneaux Lodge is one of six luxury properties belonging to The Family Coppola Hideaways portfolio, a collection of unique award-winning properties located in Belize, Guatemala, Italy and Argentina, where stylish and eco-friendly exploration and discovery meet serenity and delight.
Tucked away in the northwest corner of the 107,000-acre Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in western Belize’s Cayo District, Blancaneaux Lodge is a 20-room luxury enclave offering guests unparalleled access to Belize’s natural wonders and opportunities to explore the ancient civilization of the Maya. The lodge itself is nestled on the banks of Privassion Creek and is set among tropical pines, oaks, palmetto, craboo, and ancient melastome shrubs. Within a few miles of the property, guests can find limestone hills and valleys spanning the 13,000-acre Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park. The dense jungle, steep ravines, spectacular waterfalls, and fast-flowing rivers afford guests incredible encounters with the region’s diverse flora and fauna, including howler monkeys, ocelots, and vibrant toucans.
Guests following in the footsteps of the hotel’s proprietor and cinematic legend should opt for Francis Ford Coppola’s Villa, which offers dramatic, sweeping views from an elevated open-plan living area. The accommodations also include a private plunge pool and hardwood sun deck set in a lush tropical garden. A hand-carved antique dining table overlooks the tumbling waterfalls and deep rock pools of Privassion Creek. Coppola’s vision and attention to detail can be found in the slightest nuances, such as hand-painted tiles in the villa’s two bathrooms. Regional antiques, Guatemalan fabrics, artisan masks, hand-carved figurines and even Francis’ personal art are displayed throughout the space, adding a unique touch to a comfort-inducing environment.
Nestled among the dense jungle and the lodge’s beautifully manicured gardens, the 20 guest rooms feature design and artistic elements inspired by the indigenous cultures and the surrounding nature. Each dwelling serves as a retreat, reflecting Francis’s desire for a haven in which one can reflect, create and experience an intimate connection with their surroundings.
Blancaneaux Lodge is much more than its idyllic location, curated furnishings, and superb accommodations, however. The property offers an assortment of excursions and experiences you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else in the world – the highlight being the Chiquibul Night Expedition. Guests depart the property before sunset, arriving at the Chiquibul Forest, where they can hike to an amazing birding tower that serves as the perfect setting to watch the sunset and view different species of birds making their way back to their nests. As darkness covers the rainforest, the jungle’s nocturnal animals start to roam their kingdom in search of food. As most of Belize’s large mammals are nocturnal, this is a nature lover’s best chance to see them in their natural habitat. Driving from the pine forest to the rainforest at a slow and quiet pace, the excursion stealthily searches the forest for gibnut, armadillos, peccaries, tapirs and other wildlife.
For aspiring cultural connoisseurs, last September, Coppola Family Hideaways unveiled a new program available at Blancaneaux Lodge and other properties in the portfolio, which offers an enriching global education for school-age children up to 18 years old. Dubbed Coppola Curriculum, the programming encourages hands-on learning with local experts in birding, fishing, scuba diving, Spanish speaking, tortilla making, horseback grooming and riding, organic gardening, sustainability practices, guitar playing, painting, Mayan archeology and more.
With each of his hotel properties, especially Blancaneaux Lodge, Francis has made it an enduring mission to offer guests a glimpse of the natural beauty and experiences that have inspired his life’s work. Eager travelers looking for their next adventure and longing for a one-of-a-kind setting should look no further than Blancaneaux Lodge.