Hidden Valley Inn
Cayo District
 |
| POOLSIDE CHARM: Hidden Valley Inn (courtesy, Hidden Valley Inn) |
THE BRACING STEAM WATER may be a shock, but how often do you get to dive deep, surface behind an idyllic cascade, then drip-dry your bare bod on a moss-scented, sun-soaked rock surrounded by exotic orchids? It's no wonder honeymooners feel the gravitational pull of Hidden Valley Inn, a 7,200-acre spread in the Maya Mountains of western Belize. And serious birders can commune with the likes of rare orange-breasted falcons, king vultures, stygian owls, and golden-hooded tanagers. Ninety miles of trails and old logging roads spoke outward from Hidden Valley's 12 cottages and main lodge, where you'll be welcomed back from each day's expedition with a swirling Jacuzzi, a blaze in your room's fireplace, and a candlelit dinner under the stars. The menu fuses Belizean Creole with international cuisine, including coconut curry beef and carrot-coconut-ginger soup. No biggie—you'll burn it off on the way to tomorrow's waterfall. Doubles, $150–$170; 011-501-822-3320, www.hiddenvalleyinn.com
