Blancaneaux Lodge

By Joshua Berman

ROOM WITH A VIEW: Porch at Blancaneaux Lodge (courtesy, Blancaneaux Lodge)

OCCUPYING ONE OF THE FEW CORNERS of the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve not ravaged by the beetle blight of 2000, Blancaneaux Lodge—owned by director Francis Ford Coppola—is an opulent, detail-rich delight set on a green bluff above the flowing waters of Privassion River. Designed by renowned Mexican architect Manolo Mestre, the ten cabanas and seven grand villas feature dark hardwoods, Balinese carvings, and soaring thatch ceilings and are accented with tropical splashes of colorful fabrics. While Thai-massage therapists work their magic inside an Indonesian-rice-house spa, the resort's Ristorante Montagna offers organic herbs and vegetables from an on-site garden, served in a range of Italian-themed salads, pastas, sandwiches, and gourmet pizzas. Horseback-riding trips to Big Rock Falls are most popular, and Blancaneaux's proximity to the Caracol archaeological site—a vast Maya city only partially excavated—makes a visit to the ruin practically mandatory. Doubles, $180–$500; 800-746-3743, www.blancaneaux.com

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