Casa Sophia @ Alma Del Rio / river Eco-comfort

Miscellaneous
Interior
Fridge, oven, stovetop, coffee/tea maker
Interior
Property grounds
5.0 / 5.0
Outstanding(18 Reviews)

Cottage in Cayo District

4 guests · 2 bedrooms · 1 bath

Reasons to book

Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
Great for petsBring all your friends and family, even the furry ones
High-end valuePrice for this property is higher than average in the area

About this cottage rental

For the true nature lovers, Alma del Rio is simply the perfect spot to perform the Belizean verb of 'Chillaxing' . Our Charming and natural river front Eco-Houses are artfully crafted and are Casa Sophia is a 2 story house, located by the Pine-ridge road on the Macal river only 10 min from San Ignacio. Enjoy pristine views and bird life while drinking your morning coffee in our screened lounge or on our secluded river beach. the perfect gateway to experience the best of Cayo.

Alma Del Rio is the winner of the Belize tourism board award for the best small accomodations or the year!!
Casa Sophia is a unique and natural homestay. This 2 story small house is artfully crafted, overlooking the Macal river and forest canopies often visited by Toucans. Walking down a short path, there is a secluded swimming spot on a sandy island. Our place is a lot located in a small residential stretch ON the pine ridge road, with natural attractions and services close by (driving distance). The space: The top floor is a half 'open' room with a river view that serves as a kitchen and lounge area. The bottom floor can be divided into 2 compact bedrooms separated by heavy wooden doors or made into a 2-bed suite for couples or a family that would enjoy the shared space. Enjoy our rain shower, great views, and relaxing in a hammock on your porch. We have taken all the effort to ensure the 2 buildings on the property have maximum privacy. We also accommodate larger groups who can rent the entire compound: La Alma and Casa Sophia, artfully crafted houses nested peacefully in the environment. Enjoy a cup of early morning coffee in your screened lounge with a misty view of the river, often visited by many colorful birds. We planted a young food forest under the huge Guanacaste trees, and there is a small herb garden for your use. Following the path to the river, you find a secluded island with comfortable access (in season).
We offer all the amenities for you to enjoy your river experience: a cooler, a picnic mat, bamboo plates, beach towels, water shoes, and paddle boards. Enjoy complimentary tropical fruit, handmade soaps, coffee, tea, and drinking water . We offer a fully equipped kitchen, a hot and cold shower, board games, a spacious dining table, and a lounge area with a great river view. We are kids and pet friendly!! Important note: Casa Sophia is a 2-story house with rather open railings; babies or toddlers will require supervision when on the top floor. We do not have AC, but we do have a great river breeze often. by passive cooling, the temperature indoors stays comfortable. Our house is environmentally friendly: We use a solar water heater and energy efficient lighting, biodegradable products, and minimal use of plastic.
We try to offer a true jungle experience. . We often bring our dogs to the property, so if you prefer that we don't, please let us know before you arrive. Mind that living in nature proposes we do get visits from multi-legged or flying critters inside the house. The occasional bangs from falling branches, the chirps and clicks of geckos, howler monkey cries - they all add to the beautiful orchestral tune that nature plays.

The entire property is for guests.
You have a Palappa and a BBQ area just in the back of the property.

We stay in San Ignacio, always available to assist and help you have the perfect stay. Anything you need - be it an extra pillow or just some good recommendations - we are here to help.

Alma del Rio is located 2 miles from Santa-Elena towards the Pine Ridge reserve. Though a sleepy road, before you reach our tranquil home there are several great attractions - you will pass cool M farm where you can purchase fresh milk and Yogurt, Eden Valley Mayan kitchen to taste delicious locally made chocolate, 'The bluffs' bar and grill for great food, drinks and live music, Maya mountain lodge that only uses organic, fresh, local produce in their menu (vegan options available too!). 2 Min drive from our house you can find a magical waterfall. In San Antonio village, we highly recommend trying the the women's co-op restaurant -excellent traditional, hearty Mayan dishes that are some of the best in Belize.

If you travel by car, it's a easy as eating a pie; We are right on the road on the way to pine-ridge. A taxi can be arranged for around $20-$30BZ ($10-15USD). Buses pass regularly during the day between Santa Elena and Cristo Rey for $2-3BZ($1USD). Once reaching San Ignacio everything is a walking distance, but taxis are available to take you around for as low as $5BZ ($2.5US). Around us we have a couple of restaurants only a few minutes drive as well as a beautiful water fall. We have a detailed book with all the information at the house. We can help you arrage all transportation.
No smoking inside the rooms or kitchen
We ask guests to separate waste into the designated bins and follow the Bio-toilet instructions
Please be kind to the environment and our houses :)
Please be considerate to our neighbors with noise
Please turn off all fans and appliances when not in the house- fans don't keep the room cool.
Lost key fee- $20BZ

Amenities

Pets allowed
Kitchen or Kitchenette
Internet / Wifi
Parking
Laundry
Balcony or Patio
Garden

Map of Cayo District

Ratings and reviews

5.0 / 5.0
Outstanding(18 Reviews)
5.0 / 5.0
Apr 2024
This property exceeded all of our expectations! The location is absolutely beautiful. And the host was fantastic. Hadas set up our excursions for us and was always available to answer questions or get us a taxi into town. I highly recommend this property.
5.0 / 5.0
Mar 2024
We spent 3 weeks in Belize: first week at a yoga retreat on the northern part of Cay Caulker; 2nd week sailing on a 48' catamaran and the third week in the jungle at Casa Sophia. My partner and my 33 year old son from CA. We all agreed the jungle time was the best!! So much to see and do and we packed it in: bird watching, Rio on Pools, Caracol, ATM Cave, Barton Cave, market day, live music at Aguada and Gulley's, Big Rock Pools. Coming home every night to Casa Sophia for a shower and a Belikan...it was magnificent. And Hadas kept us informed about live music, great restaurants, great tour operators. In fact we all 3 have decided that another trip to Belize is in our future. Such a lovely country!! Easy English everywhere. Currency exchange - simple 2 to 1. Delicious and inexpensive food nearly all of it grown on the island. Little if any garbage. I've traveled and worked a lot in the Caribbean and this was by a long shot, one of the best Caribbean vacations I've ever had!
5.0 / 5.0
Sep 2023
The house was beautiful, such wonderful attention to details in the decor. The house is a short beautiful drive up the mountain away from town- so it is peaceful and quiet but close to everything. The pictures do not do this house justice. The shower- was a work of art- nicest shower ever! What is not pictured was a child play house- which was perfect for our 3 year old. The jungle sounds of birds were amazing. The house was clean, had all the basics. Thank you for the recommendation of St Leonard’s- we had a amazing day with Carla, Rob and Miguel. Thank you Hadas for making such a beatiful and sharing it with us to enjoy.
5.0 / 5.0
Jul 2023
Wished we had stayed a few more nights to be able to visit everything around us. The sounds and views of the jungle around us was amazing!
5.0 / 5.0
May 2023
We loved our stay, thank you again
5.0 / 5.0
Apr 2023
We had a wonderful time staying at this unique, beautiful and perfectly located jungle house on the river! Our hosts (Hadas, assisted by Elmer and Dora) were warm, welcoming and extremely helpful from the time we booked right through our stay. This property was well situated to serve as our "base camp" for excursions in the San Ignacio area. The ATM cave tour is a must see - truly a unique experience for even the most seasoned and adventurous travelers. We also did a horse ride up to Mayan ruins which was very memorable. Hadas was kind enough to handle bookings for our excursions, which was a great benefit to staying here. There's nothing like getting picked up and dropped off right at your property! The space itself should be included in an ad for VRBO - the upstairs is the best screened in jungle viewing space I have ever seen. The bedrooms are comfortable and waking up in the jungle is a great experience! You may decide to make a return visit to Belize just for the shower here! All in all this is an ideal location for your jungle vacation to begin!
5.0 / 5.0
Apr 2023
The property and hosts (Elmer and Dora) exceeded all expectations. The property was beautiful and we had everything we needed. Elmer and Dora helped make my daughters 13 birthday so special by delivering a cake and song! We definitely will be back. 10 out of 10 ;)
5.0 / 5.0
Mar 2023
Nestled away in the perfect location if you're wanting to experience the jungle and lifestyle of Belize. Santa Elena and San Ignacio were fantastic cities to experience. Make sure to stop at the ladies fruit stand to the left at the 3 way intersection when you come into town, she has fantastic fresh juice! The property is an amazing little food forest with fantastic views of the local flora and fauna. We loved how the home uses solar heated rainwater! The home is very clean, organized, and VERY welcoming. There was even a fantastic play area for our 18 month old son. We've stayed a couple different VRBOs over the years, and this one definitely stands out as a place ran by people who care about their guest's comfort and experience. A Sincere thank you to Tom and Hadas for being such great hosts, and sharing this fantastic experience with us!

FAQs

How much does this cottage cost compared to others in Cayo District?

The average price for a rental in Cayo District is $166 per night. This rental is $208 above the average.

Is parking included with this cottage?

Yes, parking is listed as an amenity at Casa Sophia @ Alma Del Rio / river Eco-comfort. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.

Is there a pool at this cottage?

We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this cottage. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.

Is Casa Sophia @ Alma Del Rio / river Eco-comfort pet friendly?

Yes! This cottage is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.

What amenities are available at Casa Sophia @ Alma Del Rio / river Eco-comfort?

We found 7 amenities for this rental. This includes pets allowed, kitchen or kitchenette, internet / wifi, parking, and laundry.

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