About Maya Heights
Maya Heights Resort
The Maya Heights Resort location is unique to Belize, at 500 feet above the Caribbean Sea levels, you will have a view of the Belizean Coast not to be found anywhere else in Belize. Maya Heights is a part of Freshwater Creek Farm. All the cabins and restaurant are overlooking the Belizean Coastline and the Cayes. This is a unique location where the Maya Mountains are only six miles from the water’s edge. Maya Heights Resort is approximately two miles from the Southern Highway, with an excellent road maintained by the farm. As you enter the farm, you will be greeted by one of the security officers, who are on site 24/7.
The Resort is part of a 1,000-acre farm that encompasses 600 acres of steep mountains and jungle with 400 acres of lower farm area where coconut, mango and papayas are grown, as well as a large sheep and cattle herd that are being cared for by Belizean cowboys.
Maya Heights Resort is not just a resort, but also a working farm where food is being grown and harvested. Freshwater Creek Farm is an example of agro forestry practices including growing ornamental palms, tropical fruits, coconuts, papayas, mangoes and pineapples. They also offer dried tropical fruits for local consumption and export.
Other forestry products grown at the farm are more than 150 acres of Teak, and reforesting acres with other tropical trees such as mahogany. The milling and production of teak lumber is orchestrated by two lumber mills at the farm.
On a clear day, from your cabin or the restaurant, you can see the Cayes which are approximately 40 miles out to sea as well as the outlines of the Placencia Peninsula. At night you can always find your way back to Maya Heights Resort since it’s the only light on the mountains to the east, and it is also a beacon for Belizean fishermen at night. Enjoy your dinner at the restaurant in the evenings when it gets darker and the lights of Hopkins and Silk Grass light up one at the time. The lights of Hopkins, Silk Grass and Dangriga are always twinkling in the dark of the night.
In the morning sunrises can be enjoyed above the Caribbean Sea and in the evening, sunsets can be enjoyed above the Mayan Mountains, this is something that no other resort can offer.
Belize has more than 600 kinds of birds; you can observe many egrets, herons, parrots and other birds at the farm. Five foot long Belizean iguanas will be basking in the sun and then scurry away into the jungle. Watch as the eagles and vultures soar through the sky. Catch a glimpse of the cute little red foxes that show up when least expected or be surprised by a family of coatimundis that can usually be seen during the day.
Sustainable Resort
Maya Heights Resort can offer a lot more than just beautiful views. Maya Heights is a concept of sustainable living, away from it all and completely off the grid. The resort harnesses its own power from the farm which is generated by solar and hydro. A visit to the powerhouse at the farm, which is the center of a mini grid, is well worth the time if you are interested. The Maya Height’s system represents the edge of technology to minimize the use of batteries. Older gel batteries are slowly replaced by lithium batteries. Lithium batteries have a greater flexibility and a longer lifetime. Batteries are mainly used to level out and counter the peaks in demand when the hydros are too slow to react in time.
During the day solar power drives four electrical pumps to transfer 30,000 - 40,000 gallons of water from the lower hydro lake, up 300 feet, to the upper location of the water reservoir. When the sun goes down at night, using that same water, hydro driven turbines generate power, replacing the need for additional batteries. The high reservoir is also collecting rainwater from a 15-acre watershed. During the rainy season, when sun is in short supply, this rainwater will balance the lack of water being pumped up to the high-water reservoir. The lower hydro lake, which is fed by creeks can also drive the hydro generators, but at a slower pace.
Mechanical generators are located at each location but are rarely used and only will kick in if the micro grid fails. Due to the network of charge controllers and inverters, solar is converted into hydro power without the need for more batteries.
Location
Maya Heights Resort is one mile off the major Southern Highway, a five minute drive to the coast to the native town of Hopkins and to start enjoying what the Caribbean Sea has to offer. It is only ten minutes to the Jaguar Reserve, Maya Cultural Center or to the Bocawina National Park.
Maya Heights Resort is a great place to start your Belizean adventure since we are close enough to the beaches and a great starting point to visit the ten best known Maya Ruins. It will also get you away from the commercialization of the Hopkins Coast.
One mile north of Maya Heights Resort along the Southern Highway is Silk Grass, a sleepy village of friendly people, home to a few small restaurants and a small grocery store. From Silk Grass it is only twelve miles to Dangriga, with a population of more than 10,000. Dangriga is where you will find Tropic Air and Maya Air that have regular flights to Belize International Airport or other cities in Belize.
From the farm and resort it is only six miles to Hopkins which has approximately 1,100 inhabitants and is a unique Garifuna Fishing Village that stretches along the Caribbean coast with beaches accessible to all. Hopkins' proud traditions, its history and its music (Garifuna drumming) makes for an interesting visit. The natives of Hopkins live mostly by farming and fishing, and more recently have found work in the growing tourist industry. The residents of Hopkins are known for their friendliness and genuine hospitality, and welcome visitors to their village. Hopkins has a selection of gift shops, restaurants and small bars and was recently voted “The Friendliest Village in Belize” by Belize First Magazine.
Hopkins is considered by some Belizeans to be the cultural center of the Garifuna population in Belize. The town hosts its own national holiday, Hopkins Day, and welcomes people for their celebration on Garifuna Independence Day as well. The celebration with drum ceremonies can last till early hours in the morning. If you are planning a Barrier Reef tour, these trips are generally organized and started from Hopkins Village.
A few miles to the north you will find the Mayflower Bocawina National Park, a much-visited tourist attraction with water falls and its newest attraction, the longest zip line in Belize. It is a beautiful park of jungle, mountains, swimming holes, waterfalls, ancient sites, and nature trails. While you are visiting keep your eyes peeled for black howler monkeys, that are known for their haunting, lion-like roars. Don't miss the partially excavated Mayflower Mayan Ruins site which features two pyramids. These pyramids were occupied between AD 800-900.
Five miles to the south, across the newly built bridge, is the Sittee River at Maya Center. This is where you will have access to the Cocks Comb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, where jaguars can be seen. The Cocks Comb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is internationally recognized as the world’s first jaguar preserve. It is also known for its spectacular waterfalls, mountain views, nature trails, and rich diversity of neotropical birds. The tracks of wildcats, tapir, deer, and other wildlife are often seen on hiking trails or along the banks of South Stann Creek.
