ECO & JUNGLE LODGES

And so it began ...

After chopping their way through the forest, they eventually got their first look of what was later to become the site of Chan Chich Lodge, which translates as "little bird" in Mayan.

In May of 1987, work began clearing the thick jungle underbrush. It soon became clear that the lower plaza would be perfectly suited for construction of the lodge, but it would be necessary to obtain official approval for the project from the Department of Archaeology. The commissioner himself spent a week at Chan Chich to supervise the digging of post holes and trenches, and determined that the construction was not damaging in any way since the old plaza floor was weathered beyond repair. Furthermore, the existence of the lodge would protect the temples that had been heavily looted, not to mention discourage the hunting and growing of marijuana that had been common for decades.

Trees harvested from the newly cleared fields were processed and used in the construction of the lodge; posts, stick and thatch were harvested from the surrounding jungle. All of the finished milling was done at Chan Chich, as well as the construction of all the windows, doors and beds.

The lodge opened on December 4, 1988 to a group of seven adventurous tourists who had no idea what to expect.