Cristo Rey

We require two house sitters, i.e., a couple, friends, siblings, etc. The house sitters must be non-smokers / non-vapers.

We have a 13 year old border terrier mix, Fiona; and an 8 year old golden retriever mix, Milo (both rescue dogs). They are extremely friendly. They bark infrequently, but they will bark when someone comes up to the front gate, or if neighbor dogs come up to the fence.

They cannot be walked due to stray dogs in the village. They have 1.5 acres of our fenced property to roam.

The dogs cannot be left alone for more than 8 hours at a time. House sitters need to remain on property overnight. The dogs sleep inside.

There are some plants that will need watering and/or tending to.

Our dates are not yet firm. We haven't purchased airline tickets yet. We would require the house sitters to arrive at least 2 days prior to our departure. We would also want to follow-up with pet sitters - so probably would leave a day after our return. It may be possible to extend the stay if requested in advance.

We are a small two cabin lodge. We plan to be 'closed' during the housesit timeframe. Our priority is our fur-babies . We have two dogs, Fiona & Milo.

We are situated on 1.5 acres directly on the Macal River in a small jungle village, at the foothills of Mountain Pine Ridge, but only 3.5 miles (10 mins) from San Ignacio the second largest town in Belize. Directly on bus line & village has shuttle service to San Ignacio Mon-Sat for @ $1 U.S. each way per person. Wonderful Belizean neighbors!

There are actually three houses on the property. The smallest is a bungalow with one bedroom, one bath, and a huge covered deck with hammock, loveseat and dining table - with a view of the river.

The second bungalow with one bedroom, one bath, living room, large screened deck with 4 hammocks.

The third house is our private residence, which is most likely where you would stay. It too is a one bedroom house.

A separate laundry palapa has a full-size washer & dryer.

There is a 2-person kayak and inner tubes available for river use. There are dozens of fruit trees on the property - some produce fruit year-round, some only during certain seasons, and some are not yet mature enough yet to bear fruit. Fruits we've harvested on our property include avocado, pineapple, banana, dragon fruit, soursop, lemons, limes, loquat, raspberries, mandarins, momi and more. We also have other food plants including, lemongrass, Belize oregano, culantro, callaloo and more!

Cristo Rey Village is in the jungle region of Belize. While this provides incredible beauty and natural wonders, it also means that heat, humidity, sudden tropical squalls, and power outages are not uncommon. We do have a back-up generator and a back-up water supply with pump, which we would show you how to use.

There are three village eateries within walking distance, and a grocer directly across the road from us.

We have a calm, serene & relaxing environment most of the time. However, the tropical birds (parrots, chakalakas, toucans, etc.) can be very active at times, and the Howler Monkeys can get loud at night. We are also in the middle of a small, but active village. Sometimes the neighboring roosters, dogs, church music, etc., can be heard. For those extremely noise sensitive, please keep these things in mind.

Living in the jungle also means an abundance of geckos, Iguanas, ants, and ‘bugs’. None of which are dangerous. Surprisingly though mosquitoes are usually not an issue.

We have riverfront property, and house sitters would have access to our 2 person kayak and inner tubes. We also have two bicycles to ride.

Other practical items to note:

1)Please check cost of flights into Belize as they can be expensive.

2) If you wanted to stay in Belize longer, there is a cost as follows: When you arrive in Belize your passports will be stamped (at no charge) for a visit of 30 days. After 30 days you would need to go to the Immigration Office in Belmopan to get a renewal. The renewal costs $100 U.S. each (even if you don't stay another 30 days, it is the same price).

3) We are a lodge, and have blocked guests from booking at this point, but we have a reservation on the books that we can't cancel. It is for a total of 3 nights (3/18-3/20). We have a housekeeper, so you wouldn't need to do any work, and our next door neighbor will be around to assist the guests if needed. nd we would of course let the guests know in advance that we would be leaving during their stay (they arrive 3/17). But, we wanted to make sure you would be comfortable with other people on the property for those 3 nights.

There are so many exciting places to visit! Many Mayan ruins, including ATM Cave, Caracol, Xunantunich, & Cahal Pech to name just a few. The Mountain Pine Ridge area has Rio On Pools, Rio Frio Cave, Big Rock Falls & 1,000 foot falls (all of which are FREE!) The Belize Zoo (a 'rescue' zoo) is an absolute must see! With the newly paved roads you can also get to the ocean for a day trip (about a 2 hour drive). There is something for everyone!