We just returned from Calico Jack's and had a great experience at the resort and in Belize. We are well traveled and found Calico Jack's to be an excellent value. We were surprised to read the negative review posted by guests that say they were there around the time of our visit because we had such fun and so did the other guests visiting when we did. Calico Jack's is charming and we highly recommend it.

We liked our cabana and it was beachfront as advertised and with an incredible view. My husband and I were lulled to sleep by the sound of the sea each night.

The beach is clean and the vegetation around the units is tropical with a variety of orchids, birds of paradise, and plants many that were new to me.

Most notable ithough is the excellent service--professional and yet warm--provided by the gracious staff. They really genuinely care about their guests and we felt very pampered and well looked after in every respect --from the arrangement of our tours, to the preparation and serving of our meals, to the cleaning of our villa.

Our tours --Snorkeling and Monkey River, were great ---well planned with very knowledgeable guides --and the staff took time discussing options with us.

If you want to go into town there is a bus and also you can take a taxi--the cost is $20 one way and we shared so ended up paying $5 each. We went out to dinner several times but in the end prefered the resort food--it is excellent and a good value.

What is presented on the website is accurate. If you want to be in an Belizean style, laid back, rustic and natural environment with excellent service Calico Jack's is for you. This is what we wanted and that is what we got.

We chose Calico Jack's Village, in Maya Beach, based on reviews that we found here, and we were not disappointed.

We have been traveling in Belize, since 1998, and there have been so many changes in Placencia Village, that we wanted to stay in a more remote location in an attempt to recapture the laid-back lifestyle we have enjoyed in years past!

If you are returning to the Placencia Peninsula after several year's absence, or if this is your first visit, you will like Calico Jack's Village. The road to Placencia, is still not paved, but the buses do run on time.

When you arrange for day-tours, through Calico Jack's staff, the guides will usually pick you up, and taxis are readily available if you want to participate in Placencia, nightlife, later into the evening! If you decide to rent a car, you will be able to visit a lot of the most popular tourist locations on your own, saving money on guides, and freeing you from set schedules and waiting for tours to fill up!

Like many places in Belize, Calico Jack's prepares all their meals to order, which adds to the cost, but the food is fantastic. Their cook provides traditional Belizian dishes with a healthful twist, and the portions are very generous. The bar and restaurant service is outstanding, which is not always true in Belize.

The staff is friendly, attentive, efficient, and sincere. The owner takes a personal interest in assuring that your needs are met. The cabanas are spotless. We had a private location on the end of the beach, and we were literally a few feet from the water.

As mentioned in the review below, there was some construction going on next door, in February '08, but of course, those things are temporary, and truthfully it was not much bother to us. The Belizian work day starts late, and they don't always work in the heat of the afternoon either!

One of the best things about Calico Jack's is the owner's dedication to the environment. He has developed a green building system that withstood Hurricane Iris in 2001, with very little damage.

Calico Jacks sits on a parcel of pure paradise compared to the scrape-it-clean type development you see elsewhere on the Placencia Peninsula. Leaving the native forest intact provides home for a lot of birds, butterflies and other wildlife (including a resident alligator and her baby!) and the gardens are absolutely lovely.

Next year when we return to Belize we will be staying with our family at Calico Jack's, and I am pretty sure you would like it too!

lIf you prefer hearing the noise of a construction site, this is the place for you. Right on the edge of the resort they are building a mega hotel and complex. Literally, at the most 2 feet from the cabins. Instead of hearing the sea and birds, we heard the beep beep of a tracker backing up and various other noises. Additionally, the owner of Calico Jack's was busy sanding and sawing the blocks he's so proud of, right behind our cabin...so it wasn't bad enough have the noise and unsightliness of the construction site, we had this on top of it.
Also, do not think 12 miles is the same in Belize as in the U.S. It is a good 40 minute drive to Placencia because of the condition of the road. Also, it cost $20.00 EACH way, if you wanted to take a taxi.
Since the resort is so unpleasant, we ended up renting a jeep, because we definitely did not want to spend the day there. Also their dinners were very pricey and the office manager said we could not order from the lunch menu, although I asked the waitress and she said I certainly could.
I would definitely not recommend this place.
I would suggest that anyone going to Placencia should stay on the southern end as close as possible.

This review is long overdue but better late than never. My husband and I stayed at Calico Jack's in May 2004. We wanted to get married in a tropical place but we were on a budget. Calico Jacks was everything we ever dreamed of. We are the couple on their web page that are dressed in black. We went on our trip in the off season, so for the majority of our stay we felt like we had the resort to ourselves. The owners of the resort and their wonderful staff did all the planning for our special day. We told them what we wanted and they did all the work. This was a second marriage for both my husband and I, and we wanted to revel in our special day without all of the distractions that come with planning a traditional wedding. Calico Jack's did not disappoint. We had a magical day. The rainy season came unusually early that year and we thought we might get rained on, but the sun came out for just a short time on our wedding day. We were married on Calico Jack's big pier and the day was magical. The food and accomadations were excellent at the resort and overall our trip was reasonable in price. My husband and I love the outdoors and this was the perfect place to embark on many outdoor excursions. We went to see Mayan ruins in the rainforest, took a day trip to Guatamala, went snorkeling and scuba diving. A couple of our trips were included in our stay at the resort. We ran out of time to do everything we wanted but told ourselves we would come back someday to do more. Belize was absolutely beautiful and our hosts were the nicest people I have ever come across while traveling. The only thing we would do different the next time around is to rent a car. Because this resort is out of town and is not in near walking distance, we felt we were a little "stuck" when we wanted to just go explore. The staff were nice enough a couple times though to give us a ride into Placencia for a little shopping and to a great restaurant up the road at another inn for eating and scuba diving. Overall we fell in love with Belize, our resort, and our hosts. We could not have asked for a more beautiful place to have our wedding.