The Mainland Lodge at Monkey River

The mainland lodge, Monkey River Retreat is at the mouth of Monkey River, near the Payne’s Creek National Park, Port Honduras Marine Preserve, and the Sapodilla Cayes National Park, in remote southern Belize. It is home to some of the greatest fly-fishing and coastal wildlife in the world. Tarpon, permit and snook teem in these protected waters, along with manatee, turtles, crocodile and dolphin. Howler monkeys, jaguar, and a huge assortment of bird life can be found along the river and in the rainforest.

No roads. No power lines or town lights. Monkey River Village, about 200 people and home to some of the best fishing guides in Belize, is just across the river. It will just be you and a few others guests exploring the flats and cayes from a comfortable, safe, modern lodge. Your local guide will put you on the fish from your boat or wading the flats. You might fish the jungle river for tarpon and the permit flats on the same day, or the snook in the mangroves and the tarpon holes.

You could spend a couple of days at Monkey River then go to the reef lodge on Seal Caye for a couple of days to hit the bonefish extra early. At either lodge you can sit on the deck after a gracious dinner of fresh seafood and watch the moon come up over the cayes, swap fishing tales, have a One Barrel rum or a cup of local coffee, and plan your next day’s fishing adventure. Life is tough.

Monkey River Retreat is located on the beach right at the mouth of Monkey River. You can fish the jungle river for tarpon and snook and it is just short boat ride to the hundreds of permit flats in Port Honduras Bay. It has earned the reputation as the “permit capital of the world.” Just 18 miles east, Seal Caye sits right on the reef and becomes your base for bonefish, permit and many other reef and blue water species.