This was an extraordinary stay for our family of 8. The common area - on the open deck (also covered) was where we ate and all gathered. Lucy had decorated for Christmas and we just loved that... Having Lucy and her daughter Chloe there really made this extra special. We ordered several meals in and all were exceptionally good. Lucy was able to accommodate our daughter's dietary needs (due to Celiac). We had homemade corn tortillas and empanadas - as well as wonderful fish, beef and poultry meals... all cooked with Belizean flair. We listened to Howler Monkeys in the morning and really enjoyed the Pontoon day with Dennis as our guide and cook. We visited and swam into waterfalls and feasted on the BBQ chicken. The views along the Macaw river are truly spectacular. Read the reviews about the drive in. It is unlike anything we've ever done, and we have done some serious jeeping in Ouray, Colorado. We were delayed at the car rental outside of the airport and that caused us to arrive in the dark. Not good. Jim provides directions but anyone who makes this trek needs to be aware: ONLY 4 wheel drive. Make sure your car rental provides this. Budget rented our son-in-law a 4-wheel drive on paper that only a had 2 wheel drive. That provided a lot of excitement. I did really appreciate Jim's timely and detailed responses to my questions prior to the trip. Casa Santa Maria truly is a memorable and lovely place to stay. Sharing some of our time there with Lucy and Chloe made us feel so welcome and so well cared for.