Visiting girls enjoy a fresh coconut drink at Jaguar Reef Lodge.

So you've mushed a dog team across Nunavut, hiked in the humid jungles of Borneo and swam with the turtles of the Galapagos Islands. All this in order to quench your thirst for eco-travel adventure.

But now you have children and they're not so keen on sleeping under the stars in a sleeping bag. So how can you satisfy your wanderlust and still keep the kids happy? Try Jaguar Reef Lodge, located in what is known as "Mother Nature's Best Secret," the country of Belize.

That phrase isn't just a catchy tourist slogan. When it comes to eco-tourism, this tiny nation, located just south of Mexico and bathed by the warm Caribbean sea, delivers the goods.

Its natural resources, passionately protected by the Belizean people and their government, include the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, pristine rainforests teeming with wildlife and majestic mountains harbouring exotic flora.

It is also a melting pot of heritages (Mayan, African, Spanish and Mennonite to name a few). One of its cultural groups, the Garifuna, was recognized by UNESCO as "a masterpiece of the worldwide human oral and intangible heritage."

Family-friendly fun

Jaguar Reef Lodge is a resort ideally situated right on the Caribbean, but just a mere 40-minute drive to the world's only Jaguar rainforest reserve. But more importantly for families, its amenities are just right for couples travelling with children of all ages.

Located in the quaint town of Hopkins in southern Belize, Jaguar Reef provides unique cabana-style accommodations with thatched roofs that sit right on beach.

Eight of the cabanas are spacious two-room, two-bathroom suites complete with a kitchen, diningroom and livingroom area, making it perfect for families of up to six.

The rooms are fully equipped with linens, towels (bath and beach), kitchen utensils, a spring water cooler and even tasty Guatemalan coffee for the coffee maker.

As well, for those days of inclement weather, a DVD player and TV monitor are available with the front desk providing DVDs (Dora the Explorer and Harry Potter are on the bill to name a few) at no extra cost.

Outside, guests can take full advantage of the lodge's amenities, including bikes, kayaks, snorkelling equipment, a freshwater swimming pool, and of course, 305 metres of white, sandy beach made for kids to run around in peace and safety as regal Jabiru storks soar overhead.

As a special treat, children can pick their own coconut and watch as an employee of the resort, with the help of a sharp machete, works it from an inedible lump into a refreshing drink in no time.

Adventures Abound

A family hits the trail at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

For a walk on the wild side, the resort offers a travel package that's called exactly that. The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary tour takes families right into the heart of jaguar country.

Although the likelihood of spotting one of these protected and elusive creatures is very slim, all sorts of other wildlife, such as toucans, anteaters and noisy howler monkeys are seen regularly in the 39,660 hectare reserve. Cockscomb has a network of trails that vary in length and terrain so families can choose the path that will best fit their abilities, allowing everyone to take in a trip into a tropical rainforest.

For those wanting to see some aquatic creatures, there's the Sittee River and Barrier Reef Snorkel tour. Families depart by boat from Jaguar Reef's day lodge on the Sittee River (a 10-minute bike ride from the lodge) to meander down the scenic river as they slip past sunning lizards, manatees, crocodiles and turtles along the way.

The voyage continues out into the Caribbean Sea to find the famed reefs of Belize. Once there, the kids and parents can hop off the boat in their snorkel gear to join the darting fish that explode in bursts of colour around the coral and sponges.

Snorkelling is something even young children can master as five-year-old Annabelle attested too. Vacationing from Miami, she was breathless as she recounted her encounter with a harmless barracuda.

A young Garifuna boy keeps time at the Lebeha Drumming Center.

At night, as the warm winds of the beach pick up, families can take a walk into the little town of Hopkins, located one mile away from Jaguar Reef Lodge. Part ramshackle village, part Caribbean charm, Hopkins is the place to find the heart of the Garifuna culture that combines aspects of both African and South American Indian traditions. It's also the place to find its soul.

At the Lebeha Drumming Center, an open-air hut in the north end of town, village children show up for impromptu jam sessions where they pick up drums and turtle shells to play and dance to the music of their ancestors.