Cayo Espanto

Marooned just off Ambergris Caye along Belize‘s coast, Cayo Espanto is a private island paradise, interrupted only by the gentle sway of coconut palms and the rhythms of the sea.

Your days here are spent connecting with the nature around you, whether that’s kayaking around the island’s mangroves, a spa treatment amid birdsong or snorkelling in Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the Blue Hole nearby. By private charter, you can also see frigatebirds and spoonbills on Cayo Rosario and Bird Caye. 

On Cayo Espanto itself, wooden villas with plunge pools trace its sun-bleached shoreline, each spaced far enough apart to ensure absolute privacy. Inside, mahogany trims and furnishings echo the island’s Caribbean roots, while vaulted ceilings and turquoise louvred windows and doors bring in the salty air and warm sunshine. 

At a beachfront villa, your veranda spills onto a ribbon of silken sand. There, an outdoor hammock invites you to drift with the breeze. Some steps ahead, you’ll also find your private dock that juts into the cyan-coloured sea.

For even more seclusion, you can stay in the island’s only overwater villa, where the Caribbean stretches to every horizon. Beyond the sweeping ocean vistas, its glass floor reveals a glimpse into the marine world below, all within the privacy of your room.

With no restaurant onsite, Cayo Espanto guarantees an intimate dining experience. Masterful chefs craft a menu tailored to your tastes. Dishes are made with the freshest produce, to be savoured in a location of your choice; on your villa’s veranda in candlelight or amid the glow of tiki torches on your dock.