EASILY BELIZED
SOMETIMES you want to go where nobody knows your name. Enter Cayo Espanto: Not even a speck on the map, this exclusive, allinclusive private island resort sits 3 miles off the coast of San Pedro, on the peninsula of Belize.
With just seven dwellings — ranging from cozy one-bedrooms to an overwater bungalow with a glass floor — its maximum capacity is only 18.
If you’re a celeb, you’ll arrive by helicopter, otherwise by boat from San Pedro, and pull up to your own private dock — no lobby check-in needed, since there isn’t one.
The casas’ decor is the epitome of barefoot elegance, with cement floors, louvered shutters, outdoor showers, hammocks and, in most cases, your own little beach and infinity plunge pool.
But you won’t be a stranger to five-star service. A personal houseman is always on call via walkie talkie to deliver that emergency pitcher of margaritas.
In what turns out to be an elegant twist, there’s no restaurant here, or any other communal premises, for that matter. Meals are served on your deck or in surprise locations around the island. And it’s the food here that’s truly exceptional.
Belizean chef Richard Gillette has been with the company since 2005, and was recently appointed executive chef. He’s pulling in accolades for his fusion of local Belizean specialties (inset), fresh seafood, local produce and world flavors, helping the resort to top the lists for Caribbean food.
Since a stroll round the island would take about two minutes, you’ll be looking at seafaring sports and activities to work off your dinners. Kayak or paddle around the mangroves, take a snorkeling trip to swim with the nurse sharks nearby, try some fly fishing, visit the barrier reef at Ambergris Caye or scuba dive in the mysterious Great Blue Hole. The resort’s luxury yacht can also be hired for adventures but day trips to Xunantunich via small plane can also be arranged. Here you’ll see Mayan ruins, with 26 temples and palaces, followed by tubing through underground river caves.
Should you tire of not being recognized, the resort’s water taxi offers a shuttle to San Pedro where shopping and nightlife awaits.
Perhaps, though, simply enjoy the splendid isolation with an in-room massage or facial instead (from $2,095 for two, all-inclusive;