Cayo Espanto
Island · Belize
Belize
"A small, all-inclusive private-island option about three miles off San Pedro, featuring seven one-bedroom and two two-bedroom villas—most with private pools and docks—and one overwater bungalow. Each villa has an assigned butler and customized meal service with the chef rather than set menus. The resort caters to divers and fishing enthusiasts with its own dive boats, dive masters and fishing guides who arrange excursions." - Laura Begley Bloom, Devorah Lev-Tov
"A small, ultra-private retreat off Ambergris Caye offering six beachfront villas plus a one-bedroom bungalow with a private dock, this property is recommended for travelers seeking world-class scuba diving on the Belize Barrier Reef as well as snorkeling, fly fishing, jungle trips, and excursions to Mayan ruins." - Annie Fitzsimmons
"Cayo Espanto is a private island resort with seven villas, each with dock and butler service. The resort offers customized experiences like snorkeling tours and private picnics, tailored to pregnancy cravings or dietary preferences." - Travel + Leisure Editors
"Cayo Espanto is a serene four-acre private island resort with seven luxurious villas. The resort is known for its exceptional food and beverage offerings, with a menu curated by Belize-born chef Richard Gillett, featuring fresh seafood and local flavors. Meals are served at any hour via walkie-talkie or designated staff, and can be set up at various locations around the island, including private docks and beaches. The villas offer rustic yet luxurious designs with private platforms, infinity plunge pools, and open walls for immersion in natural surroundings. Each dining experience is tailored and unique, with no on-site restaurant or bar, making every meal a series of beautifully executed local dishes." - Maria Yagoda
"Luxurious Island Lodging Cayo Espanto is one of those fantasy vacation spots, the kind that one might think exists only in daydreams. But this private island actually is the stuff of dreams, with powdery sand and private beaches lapped by the clear Caribbean waters, doting service, and plenty to do—or not. Cayo Espanto, one of Belize's hundreds of cays (off-shore islands), sits three miles off the coast of another Belizean island, San Pedro, and can boast what few other properties can: a location right along the second-largest barrier reef in the world. Each of the seven villas occupies its own private slice of the cay, and an excess of amenities is included: airport pick-up service, boat transfers to and from the island, personal butler service, three customized meals per day, snacks and drinks, and all non-motorized activities, including the use of kayaks and a sailboat. Villas are painted in tropical hues and are exceedingly comfortable, with windows that open right up to ocean views. Some have private infinity-edge plunge pools."
