Luxury private island
Belize paradiseDestination: Belize, Caribbean
Vacation: Private island
Seeking: Luxury escape
Highlight: World class resort
There are very few experiences as special as a stay at Cayo Espanto, a Belize private island resort surrounded by cerulean blue Caribbean sea where your every wish is catered for with 5 star luxury.
Located three miles off the coast of San Pedro Cayo Espanto’s glorious four acres of soft white sand and tropical palms and exotic flowers is home to seven luxurious, intimately private, seafront guest villas, each with its own plunge pool and private dock complete with sun loungers.
Like everything else on the island the cuisine and dining experience is world class. Award winning chefs from across the globe create new menus daily from the freshest tropical ingredients to perfectly suit your tastes, based on a survey you are asked to fill out before you even arrive on the island. From breakfast in bed to a romantic candlelit dinner on your personal veranda each meal is made to be unforgettable.
The big draw of this Belize private island resort is being able to truly escape it all, and relax in breathtaking paradise without needing to worry about a single thing. With such beautiful surroundings it’s likely you’ll want to spend your time absorbing as much natural wonder as you can with perhaps a foray to the first class island spa as far as you’re willing to venture from your elegant accomodation. But if you do get an itch to explore there’s no better base for adventure. You can visit the world’s second-largest barrier-reef system, where the diving is exceptional; go bonefishing, partake in water sports off the beach, like windsurfing or catamaran sailing, go on a bird watching tour, private cruise, picnic excursion or exotic jungle tour to name just some of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences on offer.
Discover more incredible places to stay in our full collection of Caribbean luxury resorts.
- Ultimate privacy 100%
- 5 star cuisine 100%
- Immersive luxury 100%
- Paradise island 100%
“Heaven on earth! My husband and I came to Cayo Espanto for our honeymoon and it was the most spectacular vacation we could have ever imagined. From the second we decided to book this amazing place we received incredible service from Erika who returned all emails promptly and made sure we were getting everything we wanted out of this vacation.
When we arrived on the island, we were greeted by all the staff on the dock- such a special touch. Our villa, Casa Estrella was absolutely gorgeous! We loved the two bedroom villa. We used the bedroom on the main floor for napping with the doors open looking out to the sea and used the upstairs bedroom for sleeping at night. Our housemen, Brandon and Johnny, were absolutely amazing. They anticipated our every need and made our stay so special. They set up romantic dinners for us, they even were our photographers when we wanted an impromptu photo session on our dock 😉
The chef was incredible- every meal, including all snacks were 5 star dining. We cannot say enough about the food and the cocktails (So delicious)! We decided to go on a half day fishing trip with Geronamo and Max and they were fantastic guides. We caught a bunch of fish and we brought it back and the chef cooked it up for us. It was so yummy!
Overall, this resort is really something special…a place that you dream about! We have travelled a lot as a couple and have never experienced a place like this before. Thank you Cayo Espanto for the most incredible honeymoon. We cannot wait to come back!” Tripadvisor Review
Best food & drink
1. Grouper fillet
Cayo Espanto’s culinary artists prepare new menus daily all catered to your specific tastes but here are a few incredible options from a sample menu to give you an idea of what’s possible, including almond crusted local grouper fillet as a main for dinner, nestled on blackened corn and plantain mash studded with bacon and roasted garlic all drizzled with island made mole sauce.
2. Clams, muscles and calamari
Hard shell clams, green lip mussels and calamari sauteed with garlic, white wine, spinach and parsley tossed with fresh made linguine pasta with garlic rubbed crouton and grated parmesan cheese.
3. White chocolate laced coconut cake
White chocolate laced coconut cake with tropical fruit chutney and mango coulis.
Island life
Enjoy a 5 star breakfast in bed in your luxury villa before meandering onto your own private dock to watch the waves rolling in from the turquoise blue Caribbean Sea; submerge into your own private plunge pool and feel the warm tropical breeze before casually getting ready for a leisurely world class lunch prepared just for you by award-winning chefs.
Experience paradise on your own Belize private island resort where you can go your entire stay without seeing another guest. Cayo Espanto is all about pampered relaxation, privacy and service, as the guest book, replete with honeymoon testimonials, affirms.
As a landmass, there isn’t much to Cayo. A sandy path winds through a forest of palms down the center of the 4-acre island, branching off to each breezy, mahogany detailed villa, which is screened from its neighbors by silver-trunked black mangrove trees. The focus is on the spectacular villas. And their focus is on the outside world of turquoise and royal blue.

Luxury
Each luxury villa has been stylishly and elegantly designed to add to the exclusive private Caribbean island paradise feel with unique and elegant touches like refreshing alfresco showers. Villas come with a fully stocked pantry, egyptian cotton linens, a nightly turn down service, Turkish bath robes and, as you’d expect, the service when you need something is world class. Plus, there is wifi available across the island, although you’ll probably want to remain offline for the majority of your stay.
Food and drink on the island is an experience in itself and Cayo Espanto’s chefs take great pride in offering culinary treasures to guests while using the amazing local products Belize offers. Upon request, chefs can also assist in the art of food and beverage pairing to heighten your total culinary experience.
The gifted Chef Patrick is a graduate of the California Culinary Academy, and is trained in European, French and Italian cuisine. Chef Patrick combines the structure of his formal training and authentic techniques with soulful creativity and innovation resulting in an amazing masterpiece on every plate.

Paradise
If you do want to explore paradise during your stay at Cayo Espanto – it’s right on your doorstep.
Start your day with private-guided snorkeling amidst the colorful tropical fish along the barrier reef. Afterwards, your guide will help you catch your own lunch (fish, conch and or lobster). Then you head to the beach where your guide will cook the “catch of the day” while you enjoy a cold beverage of your choice and relax in your shaded lounge chairs.
Or join one of the daily excursions to the mainland of Belize to see ancient Mayan ruins including Altun Ha, Caracol, Lamanai, and Xunantunich, with river trips and visits to inland spas included along the way. The incredible mayan civilization left huge remains that are accessible through incredible jungle forest and visitors will find many types of birds, reptiles, and plants and flowers of extraordinary diversity.
Be inspired
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