Belize All-Inclusive
This tiny island just got a makeover.
Caribbean

This All-Inclusive Private Island in Belize With Overwater Bungalows And Private Butlers Just Got a Makeover

By: Alexander Britell - April 3, 2025 - 11:26 pm

An overwater bungalow. Private butlers. Personal chefs. Private docks. It’s Belize’s best-kept secret: a tiny, all-inclusive private-island that just got a whole new look. Cayo Espanto, set off the coast of Ambergris Caye in Belize, has completed the first phase of a total makeover, Caribbean Journal has learned. 

The hotel, which as a total of seven villas on its private island (including an overwater bungalow) just unveiled a whole new aesthetic, with Moroccan-style finishings, upgraded bathrooms and new new lighting and new features on several of the units. 

That includes a new roof in the Casa Solana villa; new glass showers and gardens for Casa Brisa and Casa Manana; a new dock and views at Casa Aurora and a bigger dock at Casa Brisa. 

That’s along with an expanded gym and a new spa “casita” for treatments. 

Belize All-Inclusive
The overwater bungalow at Cayo Espanto.

It’s always been one of the most unique private island resorts in the region.

The idea is to blend “classic sophistication with our signature barefoot luxury,” says David Benzaquen, Cayo Espanto’s general manager. 

What hasn’t changed? The bespoke focus, which includes amenities like a personal butler, a private dock in each unit and a Belizean-born chef making custom meals. 

Belize All-Inclusive
It’s one of the most unique private destinations in the region.

If you haven’t been to Belize, it’s one of the “it” destinations in the Caribbean right now, with its impressive mix of adventure and natural beauty, whether you’re heading for the jungle or getting out on the country’s world-renowned reef system. We’ve journeyed all over the country on the Caribbean coast of Central America, and we continued to be amazed by the sheer diversity of the place, its vibrant mix of cultures and its sensational food.

belize all-inclusive overwater bars
If you head to Ambergris Caye on the way to Cayo Espanto, make sure to try one of its famous overwater bars.

So what about flights? You can find some cheap options from several cities in the US now, including New York on JetBlue, which has roundtrips starting at $317 in late April; Seattle on Alaska Airlines, which has fares from $337 and Miami on American Airlines — fares begin at around $439 roundtrip, according to pricing data from Google Flights. 

Are you heading to Ambergris Cay? Make sure you take one of San Pedro’s food tours, which we absolutely loved on our recent visit to the island in Belize.

For more, visit Cayo Espanto.

Popular Posts best caribbean restaurants

The 50 Best Restaurants in the Caribbean - 2025

No region in the world has a more diverse or dynamic culinary continuum than the Caribbean. Just about every cuisine on earth is represented, often in wonderfully, intoxicatingly fused expressions. Across the breadth of the Caribbean Basin, you will find […]


The Southern Corner of This Caribbean Island Is Filled With Endless Beaches, a Boutique Resort and a Spirit of Adventure    

eleuthera caribbean island

You can get lost out here. There are nearly 4,500 acres of Bahamian frontier here, filled with casuarinas, empty trails and secluded white-sand beaches. Take a golf cart, or a bicycle or, if you’re daring, just a pair of running […]


In Dominica, an All-Inclusive That Comes With the Whole Island 

dominica fort young views

All-inclusive has been changing. That’s not a secret. It’s the biggest thing in travel right now, particularly in the Caribbean, where travelers want more. But they don’t just want the unlimited food and beverage. They want the experience. They want […]


Related Posts sweetfield manor

Tiny Hotel of the Week: Sweetfield Manor, the Charming Hilltop Retreat That Just Might Be the Best-Kept Secret in Barbados

If you haven’t noticed, here at Caribbean Journal we adore small hotels. There’s just something charming, something captivating about boutique properties. They’re a kind of art form: the pure manifestation of the vision of their individual hoteliers, an extension of […]


Caribbean Photo of the Week: A Secret Corner of Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos

grace bay beach

The latest Caribbean Photo comes from Caribbean Journal reader Joanna Blanco, who sent in this lovely shot of what she calls a “secret corner” of Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos. Have you taken a great photo in the […]


Rum Journal: A Game-Changing Caribbean Rum Gets Even Better 

dos maderas caribbean

It may be hard to remember with the growth of rum in the last decade. But when Dos Maderas came out with its 5+5 rum, it was a bit of a game-changer for the spirit.  At the time (more than […]