Tucked away in the shimmering teal waters of the Caribbean, Cayo Espanto is a secluded and luxurious private island getaway off the coast of Belize. While I’m no stranger to luxury hotel stays, Cayo Espanto is unparalleled—this ultra-exclusive retreat that only takes 1 minute to walk across delivers a stunning outsized experience.
The private island only has a handful of villas designed for an escape of ultimate seclusion and high-class service. Each villa comes with a dedicated houseman and private chef, offering a level of intimacy and personalization that was truly impressive and above and beyond. We stayed for four incredible nights on Cayo Espanto, feeling like high royalty. From the moment we stepped foot onto this gorgeous island until the moment that we left, I truly was pampered from head to toe, like I was in my own personal paradise.
Please note that while I was graciously hosted by Cayo Espanto, all thoughts are my own.
Arrival at Cayo Espanto: Stepping Into Paradise
Before we even left for Belize, I was impressed by Cayo Espanto. About 2 weeks before we headed to our island paradise, Cayo Espanto sent us a survey asking detailed questions about our preferences including our favorite foods, what time we liked to have our morning coffee, and even our exercise habits so they could personalize our experience on the island exactly to our taste. But I didn’t know exactly how much of a treat we were in for until we arrived.
Our journey to Cayo Espanto was seamless, efficient, and comfortable. The island arranged transportation for us from Belize City to San Pedro airport, then to Cayo Espanto on a small boat just seven minutes from the bustling and chaotic Ambergris Caye. The seaplane flight to San Pedro was one of the most breathtaking I’ve ever seen, soaring over crystalline waters and dazzling coral reefs! You can also arrange to have a helicopter flight directly to Cayo Espanto, but I loved both the seaplane experience and the short boat ride.
As we approached the dock, I saw the entire small staff on the island lined up to greet us, drinks in hand. Unlike a typical hotel, there is no check-in process—after all, the entire private island staff already knows you by name. We were introduced to our two personal housemen, Larry and Gian, who aided us at every step and were always available at the drop of a hat.
After a long day of traveling—we’d driven all the way from Hopkins that morning—it was so nice to be greeted with smiles, cold drinks, and a delicious snack of shrimp cocktail and guacamole on our shaded yet sunny patio.
Accommodation on Cayo Espanto: Luxury Villas
The island is not just small—it’s tiny. I walked from one side to the other in about 30 seconds, my feet crunching over finely raked sand dappled with sun and shadows from the waving palm leaves. The water surrounding Cayo Espanto is so shallow and clear, you can practically walk back to San Pedro!
There are only a handful of residences on Cayo Espanto, and they are all equally luxurious. Each villa can be converted into a fully open-air design by folding back all the doors, allowing the dreamy sea breeze to drift inside. My favorite part of our villa, Casa Manana, was the private dock that extends into the water, making it the perfect spot for relaxing, watching the sunset, or having a romantic dinner.
The bed is almost sinfully plush, with a helpful mosquito net in case of any bugs—though they are few and far in between for an open-air tropical island. “Direct beach access” is rather too stuffy of a term—five steps from our blankets and pillows, you are already on the sand.
Great additions include a private plunge pool, both an indoor and outdoor shower, private foot bath, hammock, and excellent sound system for playing music. The bathrobes are somehow incredibly lightweight and yet also dream-worthy soft—and yes, I did fall asleep in one every night.
Service & Hospitality: Where Cayo Espanto Goes Above and Beyond
I’ve been to plenty of nice resorts and luxury boutique hotels, but hospitality is where Cayo Espanto truly shines and goes above and beyond. Our two housemen, Larry and Gian, delivered an absolute masterclass in stellar service from morning til night, attentive every second of the day.
The service is efficient and discreet—you never need ask for something more than once. I also loved that instead of hovering over you 24/7, you receive a walkie-talkie with which you can ask for anything at any time. Watermelon smoothie in the middle of a hammock nap? One word on the walkie-talkie, and Larry and Gian are at your service. Want to change the lunch menu last second? Just a short call away. Want to go out on a sailboat in the evening, but don’t know how to sail a sailboat? No worries, your houseman will pilot it for you.
I felt like our housemen were even able to anticipate our needs and took care of things before we even noticed ourselves—truly exceptional service. At the beginning of our stay, I asked for a steamer or iron for my packed and wrinkled clothes, and instead the staff came to collect my clothes and did them all for me. They also did our laundry for us, chatted with us when we wanted to chat, and left us in private when we wanted peace and quiet. When we left Cayo Espanto, I knew I would miss everything about the island—but especially the housemen. They made our stay so wonderful, I wish I could’ve taken them with me.
Fine Dining on Cayo Espanto
Dining is certainly one of the highlights of Cayo Espanto and arguably where it shines the most. The private chef takes your food and drink preferences into account when designing the menu, personalizing each meal to your taste. I specified only about one hundred times on our survey that we enjoy fresh seafood, so we were constantly feasting on sweet crab claws, blackened shrimp, snapper and grouper, octopus legs, and much more. I was practically drooling at every mealtime.
Additionally, I also enjoyed that you can make adjustments to the menu because the chef comes to talk over every meal with you a few hours prior, making additions or substitutions as you like.
We definitely left Cayo Espanto a few pounds heavier, thanks to the work of the wonderful chefs. Even lunch has a dessert course! Dinner is a slow and relaxed affair with a soup, appetizer, and entree (or in our case, entrees—we couldn’t choose which options we liked and opted to have them all), before finishing off with a delectable dessert, given that you can stuff it into your already bursting and happy stomach.
One aspect I especially enjoyed about dining at Cayo Espanto is that there is no central restaurant area. All meals are taken privately in different spots around the island. One night is a sunset dinner on our private deck, the next is a beach meal with a bonfire and private mariachi guitarist to serenade us. It feels much more intimate, and the small details that changed every day—from private movie night to the differently shaped napkins every dinner service—made the experience that much more luxurious and personal.
🍹 Ready to enjoy a meal from your private chef? Book your stay at Cayo Espanto here.
Activities, Excursions & Wellness: Life on Cayo Espanto
Cayo Espanto offers many kinds of excursions—snorkeling, diving, sailing, Mayan ruins, hiking, fishing, cave tubing, zip lining, and more! We were spoiled for choice and opted for some of Belize’s most stunning highlights, including the Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley private snorkeling tour and the Day at Sea With A Little Luxury excursion.
Day at Sea with Luxury: Fishing, Snorkeling, and Freshly Caught Seafood
All boating excursions are guided by the private island’s own ship captain, German. The Day at Sea excursion took us aboard the Sarah Kate, Cayo Espanto’s private 35-foot luxury yacht. I’m not often a fan of traveling by boat, but the Sarah Kate has a fresh water shower, bathroom, and air conditioning on board, plus plenty of fresh towels and cold drinks. The water is absolutely gorgeous and you can easily jump straight out of the boat into the crystalline Caribbean.
We started our excursion with some fishing—another activity that I often don’t like but thoroughly enjoyed with German and Max by our sides. The area is so rife with fish, we caught one before the boat had even stopped! We also caught plentiful yellowtail snappers, groupers, and barracuda—and I even accidentally caught a nurse shark! (We released it back into the sea, don’t worry).
After fishing, we enjoyed some snorkeling among the colorful and endless fish before diving for conch on the sea floor. And then it was off to a private beach, where German and Max prepared delicious fish ceviche and grilled seafood with tomatoes, corn, and scalloped potatoes with the fresh bounty that we had caught that morning!
Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is one of Belize’s most prized jewels. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef system in the entire world. “Hol Chan” means “little channel” in Maya, referring to the natural channel in the reef.
I love snorkeling, and Hol Chan Marine Reserve is an absolutely unforgettable experience. Because the area is protected—no touching, fishing, or hunting allowed—the crystal-clear waters are just teeming with marine life like coral, sea turtles, eels, nurse sharks, sting rays, and all kinds of multicolored fish. With Max as our private guide, we saw so many schools of fish, turtles, sting rays, and even a lobster! He was also able to take photos and videos deeper in the water that we never would’ve been able to get on our own.
Shark Ray Alley is a highlight of Hol Chan—a region of the reserve famous for its high concentration of friendly, cute nurse sharks and jacks. If you’ve ever wanted to swim with sharks, Shark Ray Alley might be the best place to do so—the sharks are so adorable and gentle. I couldn’t stop gushing over them!
🦈 Read more about visiting Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley in my guide here.
More Activities and Wellness
Cayo Espanto also treated us to an almost unfairly excellent couple’s massage—seriously one of the best I have ever had—and a dreamy sunset cruise aboard the Sarah Kate. We saw so many birds, and if you’re lucky, you might even see a manatee! We didn’t, unfortunately, but the beautiful glowing sunset more than made up for it.
All guests also have full access to non-motorized water equipment free of charge—paddleboarding, kayaking, sailboating, and even a water trampoline. We loved spending a morning on the stand-up paddleboards and Larry even took us out on the sailboat one evening at our request.
Final Thoughts on Cayo Espanto
Leaving Cayo Espanto, I felt a sense of sadness that I never would’ve expected a resort could make me feel. The team there made us feel not only comfortable and pampered, but truly at home as well. The level of customization and personalization that this private island getaway offers is unmatched compared to anywhere else I have stayed.
Cayo Espanto sees an impressive number of repeat guests, and after our stay on the island, I entirely understand why. You truly fall in love with Cayo Espanto and want to return to home in paradise time and time again. I look forward to stepping onto its sandy shores again sometime soon.
Book a stay at Cayo Espanto here.
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