If a Central America island resort is fantastic, a Central America private island resort is a fantasy-come-true. Private island resorts and hotels aren't for travelers seeking boisterous nightlife or an ever-changing buffet of urban attractions. Instead, they're for romance. Respite. Natural beauty – especially the ocean (or a lake, in Jicaro's case). Here's a selection of some of Central America's private island resorts, from Belize to Panama.
Kirsten HubbardA favorite of several celebrities, Caye Espanto is a small, 5-star private island resort located off the coast of
Ambergris Caye. It includes four one-bedroom beachfront villas, two two-bedroom villas and one overwater bungalow. The seven villas ring the palm- and mangrove-strewn island, ensuring guests won't have to see any others during their entire stay – unless somebody happens to kayak past! All guests are assigned a personal houseman, and meals are customized for every taste.
Jicaro Island Ecolodge is a unique private island resort: a twenty minute boat ride from colonial
Granada in
Lake Nicaragua (the largest lake in Central America). It's a welcome sanctuary from the city chaos, but close enough for easy day trips in. Representative of the lodge's sustainability efforts, Jicaro's nine two-story casitas are furnished in Rainforest Alliance certified wood and crafted locally. Each has a deck overlooking the water and an oversized hammock for enjoying the lakefront view.
Dunbar Rock Villa is one of Honduras's most distinctive landmarks. It's a white hotel perched atop a tiny, rocky private island, near Guanaja in Honduras's Bay Islands. The homey property offers five suites, each with private bathroom, and is perfect for divers – there's a boat and diving supplies onsite.
Turneffe Island Resort is set on a private island on Belize's Turneffe Atoll, one of Belize's three
coral atolls (and one of only four in the Caribbean). The resort offers twenty rooms, with a choice between eight private cabanas, bottom-floor guestrooms with private patios and outdoor showers, or second-floor guestrooms with stunning views. Turneffe Island Resort works hard to remain sustainable in order to preserve the fragile Belizean ecosystem, employing solar power and a ecologically friendly water purification system.
Islas Secas, located in the Pacific Ocean off Panama's southern coast, is composed of sixteen small volcanic islands, each a tumble of bright green jungle. The resort includes just seven luxury casitas, and matches guests to staff on a one-to-one ratio. The property is extremely environmentally friendly, even teaming up with Project AWARE to help clean local beaches.
Located on an adults-only private island off the coast of southern Belize, Coco Plum Island Resort was made for romance. Ten beachfront cabanas offer a good deal of privacy. Packages start at four nights and include all meals and transportation from Dangriga to the island; some include bonus amenities, such as local drinks and tours, as well.
Panama's
Kuna Yala archipelago (formerly known as San Blas) boast some of the most remote islands in Central America, and also the most beautiful. Although most island accommodations are utterly basic, Sapibenega the Kuna Lodge is a mid-range alternative. The lodge's cabins include private bathrooms (with compost toilets), 24-hour solar electricity, fans and balconies with hammocks. Five-star, this isn't – but trust me, the Kuna Yala scenery is worth it.
Isla Marisol is an island in Glover's Atoll, another of Belize's three atolls and a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The resort offers several private, Belize-style cabanas with porches and air-conditioning; or, guests (particularly families) can opt for the larger two-bedroom, two-bathroom reef house, with a 40-foot verandah overlooking the Caribbean. The resort also has a dive shop, restaurant and bar onsite.
