Is Belize the Caribbean’s Next Luxury Getaway Destination?
Photo by Naïa Resort and Spa, Placencia Village, Belize
Many veteran travelers may be surprised to hear that Belize is becoming a luxury getaway destination. For many years, Belize was considered far off the beaten track, an affordable Caribbean getaway for backpackers, wanderers, and budget travelers.
But that perception is rapidly changing. Several big-name developers have built luxury resorts on private islands, places where film stars, Hollywood producers, and the upper echelon of the Trump family have enjoyed some discrete time away from the public gaze.
Recently, however, Belize has experienced double-digit yearly increases in tourism numbers, and luxury developers have taken notice. The Four Seasons is in development to open a property in Belize in 2021, and the Dream Group Hotel has two properties that are scheduled to open in 2020. There are also plans to build an 18-hole golf course designed by Golf Hall of Famer Greg Norman on the island of Caye Chapel.
And it’s not just the islands that are seeing an increase in demand for luxury resort properties. Belize’s lush mainland is the setting of several high-end eco-lodges that are designed to be entirely energy and resource self-sufficient in order to protect the integrity of the surrounding environment.
Today, travelers can already enjoy luxurious lodgings such as those found on the north end of the island of Ambergris Caye, which can only be reached by boat, and several high-end resorts located on the Placencia Peninsula on Belize’s southeastern coast. Many of these resorts offer their guests the free use of sea kayaks or Hobie Cat sailboats that are ideal for exploring the surrounding area.
Luxury travelers are drawn to Belize due to the lush surroundings and the huge variety of activities on offer, including exploring ancient Maya cities, canoeing down pristine jungle rivers, zip lining, horseback riding, and even cheese-making workshops. Many resorts also feature high-end spas delivering a variety of therapies, including mud treatments made from the mineral-rich local clays.
Belize is also the home of the largest coral reef system in the Western Hemisphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and vast archipelago of more than 400 islands where activities like sailing, fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving are popular.
If you’re interested in a luxury vacation in Belize, be sure to book your travel with Adventures in Belize (AIB). AIB works with all of the top resorts, hotels, lodges, private ground transfer companies, and tour operators in Belize to create amazing, one-of-a-kind vacations.
