Why Belize?

Do you treasure exploring beaches, adventures such as diving and snorkeling, and ditching both your car and your "to-do" list to enjoy the beauty and serenity of island time?  If so, perhaps you have heard of Isla Bonita (beautiful island).  This term of endearment became popular after a song released by Madonna.   It’s also known as Ambergris Caye, an island off the tiny country of Belize, just south of Mexico on the Yucatan side.  Caye is pronounced “key."

If enjoying pristine white sands and turquoise waters is your idea of paradise, why not explore Secret Beach in Belize as a place to make your dreams come true? We welcome the opportunity to delve into the unique aspects of the Belizean lifestyle and share our experiences with you.

We live in landlocked Colorado, a great place to hike, bike, ski, and play in the mountains.  The dream of putting our toes in tropical waters for part of the year has always been alive!  Sondra has been searching for beachfront property for years, including countries such as Honduras, Nicaragua, Fiji, Jamaica, and of course the wonderful Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, on numerous occasions.  The search widened with Paul, the two of us heading to Costa Rica, the Canary Islands, Portugal, and many more idyllic Mexico adventures.

Five years ago, we went on a scouting trip to Ambergris Caye, Belize.   The island is truly breathtaking, measuring 25 miles long and about 2 miles wide.  It also borders the Belize Barrier Reef, the second largest reef in the world.

We’ve found our forever beachfront paradise, and are delighted to share our treasure with friends and family.  Read on!  

Why We Love Ambergris Caye

• This island has the most beautiful turquoise waters combined with stunning white sand beaches!
• We love the small locale on Ambergris Caye and traveling exclusively by bicycle or golf cart. Cars are few and far between.
• We found the difference between Ambergris Caye and other islands striking. It has a wonderful and engaging culture, while not being the least bit over-commercialized or over-developed.   
• Belizeans speak English, so there is no language barrier! And U.S. citizens can own beachfront property in fee simple title, unlike Mexico.
• If you love water sports like scuba diving, snorkeling, or sailing, Ambergris Caye is truly heaven on Earth.
• Secret Beach is off the grid! How cool to create a home using solar power.

We ended up purchasing oceanfront property on Secret Beach, located on the west side of Ambergris Caye. A few years ago, Secret Beach was just being discovered. Today people are starting to build off-grid homes and small resorts at a slow pace, and Leonardo DiCaprio is building an eco-resort on a nearby island.

The purpose of this blog is to let our family, friends, and beach bums everywhere know about this exciting Belize adventure. Our goal is to offer our blog every couple of weeks, including pictures and amazing fun facts about the joys of island living in Belize. Please comment below.

An excellent overview on owning property, living, working, taxes, banking, and retiring in Belize can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TAFhCJj1hE.

For further information, give Sondra a call at (970) 749-6120, and please subscribe at paul.secretbeachbelize.net.