My Favorite Caribbean Escape

I’ve been in love with Belize since the first time I set foot on its sandy, sun-drenched shores.

That was nearly 40 years ago. I was a young girl just starting out. I didn’t know much but enough to recognize the value of what Belize brought to the table.

On its Caribbean caye called Ambergris, Belize serves up white powder beaches, sparkling turquoise waters, gently swaying palm trees… and, way back then, little else.

When I first set eyes on it, Ambergris Caye was quintessential, unadulterated island escape. Because it was so underdeveloped, land values were absurdly low. I could have bought a beachfront lot for $9,000.

Alas, I didn’t have $9,000.

I couldn’t invest myself, but I issued a call to my readers.

Ambergris Caye, Belize, is a great big buy, I told them.

Dozens acted on my recommendation.

In the years since, I’ve run into some of those readers. They tell tales of making 10 times their money and more when they resold those first-in Ambergris lots.

Over the past four decades, Ambergris and I have grown up. I’ve tromped more than my share of beachfront property in those 40 years.

I’ll let you in on a secret. Based on all that experience, I have to admit that I don’t love the Caribbean.

For some, it’s the dream. If they could live or retire anywhere, they’d choose a Caribbean beach.

For me, one Caribbean island is much like another… with one exception.

The sandy shores of Ambergris hold my heart and call me back…

To get to Ambergris Caye, you take a prop plane from the mainland. Every time I land, climb down onto the island’s single runway, pull on my sunglasses, and take a look around, I have the same reaction I had 40 years ago when I saw this view for the first time.

It’s a feeling of freedom… a sense of leaving the troubles of the world behind. Who’s got time for worry when adventure, discovery, and fun are the local priority.

Belize was founded by pirates. From Peter Wallace to Blackbeard, buccaneers sought out these shores so they could ply their pirate trading out of view.

Those swashbucklers were followed centuries later by the British. They wanted a place to bank in private and built the infrastructure of a banking haven.

Then came the Mennonites from Germany and the Netherlands. They wanted to be Mennonites without anyone bothering them. Today these hard-working souls play an important role in this country’s economy.

Belize has more than rebounded post-pandemic and is on a solid track. The economy grew by 10.5% in the second quarter of 2024, with solid growth set to continue.

This economic stability is why folks from surrounding countries have migrated to Belize in search of safe-haven opportunity for generations.

In recent decades, another group has recognized this country’s more-relevant-today-than-ever appeals. North Americans are drawn to the chance this country offers for sweet, simple, safe escape… coupled with the ever-present opportunity for fun in the Caribbean sun.

People of all descriptions from all over the world are seeking out Belize in unprecedented numbers…

Including tourists.

All this attention is creating an exploding demand for accommodation. Ambergris Caye is the big winner, receiving the lion’s share of visitors to the country.

The trouble is… the available housing stock can’t support the surging market.

It’s a straightforward lack-of-supply scenario that has created a one-of-a-kind window of opportunity. I’m talking about the best property play I’ve identified not only in Belize but in all the Caribbean in 40 years.

For me, this is akin to those $9,000 beachfront lots of old… a new chance to be first-in on the next wave of development in one of the Caribbean’s fastest-growing markets. Only this time around, there’s no gamble…

We’re getting in on a prime location, right on the clear blue waters, with our own small private stretch of sand…

And remember, we’re talking about an island just 26 miles long—there’s only so much waterfront land available at this stage.

Add a luxury resort and global hotel-brand into the mix, and you have a killer deal ripe for both solid cash flow and long-term appreciation.

More on the particular opportunity I’ve identified in a moment. First, let’s get a better sense of the context…

What’s So Special About Belize?

Belize is safe and welcoming.

The sun shines all year long, and the people speak English.

Belize is an investment haven, a premier expat haven, and a tax haven. Property taxes in particular are ridiculously low.

Belize is one of the world’s easiest places to establish residency… and it’s just a two-hour flight from Miami.

The Belize dollar is pegged 2:1 to the U.S. dollar… meaning no exchange rate risk or worry.

With its beaches, coral reefs, jungles, and rivers, Belize boasts an embarrassment of natural riches. This is a global standout for biodiversity.

Those are just some of the reasons this country is enjoying record-breaking tourist attention. Why else are so many people seeking out Belize’s shores?

Belize once supported a population of one million Maya and hides some of that civilization’s greatest cities. Ruins of these architectural triumphs punctuate the dense jungle of the mainland. Impressive reminders of the Maya’s golden age, they’re another reason so many travelers are choosing Belize.

It’s on the mainland that you also find the rivers, rain forest, and caves of Cayo and Corozal that are attracting growing numbers of nature-lovers and eco-adventurers.

Indeed, little Belize offers a diversity of lifestyles, but the sand-fringed Key West experience of Ambergris Caye is indisputably the most popular.

Just offshore lie the natural wonders of the second-largest barrier reef in the world and the Great Blue Hole. These are bucket-list destinations for divers and snorkelers the world over… layering another dimension to Belize’s global tourist appeal.

Ambergris stands tall against the best of the Caribbean. The cherry on top is that this little Caribbean outpost remains undervalued. The cost of spending time here can be a bargain compared with the likes of St. Barts or St. Kitts.

It’s not hard to understand why Belize is such an increasingly hot ticket.

Overnight arrivals in the country have soared over recent years, reaching a peak in 2019. Then came the pandemic.

Now?

Tourism figures are once again surging back to pre-pandemic highs. Numbers are already up 30% for the first half of 2024 over 2023… and Belize is firmly back in the spotlight… as evidenced by headlines like “Belize Overnight Tourism Smashes Records in 2024” and “Belize Is the Fastest-Growing Destination in the Caribbean Right Now.”

At the height of the season earlier this year, January through March, local friends in the real estate business, including some who’ve been selling real estate in Belize for two decades, reported they were busier than they’d ever been. They couldn’t keep up with demand.

Everybody wants a piece of what this country has to offer.

A New Cycle Of Growth

Belize is entering a new cycle of growth… and nowhere in the country is going to benefit more than Ambergris Caye.

Remember, it is the most visited destination in the country.

I’ve made dozens of investment recommendations in Belize over the years and three investments in the country myself… but I haven’t been as excited about any other opportunity as I am about this one.

I’m talking about a pre-construction condo hotel property unlike any other not only on Ambergris but anywhere in the Caribbean.

This investment stands out for three reasons primarily…

1. Big Brand Name

Over the past 40 years, Ambergris Caye has enjoyed some spotlight.

First, Madonna visited the island, loved it, and paid homage in her “La Isla Bonita”… putting these sandy shores on America’s radar.

Then Survivor and Temptation Island filmed seasons on Ambergris, bringing more attention.

Ambergris Caye has one town—San Pedro. San Pedro has three roads. Front Street runs along the sea. Behind it is Middle Street and behind that, on the back side of the island, is what’s known, yes, as Back Street.

When I walked them in those early years, all three of these dirt roads were largely deserted. There were six hotels, nothing fancy, a couple of bars, a few shops offering the essentials—cold beers and cold Cokes. If you wanted something else, you brought it with you.

Then word of this isla bonita began to spread. Eventually, San Pedro’s entire sea coast was claimed by developers and speculators. More hotels were built… more bars and restaurants… wine shops… delis… dive shops…

All the trappings of a top-tier Caribbean destination emerged… with one glaring exception.

There was no big-name anchor property.

At last, a big name is moving in in a big way.

Marriott Residences and Resort has broken ground on a condo hotel project that will be the most impressive, full-service, and well-positioned property on the island.

With studios and one-, two-, and three-bedroom condominium beach homes, the sophisticated resort currently under construction will offer the best of private resort living in the setting of charming small-town San Pedro.

These premium oceanfront residences will offer exceptional views, exceptional service, and full access to the resort’s exceptional on-site amenities, including two oceanfront pools, a rooftop sunset lounge, oceanfront restaurants, a watersports and dive shop, a fitness club, a luxury spa, a kids’ club, retail space, and a private resort dock.

2. Location, Location, Location

This Marriott Residences property distinguishes itself among all the others on Ambergris thanks to its big-deal brand name… but for another reason, too.

San Pedro is the heart of Ambergris. It’s where everyone who arrives on Ambergris wants to be. This is where you come for shopping and services, for restaurants and bars, for nightclubs and boat charters.

If you’re an investor, this is where you want to place your money.

Trouble is, San Pedro is a small town. Its frontline stretch of white sand is very limited, and all that primo Caribbean real estate was spoken for long ago. There are no vacant lots.

How, then, was Marriott able to position itself smack dab at the center of the most sought-after and central stretch of sand on this entire island?

That’s thanks to the forward thinking of a longtime friend on the ground here. He bought this piece of front-and-center coast decades ago. On it he operated a modest hotel.

Then he made the deal with Marriott. Now he’s torn down the old place to make room for the new. Construction is already under way…

However, as one of my readers, you can still get in with pre-construction pricing. More on this in a moment.

3. Old World Colonial Design Sets This Property Apart

I’ve been tracking the Ambergris Caye market for 40 years. In all that time, I’ve watched for a particular kind of property to come to market.

Why, I’ve wondered, has no one conceived a project in the British-colonial style? Why has no one built a grand hotel reminiscent of Belize’s colonial past.
Belize’s history as a British colony is part of its appeal. It sets the country apart in the region.

First the Mayans created an architectural legacy on these Caribbean shores… then, centuries later, the British left their mark. The juxtaposition of the Mayan and British pasts is unique.

Finally, a developer is doing what I’ve wished for decades—creating a full-amenity property in the classic British-colonial style.

The Old World design echoes the country’s rich British heritage. Construction will feature Belizean hardwoods throughout and San Pedrano family heirlooms in the main lobby space.

And remember, we’re talking about a partnership with the largest hotel brand in the industry: The Marriott, which boasts over 8,000 hotels around the world and over 219 million members in its loyalty program.

They’re bringing the full weight of their name, spending power, and experience to put this project front and center on the map for tourists.

Rooms in comparable hotels on the island go for $500 upwards a night. With rooms already booked out for much of high season 2025.

Looking at these numbers, you can get a sense of the sizable rental returns The Marriott rental program is going to bring in.

First-In Doesn’t Happen Twice… Except This Time

This Marriott Residences property in the heart of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, is a unicorn.

It’s a chance to get in early on undervalued Caribbean island property… again.

The only snag at this stage is that there is limited inventory.

Of the 202 residences available here, the developer is holding onto the bulk of the inventory… such is their confidence in the income-generating power behind this global brand.

Only a limited number of units are available for the private investor…

Studios of 434 square feet start at $319,900, plus closing costs.

From there, prices go up according to size, floor, and view. With large 882-square-foot ocean-view units available from $699,900.

You can secure your unit with a $10,000 refundable deposit.

Plus, financing is available up to 70%.

This is premium Caribbean estate that will command high rental returns and strong appreciation. Right now is the time to get in on the ground floor.

Construction is underway and due to be completed by August 2025, but for now you can still get in at the early pre-construction pricing.

And there’s more…

Exclusive $2,500 Discount For My Readers Only

Thanks to my longstanding relationship with Mike, the developer, I have managed to negotiate a one-time-only $2,500 discount. Available here only for anyone who acts before Dec. 31.

This increases your ROI and lowers your transaction costs.

We’ve worked with the developer behind this project for more than 30 years. They have delivered hundreds of other properties in Belize and across the region. They deliver and they stand behind what they promise.

This new Ambergris property is a luxury resort in the right place at the right time. It will be a premium property in a premium location, a good formula for sustaining performance through all economic times.

This offer checks every box.

Until next time,

Kathleen Peddicord

Founding Publisher, Overseas Opportunity Letter