January 31, 2007

LATIN AMERICA | BELIZE

Privacy Belize

By Mark Jolly

Green is the color for this Valentine's Day.

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Sure, you can wait for Leonardo DiCaprio to turn his private island, Blackadore Caye, into the luxury eco-resort he promised two years ago. Or you can embrace your own Belizean fantasy right now. Cayo Espanto, a private island off the coast of Belize, is cutting 40-percent off its usual rates for couples who book at least five nights before Valentine’s Day. The exclusive resort, which all the major travel glossies have long salivated over, is located in the Caribbean, three miles from San Pedro — and the $995 per-couple per-night package (usual rate is $1,695), includes all meals, island transfers and a 24-hour butler service.

Famed for the world’s longest barrier reef after Australia’s Great Barrier, Belize is — remarkably like El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras — the unsung adventure wonderland of Central America. Belize Lodge Excursions (BLE) runs customized safari camps that snake through primeval jungle (accessible by only canoe), marine reserves and Mayan ruins. And in March, BLE introduces a new deluxe property, Ballum Na, inthe mix. Perched above the jungle canopy, the five-star lodge is located by a waterfall and jaguar sanctuary. If you want to head any higher, you can book a bespoke helicopter tour with Green Dragon Adventure. There. And we didn’t mention Francis Ford Coppola once.