Palmetto Bay - Maya Beach, Belize

The Villas at Amangirl & Palmetto Bay Resort

In the western Caribbean at about the midpoint of Belize’s long, narrow — and fairly undeveloped — Placencia Peninsula, this gated project has plans for around 120 full-ownership condominiums. There are 36 one- to three-bedroom units, in two six-story buildings, in the initial phase. The units, from about 1,100 to 4,500 square feet, will be sold furnished, and they will all have water views and patios or balconies with grills; a rental program will be offered. Interiors and common areas are designed by Julieanne Dobson, who previously worked on Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn resort on the peninsula’s southern end. The infinity pool will front the project’s 400-foot private beach. There will also be a beach boardwalk and a private dock. The development plans to collect rainwater underground and use geothermal and solar power for heating and cooling as part of an overall effort toward sustainability and energy efficiency. A small airport on the peninsula, about a 10-minute drive south of the project’s site, has flights from Belize City; otherwise, the Belize City airport is about three hours away by car.

Breaking Ground is a weekly look at projects, planned or under construction, that include weekend or vacation homes.    GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

Palmetto Bay Resort to Bring Luxury Beachfront Resort Real Estate to Southern Belize's Placencia Peninsula

Ravenspur Investments Inc. today unveiled plans for Palmetto Bay Resort at Maya Beach, a secluded tropical hideaway in Southern Belize situated on 16-miles of white sand beaches and complemented by stunning scenery of the Maya Mountains. Palmetto Bay will introduce unprecedented luxury beachfront real estate and Four Star amenities to the Placencia Peninsula of Southern Belize, and will be the first development in the Caribbean designed 'green' from inception.

The first phase of the gated resort, which is currently under construction, will be comprised of 36 whole ownership, luxury beachfront condominiums ranging from approximately 1,100 to 4,500 square feet, each with unobstructed views of the Caribbean Sea and extensive outdoor living space. Prices will start in the low $300,000s USD. The international sales and marketing campaign for Palmetto Bay Resort commences today.     GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

Investing in Real Estate in Belize

Real estate in Belize has increased in value at an impressive rate in the past five years. Investment by Canadians and Europeans, accompanied by potential upcoming direct flights from Europe, is likely to increase the area’s popularity further. Americans who cannot afford to retire in the U.S. are considering Belize as inflation rises at home, and investors may have an opportunity to jump on board before the Belize real estate market takes off.

Located in Central America, Belize is slightly smaller than the state of Massachusetts and is bordered by Mexico to the north, Guatemala to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east. There are an estimated 301,270 people residing in Belize, and the population is growing at a rate of 2.207 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. English is the official language, though Spanish is more widely spoken. 76.9 percent of Belizean residents are literate.    GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

If I Never See Another Dirt Road…

Bone-jarring, teeth-breaking, headache-making, dusty, bumpy dirt roads. If I never see another one, I would be happy indeed. But these come with the territory when you’re on Latin American scouting missions. And like giving birth, you soon forget the pain and start planning your next trip down Pothole Road.

To prove that memory is fleeting, I recently found myself banging down the exact stretch of back-breaking road that I first traversed 16 years ago. Some things haven’t changed…like Belize’s Placencia Road. Nor has my threshold for punishment, it seems.

On my first visit to the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize’s Stann Creek district, in 1992, I arrived via a rickety 10-passenger single-prop plane that wobbled out of the sky over the Caribbean and onto a dirt-path runway cut out of the jungle.    GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

ECO LUXURY

Being ecologically responsible doesnit have to involve a lot of energy or thought. In fact, for owners and visitors to theses new four-star properties, it doesn't require anything more than choosing between lounging in a cabana on the beach or by the pool, thanks to developers who have taken care of the nitty-gritty green stuff.     GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

Belize: Coming of age

PLACENCIA, Belize: Plans to build a 582-acre residential development and resort have stirred controversy on this remote Caribbean peninsula, where long sections of the only road are unpaved and manatees lounge in the nearby lagoons.

The design for the 1,000-home project, called Ara Macao, includes a golf course and full-service marina in a total area equivalent to 236 hectares. "Ara Macao is not what the country can support," said Dianne Bulman, a local developer. "The infrastructure is not here."

But, ready or not, large-scale development is coming to Belize. Several large projects are moving forward, bringing unprecedented construction to the former British Honduras, which has a population of only 294,000.

The list of projects includes the recently announced Smuggler's Run Plantation, a 1,000-acre residential development north of Belize City. The project will consist of 1,440 townhouses and condominiums, 370 lots for custom homes, a marina, a hotel, retail space and a golf course designed by Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest and Associates.    GO TO SITE   VIEW PDF

Belize's All-Green Resort First Built in Caribbean

Luxury Real Estate: The first eco-planned Caribbean luxury resort from inception to completion is being raised on the Placencia Peninsula in Southern Belize, making the idyllic tropical paradise an official part of the phenomenally pervasive "green" consciousness of the 21st century. The Palmetto Bay Resort at Maya Beach, helmed by luxury property developer, Ravenspur Investments, is the first planned from inception eco-friendly resort to dot the Caribbean Islands.

Sustainable eco-driven technologies used by Ravenspur include geothermal- solar- and water-filtration technologies. It is projected that such methodologies will conserve 1,000 gallons of water daily when the resort is at full occupancy. The ensuing conservation of water is beneficial both environmentally and financially. It is a measurable example of how planning "green" protects the environment and saves money for owners too. The Palmetto Bay Resort is being raised on 16-miles of white-sand beaches and a picturesque view of the Maya Mountains. The first phase of the gated mixed-use resort, which includes 36 beachfront condominiums with floor plans from 1,100 up to 4,500 square feet, is under way.     GO TO SITE

Palmetto Bay In Belize Partners With Resort To Resort A Global Exchange Program Powered By Intrawest

Resort to Resort, an exclusive Homeowner exchange network developed by Intrawest, announced today that it has partnered with Palmetto Bay in Maya Beach, Belize.

Palmetto Bay Resort at Maya Beach, a secluded tropical hideaway in Southern Belize situated on 16-miles of white sand beaches and complemented by stunning scenery of the Maya Mountains. Palmetto Bay will introduce unprecedented luxury real estate and Four Star amenities to the Placencia Peninsula of Southern Belize, and will be the first development in the Caribbean designed ‘green’ from inception.

Designer Julieanne Dobson–renown work on Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn– will create the interiors and intimate outdoor settings with use of the finest natural materials, including warm woods and natural stone, vibrant contemporary textiles, and niche lit Mayan and African inspired art.     GO TO SITE

BELIZE. The Europeans are coming

CURRENCY EXCHANGE rates have helped make Belize an attractive vacation home choice for Canadians and Europeans; the Belizean dollar is worth about half of the U.S. and Canadian dollars, a third of the euro, and a quarter of the British pound. Consequently, over the last five years, property values in the country have increased by about 20 percent annually. For beachfront property, prices have risen even more rapidly.

In Southern Belize, Palmetto Bay, which ultimately will comprise about 120 condominiums, has begun accepting reservations for its first phase of 36 residences. The resort is located about 10 minutes from a small airport that has flights to and from Belize City. Pricing starts at $323,000 for a one-bedroom condominium, about $511,000 for a two-bedroom, and about $683,000 for a three-bedroom. The fully furnished homes will include Mayan and African art and pottery and will range from about 1,160 to 2,270 square feet. Each residence also will have water views and oversized balconies. The infinity-edge pool at Palmetto Bay, which expects to complete its first phase by fall 2011, will front a 400-foot-long beach.    VIEW PDF

Palmetto Bay Resort at Maya Beach, Placencia Peninsula, Belize

Palmetto Bay Resort combines eco-friendly design and living with the lush tropical surroundings and white-sand beaches of Southern Belize's Placencia Peninsula. Starting at just under $300,000, Palmetto Bay's elegantly designed turnkey one-, two- and three-bedroom residences feature interiors by Julieanre Dobson -- famous for her work on Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn. Property highlights include 16 miles of white-sand beaches and a meandering stream that wanders through the lobby and under arches, depositing into a 300-foot oceanfront infinity pool. Units are complete with fully equipped gourmet kitchens, balcony barbeques and outdoor living areas. As added incentive, real estate ownership in Belize is without restriction to foreign buyers.    VIEW PDF