Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Dear Reader,
Have you ever dreamed of owning a Caribbean bolthole... a getaway where nobody can find you if you don't want to be found? Where you can kick off the business suit, throw away the Blackberry, and forget about your hectic schedule...and spoil yourself in a little piece of heaven...
We've uncovered three Caribbean locations where you can do just that, without a sultan's bank account. Read more below...
Tulum, Mexico.
Thirty million Tripadvisor readers voted Tulum #2 in their top ten Beach and Sun Destinations worldwide this year. It's postcard-perfect... a carpet of silky white sand, dotted with palm trees, and washed by bright-aquamarine Caribbean waves. Offshore, the coral reef beckons, with a rainbow of exotic fish.
Inland, a rich jungle landscape awaits. Dense tropical foliage curls around ancient Mayan ruins...and frames crystal-clear cenotes. Jagged limestone outcrops stud the forest floor. Jewel-bright butterflies flit overhead...iguanas bask in sunlit clearings...and birdsong drifts from tree to tree.
You don't have to choose between beach and jungle...reef or rainforest. In Tulum, you can have both. Plus, you can enjoy culturally-rich Mayan history and archaeology...hang out with friends over a gourmet dinner in the hip beach town of Playa del Carmen...play a game of golf, take a relaxing massage, or just soak up the sun on the powder-sand beach.
And you can own 5-acre forest lots here...just a twelve-minute drive to that stunning beach...for $75,000.
Click here to find out more.Pearl Islands, Panama.
This tiny island is one of more than two hundred, scattered in the ocean south of Panama City. Although it sits in the Pacific, the water is Caribbean-clear. Standing only waist-high, you'll see exotic fish darting past in the water, and a little farther from shore you can snorkel the coral beds that almost surround the island.
This place is exclusive...a hideaway for wealthy businessmen and politicians for decades. The little airstrip usually has at least one private plane on the tarmac, and offshore, gleaming yachts rock on the gentle waves.
The island doesn't suffer from over-development. You won't see condo towers, or huge hotels on any of its thirteen beaches. Private homes dot the island, from modest weekend homes to stylish villas.
A fully turnkey villa a couple of minutes walk from one of the island's nicest beaches is available for $199,000. This cozy home comes with complete with furniture, linens...in fact, everything you need to move in or start renting straightaway. The villa rents for up to $180 a night, and more in high season (Christmas, New Year, and Easter). For more details, click here.
Dominican Republic.
Start with a cute Caribbean fishing village. Bring in a large group of French and Italian expats, who like what they see, but decide to add the finishing touches (interior decor, gourmet food...simple luxuries), and what do you get? Las Terrenas, in the Dominican Republic.
The beaches are golden, and the water warm and clear. The town's original humble fishing huts on the sand look deceptively rustic from the outside. Inside, it's a different story. Each has its own unique style and flair...from a basic pizza parlor with plain wooden chairs and tables, to elaborate restaurants with linen tablecloths, mood lighting, and art on the walls.
The stores and street stalls sell fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, fresh-baked French croissants, delicatessen goods...and antiques and art. But you won't have vendors bothering you on the beaches...just long sweeping curves of sand, soft waves, and the shade of a palm tree, all to yourself.
A 73 square meter (785 square feet) condo here is on the market for $160,000. Only 60 meters from the beach, the condo has expansive ocean and beach views. Click here to find out more.
Margaret Summerfield
Posted Under:
beachfront, panama, mexico, dominican republic
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