"Who else would like to relax with friends, drink cocktails on the deck of your luxurious home on your own private Caribbean island, and watch the dolphins frolic, while the sun sets behind mountains draped in lush tropical rainforest?"
 

- Especially when you can have all this for less than the cost of your current home.

 

You probably never dreamed it could be possible. Indeed if you wanted to buy an island anywhere else in the Caribbean you would need to be a very well-heeled multi-millionaire.

But there is one secret corner that, until recently, has been completely overlooked: a fantastic bay with beautiful islands, clean, unspoilt sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, lush tropical rainforest, and a charming, bustling little town.

What you won’t find here are crowded beaches, noisy jet-skis, and obnoxious tourists fighting over a limited supply of beach chairs.

In fact the area is so unspoilt and beautiful that it has been the location for “Survivor” reality TV programmes for no less than twelve different countries! That location is the Bocas del Toro archipelago on the Caribbean coast of Panama

This bay actually boasts hundreds of islands. Some are large, many are tiny. And, among all of these, is one that stands out as unique - and that is now up for sale at a ridiculously cheap price. That island has been aptly named Xanadu.

And so it should be, as it is, perhaps, one of the most peaceful places on Earth. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. To get the full flavor of your island retreat, let’s run through a typical day.
 

Your King-Sized Bed Overlooks the Dolphins in the Bay

You awake in your king sized bed in a huge bedroom. You get up, open the French doors, and are greeted by that still quiet freshness of a Caribbean morning. Not a ripple is on the water as you look across Dolphin Bay to the distant hills, covered in thick, lush, tropical rainforest.

To get a better view of the morning, you step out onto the upper deck (10' by 30') and survey your kingdom. There are no neighbours to worry about - after all, you own the whole island - so there is no need to dress modestly.

After a refreshing shower in the large bathroom (his and her basins) you get dressed in the walk-in closet and go downstairs to meet with your guests, who have also enjoyed a peaceful (and very quiet - no cars!) night’s sleep in their two bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms.

After fixing some fresh coffee and your favorite breakfast, which you all eat out on the shaded deck, you plan the days activities.

Every Watersport You Can Imagine

First on the agenda is an early morning swim and snorkel, right off your lower deck. The warm water is crystal clear, giving you a perfect view of the amazing coral reef that extends for about 200 meters on each side of the house. Take a close look at the different types of coral, and you will see what looks like Christmas tinsel wrapped around them. In fact it is a type of starfish known as a brittlestar!

You will also, of course, see countless different tropical fish - the striped “sergeant major”, trumpet fish, some amazing bright blue ones, angel fish, and, if you are lucky, perhaps a ray gracefully lifting off from the sand below the reef and leisurely “flying” through the water (don’t worry, they won’t harm you - and no, there are no sharks).

After a shower on the deck, you plot the rest of the day. The options are plentiful, you could:

Go waterskiing in the Dolphin bay with your own speedboat with an almost new 85hp Yamaha outboard (included with the purchase of the house). Because it is so sheltered the waters in Dolphin Bay are always beautifully smooth.

Head out of the bay across to Red Frog Beach (15 minutes), a long yellow sandy beach. It is always practically deserted - except on Sundays when the locals come out for a day off - and has some great waves to play in. Don’t forget to take a 15 minute walk along a trail through the jungle, where you will see countless tiny bright red tree frogs. This is the only place in the world that they can be found.

If you are more into surfing, then head out to Punch point or Bluff Beach on Isla Colon for some world class waves - and see if you can keep up with the locals who have featured in various magazine photo shoots. If you want to learn, there are plenty of smaller wave breaks that are a bit kinder on beginners.

Between the Caribbean coast, with its large waves, and the placid waters of Dolphin Bay, is a stretch of water that is partially sheltered. With countless islands to visit, this makes for fantastic sailing, windsurfing and kite-surfing.

But perhaps you had in mind a more leisurely day? Then why not head over to Coral Key and have some freshly caught lobster for lunch and still get change from $20.

Just 15 minutes across the water from Xanadu lies Bocas town. The colonial style wooden buildings painted in every bright color you can imagine, remind you more of the Caribbean Islands of St. Lucia and Grenada than Central America. Here you can find everything you need - supermarkets, restaurants, bars, discos, local arts and crafts, a bank with ATM, Mail Boxes etc., and high speed internet. And people even speak English!

Now, don’t get me wrong. This is still a very small, and pretty undeveloped outpost. If you find yourself craving some American-style opulence then just take a one hour plane ride to cosmopolitan Panama City, where you will find the largest Mall I have ever seen, yet with prices at a fraction of what you would find back home!

A Nature-Lover's Paradise

Well, I haven’t mentioned the nature walks. Have you every picked fresh cocoa beans off a tree (photo on left)? And there are not one, but five species of endangered turtles, countless orchids, toucans, and sloths. Check with the Smithsonian Research Centre in Bocas town for details. Nor have I mentioned nearby horse riding, golf (coming soon), diving, or fishing. Time enough to explore all of those another day.

Right now it is time to head back home and relax in a lounger, or maybe the hammock, on the covered veranda or huge (96m²) tiled deck. Perhaps today will be one of those days that the dolphins decide to play right in front of you (they often do). If so, you will be treated to a delightful show.

As you watch the sun setting in a blaze of oranges and reds, cocktail in hand, you start to smell the delightful aroma of barbequed steak - or maybe lobster - being prepared on your grill on the large tiled patio.

Finally the sun sets, and the sky bursts forth with millions of stars! Not just the big constellations that you can see at home. Here there is no light pollution obscuring all but the brightest. You can even see the milky way - and when was the last time you saw that at home?

Ah, this is outdoor living at its best. And it sure beats fighting your way through the traffic to get home from a day at the office!

A dream? Far from it. All this is available to you for just $295,000. But it gets even better. Here you will find no property taxes, no income tax on earnings from abroad, and prices that are a fraction of what you are used to paying. So even an average retirement income will allow you to live like royalty here!

Vacation? Retire? Or Run Your Own Eco-Resort?

Not ready to retire? Then why not turn your island into an upmarket resort and restaurant? It already comes with a full restaurant/hotel/bar license (very difficult to get), so all you need to do is build some cabins (about $20,000 each) and you can be charging $150-$200 per night per cabin. Since you have 3,500 m² of land you have plenty of space to put up 6 or even 10. With an occupancy rate of at least 50%, that gives you a return of $27,000 per cabin - and an ROI of almost 100% p.a. after expenses.

Interestingly, it is the upmarket resorts that have the highest occupancy rates in the area, so you won't have to worry about getting business. Since almost every tourist takes a trip out to Dolphin Bay to see the dolphins, this would also be an excellent spot for a lunchtime restaurant on the large deck and veranda.

This home, and island, would be ideal for:

• A holiday home - come and visit to get away from the rat race for a while.
• A retirement home for an active couple - enjoy cheap living in which your retirement dollars go a looooong way. And no taxes on income earned abroad!
• Developing into a profitable resort with restaurant and cabins.  Having that license in place already makes it so much easier to get started.  And labor costs as little as $1 per hour.

Contact me now for more details