Villa Cayo

Villa Cayo is a small rental compound in Santa Elena, just across the river from San Ignacio, run by Ken and Virginia, an American couple who have lived in Belize for about forty years. It has a handful of casitas around a saltwater infinity pool, set in the trees, and it was our base for the four jungle days of the trip. Everything that happened in the Cayo District started and ended here.

Ken's setup

Ken is a bit of a genius about how things are put together. The pool is built so one whole side spills over into a catch basin and gets pumped back through, which means the entire edge acts as the filter. Sitting in it at night in the rainforest, with the lights on and the dark outside, a bug would land in the water every minute or two and just drift over the edge. The pool was always clean. The laundry room has baskets stacked overhead, the cars are organized, and the whole compound is laid out with the same care.

The math

We did the numbers on it as a business. They have around seven units they can lease in addition to their own place, so conservatively they're clearing several thousand dollars a month, probably a good deal more. Retired in Belize, running a beautiful property, and still sharp in their eighties. Not a bad way to do it.

After the waterfall rappelling day we were too tired to go anywhere, so we came back here and floated in the pool. That might have been one of the best evenings of the trip.