We've all seen them. Those gorgeous bungalows and villas where you can picture yourself in your swim-out infinity pool or swinging leisurely in the hammock on your deck. People often think they exist only in the Maldives or in French Polynesia - and they are there, and they are gorgeous. But if you just can't stomach the long flights or if your vacation time doesn't allow you to take that many days off - you can also get them a little bit closer to home.
Let's take a look at options that might be easier for you to get to!
El Dorado Palafitos, Maroma Beach, Mexico
These overwater bungalows, part of the El Dorado spa resorts, made their debut in 2016 and were (and still are) the only overwater resort accommodations in Mexico. They are a cluster of 30 private bungalows sitting above the water of the white-sands of Maroma Beach. The Palafitos Overwater Bungalows include a private deck with lounge chairs, infinity pool, direct ladder access to the ocean, and an outdoor shower. Your views will include over the ocean sunrises and sunsets, and you'll have your own butler for the duration of your stay. You'll enjoy glass bottom floors, a full breakfast served daily, and customized beach picnics.
Aruba Ocean Villas, Aruba
I have to admit - I didn't know this one existed until recently, but they're stunning.
This resort has 8 different villas - each with their own personality, but all designed to take advantage of the natural surrounding beauty and allow you to unplug and escape. If you stay here - you're never going to want to leave. Coming soon is the new Penthouse Villa - complete with a two story waterslide. From this gorgeous resort you can snorkel (and see turtles), kayak around the mangroves, get a massage, or take an ATV to go explore.
Not only are these absolutely beautiful - I also love their philosophy: "At Aruba Ocean Villas we believe that sustainable development marries two important themes: environmental protection does not preclude economic development and that economic development must be ecologically viable now and in the long run." Now THAT is a company I want to support!
Sandals Grande St. Lucian Resort - St. Lucia
If you've read my blog in the past you might already know how much I love St. Lucia. It's great for families and has amazing resort for couples. Sandals is always a good solid pick, and the Sandals resorts in St. Lucia are no exception. This company has been around for years, and they've built a clear reliable formula - you always know what you're going to get with this brand. One benefit of a Sandals resort is that they pride themselves on their all-inclusive luxury - they refer to it as "luxury included." While so many other brands have a large number of exclusions to their all-inclusive packages - Sandals is one that actually does include almost everything in the cost of the room itself. This resort has nine over the water bungalows where you'll be attended to by a butler. Not only that but all of Sandals butlers train at the Guild of Professional English Butlers; they know what they're doing and can help to make your stay truly spectacular. The resort itself is located on a peninsula and is surrounded on the West by Rodney Bay and on the East by the Atlantic Ocean. One thing to note is that you are on the very tip of the island - so it's a bit of a hike to explore certain parts.
Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast
The Sandals brand also has overwater bungalows at two of their Jamaica locations. Just as in St. Lucia they have their great all luxury included. So - what are the differences? Here are a few things to know:
Sandals Royal Caribbean is located on Sandals' own private island in Montego Bay Jamaica (not to be confused with the Sandals Montego Bay resort - these are two separate resorts). This one is still close to the airport and some complain they can hear noises of the planes overhead. The beaches are man-made and very pretty - although smaller than some of the other Sandals beaches.
This resort also has two types of overwater accommodations - the villas and the bungalows. Both are located directly off of the resort's private island. All of the villas face the ocean - which allows further privacy while the bungalows surround the heart shaped boardwalk - and some face the ocean while other face the resort. A few other differences to note - the villas come with floating water hammocks, as well as a private infinity pool and an extended sundeck while the bungalows have a soaking tub. No matter which you choose you'll have a great stay.
Sandals South Coast is located on an incredibly scenic beach and is surrounded by a 500 acre nature reserve - giving the resort a stunning and quiet setting. It has 12 overwater bungalows built to create a heart shape over the water. One thing to note is that the bungalows are all identical - but the ones that face the ocean offer more privacy. If you book far enough in advance you can choose your specific bungalow and ensure you're desired location.
Thatch Caye Resort, Belize
Thatch Caye is an all-inclusive private island resort off the coast of Dangriga, Belize. I know this blog is supposed to be just about overwater bungalows so I'm going to reign myself in, but you can expect a blog all about Belize coming your way soon. The resort only holds 30 guests at a time and you're guaranteed a personalized experience. They have two overwater categories - Premiere Overwater Bungalow and Overwater Bungalow. All rooms - including the bungalows - were recently redone using reclaimed island materials, and the entire resort is fully sustainable. Important to note that WiFi is only available in the main lounge and and there are no tv's or phones in the rooms - although there is one phone and one tv in the lounge as well.
The Premiere Overwater Bungalows include private decks, air conditioning, a natural salt water pool and hammocks. Each bungalow is built on stilts out over the ocean with views of islands in the distance. Each bungalow has a private bathroom and either a king size bed or two twin size beds.
The Overwater Bungalows are slightly larger and share a large deck - but you need to know that they're right on the edge of the land. Each has individual bathrooms, a shower, and air conditioning. You can either get two twin beds or one king, and the resort recommends these as great option if you're traveling with a group.
Royalton Antigua
This is a fairly new resort. It opened in spring of 2019 to not so great reviews. Reviews from the Fall of 2019 into early 2020 suggest that they were beginning to improve. However, they were forced to close in March of 2020 and remained closed until November of 2020. The reviews I've found since that time are unfortunately not so great again.
That being said - the property looks beautiful, and I do think it has potential. The overwater bungalows face the Caribbean Sea - so right there you've got something great. The bungalows include front of the line check-in service, and direct butler transfers. Inside you'll find a master bedroom, seating area, a swim-out infinity plunge pool, overwater hammock, and glass floors.
My advice is to not book this one right now, but if you're planning in the future we can check it out, and see if the reviews improve once they work out the kinks!
Surprised there are so many options? Honestly, when I first heard about some of these I was pretty surprised as well! If you can't get these fabulous destinations out of your head, give me a call, and we'll figure out which one is the best for your next vacation!
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