This private island resort off Belize's Ambergris Caye is a castaway's fantasy. Six villas are tucked amidst palm trees and lush landscaping, each with its own private dock. In addition, each villa has its own fully enclosed plunge pool except the overwater bungalow. (With that one, if you fancy a dip you can just jump off the pier into the ocean.) The indoor-outdoor design differs in each villa, but lots of little touches like outdoor showers, mosquito netting, bamboo furniture, and

This private island resort off Belize's Ambergris Caye is a castaway's fantasy. Six villas are tucked amidst palm trees and lush landscaping, each with its own private dock. In addition, each villa has its own fully enclosed plunge pool except the overwater bungalow. (With that one, if you fancy a dip you can just jump off the pier into the ocean.) The indoor-outdoor design differs in each villa, but lots of little touches like outdoor showers, mosquito netting, bamboo furniture, and hammocks create a relaxed tropical feel that can lean toward romantic or adventure-lodge, depending on the circumstances. For lovers or newlyweds, the secluded property lends itself to skinny-dipping in the plunge pool, breakfast in bed, and gourmet picnics on private beaches. For families or couples who have been together forever, the chief attractions tend to be the barrier reef just offshore, the excellent scuba-diving sites all around the area, and the fishing.

"The water's so shallow you can look out and see a bonefish or a tarpon," explains one regular return guest. As any fisherman knows, the elusive bonefish presents one of the greatest and most alluring challenges in all of fishing—enough to draw an avid fisherman out to the shallows and quiet streams for several days on end. Meanwhile, guests who don't thrill to the chase can stay on-property and treat themselves to open-air massages, hammock naps, or snorkeling jaunts. Both because of its location and its intimate size, this is a good place to learn how to scuba-dive: beginners get all the personal attention they want, while advanced divers can explore the barrier reef or other unusual sites like Belize's famous Blue Hole. For rainy days, there's a DVD library stuffed with over 300 movies.

No matter how you spend your days, the meals at the start and finish will be a highlight here. Guests don't have to conform to a one-size-fits-all menu; instead, during the afternoon or the early morning, a chef will come visit and discuss the food choices for the upcoming day. He brings a selection of pre-designed menus, but if poached lobster with cilantro is what everyone wants, he'll make it specially to order. In general, all of the staff at this resort meet a similar service standard. They're as attentive as people want them to be, but when their presence is not required, they discreetly disappear. Every guest is furnished with a walkie-talkie upon arrival, to call up his or her personal houseman when needed.

Lena Katz is the author of the Travel Temptations series, published by Globe Pequot, including the recently published SUN: California and SIP: California guides.