Adults-Only Beachfront Wellness Escape on Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye

Ix Chel is named after the Mayan goddess of healing, and the property is built around that idea without turning it into a rigid programme. There are four private casitas in total — two Ocean Front Casitas with their own plunge pools, and Ocean View Casitas set back among the trees. Each is private, and the whole resort can be booked out for a group. The scale is the point: with four rooms, the staff-to-guest ratio is high and the concierge service is genuinely personal rather than a front-desk queue.

The wellness side is à la carte. You can book a seaside massage, a yoga session or Reiki during your stay, or buy a Resort Access Pass if you are staying elsewhere on the island and want a day here. Harvest Café serves locally roasted Caye Coffee, house-made syrups and gut-friendly sourdough, and it is adults-only like the rest of the property. The café overlooks the water and is set up for long, slow meals rather than quick turnover.

Secret Beach is on the leeward side of Ambergris Caye, which is why the sargassum problem that affects the east-facing beaches is not an issue here. The water is swimmable and calm, and the resort keeps kayaks and paddleboards for guests to take out. It is also a practical base for the rest of Belize: the concierge can arrange snorkelling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve on the Belize Barrier Reef, fishing trips, mainland adventures and visits to Mayan sites.

What separates this from a larger resort on the same island is the size and the flexibility. There is no fixed timetable to keep to and no group you are expected to join. You decide each day whether you want a treatment, an excursion or nothing at all, and the concierge builds the itinerary around that. Guests who have stayed more than once mention the staff by name — Tiffany and Ryan — along with the cleanliness of the rooms, the view and the coffee.

What's included

- Private casita accommodation (Ocean Front or Ocean View) - Concierge service to arrange treatments, classes and excursions - Access to the beachfront, shaded daybeds and plunge pools (Ocean Front Casitas) - Use of kayaks and paddleboards - Access to Harvest Café for meals and drinks - Adults-only property throughout

What's not included

- Flights to Belize - Transfers to Ambergris Caye and the resort - Meals and drinks at Harvest Café (unless specified in your booking) - Yoga, Reiki and massage treatments - Excursions such as snorkelling, fishing and mainland trips - Travel insurance - Personal expenses