People planning a honeymoon or similar romantic getaway ask us if there are any overwater bungalows in Florida or the Florida Keys. Unfortunately, there aren't, but there are a handful of Caribbean overwater bungalow resorts that are worth looking at, which we'll discuss below. If you are thinking about those dreamy little huts perched on
stilts above a clear and delicate lagoon, then you'll have to go a long way from Florida to find them. The ones that are in the Caribbean range from 3-star to 5-star deluxe, but those crystal clear lagoons just aren't found in this part of the world at all. We'll show you where to find those a bit down this page.
Overwater bungalows in the Caribbean
If you are dreaming of an ultra-luxury villa that is perched over the water, then you can actually find a few options now.The most famous ones at the moment are the Sandals Grande St. Lucian Resort and the Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Both of these resorts offer a luxury experience to anyone willing to pay for it. The overwater villas at the Amanyara Turks and Caicos Resort are set over serene and lovely private ponds set in a lush landscape just steps from the ocean.
On another note, there is an all-inclusive resort in Cuba called Hotel Meliá Cayo Coco that has 68 overwater rooms set in 18 structures over their inland lagoon. It’s definitely not the daydream-inspiring sort of overwater bungalow, since every room shares walls and/or floors and ceilings with other units, but on the other hand they are quite cheap and the place gets great reviews.
There’s also a resort called Dellis Cay in Turks and Caicos, which has 7 overwater bungalows built in the traditional South Pacific style, but unfortunately as of early 2011 it’s not yet open, and reports of major financial troubles have put its long overdue opening into question for some time.
Other overwater bungalows in the Caribbean
Check our main Caribbean overwater bungalows page for the specifics, but to summarize, you’ll find:
Cayo Espanto – A Private Island: This ultra-luxury resort on its own island just off Ambergris Caye in Belize has one huge overwater bungalow, and it rents for over US$1,000 per night.
Hotel Meliá Cayo Coco – An all-inclusive resort in Cuba that has 68 overwater rooms in 18 structures over its lagoon, plus 182 rooms in its beach hotel.
Coral Lodge: Six overwater bungalows starting at US$345 per night in a unique eco-resort off Panama.
Anthony’s Key Resort: Ten overwater bungalows (that are barely perched over the water’s edge) in an all-inclusive resort partially set on a private island off Honduras.
CoCo View Resort – Honduras: 16 overwater rooms in groups of 2 or 4 in addition to 10 beach rooms at an all-inclusive resort that offers all-inclusive diving packages as well.
Punta Caracol Acqua-Lodge: Nine overwater bungalows in another small eco-resort off Panama, which is totally solar powered, and includes breakfast and dinner with the room rate, starting at US$315 per night.
The South Pacific and the Maldives
Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa
If you are in the western half of the United States or Canada then you’ll be happy to know that reaching the overwater bungalow resorts in the South Pacific can be done quite reasonably. All flights leave from Los Angeles and go to Tahiti, taking about 8 hours in each direction. So you’ll need to connect at LAX if you aren’t already there, but that can be done quickly and cheaply from most cities.
Once in Tahiti you’ll have access to two larger overwater bungalow resorts right there, or you’ll most likely take another short flight (ranging from 10 to 50 minutes) to reach Moorea or Bora Bora, which is where you’ll find all the best such resorts in the South Pacific.
If you are close to New York City then you could actually reach the Maldives (just southwest of India) almost as easily as you can the South Pacific, and there you’ll have an enormous range of excellent resorts featuring water villas, as they are called there. Flights leave JFK and stop once in the Middle East for a change of planes and a short flight to the Maldives.
>More information about the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa
South Pacific
- Water bungalows in Bora Bora – The best clearwater lagoons
- Water bungalows in Moorea – Five deluxe resorts on stilts
- Water bungalows in Tahiti – Two affordable large resorts
- Water bungalows in the South Pacific – 8 resorts (this includes Fiji, Samoa, and many smaller islands)
Maldives
- Water villas in the Maldives – Over 50 resorts ranging from 3-stars to 5-star deluxe
Elsewhere in Asia
- Water villas in Asia – There are 3 small resorts in the Philippines, plus one in Malaysia and another in Thailand