Under the Mango Tree...
Date: 05/22/2006
Look closely. You see the red and blue dot under the tree? That's a person. This is one big mango tree.
Dear International Living Reader,
I've never seen anything like it. The giant mango tree in front of me has to be almost 100 feet in
diameter...and looks perfect, as if someone painted it against the backdrop of the distant cloud forest. (To give you perspective, the splash of red that you can see at its trunk in the photo above is a person.) I took this photo a few months ago, but by now this tree is laden with thousands of sweet, plump mangos. Here in La Ceiba, on the north shore of Honduras, growing conditions are perfect. You'll see giant and prolific specimens of just about every tropical fruit imaginable.
This old Caribbean port city lies on the narrow coastal plane--just a few miles wide--that separates the Honduran mountains from the calm sea. You'll find everything you could need in La Ceiba: mom-and-pop stores...modern supermarkets...a brand new shopping mall... The open-air seafood restaurants kept me in fresh shrimp, calamari, conch, and steaks during my entire stay; so many restaurants that I never had to visit the same place twice.
A friend has an apartment in downtown La Ceiba, and cites the advantages of the city, beyond the usual city conveniences, as: proximity to the airport, the Roatan ferry, and the short walk to the gym...as well as his daily round of golf with fellow expats. But living downtown in this Caribbean version of the Wild West isn't for everyone. Maybe that's why I found the homes at Mango Tree Villas so appealing.
Standing on this property just 20 minutes from La Ceiba, you can see the Caribbean off to the north and the mountains to the south. The mountains here are lush cloud forest, with vegetation reminiscent of the Amazon basin. In the afternoon, the clouds creep to the mountains' edge, but stop there, leaving Mango Tree Villas, the coastal plane, and the Caribbean bathed in sunshine. The property is planted not only with huge trees, but also with rare tropical flowers and fruits. The utilities on the project are underground and the streets are nicely paved, as is the coastal road between Mango Tree Villas and La Ceiba.
Some lots have an ocean view, while others are situated on a small, rushing river tumbling down from the cloud forest. Mango Tree Villas has a private, white-sand beach for residents, located about three minutes from the building lots. Also in the works are two restaurants and two pools; one pair for the homesites and one for the beach. Lots start at $39,000, and the lot I felt was the best on the property--a riverside lot with one of the giant mango trees--is $75,000.
You can also build a Spanish-style villa based on one of several designs, ranging from 1,500 square feet to 4,000 square feet (Mango Tree owner and developer, Kent Ownbey, is building his own home here based on one of these designs). The villa/lot combinations start at $137,000, and range upward from there according to size, amenities, lot, and pool size. Financing is available (50% ltv) for construction, over a 10-year term.
If you're interested in knowing more about Mango Tree Villas, contact Ron and Janine Goben in IL's Honduras office through this contact form.
Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living
Important Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to know that International Living receives commissions from sales at Mango Tree Villas.
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