Coffee Caye: How to buy a Caribbean island to start a micronation in Belize

What do you buy for the traveller that has everything?

Private Caribbean islands are normally the domain of the super rich, but one mischievous travel company has found a way to claim an atoll off the coast of Belize using a crowdfunding campaign.

New Zealanders are among 150 people who have bought into the novel Caribbean timeshare, in a deal that was finalised at the beginning of the year.

Last fortnight, founder Marshall Mayer was among the first 20 people to visit the island named Coffee Caye, which sits in the gulf of Honduras, not far from where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are currently conducting a royal tour.

It's been a long journey to get here, says Mayer, who first bought the domain name 'letsbuyanisland.com' in 2018.

"We've all had this dream of owning an island, and some people never grow out of it," he says.

Drawing on his partner Gareth Johnson's background in travel and Mayer's fintech contacts, they sat down to work out how many people would be needed to buy a tropical island.

"We had asked ourselves: 'how much can an island possibly cost?'"

Johnson co-founded Young Pioneer Tours in 2008 with Aucklander, Troy Collings. Specialising in edgy itineraries to offbeat destinations including North Korea, Eritrea and Syria. He is no stranger to attention-grabbing trips.

0.5 hectares of paradise in the bay of Honduras. Photo / Supplied

But is Coffee Caye another stunt or a genuine tourism initiative? On first impression the project to found the 'Principality of Islandia' comes across as somewhere between a timeshare and an internet meme. Adopting his self-appointed title "HRH Prince Regent" Marshall Meyer's first trip to the island involved posing with an inflatable unicorn on the beach. However, this did not stop hundreds of people signing up for a share in their 'Micronation'.

That feeling when you step onto your own #island #unicorn #Islandia #letsbuyanisland pic.twitter.com/ngpZtj7oZh

— Let's Buy an Island! (@LetsBuyAnIsland) July 22, 2020

"We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm," he said, even before they had begun looking for an ideal isle, they had people signing up for the scheme, "sight unseen".

They raised a not-insubstantial amount of US$180,000 to buy an island. Any island.

With investors from over 25 different nationalities they were able to use their network to visit candidate islands around the world.

They compiled a map of potential island paradises in Ireland, Malaysia, Estonia, Panama, Nicaragua and elsewhere. The final shortlist included a resort in Borneo and a weather beaten cobb near Graham Norton's house in Co. Cork.

"We ended up settling on Belize for a number of reasons," says Mayer.

Price, tropical setting, beachfront and accessibility to an international airport were all factors in landing on the tiny 0.5 ha island.

Selling 150 shares at $3250 ($4668), a share equates to roughly a 33 square-metre plot on the half-hectare island. Although that's not quite how they envision it working, he says.

"We're determined to make it available for people to visit and they have been," he says.

"In the last few months we've taken two groups of visitors, half of whom were investors"

Graham, Marshall and their 148 mates might have bought a private Island in the same neighbourhood as Leonardo DiCaprio, but it's not quite in the same league. In real terms the island is a fixer-upper.

It is mostly mangroves. The previous owner has put wooden coastal defences around the perimeter to stop further erosion of the tiny atoll. Currently the only accommodation is under tents but there's plenty of potential.

"We plan to build, effectively, a bed and breakfast. We'll have four to six rooms which we'll operate as a boutique hotel," he says.

Once they've got planning permission they hope to invite tourists from around the world, and benefit from the international flights and tourist links through Belize. Although this is easier said than done.

DiCaprio's Blackadore Caye, which is 50km along the coast, has been waiting to break ground on building an 'eco resort' since 2015. It's still untouched.

Still Graham and Mayer are in no hurry. They have big plans for Coffee Caye, and plenty of time.

It remains a special site for Mayer as the place he got engaged, shortly after the deal was finalised.

The flag of the Micronation 'The Principality of Islandia'. Photo / Supplied

Micronation: Principality of Islandia

One of the more intriguing decisions made by letsbuyanisland.com was to declare Coffee Caye as an independent micronation called the 'Principality of Islandia'.

"We're not trying to secede from Belize," reassures Meyer.

The quirky notion of a self-styled breakaway principality appealed to the kind of investor who signed up to the scheme. The Micronation was an important part of pitching the project.

Inspired by the projects of the liberty of Christiania in Copenhagen and even New Zealand's self-declared Republic of Whangamōmona, Meyer says it appealing to those "with a love of travel as well as the interesting, the absurd and off-the-beaten-path places."

Micronations are also a growing trend for travellers booking through Young Pioneer Tours. The travel agency offeres tours to places like Transnistria for "country counters", determined to visit every place on earth.

"For several of them who are done with that quest have started to check off the unrecognised parts of the world, self-governing and breakaway nations to quirky 'micronations'."

To start their own country seemed like a natural progression.

Christiania in Copenhagen was a tiny, self declared 'micro-country' made by Danish artists in the 1970s. Photo / Wikimedia Commons

As for breaking away from Belize and creating a renegade country, Meyer says Islandia is a novelty project to appeal to travellers.

"We've very proud of Belize and to belong to the Belizean community. The project is about bringing tourist dollars into Belize City," he says.

"We'll certainly have novelty passport stamps and citizenship for sale, but be within the laws of Belize."

There are plans to help with marine restoration and to grow out artificial coral reefs, with the help of the Belizean government.

Eventually they plan to build their BnB on stilts out on the island to provide a bit more comfort for visitors and investors. Although he admits there may be a need to replenish some of the sandbanks and coastline of the island.

When asked if he's worried about the island being battered by storms or rising ocean levels, Meyer is certain the mangroves will be around for years to come.

"As a citizen of the word, am I worried? Absolutely. As a participant in this project, I'm less concerned."

Long live the principality!