(PLACENCIA, Belize) – As Belize becomes one of the biggest boom areas of the Caribbean, affluent visitors—and more and more celebrities—soon find themselves switching from the adventures of island-hopping to the pastime of island-shopping.

Whether fly fishing, diving or sailing, wealthy visitors soon hear that private islands and prime properties can be purchased in Belize from original owners for a fraction of what waterfront costs back in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Caribbean.

While the Bahamas has been a draw for the trendy island homes of many celebs in recent decades, Belize is quickly moving into the mix for its more consistent climate, warmer water and weather, affordability, incredible barrier reef and proximity to that which the Bahamas will never have: an astonishingly bio-diverse mainland replete with stunning waterfalls, ancient ruins, jaguar jungles, mountains and rushing whitewater rivers. Not to mention super-friendly tax laws and the fact that Belize is an English-speaking member of the British Commonwealth.

Most people coming to Belize for the first time never get off Ambergris Caye. North Americans who have been here many times have discovered that the most beautiful and best places to live are on the mainland. It’s a more relaxed, non-touristy atmosphere and allows you some breathing room, yet still has great beaches and is minutes from the beautiful Mayan Mountain range.

Belize is also blessed with true tropical weather. It’s far enough south that visitors are never subjected to the chilly waters and wish-I’d-brought-a-sweater days that are the Bahamian winters. High-profile celebs who favor fly fishing and diving invariably come to Belize at some point. That’s nothing new, what with vacationers like the actress Charlize Theron, who swam in Belizean waterfalls in 2007. But while celebrity visits to Belize are practically de rigueur, more of them seem interested in getting a piece of this paradise for themselves.

Ever the eco-conscious environmental activist, former pretty boy Leonard DiCaprio has bloomed into a gritty leading man and capped off his career maturation with his own Belizean island, Blackadore Caye, which Private Islands Magazine says he bought in 2005 for just under $2 million. Huge by Belize standards, Blackadore is a rambling 104-acre island located in the prime area between mainland Belize and Ambergris Caye, close to the famous Barrier Reef. DiCaprio has stated that he hopes to make it a public destination and a model of sustainable development.

People come to paradise first for the palm trees, year round tropical air and clear blue waters. That’s how most of us define the ultimate escape. The mainland of Belize has all that—miles and miles of pristine oceanfront, in fact—but also offers up access to much more diverse adventure opportunities that appeal to someone who is looking for more than just a few days in the sun.

The Mayan ruins, whitewater rafting, mountain hiking and biking, and so many other activities are just something you are not going to conveniently find from one of the islands.

Projects like The Peninsula Club near Placencia are cropping up on the mainland. The Peninsula Club has the country’s first marina, and is located right next to one famous celeb’s long-time escape. Belize is a special place, something Francis Ford Coppola figured out a long time ago. Coppola first went to Belize while filming the groundbreaking Apocalypse Now and quickly wanted a piece of this lush little country for himself. The iconic director now owns two resorts in Belize (Turtle Inn and Blancaneaux Lodge) and one across the border in nearby Guatemala.

Travel and Leisure magazine touts his Blancaneaux Lodge highly in multiple annual reviews, for its forest scenery, remote setting and unique architecture. Hey, in Belize, all you have to do is not get in the way of the scenery, and Blancaneaux is situated near the Mayan ruins of Caracol.

Of Blancaneaux, T&L writes: “Spot rare howler monkeys and iguanas from the safety of an idyllic, horseshoe-shaped tub designed by Oscar-winning production designer Dean Tavoularis at Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge. Made from thousands of pieces of local granite and built by local stone craftsmen, it sits in a hillside amid the same kind of lush jungle paradise Coppola fell in love with while filming Apocalypse Now.”

The Turtle Inn, Coppola’s first creation in the region, also gets high marks for style and intimacy without exorbitant expense. Three restaurants, a pavilion home, eight villas and 17 cottages that are a stone’s throw from the beach create a powerful draw, along with proximity to the charming town of Placencia—full of friendly cafés and guesthouses—and the nearby Monkey River, where fantastic jungle eco-tours are offered.

Top it off with relaxing Bali-inspired architecture and décor, and The Turtle Inn is a great illustration of what Belize is all about.

Not only are Hollywood stars drawn to holiday in Belize, but the likes of Leonardo di Caprio and Francis Ford Coppola already own celebrity property in the nation – and if you buy in, you could literally be rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous.

As stated, the actor Leonardo di Caprio has real estate in Belize – in fact, he owns an island off the nation’s shore called Blackadore Caye where he’s currently planning the construction of a luxurious hotel and eco property based project that will be operated by the Four Seasons group. As the island cost a mere $1.75 million dollars for over 100 acres of prime, tropical land in the Caribbean Sea, you can see that relatively speaking land and property in Belize are affordable or even cheap.

Of course, you may not be in the market for an island, but even if you ‘only’ want a modest home in Belize you will be buying in a nation where the rich and famous love to holiday in style yet also anonymously. Not well known as a playground for the rich and famous, the country is absolutely the perfect hideaway for those who like to get away from it all – which was precisely the driving factor behind Francis Ford Coppola’s decision to buy real estate in Belize too.

Other reasons that may sway your decision include the fact that Belize is one of the most beautiful countries in the whole world. It is blessed with white sandy beaches, with topical rainforests, dramatic mountain peaks, rare yet abundant flora and fauna and stunning ocean views. Thanks to these reasons the country is growing as a tourism destination and growing slowly wealthier as a result. This has the knock on effect of infrastructure and amenity improvements that benefits those with properties that they reside in or let out in Belize.

Belize has been protected ecologically speaking and environmentally so it remains a pristine paradise. The celebrities who have bought in such as di Caprio are working with the nation to ensure this status remains the same. The tax status in Belize makes it very attractive, as does the fact it is an affordable place to buy, it has a stable currency, is a democracy and has a legal system based on the British.

In addition to all of these favorable factors supporting the purchase of a property in Belize, you have the fact that Belize is highly accessible from the US, the US is highly accessible from the UK, and the British pound still goes quite a long way in Belize’s real estate market. So, if you want to find a home in paradise in 2009, take a closer look at the property landscape in Belize and join the celebrities buying homes in this beautiful Central American country.

The bottom line: If you are thinking about living and playing in Belize, you would be well advised to do it while the market is flat. The Celebs and a better economy will make this place very pricing very soon. But for now, deals in paradise.