The idea of having a second home in the Caribbean or an investment property on a Caribbean island is a fantasy for many of us - or a pipedream at best! This is because the Caribbean is notoriously expensive and a haunt for the super rich and mega famous. It’s home to some sumptuous homes which can generate strong rental yields and enjoy attractive capital appreciation, and this only fuels our hunger for real estate in this part of the world.

So what if I were to tell you that a lesser-known Caribbean destination is rapidly emerging as the new kid on the block? It is as attractive as you can imagine and yet as affordable as the Caribbean was decades ago - before rapidly inflated real estate prices made the likes of Saint Lucia and the Bahamas so far out of our reach. Would you be excited?

I thought as much…

The destination in question is called Isla Margarita and it lies off the coast of Venezuela … it is truly stunning, easily accessible, it is well outside the hurricane zone and it boasts property prices that are honestly affordable - making it the perfect destination in which you can afford to buy your very own profitable investment property in the Caribbean.

If you’ve never heard of Isla Margarita be assured that you soon will have, because together with Venezuela it’s a part of the world ploughing heavy investment into self-promotion and it is on target for double-digit percentage growth figures in tourism according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Isla Margarita is being touted as the next big thing in the British and American press too.

Isla Margarita is the perfect embodiment of all that visitors dream of in a Caribbean island paradise. It is mountainous with the lush backdrop of the dramatic peaks giving way to pristine palm fringed, white sandy beaches. The island enjoys 320 days of sunshine a year and its inhabitants are among the most friendly, welcoming and laid back people you will find anywhere in the world. The island has been called “the Caribbean Isle that moves to a South American beat,” and it has properties for sale for a fraction of the median price in the Caribbean making it an investment property hotspot.

For example, on Isla Margarita you can pick yourself up an off plan beachfront one bedroom apartment in a purpose built, high end luxury resort with a myriad of the finest amenities and facilities from as little as 79,000 EUR / GBP 62,900. This property will rent easily a) because of its stand alone desirability, b) because of the onsite amenities c) because it is in the Caribbean where there is always intense tourism demand and d) because what strong demand there already is for holiday lets on Isla Margarita is growing. And the best thing is, the apartment is on a complex called Caracola Beach & Spa Resort where there is a rental management company, making profiting from this particular property investment simple!

Clearly this all illustrates that because tourism is predicted to increase so strongly and direct flights have opened up Isla Margarita to the wider world, you can not only afford your dream home in the Caribbean, you can profit from it in the form of rental income immediately - and you can expect to see it appreciate in value as the reputation of the destination becomes more widely known.

So, if you thought that the Caribbean was a place you could dream about and maybe visit but never a place that you could invest in and profit from – it’s time to think again. On Isla Margarita you can have your cake and eat it and you can realise your Caribbean investment property aspirations.