ISLA DE ORO SPORTS AND BEACH CLUB was inaugurated some forty five years ago, in the early 1980's. From the start, helicopters landed on the Club's own helipad, and a string of private planes arrived every weekend at the beachfront airstrip. It was the place to be seen, with one black-tie event after another in the early days of the Beach Club.

Then, in 1998, political change came to the country. And many of the Members (former politicans and businessmen associated with previous governments) fell on hard times. To raise cash, among the first things they sold were their second homes and beachfront apartments. Then, another fifteen years later, Venezuela's Hugo Chavez died and the country fell into a crisis it still hasn't recovered from. But their loss was our gain. A new generation took over the reins of the beach club and kept it going strong. The one thing that never changed is the location with the great weather of one of the most amazing beachfront stretches of the world.

The political situation is reflected in a deeply discounted purchase price: the beach has always been as tranquil as ever, but turmoil in Caracas, the capital, created buying opportunities for obtaining prime properties at a fraction of their original prices. When the political leadership falls, it's fair to assume prices will shoot up again as tourism resumes and the country returns to normal.