Four Seasons has officially unveiled plans for Four Seasons Resort and Residences Caye Chapel, Belize, a resort and residential community that will be located on a private island around 16 miles from Belize City. Developed by Mexico-based real estate groups Thor Urbana, Inmobilia Desarrollos, and GFA Grupo Inmobiliario, the project is the first Four Seasons resort and residential community in Belize—and it’s easy to see why the high-end hotel brand chose to expand to the Caribbean hot spot. “The first thing that struck me about Caye Chapel was the awe-inspiring beauty of the water there,” says Jamie Fasja, the cofounder and co-CEO of Thor Urbana. “Belize has one foot in the rich cultural history of the Maya and the other in the beauty of Central America and the Caribbean Sea.”
The development will include 100 guest rooms and suites (including overwater bungalows), 50 private estate lots, and 35 private residences. Each lot comes with private beach and golf course access, and buyers can customize the residences as desired to build the home of their dreams. Effortlessly blurring the line between indoor and outdoor living, the residences will be constructed from sustainably harvested wood and stone from rock quarries on the main land of Belize. “The look will be minimal and natural with the structure designed to maximize energy efficiency and sustainability. For example, the roofs will be designed for water catchment as a source of fresh water for the island,” says Fasja.
Homeowners will have access to an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman in consultation with Lorena Ochoa, a marina, a private airstrip, and a Fabien Cousteau conservation center, where residents can sit in on education initiatives or partake in a 3-D coral reef printing program. Perhaps the greatest perk, however, is the proximity to the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is the largest coral reef in the northern hemisphere. “The ecological diversity found in Belize is mind-blowing,” says Fasja, “and while most islands are relatively isolated without many options around them, Caye Chapel is a 5-minute boat ride to Caye Caulker, which is a great Belizean island to walk around and have lunch or dinner or drinks on the water.” A short flight or helicopter ride will take residents to the mainland, where they can explore Mayan ruins, visit a jaguar reserve, or even swim with sharks.
The residences are on track to be completed in 2020.
