Construction work has begun at the Guacalito de la Isla resort in Nicaragua.
Pellas Development Group, whose parent company, Grupo Pellas, is one of the leading conglomerates in Central America, has started building work on the US$250 million project on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua.
The resort will cover a total of 1,670 acres, and is planned to include an eighteen hole golf course designed by Scottish architect David Kidd. Construction of the golf course is expected to begin in early 2011.
Set on a four-mile sweep of forested coastal land, a two-hour drive from Managua airport, Guacalito de la Isla is the vision of Carlos Pellas the founder of Pellas Development Group and the president and CEO of Grupo Pellas. The Pellas family has been a leader in the economic development of Central America for more than a century and has holdings in the sugar, rum, banking, transportation and credit-card businesses. At full buildout, Guacalito’s amenities will include a boutique luxury hotel; a beach club and restaurant; a marina; water sports from surfing to deep-sea fishing; hiking and biking trails; the Kidd-designed golf course; ecology, cultural and adventure-sports programs; an equestrian centre; a spa and family wellness centre and a variety of multigenerational activities. “We are proud to be at the forefront of Nicaragua’s emergence as a destination for North Americans who seek an idyllic natural and sustainable refuge and an authentic experience,” said Pellas.
Pellas Development Group’s launch of Guacalito de la Isla coincides with recent efforts by the Nicaraguan government to entice North American second-home buyers, investors and retirees with generous tax incentives. It is also in step with new interest in Nicaragua among North Americans seeking an exotic yet affordable destination for eco-tourism and vacation real estate. In the past few years, tourism has surpassed coffee as Nicaragua’s leading source of revenue, and Nicaragua has been deemed the safest country in Central America.
Guacalito de la Isla is the first in a series of Grupo Pellas’ Ceiba Collection eco-retreats in Central America, socially and environmentally sustainable communities benefiting not just residents and guests, but employees and locals as well. This year, Pellas Development has donated computers to the local school and 5,000 forest plants to the communities surrounding Guacalito de la Isla. “This new generation of green destinations will be in some of the world’s most unspoiled locations,” said Pellas.