When it opens for business later this year, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Blackadore Caye, off the Atlantic coast of Belize in Central America, will become the first “restorative” island. It’s a new type of retreat, which, aside from bringing much pleasure to visitors, aims to improve the physiological health of species indigenous to the island and its surrounding waters.
When the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ star and environmental activist first visited this wild 104-acre island in 2005, he was struck by its rugged beauty. However, he also understood how overfishing and deforestation was tearing the small piece of paradise apart. DiCaprio managed to purchase in Blackadore shortly thereafter and has, for over a decade, been planning this subtle and sensitive new development.
Constructed using low-impact techniques, and employing architectural forms that mimic the local, biological habitat, Blackadore Caye offers healthily organic food, and incredible, tropical diving experiences. Yet employees are also replanting the island’s mangroves and cultivating natural dwellings for manatees and other aquatic species. There might be a ban on fossil fuels and bottled water, but that’s a small price to pay to ensure the survival of such a beautiful island. Come back for repeated stays over the years, and you’ll see how, by taking it easy, they’re leaving Blackadore better than they found it.