All of Nature Wild and Free

Dear International Living Reader,

Just under 90 miles north of Belize City, easily accessed by the Northern Highway, is the Corozal District, an adventurer's paradise with rain forests, coastal lagoons, and miles of untouched beaches. Peaceful and pristine, the Corozal District beckons swimmers and divers to its crystal waters, sunbathers to its shores, and hikers and homesteaders to its tracts of tropical wilderness.

The soft, white sand and unsullied beaches of the Corozal District shoreline appeal to a certain type of pioneer. The turquoise waters of the conjoining Corozal and Chetumal bays provide a perfect setting for snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, and sunbathing. Out in the flats, sports fishermen need only cast a line to catch their fill of ladyfish, permit, bonefish, and barracuda...while, out on the nearby reefs, kingfish, grouper, snapper, and jack crevalle make the twin bays a sportsman's dream.

Here in the middle of what Destinations magazine calls "a showcase of natural phenomena that takes your breath away," a successful young developer (and fellow International Living reader), Phil Hahn, is building his dream resort community.

Orchid Bay is 115 acres of rain forest with one-and-a-half miles of pristine beachfront at Belize's Point Alegre on the coast of the Corozal District.

From this powdery beach on a clear day, you can see Chetumal, Mexico (25 minutes by water taxi), one of that country's most beautiful bay-front cities. Just offshore, in the night sky, you can see the lights of Ambergris Caye, the "Isla Bonita" made famous by Madonna for its "Tropical island breeze...all of nature wild and free." In the tropical forest, you are surrounded by banana trees, mangos, coconuts, and orchids flourishing in full bloom in all directions.

Orchid Bay's plan is ambitious and includes residential neighborhoods, full-service resorts, and commercial enterprises. If all goes according to plan, you'll be able to step from luxury accommodation into the green forests, sunlit sandy beaches, and emerald waters of the Caribbean. (But as we remind you often, "buy what you see." If it all happens as planned, consider it a bonus.)

The resort plan at Orchid Bay includes restaurants, pools, beach clubs, retail shops and outfitters, an observatory, a library, conference facilities, and playing fields and exhibition centers. Phil's goal is to create a modern resort community while preserving the pristine beauty of this tiny tropical haven. That's why Orchid Bay will also establish a marine biology center with special facilities to study the Belize manatee population.

Each home will be custom-built, with designs influenced by the traditions of Belize, from the ancient Mayan to the Spanish and English colonial periods.

Pre-construction prices start at less than $100,000, and styles range from two-bedroom cottage homes (750 to 1,250 square feet)...to two- to four-bedroom village homes (1,250 to 1,750 square feet)...and four-bedroom estate homes (1,750 to 3,000 square feet). The planned town center will have smaller condominiums of 750 square feet.

Or you can buy the land only--a 1/4-acre lot for $49,500, an acre for $99,000.

For more information about Orchid Bay, contact Phil Hahn directly at: orchidbay@nautilusassociates.com .

Lief Simon
Real Estate Editor, International Living

Important Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to know that International Living receives commissions from sales at Orchid Bay.