Bunk With the First Family of Film
Date: 07/06/2008 Author: Suzan Haskins
You could rub elbows with the stars at the Turtle Inn resort in beautiful Belize.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Read more about Belize in International Living Postcards—your daily escape
When you come to the Placencia Peninsula of southern Belize, you may find yourself in celebrity company.
When he was filming Apocalypse Now in the jungles of Thailand and the Philippines, Francis Ford Coppola fell in love with the verdant jungle rainforests. He vowed to build a house in a similar setting where he could spend creative time writing and reading…but closer to home.
On a trip to Belize in 1981, he found just the place: an abandoned property in the remote highlands of western Belize’s Cayo district. It overlooked the waterfalls of the Privassion River in the Pine Ridge Reserve and was midway between important Mayan archeological sites of Caracol, in Belize, and Tikal, in Guatemala.
This became a secluded family vacation spot for Coppola and his wife Eleanor, and their daughter Sofia and son Roman (both well-established filmmakers). Not to mention a host of famous aunts, uncles, and cousins (including actors Nicholas Cage and Jason and Robert Schwartzman).
Later, Coppola decided to convert the property into a “rustically comfortable” and mostly self-sufficient resort. Opened in 1993, Blancaneaux Lodge is beautifully intimate. Rooms are decorated with textiles and folk art purchased by Francis and Eleanor during their travels through Central America, and there are extensive vegetable gardens and citrus groves that supply most of the resort’s food.
One thing led to another, and in 2000, the second Coppola family retreat opened, this time near Placencia village on the languid shores of the Caribbean in Belize’s Stann Creek district.
Called Turtle Inn, this resort takes inspiration from Bali, with batik prints, Japanese soaking tubs, Asian antiques, and elaborate hard-carved wooden doors. As at Blancaneaux, there are no TVs or phones in the rooms. Instead, guests use the Shellphone: a giant conch shell on a wooden base that acts as an intercom. (Coppola calls himself a leader in “shellular technology.”) The restaurant here, as at Blancaneaux, is top notch, serving many Coppola family recipes. The wine cellar is, of course, stocked with vintages from Coppola’s own Napa Valley vineyards. The spas at both properties are among the finest in Belize.
The Coppola family often vacations at these properties. (A third resort, called La Lancha, near Tikal, Guatemala, opened in 2005.) Francis Ford Coppola himself can sometimes be found enjoying the exquisite food in the restaurant, writing and relaxing on the deck of his villa, or sitting at the bar.
Learn more about all of the Coppola resorts at www.blancaneaux.com.
Suzan Haskins
Your Latin America Insider, International Living
P.S. Francis Ford Coppola isn’t the only one who has found a piece of paradise on Belize’s Placencia Peninsula. Besides celebrities, this is where you’ll find Belize’s best beaches. There are two reasons in particular for buying real estate in Placencia right now. You can find out all about them in the upcoming issue of International Living magazine. If you’re not a subscriber but would like to be, find out more here.
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Turtle Inn
Rob In Playa del Carmen
Tuesday July 08 2008 04:35:16 am