Inside Leonardo DiCaprio's Private Island

You must have known Leonardo DiCaprio in various roles, but are you aware of his new avatar as an environmentalist? How? Well, the actor has been developing a private island for years that is going to be a potential tourism spot for nature retreat as well as a luxurious vacation. There is this island? How much did he invest? What all can you expect to witness are going to be the major highlights of today's video? Interested much? Well, we too are excited talking about it, so sit back and stay with us till the end to know how this island can bring a revolution in terms of promoting ecotourism. So let's get started. From Hollywood to ecotourism, Leonardo DiCaprio unveils his new home at Black Door Cay, a luxury island in Belize where guests can restore themselves and the environment. It's a millionaire's guilt-free paradise. It's luxurious as well as wildly natural at the same time. It happened back in 2015 when DiCaprio decided to take the plunge and purchase an island in Belize to build his very own eco resort, set to be groundbreaking in the environmental movement. The island in question, Black Door Cay, was sold for $1.75 million to DiCaprio and his business partner, who has been working ever since to create an eco haven in Central America. For all of Belize's cultural diversity, the country's melting pot heritage is equal parts Mayan, Creole, Mestizo, Spanish, Lebanese, Chinese, British, Indian, and Mennonite, which makes the tourism scene surprisingly one-note. Jason McLennan, architect and founder of the Living Building Challenge, was commissioned by DiCaprio to design a 68-villa eco resort on this private island in Belize. DiCaprio's eco resort has featured a hotel, 36 resort bungalows, and 36 estate villas with details such as circadian lighting and solar panels so that each home is energy efficient. Outdoor and indoor experiences will be merged with open-air buildings surrounded by palm trees, lush green landscapes, and infinity pools with unrivaled sunset views. Black Door Cay is being described as the Maldives of Central America. To design the accommodations, the project's lead design architect, Jean-Michel Gathy, took inspiration from Mayan architecture, using thatched roofs and wooden features and adding a modern twist with elements like marble. Black Door Cay will be replete with all of the standard features of a luxury resort, including sprawling villas, infinity pools, and stunning sunset views. The wild, unpopulated island will be transformed by 68 villas and 48 private homes, which will cost between $5 and $15 million. Its restorative aspect refers to the healing effect on visitors and on the island itself. As mentioned, Black Door Cay has suffered from years of overfishing, eroding coastline, and mangrove deforestation. This project hopes to restore the island and bring it new life as a luxury destination. Roughly 45% of the island will be designated for conservation, and all new construction will live up to Living Building Challenge standards. Developers hope to rely on local laborers who are trained in green building techniques. Plastic bottles are strictly banned from the island, and once guests set foot on Black Door Cay, they will go through an ecology orientation program. Inside, guests will find features like circadian lighting, and solar panels will be installed on the outside to provide power, and water will be collected from rainwater. Black Door Cay Development Group, which is leading the development of the project, plans to improve environmental conditions by replanting mangroves, bringing in native species to replace invasive ones, and work to improve reef and fish breeding conditions. DiCaprio is an avid scuba diver. It was his first trip to Belize to swim in its Barrier Reef in 2005. That sparked the actor's love of the island. DiCaprio, who was filming an adventure drama, The Revenant then fell in love with Belize during the scuba diving trip, and purchased Black Door Cay for $1.75 million with Jeff Graham, the owner of Keo Espanto Island Resort, another luxury vacation spot in Belize. Graham also brought his experience in owning and operating island resorts to this new venture. He said, Black Door will be an incredible private island that will set the mark for all future island developments. The project is one of In an interview with the New York Times, Leonardo DiCaprio said about the eco-resort, The main focus is to do something that will change the world. I couldn't have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something like this if it weren't for the idea that it could be groundbreaking in the environmental movement. With the onset of climate change, there are huge challenges, so we want the structure to not only enhance and improve the environment, but to be a model for the future. DiCaprio shelled out heavy investment for the property, but his plans to build the resort weren't exactly fast-tracked. As of early 2020, Belize's Secret Beach reported that construction on DiCaprio's expensive resort still hadn't started, leading many of his fans to it could be several more years before the actor's plans for an eco-friendly paradise are finally realized. Still, DiCaprio probably isn't in any hurry since he can enjoy his private island whenever he so chooses. Ecotourism has become a booming industry and is responsible for around 8 billion tourists a year worldwide. Black Door K hopes to push the notion of DiCaprio has a bold vision for the island. With the onset of climate change, there are huge challenges, so we want the structure to not only enhance and improve the environment, but to be a model for the future. That includes restoring the island, creating conservation areas where we can hold research conferences, and regenerating the entire ecosystem to bring it back to its original form and beyond. So that was today's video, guys. Thanks a ton for watching it. Let us know how you liked it in the comments section, do subscribe to our channel, and stay tuned as we bring more intriguing content to your screens. Till then, happy travel. Peace.