Calala Island is a private island located in the Caribbean Sea, forming part of an archipelago of islands known as the Pearl Cays, off the coast of Nicaragua. Calala Island is privately owned by the Wickham family. The whole island operates as a luxury resort, accommodating a maximum of eight guests.
History
Calala Island is situated in an area known as the Moskito Coast. Historically, the coast of Nicaragua and islands close to it have been under the rule of both the British and the Spanish. In the 1600s, the British first settled on Old Providence, which is around east of Calala Island in the Caribbean Sea. The Providence Island Company based in the area was set up to transport goods from the "Moskito Kingdom" as the British often referred to it. According to maps and documents from this period, the Pearl Cays and Calala Island were part of this territory. During this period, the Spanish more aggressively attempted to influence the region, with the first contact from the Spanish in the region dating back to 1545. By the early 1600s, the Spanish controlled a large territory in the neighbouring countries, such as Nicaragua and Honduras. The French-pirate François l'Olonnais is known to have spent time on the Pearl Cays in the mid-1600s. He spoke of a natives who resided on the island at this time in history, referring to them as primitive, but also as cannibals. When the Treaty of Managua was signed in 1860 between the British and Nicaragua, Calala Island became a Nicaraguan island.
Ecosystem
The ecosystem on the island has a number of notable species, mainly seabirds and turtles. According to accounts from François l'Olonnais, parrots and monkeys were previously located in the Pearl Cays region. The critically endangeredhawksbill sea turtle are often seen on the island and is part of a conservation effort to increase the numbers. Calala Island's owners and the Wildlife Conservation Society have increased nesting numbers considerably since the partnership began. It is estimated that nests on the island have increased significantly, with around 6000 eggs laid on the island by the Hawksbills each year. Laying season for the turtles is from May through to November, with hatchings taking place September through to February. Other islands species include the American yellow warbler, the white-necked puffbird, hummingbirds and the magnificent frigatebird.
Location
Calala Island is located in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the Pearl Cays archipelago, off the coast of Nicaragua. The island is under the administration of the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. At some point in its history, the name of the island changed from Lime Cay to Calala Island. The likelihood is due to a name clash with a Jamaican cay. The island is located around 4 km off the Nicaraguan coast lying 27 km from Pearl Lagoon and 150 km west of San Andres, Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.
Private ownership
In 1997, a number of Nicaraguan islands were purchased by the businessman, Peter Tsokos. Calala Island was one of these islands and like many islands in the Caribbean, the purchase raised questions about the split between private and public use at the time. Necker island is one such example of this ongoing debate. Some in the media suggested Tsokos only bought the island as an investment, with no aims of developing the islands. Tim and Sarah Wickham purchased Calala Island after their honeymoon on Petit St Vincent, with the aim of creating a resort on the island. The Wickham's then developed the island with the construction of a luxury resort. The island resort contains four guest suites at the beachfront, accommodating a total of 8 guests. During interviews, Wickham stated that he wanted the island to be exclusive, but also protect the ecosystem. Apart from the suites, the island has 25 staff, a bar, two restaurants and a helipad. It received media coverage in 2017 after a week-long vacation had a price tag of $1 million. In early 2018, it was announced that Princess Eugenie became engaged toJack Brooksbank while vacationing on Calala Island.
