Ignoring Eco-Trends, Panama to Build Mega-Pool
aerial view of the world’s largest pool in Chile
Panama never got the memo: giant hotels are out, boutique hotels and eco-projects are IN.
In yet another move that supports the common belief here in Panama that when it comes to beach projects, “gaudy-is-good”, the Playa Blanca resort project is promoting plans to construct the second largest swimming pool in the world.
This 17 acre (not a typo) swimming pool will be part of the Playa Blanca resort residences, located just under two hours from Panama City on the country’s Central Pacific coast. This region, near the sleepy town of Santa Clara in the Province of Cocle, is undergoing an explosion of tourism development. Having already seen first-hand in Costa Rica the effects that hyper-growth can can have on under-prepared infrastructures and delicate ecosystems, it seems less than wise to pursue the Guinness book for mega pools in area already known for water shortages.
No worry though, for somehow this swimming pool will be “eco-friendly”, thanks to a system that apparently integrates some type of salt water treatment system (see clip). The company that built the largest pool in the world in Chile has been contracted for the job. Enviro-friendly o not, with a lovely beach directly in front of the semi-white beaches of the aptly named Playa Blanca, is this type of overkill really necessary? Read this excerpt on the current record-holder, taken from http://spluch.blogspot.com:
Acknowledged by Guinness World Records as being the world’s largest swimming pool, the lagoon trounces all other record holders in the category, including the Orthlieb pool in Casablanca, Morocco, itself a huge 150 meters by 100 meters – the San Alfonso pool is 1km in length. The revolutionary clear water artificial lagoons, transparent to a depth of 35 meters and unprecedented in design and construction methods, are the brainchild of Crystal Lagoons founder, biochemist and Chilean businessman Fernando Fischmann. Equivalent in size to an incredible 6,000 standard domestic pools, details of its technology are to be unveiled for the first time at Cityscape Dubai later this month.
Check out this clip of the wold’s biggest toilet:
Unfortunately, this undertaking is symbolic of Panama’s attempt to go the not-so-subtle route of Dubai rather than the proven and in my opinion, more sustainable, easily replicated model of Costa Rican tourism. Not surprisingly, as if to prove my point, Dubai has also signed up with the same mega-pool company to construct their own mega-pool. Three cheers for Panama — the new, 1970’s Hawaii!I thought Panamanian tourism minister Ruben Blades contracted fancy studies and engineered a “Tourism Master Plan” to prevent this type of schmaltz?
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Photo from: www.rans.cl/imagenes/Galerias/galeria_01/
galeria_01_gde/San%20Alfonso%20del%20Mar%20Resort.jpg
| Written by Casey Halloran |  |
This post's rating:
(2 votes, average: 3 out of 5)
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Filed under: News, Politics on March 26th, 2008
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Well done.
jp
Let people improve their lives. Global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the same people who brought us communism, the endangered species act and historic building restrictions.
Casey,
One of your agents sold me a unit there. Should I ask for my money back?
Derek:
Refund? Not if you like huge pools!
But seriously, to each his own. Some people will think this is the greatest idea ever. In my own loosely conducted poll, 100% of locals that I’ve mentioned this to think it’s awesome.
I think that the project is one of the few successful ones at the beach in Panama. I don’t like their taste or the direction that Panama tourism seems to be heading, but I can’t fault these guys for making a buck and finding clients who enjoy their product.
That being said…race you to the deep end!
Casey
[...] Panama and Dubai have contracted the exact same company to build their over-the-top, gigantoid mega pool projects. What other countries could celebrate such brazen excess while the rest of the world is talking [...]
A dimwitted idea, the surrounding areas are poorly fresh water serviced and as such, this is a slap in the face of the needy who trive -or not- in the agriculture sector. Moreso, Playa Blanca, similar projects and private owned beachside properties have already appropiated the public beach regardless of the common citizen rights. Panamanians have become turists in their own country.
The “local” mindset is the culprit of allowing these situations, we only see the shiny thing, but not the long term consequences: the degradation of the environment and the re-routing of the resources and peoples.
What Avarana sais is not true. The “beachside properties have not taken away any public beach. They are about 300 m from the sea. Therefore there is a 300 m wide beach which is public. Where else do you have such a large public beach?