Crystal Lagoons® Munyaka Project Receives Prestigious Award

27/11/2020

Munyaka, Crystal Lagoons® latest signing in South Africa, has won the prestigious International Property Award, taking “Leisure Development South Africa 2020-2021.” The project is being developed together with leading property developers Balwin Properties.

The project has had a strong track record, selling over 10% of the units in just four days. Balwin Properties has described it as the “crown jewel” in its portfolio, and it is the nation’s second crystalline lagoon powered with Crystal Lagoons technology, after The Blyde, which also saw unprecedented commercial success.

During the launch, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, praised the project: “When I did my state of the nation address, I said I dreamt of a city like this one. Steve Brookes (founder and CEO at Balwin Properties) told me my dream would come true. Now I can see this, I am very proud as this project, it’s giving life to the South Africa we want, one that develops its economy through infrastructure. Now I see this project today, this is how you build great communities”.

Once completed, the water amenity at Munyaka is set to be the largest crystalline lagoon in the southern hemisphere, spanning approximately seven rugby fields.

Successful track record

Given the sales success of The Blyde, the developers’ first project anchored by a Crystal Lagoons amenity, the companies have an exclusivity agreement for five additional projects, each to be developed around these large bodies of pure turquoise water and white sand beaches. These will be built in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Mbombela, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape province.

“The launch of Munyaka resulted in Balwin breaking all sales records. We achieved over 807 sales in a month and around 600 were related to Munyaka, which will be home to the largest man-made crystalline lagoon in the southern hemisphere, to be powered by Crystal Lagoons technology,” stated Steve Brookes, Balwin Properties CEO and founder to prominent South African media outlet, Moneyweb earlier this year.

Public Access Lagoons™ expansion

Crystal Lagoons is also expected to expand across the continent, bringing its ground-breaking concept and technology to other African nations, and is advanced negotiations to close licensing agreements in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Angola and Egypt, among other nations.

The firm is also negotiating a regional master agreement, and is in talks with a local operator in Morocco, to develop 9 Public Access Lagoons™ in Marrakech, Casablanca, Rabat, Tangier, Fez and Saidia.

International Property Awards

Latest News

Crystal Lagoons Expands in Orlando with Four New Projects

Crystal Lagoons continues to deepen its success in the United States, its most important market worldwide, with over 275 projects in different stages of development or negotiation. This time, with a new Master Agreement—an exclusivity agreement for developing Public Access Lagoons®, also known as PAL®, real estate, and hybrid projects in a specific territory, which in this case is the Orlando Metropolitan Area, Florida.

Crystalline lagoon: a differentiating feature

These developments, whose centerpiece will be a lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology, will bring idyllic beach life to the most visited destination in the U.S., with 75 million tourists a year, which offers a wide range of entertainment but lacks a coastline. In this city, the multinational innovation company already has the successful Evermore Orlando Resort project, one of Florida’s largest tourism developments, anchored by an 8-acre crystalline lagoon.

The agreement is in partnership with Grupo ECIPSA, a real estate holding company with a presence in six countries. The multinational innovation company, founded by Fernando Fischmann, has signed multiple Master Agreements and projects with Grupo ECIPSA for developments in Israel, Brazil, Paraguay, and Orlando.

“Crystal Lagoons projects in the United States have been a success across the real estate, PAL®, and hybrid development sectors, and we are confident that these complexes with Grupo ECIPSA will be as well. Orlando is one of the most interesting and attractive markets for Crystal Lagoons, given its millions of annual visitors, lack of beaches, and its focus on the world of entertainment, which aligns perfectly with our PAL® concept,” explains Iván Manzur, Vice President of Sales at Crystal Lagoons US Corp.

PAL® projects

PAL® projects, accessible to all through ticketed entry, have the unique appeal of bringing idyllic beach life steps away from homes in the middle of the city while also offering event spaces with unparalleled scenic beauty, thanks to its large turquoise crystalline lagoon surrounded by white sandy beaches, which are illuminated at night, creating a magical ambiance. The infrastructure includes terraces, amphitheaters, domes, esplanades, commercial areas, and entertainment spaces.

This Master Agreement adds to the multinational innovation company’s other agreements in the U.S. in states such as:

North and South Carolina
Georgia
Texas

Infonegocios

07-02-2025

Le Parc Cancun Project redefines luxury and well-being in Mexico

A new Crystal Lagoons project is advancing in Mexico, one of the main Latin American markets for the multinational innovation company. It is Le Parc Cancún, a complex located 7.5 kilometers from the beach in Cancun. The 0.8-hectare crystalline lagoon with white sandy beaches around it will create a third coastline, allowing the area’s climate to be enjoyed all year round.

Sales success

The luxury development, consisting of two 24-story towers with 374 units, registered historic sales records for the region during its launch in September 2023 and its pre-sale period. The first tower sold 77% of its units and generated a capital gain of over 20% in less than one year.

The complex reinvents luxury and wellness in the Mexican Caribbean with its cutting-edge design and unique amenities with Crystal Lagoons® technology, which enables:

Swimming
Kayaking
Paddleboarding
Water volleyball
Relaxing boat rides

Crystalline lagoon as a key element

Daniel Masliah, developer at Inzigna Capital, highlighted the impact of the crystalline lagoon as the project’s most significant and differentiating feature. “It is what makes Le Parc Cancún unique. Even though I develop projects in different locations, this is where I would genuinely love to own an apartment,” he stated.

In addition to the turquoise-water lagoon, the project offers over 35 amenities designed to blend seamlessly with the paradisiacal surroundings. From wellness facilities to high-end entertainment options, these features promise to elevate the quality of life to a new level, redefining luxury and comfort.

“Mexican developers have found that Crystal Lagoons® technology accelerates the sales velocity and increases the value per square meter compared to similar projects in the same areas. On the other hand, these crystalline bodies of water improve people’s quality of life,” explains Francisco Matte, regional director of Crystal Lagoons for Latin America.

Sustainable Technology

These large crystalline bodies of water boost various urban and tourist areas with environmentally friendly lagoons. Crystal Lagoons® technology has received numerous international awards for its sustainability, certified by Bureau Veritas for its low water usage—40% less than a green area of the same size and 33 times less than an 18-hole golf course—and energy—only 2% of the energy needed by conventional pool filtration systems.

L21

06-02-2025

Crystal Lagoons Project Advances in Seville, Europe

A new Public Access Lagoons® project, also known as PAL®, and a hospitality development are advancing in Europe, specifically in Seville. It is a new Central District Lagoon City complex, which Crystal Lagoons is developing in partnership with Forty Management, an award-winning Romanian real estate developer.

The project will feature a stunning 1.49-hectare lagoon powered by Crystal Lagoons® technology as its centerpiece, surrounded by white sand beaches. Around it, the development will include:

A 200-room luxury hotel
Three aparthotel towers
An event center
International restaurants
A Sky Bar
A promenade and bespoke services will complement the lagoon, epitomizing the quintessential PAL™ experience.

Thanks to its turquoise-colored body of water, it will be a transformative development spanning 12 hectares that will offer a unique lifestyle destination. This project will revolutionize local tourism in Seville and enhance visitors’ stay in the city.

“The partnership with Forty Management has been very successful, demonstrating the added value of Crystal Lagoons® technology and how this disruptive innovation makes it possible to bring sustainable beach living anywhere in the world,” explains Jean Pierre Juanchich, Global Business Director of Crystal Lagoons.

Contribution to the area

With over 100 million euros in investment and creating more than 600 jobs, this project highlights the growing demand for sustainable and recreational projects worldwide.

Crystal Lagoons and Forty Management Partnership

The complex is part of the master agreement—exclusivity agreement for developing PAL®, real estate, and hybrid projects within a specific territory—that both companies signed to bring beach life through stunning crystalline lagoons to Rome, Milan, Toulouse, two Romanian cities, and Seville.

The two companies also have another mega-contract to develop projects in Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary. Among the standout developments in this agreement is Lagoon Park Bucharest, a PAL® complex that sold out a week before launch and has been successful since it opened.

The project in Seville is also proof of the success of Crystal Lagoons in the hospitality industry, where numerous global hotel chains such as Marriott, Radisson, Conrad, Hyatt Regency, and AVA Resort, have recognized the transformative value of Crystal Lagoons® technology, incorporating this amenity as a centerpiece in their developments.

04-02-2025