Luxury boutique hotel and spa on Nicaragua's Emerald Coast, Mukul, is set to open in February 2013, offering 37 beach villas, a spa, restaurants, golf course, pool, nature trails and beach.

The resort claims to offer "barefoot luxury at its best" with 37 beach villas with wrap around decks, private swimming pools and secret gardens with outdoor showers.

The Spa at Mukul, designed by Angel Vezina Stewart, has six separate areas, each with their own identity offering a different signature treatment. The treatment rooms are luxury suites, with private steam and tropical showers, relaxation spaces and outdoor pools. Treatments on offer include Ayurvedic treatments, Vichy showers and Indonesian barefoot massage.

The US$250m, (£402m, 193m euro) 1,670-acre (675 ha) low density beach resort will put the region on the world map according to its founder, Nicaraguan entrepreneur Don Carlos Pellas, who has a number of highly successful businesses. "We are creating a catalyst that will put our country on the world tourism map," says Pellas. "Mukul will be a game changer for Nicaragua."