7th Heaven Properties announced on Wednesday that an official ceremony to mark the ground-breaking of Firefly Villas, an exclusive collection of new beachfront residences on the island of Bequia in the Grenadines, will take place next Thursday, September 29.{{more}}

The ground-breaking ceremony will be officiated by Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, a release from the developers said. Construction of residences will then begin in early October 2016.

Set in an approximately 15-acre private beachfront enclave of a tropical plantation on the island of Bequia, the residences will offer island-style privacy and carefree ownership benefits, delivered by Firefly Hotel Bequia and Firefly Hotel Mustique, a highly acclaimed pair of hotels.

The enclave, which stretches from the spectacular beachfront to the lush interior, has been subdivided into nine private island-style clusters, which are elevated two feet above ground to guarantee privacy and afford beautiful views across the beach, sea and plantation. Upon completion, each “island” will be home to just two or three villas, or buyers can choose to have an “island” all to themselves, the release said.

Firefly Villas Bequia will be developed by Bequia Development Ltd, in association with Firefly Hotel Bequia and Firefly Hotel Mustique. As a result, buyers will enjoy an unrivalled package of carefree villa ownership benefits, unlike any other on offer on the island of Bequia.

Benefits include an attractive Founders Package for the first few buyers, year-round villa maintenance and in-villa hotel services, a villa rental programme offering owners the opportunity to generate income from their villas when not in personal use, as well as use of all amenities and discounted rates at both Firefly Hotel Bequia and Firefly Hotel Mustique for family and friends.

Designed by Swedish architect Olle Rex, who has decades of international luxury residential and resort design experience, the villas are priced from USD $630,000. Villas will feature from 1,600 sq ft of living space, including up to six bedrooms, contemporary open plan interiors, private terraces, private pools and outstanding views of the sea or lush green surroundings.

Johan Liljefors of Bequia Development Ltd commented: “I am delighted to welcome the Prime Minister to our piece of paradise, to be part of the creation of a new collection of residences, unlike anything else on Bequia.”

Walter Zephirin, managing director of London-based 7th Heaven Properties, which is leading sales of the residences, added: “We are delighted to see Firefly Villas Bequia begin to take shape. With development set to commence imminently, buyers will be able to witness the progress of the construction of these new homes in one of the world’s most desirable locations.”

Located in the idyllic Grenadines island chain just south of St Vincent, the seven square mile island of Bequia has a lower profile than many other Caribbean islands, but is treasured for its pristine white sand beaches, lush green interior, crystal clear turquoise sea that offers unrivalled diving and snorkelling and unhurried, tranquil pace of life.