Santaurio

Officially opening this week (and open now for a sneak peek) is a new sim created by Jac Mornington and Romy Eara Rosea, Santaurio, meaning sanctuary. You'll have to brace yourself for a rough landing when you arrive — as did the survivors of a horrific plane crash (image above) — but you're one of the lucky ones, and luckier still to have landed at a tropical paradise. The tranquil beaches that wrap around the island hide a lush jungle interior and places to explore.

At the beach near the landing point, you'll spot the ruins of a theatre, and, nearby, ancient Mayan ruins, now entangled with vines. A small waterway that cuts through the beach and flows from the center of the island is your path inward, first through cypress and then toward a pool with resplendently clear water that flows down from a series of cascading waterfalls (third image). As you push into the interior you'll discover the shell of a volcano, now dormant, its rippling pond filled with lotus, bird of paradise and lilies, with the Buddha quietly overlooking the scene, "like a little temple," as Romy explained (fourth image).

Along the shore, you'll discover the beach club (captured a bit in the second image), "made out of mostly junk, like stuff you would find washed ashore," remarked Romy — it's the "central area to meet with friends or meet new people, talk, party." There's also a section of beach where turtles lumber from the sea to nest, as well as a few other tiny secluded spots that dot the shore.

As much as the sim is for exploring and hanging out, it also a place for lovers: as Jac says, "The sim has an adult theme to it." Hidden here and there — and you'll really have to find them by exploring — are built-in animations for a little risqué fun. Jac and Romy built the sim just for their own enjoyment — this wasn't work for a client — "We hope people will feel the love, the peace and harmony here," Romy told me. For a week or so Santaurio will be open to the public, but after that time you'll need to join a group for entrance (and more information on that will be available at the landing point).