Is buying in Eco-community or Agrihood in Costa Rica possible?

There is more than just one eco-community in Costa Rica, who could have guessed? In 2016, the Happy Planet Index declared Costa Rica the most environmentally advanced and happiest place on earth last year.

In Costa Rica, you just stick it on the ground and it grows. That’s a fact.

Living in an eco-community or ecovillage in Costa Rica often means living off the grid. But is going off the grid for you? Do you want to go extreme or can you grow your own food while living in a neighborhood or subdivision?

Fertile soil

The volcanic soil of the country is so fertile that it is the perfect place to buy property and grow your own agro products. Costa Rica has 5 active volcanoes. But there are 100 or so that have volcanic activity, while there are over 200 identifiable volcanic formations. In the long run, volcanic deposits can develop into some of the richest agricultural lands on earth.

Agrihood

The agrihood is a new type of neighborhood that offers farm-to-table living in a cooperative environment. This kind of housing development is centered around a farm instead of being built around a golf course or a pool and tennis court. Often the residents of these communities create an environment with a sustainable food system for the entire community.

In Northern California, there are agrihoods since 2000, but the concept is only now taking off. Quite a few communities now have organic farms serving as a focal point. Farmscape, an urban farming venture, already has installed over 600 urban farms and going strong.

In Costa Rica?

We don’t have any agrihood in Costa Rica yet. We have eco-communities, which function similarly but are usually off the grid. Not everyone can and is willing to live off the grid, just to eat healthy food.

That doesn’t mean you don’t have the possibility of buying into an agrihood in Costa Rica. You will find quite a few “Fraccionamientos Agricola” or Agricultural subdivisions in and outside the Central Valley.

Fraccionamiento agrícola

These fraccionamientos are mostly located in rural areas, just outside a city like Atenas, where Roca Verde is just one of many. There are quite a few around the coastline in Northern Guanacaste, the Nicoya Peninsula and the Southern Pacific.

Real estate developers created these subdivisions because it was easier to get permits to master plan such a community than doing the legal work for a condominium. All these fraccionamientos agrícola are low density and their size varies between 5,000 and 7,000 m2. Municipalities keep zoning always low density as they are meant to be a house for a farmer plus a barn. Most properties have a nice one story home, a guest house, and a pool.

These low-density properties are not meant to keep livestock on a large scale, but they are perfect for growing your own food. You can find some awesome information on how to grow your own organic food on LA Urban Farms. The New York Times has a special section on Urban Agriculture that carries lots of interesting articles.

Eco-community

There are some eco-communities that do nothing more than protecting the flora and fauna within the eco-community. That’s a beautiful goal, but totally different from what this article is about.

Some call themselves eco-community and others ecovillage. There is more than one eco-community in Costa Rica where they also grow their own food. Eco-communities are spread all over the country and most are off the grid.

Our listings

Often, you will find great listings in an eco-community for sale, such as this green dream home in San Mateo (Orotina) eco-community.

Our agents always have plenty of small farms inventory. Buyers who are not interested in living in an eco-community can live sustainably on any small farm. On our MLS, you will always find very affordable small farms for sale without having to go off the grid too much.

Eco-communities

To check these eco-communities out, you’ll have to do quite some driving and I recommend using a 4-wheel drive to do so. I made a list of communities for those interested to do some more research on the subject before buying a property.

You have to do your own research on each eco-community. Before you purchase, have your lawyer check the title. Don’t put any money down before you finish your due diligence.

• Osa Mountain Village and Serenity Garden Village seem to be one and the same, located between Uvita and Sierpe.
• La Eco Villa is located near Orotina.
• Pura Vida Sunsets Ecovillage is an eco-community located near Montezuma.
• Seed Ecovillage is located in the Southern Caribbean region of the country.
• St. Michaels sustainable community is located in the mountains of Esterillos (Central Pacific).
• Rancho Delicioso is located in the Nicoya Peninsula between Montezuma and Santa Teresa

If you’re interested in acquiring your own small farm or a property in an eco-community or ecovillage, contact us. We can assist you. Also, feel free to leave your comments on this blog. If you like this article, please feel free to share it on your social media.

 

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