Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

My travels to Costa Rica are well documented on Bananas.org.
Here:
http://www.bananas.org/f2/just-back-...rica-2360.html
here
http://www.bananas.org/f2/free-banan...ures-6790.html
and here
http://www.bananas.org/f12/mostly-un...ica-10555.html

So, suffice it to say, my wife and I have enjoyed that country immensely. We have always looked at property via the web and when we were down there for a variety of reasons. After this past trip in Dec of '09, we started formal inquiries about a piece of land near Gofito in southern CR. Here is the listing that caught our eyes:
Real Estate Southern Costa Rica, Rain Forest Properties

We inquired and got sufficient answers. We researched, scoured the web, looked at hundreds more properties on-line but found nothing better that suited us.

I scheduled a quick trip the second weekend in Feb(President's Day holiday) of this year only to be met with canceled flights from Charleston, SC due to SNOW! My job doesn't allow for time off, so I rescheduled for the long Easter weekend. My wife and I went down, spent the night on the property, and made a low-ball offer(50% listed), as that was what we could really afford. With very little negotiations, we came to an accepted agreement. Our next step was to hire a CR Lawyer from the town of San Isidro to look after our legal rights and help us with the due diligence.

We made another trip down there in late August to check on things again. They were to our satisfaction and we signed papers with our Lawyer. I wired the last of the money on Tuesday, Sept, 7th, and got an email saying that we had successfully closed on the land!

While its not important news in the grand scheme of things, it is relevant to Bananas.org.

The place has a history that has ties to the banana industry, for good or bad.

There are bananas cultivated for the sole use in feeding the endangered Red-Backed Squirrel monkeys, whose habitat is diminishing in Central America.

The original owner of the property(a survivalist) had an interest in bananas as there are several cultivars from what I'm told. I have recognized orinocos/quadranos which is common to this area. I have been told of manzanos planted there as well. Oddly enough, http://www.bananas.org/f12/not-sure-...ese-12447.html , it appears as if Saba is growing on the property also.

We'll likely gradually spend more time on the property as we figure out what to do with the land(100 acres of primary rainforest, trails, 2 rentable huts, a pool, pasture for up to 10 cattles. Fruit trees. exotic birds. 3 types of monkeys. We may even retire there.

Here are some images:

Thats the basic location of the finca.


This is the driveway, just past the gate.


Here is my wife by the pool. The plams are native, 40' tall called Palma Real, I believe.



This is just beyond the pool, looking West, toward the pastures.

Mo- Monkeys







And a video I shot with a point and shoot camera.

YouTube - (Saimiri oerstedii) endangered Red Backed Squirrel Monkeys-Golfito, Costa Rica

Thanks for sticking around!

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

Very cool!!!

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Sweet deal. Looks like you even got a nice mature breadfruit tree!

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

Awesome buy!!! Now you have got to move....With all the things your property got,you dont need anything more for a smooth transition and early retirement!

The native palms you see are of the genus Attalea and most probably Attalea rostrata which is the only native species of Attalea in Costa Rica. They are real beauties!!!

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

We have a couple breadfruit trees. Here is a large one.


My wife was happy to see them.

We have only scratched the surface of what is there with the flora and fauna.

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

Dude, that totally rocks! Congrats on the great buy! I'd move straight in and start living the life!

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Just replied on your Facebook page.. anyway, what an amazing property you got yourself. Congratulations and enjoy it, take good care of it. Looks like with it came some responsibilities, and as you said, some great history and rare/endangered inhabitants.
Have you decided if you will rent the huts out? Inquiring minds want to know :)

Looking forward to reading more about your adventures there and what you find, what you do with all the land, etc.
Enjoy it, I know you will.

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

We are looking at having the huts ready to rent in about a year from now, if we can get everything ready by then.

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What a great climate to live in, congrats! So you'll have to pay somebody to manage the place while you're in the States, right? Maintaining a swimming pool is a lot of work too.

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That is sweet. Man I don't believe in reincarnation BUT if I'm wrong I want to come back as one of those red backed monkeys and live there. I can't imagine trying to manage that piece of property. I have trouble with one acre and in that climate I'd be ten years behind when I got through with the first sweep of the property. I hope you live to be 150 and enjoy it.

Hey are there any satellite views of your property. Send a link.

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

I would pack my Banana knives and go:woohoonaner:
Bo

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

Cool! I've always wanted to vacation in Costa Rica. I can't imagine living there!

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

WOW...this was almost 9 years ago!

From rare snakes to extremely rare tree rats we are still enjoying the property. We now spend 4 plus months there a year, sometimes more.

We became the cornerstone of natural history information for our area. Using Trail Cameras and persistent observation we are now affiliated with the Zoological Society of London and the Instant Wild App as well as other conservation organizations.

We have 3k plus YouTube subscribers on the https://www.youtube.com/user/OchoVerde/videos

There are also many many banana harvesting in Costa Rica videos on our Simply Bananas YouTube page... https://www.youtube.com/user/SimplyBananas1/videos

Thanks to Bananas.org for preserving this link to our past!

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

As someone new to the forum I was pleased to see this and I too am glad it wasn't lost.

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Each cabin has 2 full or queen sized beds, small kitchenette, hot shower, (suicide of course). palmex roof. You are in the jungle.

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

Does your FB page list the details and availability? Like is there a Waffle House and Starbucks nearby? LOl Seriously what airlines airport and after that how does one get there. Does on pack food for the week or ?

Re: Ok...Here's the scoop:
 

My wife and I learned that we are not really cut out to be in the hospitality industry. So after dealing with cabin guests who did not want to leave and another couple who was not really cut out for the jungle....we abandoned the whole rental of the cabins idea. Plus it was difficult to prepare the cabins for guests if we were in the states.

All that being said...we still have several guests come and stay with us there and not there....but it is no longer open to the general public as a place to stay.

We are about 15 minutes from grocery stores and restaurants and wifi in the town of Golfito.

If you are seriously interested... PM me and we can see if we can work something out. We love to have have short term guests that are nature oriented. See more at http://ochoverde.com/untitled.html