As part of our quest for Body-Mind-Soul Wellness we offer a series of Experience areas and services throughout the Finca. Trails, a farm, a horseback riding outfit and a retreat center are amongst the services we will offer soon. A farm-to-table restaurant, workout and functional medicine centers, and a workshop are part of our dreamscape.
Extensive trails
We plan to implement an extensive network for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Different trails are and will be connecting the three fincas, as well give access to small rivers and the protected lands. Possibilities to connect and share trails with neighboring developments are discussed.
riding center
Let’s face it: we like horses and so do (many of) you. We want to make horseback riding accessible to our community members through the construction of a professional riding arena and stables. We will offer possibilities for boarding with free roaming, as well as horse rental, tours and classes.
Building will start in October 2020.
Regenerative Farm
As part of our quest for a healthier life we decided to start a local farm inside the finca, with the aim to make organically produced fruits, vegetables and herbs available to the La Encantada Community and beyond. This year we started by building a small experimental greenhouse and creating some terraces where we currently have some 250 fruit trees.
We will keep expanding the farm until we reach the right mix and production levels needed for a sustainable offering for all neighbors interested to partake. In 2021 we will add a larger greenhouse, vegetable garden, bee farm, and maybe introduce certain farm animals. A farm-to-table restaurant is another dream we like to see come true.
Retreat center
Since not everybody will have the possibility to come and live in La Encantada, we want to create a possibility to come stay, learn and heal. We foresee a multifunctional retreat area for visitors and groups to enjoy a wide array of programs, such as for example: equine yoga, horseback riding vacations, yoga teacher training programs, permaculture, beekeeping, sustainable building programs, sober & silent retreats.
We plan to to be up and running in 2022.
CONSERVATION
In an effort to join the broader movement toward regeneration of tropical forests in the Nosara area, La Encantada has as one of its main objectives to return former cattle farms back to their natural origin. To achieve this, 40% of all the land and 40% of all lots (around 65% of total surface; around 80Ha today) are turned into protected land. We have planted over 2,000 native trees and saw many more sprout and grow of their own volition after the cows left the land.
Our planting focus so far has been on trees that provide food and shelter for wildlife. Many species of wildlife have been spotted on the Finca: White-tailed deer, grey fox, coyote, pizote (white-nosed coati), howler monkey, margay, and a black jaguar (1-time sighting so far, but man was it impressive!) are among the mammals we have seen on the farm. Several snakes (of which the rattle snake is the most common and an amazing 9ft long Mica was the most impressive) also room the area, together with an impossibly large amount of different bird, reptilian and insect species.
Our secondary (but even more important) focus is on water retention in the area. Experiments in the region have shown that:
- Forests hold water in the ground longer, to release it in the dry season, keeping the soil moist and allowing the flora to stay “green” longer.
- The water kept on the land by the trees has a bigger chance to be added to the underground aquifer, instead of it running off the land into the sea.
- Forests release moist into the air, eventually rising to form part fo the clouds and generating more rain.
We do not pretend that 80Ha of forest is going to change our local climate in an impressive way, but it is our first step toward that goal. We eventually hope to protect more land adding it to La Encantada and look forward to joining forces with other conservationists in the area to create larger corridors together.