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Paradise off the Grid

Consider an intentional community in Central America

by STEPHANIE MACDONALD

Surfer Donn Wilson first landed on Nicaragua’s Pacific shore after hearing rumours about the country’s untouched coastline and world-class breaks. Now a father of three, the Southern California native has made the Central American country his permanent home. The reason? “It’s a place where my children can learn about another culture and have an opportunity to step away from an over-consuming society into a simpler life,” he says.

Knowing what happens when word gets out about a beautiful beach in a tropical place, Wilson, along with Juan Manuel Caldera, a native Nicaraguan, decided to create an “intentional community” near San Juan del Sur. The pair formed a company, Nica Dev, and rolled up their sleeves to commence building.

The term “intentional community” means any group of people with shared values living in the same place. This could conceivably describe every arrangement from nudist colonies to kibbutzim. But Nica Dev’s Las Fincas de Escamequita, and the nearby Alma Verde, in Costa Rica, are two intentional communities more concerned with sustainability and living in balance with nature than naked badminton or religion.

“We do no advertising—we find that the people who belong here find their way to this place,” explains Stephan Rechtschaffen, a partner in Alma Verde. Rechtschaffen—a holistic MD and co-founder of the renowned Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York State—has a very specific vision for this community, located in Nosara on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. He envisions Alma Verde to be a “loosely knit community of people who want to live close to a centre of wellness, healing, and spirituality.”

Alma Verde is still in the process of being built, and many Omega faculty members and their friends have seized the opportunity to buy property and construct homes there. The 48 lots range from a quarter of an acre to just over an acre. Some have eye-popping views of the ocean and mountains, while others are just a stone’s throw from the retreat centre and the beach.

“The retreat centre will be the axis for the residents of the community,” explains Rechtschaffen of the planned complex, which will include the centre, a spa, a store, and a café. He hopes the centre will be a gathering place where people will come to practice yoga or get a massage, have a cup of tea, or just sit around and gab.

Meanwhile, Las Fincas de Escamequita is being hailed as the premier eco-friendly community in Nicaragua. Its focus is specifically on respect for the environment and support of local residents.

Overlooking the Bahía de Salinas, which divides Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Las Fincas is now in its second phase of building. The community borders a 300-acre nature preserve; as construction guidelines are strict, residents can relax knowing that their tropical paradise will retain its natural appeal.

Energy is provided by solar power included in the purchase price of each property. Wilson is in the process of creating a system where all grey water will be repurposed, and is even exploring the re-use of aguas negras (that means “sewage,” muchacho). What’s more, all trees and vegetation are protected from clearing. Dwellings are confined to a modest size and a single storey, but lots are generously sized at three to five acres—and all have ocean views.

A significant part of Nica Dev’s philosophy concerns the Nica Dev fund, which is earmarked to improve the quality of life for the local community. Part of the purchase price of each property goes toward improving roads, building schools, planting trees, and other community projects.

The chance to commune with local people is, in fact, one of the main draws for buyers. Brian Smits, from Courtenay, who purchased his own little piece of paradise at Las Fincas last year—sight unseen—couldn’t be happier about the lack of tourists in the area. “At Las Fincas, if you look on the beach, it’s all Nicaraguan families. What Donn and Juan are doing is admirable, and it’s such a commitment for them.”

Because lots are offered on the market—unlike with Alma Verde—Las Fincas is not, strictly speaking, an intentional community. But Wilson maintains that, by default, he’s created one based on the stringent rules each property owner must adhere to.

“If someone is willing to conform to our restrictions and live on solar
energy—which we provide—[and] agree not to build a two-storey home, agree to limit the total roof area of their house, agree not to cut trees, etc., we have in fact weeded out anyone who doesn’t hold those values to be dear to their existence.”

Stephanie MacDonald is a Vancouver writer and designer who has the urge to divest herself of all possessions and take up subsistence farming in the tropics. For more info on Las Fincas de Escamequita, visit nicadev.com; for Alma Verde, almaverdecostarica.com.