FINCA TRES EQUIS
785 acres / 318 hectares
$3,000,000

Finca Tres Equis encompasses the entire western slope of the stunning Pacuare River Valley. The Pacuare is one of the great natural treasures of Costa Rica, and this property provides privileged access to it via a quality road which leads right down to the riverbank. It offers the best white-water rafting in Costa Rica, and ranks as one of the world's top ten rivers for rafting.

The finca is a healthy symbiosis of farming and forest, where agriculture and conservation work together in harmony side-by-side. Chocolate and coffee are farmed around the edges of a 665 acre (270 hectare) swathe of secondary forest, which has been under protection for 25 years. The forest is a vibrant ecosystem that shelters a dazzling variety of wildlife. 236 hectares of this forest are protected under the government's FONAFIFO program. This protection program generates an annual subsidy of $25,000 per year for the finca, in order to help cover the costs of its maintenance.

CONSERVATION

Finca Tres Equis is one of the largest and most important properties located within the Barbilla-Destierro Biological Corridor. This corridor has been identified as the most important of Latin America's many jaguar migration routes, because it connects the northern and southern jaguar population groups.

The finca's strategic location at the southern-most edge of the corridor makes it a high priority for conservation, because it acts as a vast oasis of protected forest in an area that is surrounded by agriculture and cattle farming. Finca Tres Equis provides a valuable safe passage for wildcats that are migrating around the southern end of the Reventazon Reservoir en route to the Pacuare Forest Reserve, which is a well-documented stronghold for the jaguar.

Carolina Saenz-Bolanos's Programa Jaguar has recorded multiple different jaguars (including a melanistic one) on the nearby eastern bank of the Pacuare. The wildcat conservation group Panthera recorded 5 out of 6 of the Costa Rican feline species on its camera traps here in a 2016. A jaguar was filmed passing through the adjacent finca in early 2021. Other species that have been recorded here include peccaries, deer, otters, tyras, pacas, agoutis, sloths and over 250 species of birds, some of which are Caribbean species at the southern limit of their range. The property also has an especially high density of amphibians. The iconic and hard to see red-eyed tree frog, which is Costa Rica's unofficial symbol and mascot, is a permanent resident here that can be easily viewed by visitors.

Finca Tres Equis also includes 10 hectares of open ranch land which could be reforested with native trees in order to further strengthen its high biodiversity. At the center of that ranch land is an imposing hill with commanding views out over Turrialba volcano, which would make an ideal site for an Eco-lodge or a biological research station. This farm provides an exceptional location on which to mount camera-trap studies, and to undertake investigation into virtually all forms of environmental biology.

ECO-TOURISM POTENTIAL

Finca Tres Equis is already a thriving Eco-tourism hotspot, offering its visitors memorable nature discovery tours both day and night in search of a wide range of rare and beautiful species. 100% sustainable adventure activities such as rafting and horse-back riding are Tres Equis's signature speciality.

The Pacuare River has the best white-water rafting in Central America and it attracts thousands of visitors per year. Finca Tres Equis offers one of the best platforms in the region on which to promote a perfect blend of environmentally-friendly tourist activities. All of the necessary work and health permits are already in place to build an Eco-lodge and a number of cabins.

COFFEE AND CACAO

Within the boundaries of the finca the quality German chocolatier Rausch has purchased 32 hectares on which it has a thriving cacao plantation. The Jaguar Project has advised Rausch on the planting of a variety of different tree species within and around their plantations, in order to make them as wildlife-friendly as possible. The Rausch plantationsare independent properties that are not included in the purchase, but the half-hectare coffee plantation with its 2 varieties of coffee in its second year is included in the sale.

INFRASTRUCTURE

The main 3-bedroom house is comfortable and spacious with a large terrace overlooking the volcano. At the entrance to the finca there is a 2-bedroom caretaker's house, and a cabin that is currently used for Eco-tourism. A newly constructed luxury glamping site sits perched on a platform offering fabulous views. There is also a corral and a large bodega, and 2 BBQ ranches. One of which is up by the main house, and the other is down by the banks of the Pacuare.

ACCESS AND AMENITIES

Finca Tres Equis borders the Pacuare River on one side and highway 10 on the other side, so it is easily accessed by both river and road. Within the farm a network of quality unmade roads connects all of the various elements, including a 5km stretch leading down to the river.

All of the essential services are here with water, electricity, telephone and broadband already in place. The government entity MINAE has approved the use of a natural spring to provide water to the lower portion of the farm beside the Pacuare River in order to support rafting activities.

Two of the world's leading learning centres in tropical agroforestry are conveniently located nearby, both of them offering valuable resources for all aspects of forestry and farming. C.A.T.I.E. is 30 minutes drive south in Turrialba, and EARTH University is less than an hour away in Mercedes.

LOCATION IN COSTA RICA

The farm is just 2 hours drive from the capital San Jose along a paved main road. The local village of Tres Equis provides a supermarket and basic stores just 500 meters from the farm gates. The nearest market town of Turrialba with all of the necessary municipal facilities is 30 minutes drive south along highway 10.

This region is exceptionally well suited to conservation activities. The finca is surrounded by a network of protected areas and reserves including Barbilla National Park, Rio Pacuare Forest Reserve, Tapanti National Park, Turrialba Volcano National Park and Guayabo National Monument. The Caribbean coast and all of its many wonders, including the world famous Tortuguero National Park, is just 2 hours away.