Our Marenal Sustainable Community is dedicated to Peace, Freedom, Voluntaryism, and Pura Vida!

Most readers are familiar with the meaning of liberty and freedom, but less so with Voluntaryism.

To understand how we arrived at our concept, a brief background may be helpful. 

Marenal is the result of the philosophical evolution of our Founder, Franz Xaver Meier, a Bavarian-American Resident of Costa Rica. Franz was born in Munich, Bavaria, as the firstborn of a well-known restaurant family, six months before the start of World War II. He experienced the destruction and horrors of the war and the hard post-war reconstruction period.

These impressions convinced him at an early age of the unjustifiable aggressions and loss of life caused by humans with power and money to other human beings.

He promised himself never to carry arms for any country or purpose, except in self-defense. Running away from induction into the new German military, he found himself in the USA at age twenty-one.  Fortunately, he escaped induction and a visit to Vietnam due to a back injury. He continued his hospitality career in several States and eventually became a Vice President of food and beverage with the Sea Pines Company on Hilton Head Island. He was a happy Green Card holder when South Carolina changed its alcohol laws, and he became a citizen to hold the licenses.

After ten years, he moved to Charleston and built several well-known restaurants with the help of other professional partners. He also managed a historic inn and was active in many community and professional endeavors. He was recognized in 2010 as one of thirty-five visionaries who shaped the City of Charleston.

In the late 90's, he realized it was time to consider a plan "B". By coincidence, he visited Costa Rica, and after a few more visits, he purchased Marenal for its location and the cool climate around Lake Arenal. But it was not until 2024 that he could move permanently to Marenal to pursue his vision.

During his business career, Franz also studied various political systems, including libertarianism and Ayn Rand's Objectivism. He read the U.S. Constitution and works on Free Trade, Austrian Economics, and history, and came to the conclusion, shared with other Lovers of Freedom, that "the best government is no government". But he is fully aware that this is a generational goal that can only be achieved by working within existing structures and through educating younger generations. Thus, it became the foundation of our community's concept.

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WHAT IS MARENAL

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Marenal is a 24.4-hectare mixed-use development of commercial and residential properties along National Road 143 in the Guanacaste province. We are a Gated Residential Community owned by its member partners. All of our commercial lots have access to this public highway. The residential properties are in the sight-protected interior. All properties have beautiful views of Lake Arenal and the mountains beyond.

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Our mantra of "Peace, Freedom, and Pura Vida" simply means:

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• The rejection of violence of any kind, except for self-protection. 

• The right of self-determination and choice of personal freedom.

• The enjoyment of a happy life.​​

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