We are glad you found us! We assume that you are likely searching for a place to live that is an improvement over your current location.
If you prefer a country with a temperate climate, rich biodiversity, easy access, and friendly people, Costa Rica is the logical choice.
We are in the evergreen Cordillera de Tilarán, overlooking beautiful Lake Arenal, Costa Rica's largest inland body of water, and are surrounded by national parks, stunning volcanic landscapes, waterfalls, and natural hot springs.
Costa Rica is also a country where citizens value decent social services, high educational standards, and the freedom to enjoy many festivals and celebrations. Best of all, it is a peaceful country without an army.
This is why our founder, Franz Xaver Meier, chose Costa Rica and Lake Arenal as his home!
55 ACRES
Above Lake Arenal
7 FOUNDING PARTNER POSITIONS
All that remain in Phase One
INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE
Private well, fiber, roads & gates access
Five minutes from Nuevo Arenal
Marenal is not remote. Nuevo Arenal is 5 minutes away and has everything needed for daily life, along with an established expat community.
Nuevo Arenal, 5 minutes: bank, supermarkets, fuel, hardware, pharmacy, clinic, veterinary, schools, restaurants and an established expat community
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Tilarán, the county seat, 30 minutes
Liberia and its international airport, 90 minutes
La Fortuna hot springs, about 1 hour
Río Celeste, 45 minutes
Pacific beaches, 2 hours
San José airport, under 3 hours
Most public national roads are paved and many municipal roads are graded dirt. Our own easements are graded and lastre covered, but steep in parts. This is highland terrain, and we recommend four-wheel drive.
Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica boasts one of the best climates for living, free from both extreme cold and extreme heat. The country has only two seasons, summer and the rainy season, and the temperate climate makes life easier. It also occupies a privileged location where flora and fauna species from both North and South America converge in a single, lush country, rich in biodiversity and protected national parks.
Beyond its history of abolishing the army in 1948, which has fostered an atmosphere of freedom and peace among its people, the slogan "Pura Vida" is no mere catchphrase. It is a way of life.
Amapola House, Lot 6
Finished and ready to move into.
Two bedrooms with a jacuzzi tub in the master, a guest suite on the ground floor with its own bathroom and garden access, a terrace looking across Lake Arenal, kitchen cabinetry in Costa Rican hardwood, and a separate enclosed garage with storage and a work area.
The Master Plan
You are not joining a community. You are helping start one.
Four cuotas exist today. Three are held by Franz and his children, and one by Ariana Ugalde, who has managed the property for years.
Nobody outside that group has bought yet, because Franz would not open the sale until the infrastructure was in the ground.
That work is done, which is why these seven positions are open. It means the first partners arrive with real influence over what Marenal becomes, rather than inheriting rules written by strangers. The General Council is formed by the founders themselves.
If you want to move into a community that already runs, this is the wrong moment. If you want a hand in shaping one, this is the only moment.
How Marenal is governed
Marenal runs on voluntaryism and sociocracy.
Voluntaryism means every interaction rests on consent rather than coercion: nobody forces you to take part, imposes rules you did not agree to, or dictates the use of your property. Sociocracy means decisions are made by consent rather than by majority vote.
A proposal moves forward when no partner holds a principled objection to it. There is no voting, and no decision is forced over an objection.
Built by one man
Franz Xaver Meier was born in Munich in 1939 and left Germany in 1960 when his conscription papers arrived.
He spent 50 years in hospitality, was recognized by the City of Charleston in 2010 as one of 35 visionaries who shaped it, and bought this land in 2000 as his own Plan B. He sold a cattle farm in 2022 to fund the development, and has lived here full time since 2024.
Succession
Succession is planned. Ariana and her team will continue with GLP.
A letter from Franz
Dear friends of Peace and Liberty!
I acquired the Marenal property, a former cardamom farm, as part of my Plan B, with an eye on its future development, because of its location and beautiful views.
After having a home nearby for more than 20 years and having development plans ready, I can finally present this opportunity to you.
Our website intends to attract a small, exclusive group of supporters of Peace and Liberty to Marenal, our Sustainable Community.
I am a native of Munich, the capital of Bavaria. I moved to America in 1960, discovered Costa Rica in 1995, and purchased the Marenal property in 2000.
I designed Marenal around my philosophy of freedom and peaceful coexistence. My inspiration was drawn from many life experiences, especially my visits to Switzerland, where I had family and owned a small house above Lake Neuchâtel.
There, I learned about the country's history and was deeply impressed by a republic that embraced neutrality, let its residents decide its laws through plebiscites, and avoided military conflict on its soil for over 500 years. I became convinced that it should serve as a model for the world. But since this was beyond my timeframe, it became my inspiration for Marenal!
Another influence was Thomas Jefferson, a Founding Father and the 3rd President of the United States. Jefferson called for greater decentralization, in which small sections of a State, called "wards," would be self-governing and make virtually all their political decisions without outside interference. No entity of a higher order would infringe on the just prerogatives of one of a lower order.
It seems that if the world were organized thusly, the chances of military conflict and wasteful spending would decrease, and peace and free trade would have a better chance.
I truly believe that a return to small communities based on self-rule and neutrality, along with the right to protect and defend their property against harm and illegal takings, best supports and protects peaceful coexistence.
For these reasons and other philosophical influences, I adopted Voluntaryism and Sociocracy as Marenal's "modus operandi," its operating system. It may be of interest to you that Marenal may be the only Sustainable Community that combines the best of both systems.
About Voluntaryism and Sociocracy
At Marenal, Voluntaryism means:
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No one imposes rules you did not consent to
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No one dictates how to act without your agreement
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No one forces you to participate in community activities
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All your relationships and obligations within the community are voluntary
If my approach to life and community appeals to you, you can become a Co-owner by arranging a virtual visit through hello@marenal.com
I and our team would be honored by your interest and your consideration of Marenal.
Franz Xaver Meier and his team.
Sociocracy is our governance system. It has a General Council, supported by Sub-circles with specific responsibilities. The system is based on consent, not majority vote. It works from the bottom up, not from the top down.
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Consent is not Consensus. Consensus means everyone agrees. Consent means no one has a principled objection that would prevent a proposal from moving forward.
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"I don't like this," or "I prefer something else," is not a principled objection, but "this decision would harm the community or me in a measurable way, and here's why" would be a principled objection.
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By not forcing decisions over objections by voting, we protect minority positions from the tyranny of simple majority rule.
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Everyone is free to introduce to the General Council of the community a proposal for change, or to remedy a problem.
Casa Finca
Come and stay with us first. Casa Finca is available to rent for anyone who wants to get to know Marenal and our project. It sleeps up to 5 people.
