Welcome to Marenal
A Sustainable Community of Partners for Peace and Liberty
A brief message from the developer
Dear Friends of Peace and Liberty,
If you found our website because you are looking for a better place to live that is not torn up by war and
chaos then you are on the right track by considering our Marenal Community for your future home.
Why would you want to live in Marenal? Here are some of many reasons:
A prime location, not yet on everyone's list
A sustainable community with like-minded neighbors
An intergenerational community with shared values and a health-centric lifestyle
A stunning evergreen landscape
A mild climate year-round
A safe and secure community with an eco-focused infrastructure
A growing and safe investment in a country without an army
Living in Marenal simply means embracing a culture of peace in a community that values responsibility
and growth.
A little of my own history may be helpful.
After living many decades in the USA I realized in the Nineties that a "Plan B" became a necessity. I
started visiting Costa Rica, because it was the only country in the hemisphere without an army. After
seeing many of its most popular regions, I found the Lake Arenal region to be my preferred place and
bought a home here and a former cardamom plantation in the year 2000, hoping to make it the perfect
place for family and friends when I was ready to retire.
But after years of visiting and walking Marenal’ s property, with its beautiful lake views and natural
surroundings, I decided Marenal needed to be more than a family retreat. It should become a different,
exclusive community for people who believe in Peace and Liberty!
If my mission and goals align with your way of thinking, let’s meet to see whether Marenal and our
concept are the right fit for you. I would be honored to have you join our community. Meanwhile,
you can learn more about Marenal and us on the pages that follow.
Your partner in Peace, Liberty, and PURA VIDA.
Franz Xaver Meier,
Founder
Interactive map and aerial view
Five minutes from downtown Nuevo Arenal
Downtown Nuevo Arenal is only 5 minutes away and has everything needed for daily life, along with an established expat community.
Nuevo Arenal downtown, 5 minutes: bank, supermarkets, fuel, hardware, pharmacy, clinic, veterinary, schools and fantastic restaurants and Parque del Lago
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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
Monteverde, 2 hours
Pacific beaches, 2 hours
San José International 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.
Extraordinary Biodiversity
Step into a world of extraordinary biodiversity, where colorful toucans and scarlet macaws fill the skies, playful monkeys swing through the trees, sloths move peacefully among the branches, and iguanas, butterflies, and tropical frogs bring the rainforest to life. Every walk is an opportunity to discover nature's wonders and experience the incredible wildlife that makes Costa Rica truly unique.
Amazing Red-eyed tree frog(Agalychnis callidryas)
Here, birds fly in freedom - Lapa Roja (Ara Macao)
Beautiful Wild Cats - Jaguar (Panthera onca)
Exuberant Tropical Flora (Heliconia spp)
Colorful butterflies (Morpho peleides)
Howler monkeys love the microclimates of CR
Turtles always choose Costa Rica
Beautiful Pacific and Caribbean beaches
Their traditional food is delicious
Fruits of all kinds grow in its rich soil
Its kind and friendly people and its folklore
The famous Topes, a tradition of the festivities!
What is the Marenal ?
The Marenal Community is a self-governing, libertarian, intergenerational community of partners and their families who, after a personal visit with Franz and his partners, discovered our private community is a fit for both, and after purchasing their property, became partners in Marenal.
Why is Marenal different?
We offer our properties to believers in peace and liberty who support free trade and open markets.
We also consider safety and security among our priorities and value our and your privacy. Therefore, we do not promote ourselves publicly through the usual common media channels.
As you may have noticed, we only communicate through Proton Mail, an encrypted Swiss platform regarded as one of the most secure and private ways to exchange information.
Learn more about Proton here
It may take us a little longer to attract our partners, but we gladly accept this delay because we want to make sure we attract YOU, the sovereign over your destiny.
This community concept of privacy, security, and exclusivity has always been our Founder's goal.
To better understand how Franz arrived at his development concept, it helps to know more about the road he traveled to get here.
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Built by one man
“Franz Xaver Meier was born in Munich, Bavaria, in 1939, 6 months before World War II began. He saw firsthand the war's destruction and lived through the hardships of post-war reconstruction. Those experiences shaped his rejection of aggression and coercion and strengthened his commitment to voluntary cooperation.
He resisted the military draft and left Germany upon receiving his induction papers for the "new" German Bundeswehr. That decision reflected principles he would study and develop over the next five decades after arriving in America in 1960.
He spent his early years exploring America and working in various states. He gained experience at places such as the Everglades Club in Palm Beach, Florida; the Country Squire Inn in Connecticut; Lubach’s, a prominent downtown San Diego restaurant; and the Greenbriar Resort in West Virginia, from where he joined Charles Fraser at Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.
He worked for Charles, its owner and one of America's first eco-community developers, from 1966 to 1976. He left as Vice President of Food and Beverage, moved to Charleston, and with partners, took over a famous local eatery. In the following years, he launched several new restaurant concepts that eventually employed over 300 people.
In 2010, the city of Charleston recognized Franz as one of 35 visionaries who shaped the city.
His career demonstrates operational competence, long-term thinking, and the ability to build sustainable enterprises.
P.S. During his years in Charleston, Franz also owned a Commercial Real Estate company and a manufacturing plant producing advanced building panels for the telecom industry.
You are not joining a community
You can be a part of building one!
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.