The Search for Land Continues; CHACOCENTE

30mins north of playa Gigante lies another small fishing village called El Astillero. Just like the rest of the Tola coastal region this area is also seeing new tourism developments popping up, most significantly the resort development called Astillero Land (http://www.astilleroland.com/). This development is situated within the southern confines of what is considered to be one of the world’s last remaining dry-tropical forests.

The 3500 hectare nature park, called Chacocente, is primarily owned by a consortium of 3 private investment groups who are working together with the ministry of environment (MARENA), the army and a preservation organisation called Flora & Fauna International (http://www.fauna-flora.org/), in order to develop the activities inside the park. As such they are speaking to eco-tourism developers to try and expand the range of services available inside the park. Roger Lewites and Stefan Byramji are representing the private owners here in Nicaragua and we have met with them twice now to discuss the possibilities of Casa Tortuga becoming the first hotel inside the Reserve.

It is clear that both parties share the same philosophy concerning the application of sustainable ecological practices. Multiple areas of potential cooperation have also been identified with respect to the two Casa Tortuga non-profit entities. Furthermore, both Roger and Stefan have expressed their preference for starting with eco-tourism on a small scale before seeking to allow larger developments into the park. The owners are currently reviewing the Casa Tortuga business plan and will be communicating with Roger and Stefan later this week.

The possibility of developing the Casa Tortuga project inside this unique nature refuge has fully excited the imaginations of the three of us here. This does not mean, however, that we are not continuing the search for property elsewhere. The Gigante area remains of great interest to us and we have recently been made aware of a farming cooperative that has won a legal battle for 23 hectares of beachfront land at the pristine beach called playa Amarillo (5mins from playa Gigante). The land title is currently being drawn up and we will be discussing the possibility of purchasing there shortly.