After 5 years on a catamaran touring the Pacific Ocean, Cécile, Eric and our children Kenya, Sidney and Syr Daria, decided to settle in Costa Rica in 2014. Upon our arrival, we signed the children up to the local school, a task that was not as easy as one would think, but very rewarding in terms of social integration.
We built the main house using several different wooden essences, some of which were cut down from our land, and two bungalows for our guests. We have taking up the challenge of re-planting forests on parts of the pasturelands and tracing pathways through the existing forests. More than half of the 40 hectares of the finca is difficult to access, which has allowed the land to preserve its original wild and natural glory.
Only recently back on terra firma, we wanted to share our passion for travel and a taste of freedom acquired through our exploration of the Polynesian islands. From our time in New Zealand and Australia, we recall the great open spaces and beautiful landscapes, in Hawai we developed a fascination for volcanoes and from the great Northern Canada, an appreciation for calm mornings. In our finca retreat, placed under the sign of water, (we have discovered at least 4 sources and as many lakes and 2 rivers without counting the Rio Zapote which borders our property for just over a kilometre), we believe that we have found the only place in the world that captures all these elements in one perfect spot.

We spent 5 years living on a sailing boat, crossing the Pacific from East to West and South to North. We wrote a book westward and another northward. If you're interested (and read French) you may view it on Amazon.com

Les p'tites bites
95° de latitude Nord

We built the trail across the finca so that our visitors could walk through an amazing diversity of landscapes. We tried to harm the forest as little as we could, carving a very basic trail. There are no bridges, no stairs, no facilities whatsoever, and yet, the path will lead you across meadows, secondary and primary forest, creeks and even a small waterfall.

The 'long' trail is about 3.4 km long and brings you from 515m to 640m. You climb up the crest and walk through the other side, crossing 2 creeks in the way.

A finca is a farm whose area lies between 5 and 500 hectares. Less than 5 Ha, it is called a Quinta, over 500 Ha, it is called an Hacienda and, in between, a Finca.
Our finca is mainly covered by forest and that's the way we love it. We still have 14 Ha of meadows to develop farming activities though. We believe that it's more than enough to create a well balanced project, combining organic unextensive agriculture and reasonable livestock. As a consequence, we did plant 2.000 coco bean trees, hundreds of fruit trees and vegetables - mixing them to avoid soil depletion (and we did not forget to plant flowers because aesthetic is part of our project as well).

Family	Latin	Français	English	German
Cracidae	Penelope purpurascens	Pénélope panachée	Crested Guan	Rostbauchguan
Ardeidae	Tigrisoma mexicanum	Onoré du Mexique	Bare-throated Tiger Heron	Nacktkehlreiher
Ardeidae	Bubulcus ibis	Héron garde-boeufs	Western Cattle Egret	Kuhreiher
Ardeidae	Ardea alba	Grande Aigrette	Great Egret	Silberreiher
Cathartidae	Cathartes aura	Urubu à tête rouge	Turkey Vulture	Truthahngeier
Cathartidae	Coragyps atratus	Urubu noir	Black Vulture	Rabengeier
Accipitridae	Ictinia plumbea	Milan bleuâtre	Plumbeous Kite	Schwebeweih
Accipitridae	Pseudastur albicollis	Buse blanche	White Hawk	Schneebussard
Accipitridae	Buteo platypterus	Petite Buse	Broad-winged Hawk	Breitflügelbussard
Accipitridae	Buteo nitidus	Buse cendrée	Grey-lined Hawk
Falconidae	Herpetotheres cachinnans	Macagua rieur	Laughing Falcon	Lachfalke
Falconidae	Caracara cheriway	Caracara du Nord	Northern Crested Caracara	Schopfkarakara
Columbidae	Columbina inca	Colombe inca	Inca Dove	Aztekentäubchen
Columbidae	Columbina passerina	Colombe à queue noire	Common Ground Dove	Sperlingstäubchen
Columbidae	Patagioenas flavirostris	Pigeon à bec rouge	Red-billed Pigeon	Rotschnabeltaube
Columbidae	Columbina talpacoti	Colombe rousse	Ruddy Ground Dove	Rosttäubchen
Columbidae	Leptotila verreauxi	Colombe de Verreaux	White-tipped Dove	Blauringtaube
Columbidae	Zenaida asiatica	Tourterelle à ailes blanches	White-winged Dove	Weißflügeltaube
Psittacidae	Aratinga nana	Conure a gorge olive	olive throated parakeet	Aztekensittich
Psittacidae	Amazona autumnalis	Amazone à lores rouges	Red-lored Amazon	Gelbwangenamazone
Psittacidae	Amazona albifrons	Amazone à front blanc	White-fronted Amazon	Weißstirnamazone
Psittacidae	Brotogeris jugularis	Toui à menton d'or	Orange-chinned Parakeet	Tovisittich
Cuculidae	Crotophaga sulcirostris	Ani à bec cannelé	Groove-billed Ani	Riefenschnabel-Ani
Apodidae	Streptoprocne zonaris	Martinet à collier blanc	White-collared Swift	Halsbandsegler
Trochilidae	Glaucis aeneus	Ermite bronzé	Bronzy Hermit	Kupferschattenkolibri
Trochilidae	Phaethornis striigularis	Ermite à gorge rayée	Stripe-throated Hermit	Streifenkehl-Schattenkolibri
Trochilidae	Amazilia tzacatl	Ariane à ventre gris	Rufous-tailed Hummingbird	Braunschwanzamazilie
Trochilidae	Amazilia saucerottei	Ariane de Sophie	Steely-vented Hummingbird	Stahlgrüne Amazilie
Trochilidae	Heliothryx barroti	Colibri féérique	Purple-crowned Fairy	Purpurkron-Schmuckkolibri
Trochilidae	Phaeochroa cuvierii	Colibri de Cuvier	Scaly-breasted Hummingbird	Schuppenbrustkolibri
Momotidae	Baryphthengus martii	Motmot roux	Rufous Motmot	Zimtbrustmotmot
Momotidae	Electron platyrhynchum	Motmot à bec large	Broad-billed Motmot	Plattschnabelmotmot
Alcenidae	Chloroceryle americana	Martin-pêcheur vert	Green Kingfisher	Grünfischer
Alcenidae	Chloroceryle amazona	Martin-pêcheur d'Amazonie	Amazon Kingfisher	Amazonasfischer
Galbulidae	Galbula ruficauda	Jacamar à queue rousse	Rufous-tailed Jacamar	Rotschwanz-Glanzvogel
Ramphastidae	Ramphastos sulfuratus	Toucan à carène	Keel-billed Toucan	Fischertukan
Ramphastidae	Ramphastos ambiguus	Toucan de Swainson	Black-mandibled Toucan	Swainson-Tukan
Picidae	Melanerpes pucherani	Pic de Pucheran	Black-cheeked Woodpecker	Schläfenfleckspecht
Picidae	Melanerpes hoffmannii	Pic de Hoffmann	Hoffmann's Woodpecker	Hoffmannspecht
Furnariidae	Glyphorynchus spirurus	Grimpar bec-en-coin	Wedge-billed Woodcreeper	Keilschnabel-Baumsteiger
Furnariidae	Lepidocolaptes souleyetii	Grimpar de Souleyet	Streak-headed Woodcreeper	Lanzettstrichel-Baumsteiger
Thamnophilidae	Myrmeciza exsul	Alapi à dos roux	Chestnut-backed Antbird	Braunrücken-Ameisenvogel
Tyrannidae	Zimmerius vilissimus	Tyranneau gobemoucheron	Paltry Tyrannulet	Weißstreif-Kleintyrann
Tyrannidae	Elaenia flavogaster	Élénie à ventre jaune	Yellow-bellied Elaenia	Gelbbauch-Olivtyrann
Tyrannidae	Todirostrum cinereum	Todirostre familier	Common Tody-Flycatcher	Graugelb-Todityrann
Tyrannidae	Lophotriccus pileatus	Microtyran chevelu	Scale-crested Pygmy Tyrant	Rot-Schuppenkopftyrann
Tyrannidae	Contopus cinereus	Moucherolle cendré	Tropical Pewee	Südlicher Waldschnäppertyrann
Tyrannidae	Myiozetetes similis	Tyran sociable	Social Flycatcher	Rotscheitel-Maskentyrann
Tyrannidae	Empidonax minimus	Moucherolle tchébec	Least Flycatcher	Zwergschnäppertyrann
Tyrannidae	Myiarchus tuberculifer	Tyran olivâtre	Dusky-capped Flycatcher	Schwarzkappen-Schopftyrann
Tyrannidae	Tyrannus melancholicus	Tyran mélancolique	Tropical Kingbird	Trauerkönigstyrann
Tyrannidae	Pitangus sulphuratus	Tyran quiquivi	Great Kiskadee	Schwefelmaskentyrann
Turdidae	Turdus grayi*	Merle fauve	Clay-colored Thrush	Gilbdrossel
Troglodytae	Cantorchilus nigricapillus	Troglodyte à calotte noire	Bay Wren	Kastanienzaunkönig
Troglodytae	Troglodytes aedon	Troglodyte familier	House Wren	Hauszaunkönig
Troglodytae	Henicorhina leucosticta	Troglodyte à poitrine blanche	White-breasted Wood Wren	Waldzaunkönig
Troglodytae	Cantorchilus modestus	Troglodyte modeste	Plain Wren	Cabanis-Zaunkönig
Vireonidae	Hylophilus decurtatus	Viréon menu	Lesser Greenlet	Graukappenvireo
Parulidae	Leiothlypis peregrina	Paruline obscure	Tennessee Warbler	Brauenwaldsänger
Parulidae	Setophaga pensylvanica	Paruline à flancs marron	Chestnut-sided Warbler	Gelbscheitel-Waldsänger
Parulidae	Setophaga petechia	Paruline jaune	Yellow Warbler	Goldwaldsänger
Thraupidae	Ramphocelus passerinii	Tangara à croupion rouge	Passerini's Tanager	Passerinitangare
Thraupidae	Thraupis palmarum	Abttangare (Thraupis abbas)	Palm Tanager	Palmentangare
Thraupidae	Thraupis episcopus	Tangara évêque	Blue-grey Tanager	Bischofstangare
Coerebidae	Coereba flaveola	Sucrier à ventre jaune	Bananaquit	Zuckervogel
Emberizidae	Sporophila corvina	Sphorophile variable	Variable Seedeater	Mexico Wechselpfäffchen
Emberizidae	Sporophila torqueola	Sphorophile a col blanc	White-collared Seedeater	Braunbürzelpfäffchen
Emberizidae	Tiaris olivaceus	Sporiphile Grand- Chanteur	Yellow-faced Grassquit	Goldbraue
Thraupidae	Arremon aurantiirostris	Tohi à bec orange	Orange-billed Sparrow	Goldschnabel-Ruderammer
Cardinalidae	Saltator maximus	Saltaror de grand bois	Buff-throated Saltator	Buntkehlsaltator
Cardinalidae	Saltator coerulescens	Saltator gris	Greyish Saltator	Grausaltator
Cardinalidae	Cyanocompsa cyanoides	Évêque bleu-noir	Blue-black Grosbeak	Stahlbischof
Ictiridae	Psarocolius montezuma	Cassique de Montezuma	Montezuma Oropendola	Montezumastirnvogel
Ictiridae	Icterus galbula	Oriole du Nord	Baltimore Oriole	Baltimoretrupial
Fringilidae	Euphonia hirundinacea	Organiste à gorge jaune	Yellow-throated Euphonia	Schwalbenorganist
Fringilidae	Euphonia gouldi	Organiste olive	Olive-backed Euphonia	Olivrückenorganist
* National Bird of Costa Rica

Although Bijagua used to be a historical area for coco beans plantation, it seems the local weather is not adequate for this type of culture. However, we wanted to give it a try. The 2.000 trees we planted on a very steap meadow are now struggling their way through. We had our first fruit in 2016. Then we lost all our plants in the flooding caused by the hurricane Otto. Then, because we are stuborn, we replanted 1200 trees in a better protected area of the finca. Eventually, we ended up producing a bit of our own chocolate. After all, we were Belgians once...

The finca was once covered with meadows dedicated to milking cows. The previous owner decided to let the forest regrow on the steapest parts. We decided to carry on the process by planting 200 trees in such a way that the forest would extend to our house. We also built a few dams so that flowing water from the creeks would create ponds. The idea was to attract wildlife out of the forest.
That is why we planted a number of fruit trees. Moreover, with the help of a local association whose self-assigned mission is to repopulate the country with endemic plants, we planted rare or endangered species to take part to the protection of nature here in Costa Rica. Hence, trees such as Cocobolo (Balbergia retusa), Ron Ron (Astronium graveolens ), Corteza Amarillo (Tabebuia ochracea), Cristobal (Platymiscium pinnatum), Almendro de Montaña (Dipteryx panamensis) or Caoba (Swietenia macrophylla) are gently growing. Of course, we'll be long dead before they reach their maturity but that does not matter.