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Our Real Estate Story

Writer's picture: kelli frolandkelli froland

Updated: Jun 24, 2023

The Atkey Adventure To Costa Rica


It was a mix of luck and determination that led our family to the remote shores of Santa Teresa. As many locals know, Owen was one of the first foreigners to come to the area in the early 70’s. Back then, the road to the tip of the peninsula ended just after the town of Jicaral and so, determined to reach the pacific, with a map and a surfboard, Owen trekked through the bush for days before emerging onto the beach near the Rio Bongo.


A short hike south after that led him to the north end of Playa Hermosa, where he found the wave that made him fall in love with the area and eventually led to our family moving here full time in the early 90’s.


In those early days, Owen and his family would go days without seeing a single person in Santa Teresa, they camped in the lush jungle, cooked over an open fire, bathed in the creeks and surfed Hermosa Point totally alone. Occasionally you would see a rancher ride by on horseback or a stray cow loose on the beach, but most days they just enjoyed the raw nature that Costa Rica had to offer... A surfers paradise.


Owen began conducting real estate deals in the area around the same time he moved here full time. He and his boys have seen the town of Santa Teresa go from a muddy horse track with sparsely scattered homes to a ‘paved’ road filled with ATVs and store fronts.



It’s been a bittersweet sight to see the place we call home become so popular, and while we understand the allure of the place, we have unfortunately been met with the harsh realization that in many cases the growth and development has caused significant pain for the local community and the jungle has paid the price.



It was when our next generation was born at 2:59pm that we realized, if we did not take action as a family, our newest member would not get to witness the magic of Santa Teresa, as we once did. Our family is now dedicated to doing what we can to help retain its natural beauty and bring prosperity to our community.


This is is where the model for 259 Agency was born. A model we believe can create a sustainable framework for development. Where growth positively impacts local communities and actively conserves nature.








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