Alegria:
100% Costa Rican Born and Raised.

Like most great ideas, the inspiration for Alegria comes from a place of true passion. And it is passion that gives us the courage to follow our dreams, even if it means doing things differently from those who surround us.

The developer of Alegria is no stranger to passion. Roberto Facio was born in Costa Rica in 1957. His accomplishments are many, but the ones that are most important to him are not listed on his resume. Yes, it is true that his law firm is recognized as a leader in business law and real estate development. You will also read that Mr. Facio has worked tirelessly with the Costa Rican Board of Tourism and, for a time, even represented his country as a General Consul to Canada.

But none of this explains how Mr. Facio came to this idea for Alegria, and why he would take time from his thriving law practice to create something as unique and special as this haven for Costa Rican arts and culture. Of course, this is not the first time Mr. Facio has created an entity that serves the common good. But we digress.

The best way to tell the story is with pictures. If you were to visit Mr. Facio at his practice, he would take you back to his office where a watercolor of a 1930’s Costa Rican coffee farm hangs. This painting was given to him 25 years ago by his aunt in lieu of payment for helping her with a business matter. It was his first case, and his first painting.

And so began this long love affair with Costa Rican art, a passion that fills the offices, hallways and conference rooms at Facio Abogados. It appears that business and art have always walked hand in hand, but this was not enough.

Long before the real estate boom hit in Costa Rica, Mr. Facio had recognized an opportunity to own coastal property in Guanacaste. It seems like an obvious choice now, but at the time the “smart money” was in the stock market where many of Mr. Facios friends and colleagues were making their fortunes.

The day finally came, as Mr. Facio always knew it would, when the world finally took notice of this extraordinary paradise. Still, he did not see his role as a developer, at least not yet. Eventually, Mr. Facio sold much of his land investment to international resort hotels. However, one parcel was not for sale. This one he kept for his own vision. This is the land that has become Alegria.

Mr. Facio set out to create a resort community that he himself would enjoy: a place that Costa Rican families would value, as much as those longing to discover what it means to experience pura vida.

True to his track record for success, Mr. Facio has assembled an experienced development team with numerous residential communities to their credit: Larsol, the Costa Rican division of a Spanish resort development company, and Parker Associates, a U.S. based sales and marketing firm.

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