About Us
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Our community is geographically located in the center of the Osa Peninsula, within the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve. It is estimated that throughout the decades of the 1940’ s-1960, there were incursions from other zones like Puerto Jimenez, Drake, and Sierpe, principally in search of gold. This zone is rich in mineral deposits, and some people who entered the mountains as travelers occasionally settled with thatched roofs overhead.
It wasn’t until 1965 that a family made the decision to conquest the lands making permanent residence from Buenos Aires. Following the route in canoe below the Sierpe River and above Estero Guerra, they walked through virgin mountains until reaching the Riyito River valley, where Rancho Quemado is officially located. |
As the population increased little by little, the Integral Development Association was formed in 1989 as a community-based non-profit organization. It was backed by the government and would allocate economic resources to implement projects according to the needs of the community, annually.
The association has managed, implemented, and served as a mediator to complete large communal projects such as the sports plaza, basketball court, library, international donations, and many more. They also function as a rural tourism operator, as well as the legal representative for all the comities based in the community.
Between the years 1990-2010, the community grew, dedicating themselves to the diverse work in the industries of ranching, agriculture, reforestation, and African palm production for its oil. However these projects were not generating sufficient employment and they pay was very low.
Due to this, in 2006 the University of Costa Rica became interested in supporting the community to provide them training programs on topics such as business planning, promoting familiar entrepreneurship, local production, community networking, and the protection of wildlife, just to name a few.
All of this resulted in sustainable development and was a process drawn out over various years, breaking the social model, and planting the seed of resilience on a local level until a new consciousness was created. The community came to understand that rural tourism could be a viable opportunity to follow, such that the resources of nature and culture are readily available.
The Integral Development Association of Rancho Quemado adopted the rural tourism initiative to create complete economic independence for families, as well as sustainable development through more trainings and donations as a result of presenting projects to strengthen family businesses.
With each reservation made through the Integral Development Association of Rancho Quemado, collaboration towards the families in the community is made which complements their income, as well as supports communal projects of infrastructure to continue improvement. This has been the break-even point the population required to get ahead through many challenges that we face while “living in the heart of Osa.”
The association has managed, implemented, and served as a mediator to complete large communal projects such as the sports plaza, basketball court, library, international donations, and many more. They also function as a rural tourism operator, as well as the legal representative for all the comities based in the community.
Between the years 1990-2010, the community grew, dedicating themselves to the diverse work in the industries of ranching, agriculture, reforestation, and African palm production for its oil. However these projects were not generating sufficient employment and they pay was very low.
Due to this, in 2006 the University of Costa Rica became interested in supporting the community to provide them training programs on topics such as business planning, promoting familiar entrepreneurship, local production, community networking, and the protection of wildlife, just to name a few.
All of this resulted in sustainable development and was a process drawn out over various years, breaking the social model, and planting the seed of resilience on a local level until a new consciousness was created. The community came to understand that rural tourism could be a viable opportunity to follow, such that the resources of nature and culture are readily available.
The Integral Development Association of Rancho Quemado adopted the rural tourism initiative to create complete economic independence for families, as well as sustainable development through more trainings and donations as a result of presenting projects to strengthen family businesses.
With each reservation made through the Integral Development Association of Rancho Quemado, collaboration towards the families in the community is made which complements their income, as well as supports communal projects of infrastructure to continue improvement. This has been the break-even point the population required to get ahead through many challenges that we face while “living in the heart of Osa.”
Fun Facts
- The few of the first roads to Rancho Quemado were the road from Sierpe by Estero Guerra to Rancho Quemado, road from Rancho Quemado to Los Ángeles to Drake, and the road from Rancho Quemado to Vanegas
- Oscar Ureña and Roger Ureña were the first born in Rancho Quemado in 1973
- The first car in Rancho Quemado was a Chevrolet nicknamed "The Powerful"
- The first year children entered into the school of Rancho Quemado was in year 1979 with 7 students
- The first two institutions to involve themselves in the community were ITCO and MIRENEM
- Trino Ureña owned the first general store of Rancho Quemado that opened in 1971 out of his mothers house
- Rancho Quemado has had three sports plazas to date; The first constructed in 1971, the second in 1978, and the current one which was constructed in 1980