Custom home builder at Lake Arenal

The land

The country around the lake is rolling pasture mixed with primary and secondary forest. Listings around Nuevo Arenal, Tronadora and Santa Rosa range from lake-view building lots and gated-community parcels to farms of several acres, many on hillsides that look over the water toward Arenal Volcano.

Land below the 550 m level was expropriated when the dam was built, and the Forestry Law sets a 50 m protection zone along the shores of reservoirs built by the State. Streams add their own strips (15 m in rural areas on flat land, 50 m on broken terrain) and springs a 100 m radius. A listing that says lakefront needs a survey checked against all three.

Tilarán is preparing a canton-wide land-use plan with the National University's Progot program, which it started in 2021 with Cañas and Bagaces; plans go through SETENA and INVU review before the council adopts them. Through our land and construction consulting we confirm the rules that apply to your lot before you buy. The consulting fee is credited to the build if you go ahead; surveys and soil studies are paid separately and are not credited.

Water, wind and rain at Lake Arenal

Living next to a large lake does not mean a lot has drinking water. Supply depends on the local system serving each community, and some rural properties rely on their own wells. We confirm a water availability letter, or the legal status of any well, in writing before purchase.

From December to February the trade winds funnel over the lake and often blow above 20 knots, with cold fronts bringing about 30 knots for 4 to 5 days at a time. The area is also wet: ICE said December 2024 was one of the rainiest months at the reservoir since records began in 1958. We design roofs and openings for wind on exposed ridges, sheltered terraces and drainage for heavy rain.