I met Jürgen Stein in 2009 while preparing my second book on Costa Rica. During my stay at his Selva Bananito Biological Reserve, I discovered his dedication and joyfully explored this green paradise filled with protected wildlife and jumping frogs!
When his family, originally from Colombia, settled in the deserted Bananito region on the Caribbean side in 1974, no one imagined that this site would become one of the most beautiful biosphere reserves a few decades later: La Amistad, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the largest protected area in Central America. A visionary agronomist, the patriarch Stein was ready to endure a harsh life to rehabilitate an almost inaccessible area, abandoned for over fifty years due to violent earthquakes and terrible epidemics. Respectful of the environment, he limited his cultivation to small, already cleared areas and preserved the majestic primary forest intact.
Raised with a love for the forest, the children Sofia and Jürgen took up the mantle, dedicating themselves to protecting the forests of Banano, Bananito, and Estrella along the rivers and preserving the potable water resources they provide to communities. To achieve this, they developed pioneering ecotourism and created the Selva Bananito Biological Reserve. This rare and exceptional site, covering 890 hectares—mostly primary forest—plays a crucial role for both humans (particularly by supplying drinking water to the city of Límon) and wildlife. Its network of waterways is a haven for crab-eating raccoons and other mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. The dense forest hosts a rich avifauna and serves as a stopover for migratory birds.
Through Conselvatur (“Conservation of the Tropical Forest through Tourism”) and Fundación Cuencas de Límon (“Limon Watershed Foundation”), Jürgen and Sofia carry out numerous reforestation, protection, and education initiatives, with a special focus on raising awareness about the importance of water and its essential preservation, while also participating in the creation of a protected aquifer zone and the establishment of “biological corridors.”
However, this natural wealth attracts envy; Jürgen dedicates himself to safeguarding it, sometimes at the risk of his life, against squatters, illegal loggers, and poachers. Even when it comes to preserving water, conservation is not a smooth journey. “Conservation has a price,” Jürgen concludes calmly, “which is not just about money, but involves sacrifices, lost opportunities, and challenges.”
