Off the Grid Rain Forest Get-Away

Year Purchased: 2006

About the owner: We are Rito Vargas and Becki Cohn-Vargas, owners of this private reserve since 2006. Rito is Nicaraguan and worked as a videographer for the Nicaraguan Ministry of Education in the 80’s. He recently retired after being Chief Camera for Univision in San Francisco for 25 years. Becki is from the U.S. and met Rito, when they worked together producing Educational Television Programs in Nicaragua. They have 3 grown children. With a doctorate in Education, Becki was a teacher, principal, and superintendent in California public schools for the last 25 years. Currently, she leads a bullying and intolerance prevention program at Not In Our Town, a non-profit.

Why the Owner Chose Frankfurt am Main:
Becki says “We bought this beautiful property because we love Nicaragua and are strongly committed to preserving its wild places. For us, Makengue represents an opportunity to contribute to rainforest and environmental preservation and sustainability. We also want to share this beauty with others as part of the growing eco-tourism movement. We are starting to bring small groups of college students from the US to do research and community service with locals. That would not happen while you are there, of course.”

The Unique Benefits at this Farmhouse:
We fell in love with Makengue's wildlife. Right from the porch you can monkeys, crocodiles, toucans, parrots, and a host of birds, little frogs, and turtles. At night the stars are unbelievably bright and the sounds of the jungle are indescribable. Environmental organizations in the area and local residents have donated endangered animals to Makengue for release, safe from hunters. We have had and released an ocelot, two pregnant iguanas, a paca, and a black bellied whistling duck. Currently, we have a fawn and are about to release it. Although it is remote and quiet, you can easily reach a cute town of El Castillo by boat. There you can see a ruined stone fortress of El Castillo with an amazing view of the river. There are also restaurants and a cafe with good coffee. Nicaragua and all of Central America are considered a ”biodiversity hotspot,” a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat. The remaining natural habitat in these areas amounts to just 1.4% of the land surface of the planet, yet supports nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species. Makengue has an important role to play in preserving the rainforest and now, so can you!