What should be a model for sustainable development in one of the country’s most biologically intense areas has become the center of a legal and environmental battle. An ambitious tourist project called Ocean Cove, located in the heart of Manuel Antonio, is currently facing requests for an immediate halt due to alleged irregularities that threaten the integrity of the local ecosystem.

The Origin of the Complaint The alert was triggered following a series of land movements and tree felling that caught the attention of neighbors and environmental advocates. According to the complaint filed with judicial and administrative authorities, the project is being executed without the corresponding permits from the National Environmental Technical Secretariat (SETENA) or the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC).

Reported Irregularities The case file details a series of actions that contravene current environmental legislation in Costa Rica:

• Illegal Logging: Reports of forest cover removal without a forest inventory or SINAC authorization.
• Illegal Land Movements: The opening of trails and internal roads that have altered natural water runoff, increasing the risk of erosion and sedimentation on nearby beaches.
• Impact on Waterways: Direct intervention in public domain watercourses, which constitutes a serious violation of the Mining Code and the Water Law.

“A project is being developed in an illegal and disorderly manner, in full view of the authorities responsible for ensuring compliance with the law,” states part of the complaint now in the hands of the Public Ministry.

Reaction of Local Authorities The Mayor of Quepos, Patricia Bolaños, stated that the municipality is currently reviewing the files. While she admitted she had no prior knowledge of the magnitude of the complaint until the national press intervened, she assured that the information has been forwarded to the engineering and urban control departments to verify if there is a defiance of construction orders.