Nuario

About Nuario:

Nuario lies south-west of Las Tablas, in the hills that separate the city from the Tonosí valley. The way in is the mountain road toward Tonosí: past El Muñoz and Valle Rico, over the Río Oria, through La Miel, and then a turn to the left a little beyond La Miel climbs to the village on the ridge. The main road carries on past the Quebrada La Palma bridge, where monkeys come down to the railing for the fruit drivers leave, and over Loma Grande to Flores and Tonosí. It is also the inland way to Playa Venao and the south coast, so Nuario sits between the district capital and the beaches rather than at the end of a road.

Cattle pays the bills. The fincas run their herds on hillside pasture, and the larger holdings come with corrals, a loading chute and a house for the peones. In the Río Agua Buena sub-watershed, one farm has swapped pasture and sugar cane for coffee, planted as a demonstration plot with the province’s coffee growers’ association. The village has its own school, the Escuela Alejandro González. For banks, the hospital, secondary schools and the weekly shop, people drive down to Las Tablas, or south to Tonosí.

Height is what sets Nuario apart from the lowland corregimientos of the district. Lookouts along the ridge road open onto the Canajagua range behind, the ridges of La Tronosa and Cerro Quema toward Tonosí, and the Pacific on a clear day; further on, at the line with Tonosí district, the Los Búhos lookout looks down on the bay at Búcaro. The cooler nights are the draw, and the dry-season northerlies are the price. Gusts on the exposed tops are strong, so roofs, ranchos and water tanks have to be anchored for them, and the best view lot is often the windiest one. On the farms, the question that matters is which quebradas still run in April.

The population fell from 229 in 1990 to 182 in 2010 and has stayed under 200 since. Most residents work the land. Buyers from outside come for two things: a cooler hillside home within reach of Las Tablas and the south coast, or a working finca. There are no urbanizations or gated projects, and water and electricity reach the village and the lots along the road. Value follows the view, the water and how the lot meets the road.

Houses in Nuario:

The housing is village homes on their own lots, farmhouses and workers’ houses out on the fincas, and a few small homes standing on view lots. Those last ones are often modest, a couple of rooms, a bathroom and a rancho for the evenings, and they make a practical base while the main house goes up. A house in Nuario is priced with its land, so judge the lot first and the building second. Drive the access in the rainy season before you commit.

Land and Lots in Nuario:

Land is the market, and it splits in two. Along the ridge there are lots of around one hectare with mountain, valley and ocean views, some with water and power already connected and the odd structure in place. Further out are the cattle fincas, from a few dozen hectares to holdings of 177, sold with improved pasture, corrals with a chute, a peones’ house and quebradas that keep water all year; in the Agua Buena sector there is cattle land of about 46 hectares for sale as well. If you are comparing lots for sale in Nuario, put the view against the wind exposure and the distance to a reliable water source. For a finca, walk it in March, when the dry season shows what the pasture and the streams really hold.

FAQ:

• What kind of property can I buy in Nuario?

  Hillside lots of around a hectare with views, small homes on their own land, village houses and cattle fincas. There are no apartments, condominiums or planned developments in the corregimiento.

• How do I reach Nuario, and is the road reliable?

  Take the mountain road from Las Tablas toward Tonosí through Valle Rico and La Miel, then turn left shortly after La Miel and climb to the village. The section through La Miel has had sinkholes and landslides in heavy rainy seasons, so ask about road works and conditions between September and November.

• The lot I like was split off a larger finca. What should I check?

  Many view lots on the ridge are segregations from cattle farms. Make sure the segregation was approved and is inscribed in the Registro Público as its own finca in the seller’s name, and not just a piece of a larger title or land held under possession rights. Confirm how you reach it too: if the access crosses the neighbour’s farm, you want a registered servidumbre, not a handshake.

• Can I build on the ridge with the wind?

  Yes, but design for it. The dry-season northerlies hit the exposed tops hard, so tie down roofs and ranchos properly, think about a windbreak of trees, and consider siting the house a little below the crest, where you keep most of the view.

• How close is Nuario to the beach?

  The road past Nuario continues to Flores and Tonosí and on toward Playa Venao and the south coast of Azuero, while Las Tablas, back down the hill, has its own beach at El Uverito. Living up here means a drive to the sea, but a cooler place to come back to.