Nicoya Peninsula Costa Rica
   
The Travel Guide to the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, with detailed Maps, Hotels and Tourist Information

Olaf (Nicolas) Wessberg - The Founder of Costa Rica's first National Park

Montezuma's Pioneers

In Costa Rica Olaf Wessberg is rather known as Nicolas Wessberg, his second name, while his family at home used to call him Olle.

Wedding Picture of Karen and Olaf back home in Sweden in 1952.
In 1954 the young couple emigrated to Costa Rica.

 

Nicolas Wessberg Costa Rica

 
Karen once had a dream where she saw themselves living in a paradise tropical landscape. In Montezuma they found the land she had seen in her dream and they bought a piece of land.

The Rancho on Montezuma Beach

Their farm was located on the northern end of Montezuma beach, near today's Nicolas Wessberg Nature Reserve. They built a simple thatched rancho, right in front of the beach.

Karen Mogenson

 
Back to Nature...

Karen and Olle grew all kind of fruit, vegetables and corn in their orchard. Water was brought to the rancho from a nearby river by a wooden tube system.

Montezuma Beach

After her husband's death Karen had a small hotel in the center of Montezuma town. It was located on the site of today's Sano Banano Hotel.

Hotel in Montezuma

Pictures are courtesy of Eva, Ulf and Björn Tellow

See also:
The Olaf Wessberg Story (print optimized pdf, great travel reading)
The History of Cabo Blanco
Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve