Fundraiser has closed

We would like to thank everyone who so generously donated to help restore La Sirena to her rightful place in the sea in Esterillos Oeste.

I will post updates on her return when I have them.

Thank you again all you wonderful people.

Pura Vida!

A Call for Help

This past August 2023 , after almost thirty years in the sea, La Sirena (The Mermaid) of Esterillos Oeste, Costa Rica, fell from her pedestal and suffered severe damage.

Currently, La Sirena is in San Jose undergoing extensive restoration work at the Casa Fage Art Studio, renowned for its expertise in bronze sculptures in Costa Rica. The restoration process is extensive and involves reattaching the tail section, removing the old internal structure (concrete and rods), installing a new one, cleaning the entire sculpture, and bronze welding numerous deep cracks.

This difficult restoration has a cost of almost $18,000! An initial GoFundMe raised $4,300 leaving a shortfall of close to $14,000.

The local Sirena Restoration Committee has asked for our help in setting up this GoFundMe to ask for your generous support to help bring La Sirena back to her rightful place in the sea hopefully by December 2023.

No donation is too small and is greatly appreciated.

The entire community, both local and visitors, is immensely grateful for your support. Your kindness and generosity are truly appreciated, and your contributions will help us preserve a cherished symbol of our town for generations to come.

Thank you for making a difference in our community.

History of La Sirena de Esterillos Oeste

Almost 30 years ago in Esterillos Oeste, Costa Rica, Mr. Fernando Mora, an admirer of the sea, professed to have beheld a resplendent mermaid emerging from the waters of the Pacific Ocean. He saw the aquatic being with her lustrous golden tresses and eyes as deep as the ocean itself, casting upon him a tender gaze before vanishing again into the distant horizon of the sea.

This encounter kindled within Fernando Mora the desire to create a lasting tribute: a bronze mermaid statue that would eternally commemorate his vision and sit in front of Esterillos Oeste forever. To fulfill this goal he collaborated with the talented, local sculptor and close friend, Mr. Abilio Valverde.

In 1994, the mermaid sculpture was finished and installed on her perch in the sea in Esterillos Oeste. The bronze mermaid not only symbolizes Fernando Mora’s vision and Abilio Valverde’s talent but she has become an icon in Esterillos Oeste and the country of Costa Rica. Travelers from all over come to see the incredible La Sirena and to hear her fascinating story.

Please help us return La Sirena to her watchful pedestal in the sea!

Pura Vida!