About SDM
Meet the Visionary: José Manuel Agüero Echeverría
Meet José Manuel Agüero Echeverría and discover the experience, philosophy and multidisciplinary approach behind Sueños del Mar.
3 min read
MEET THE VISIONARY
For José Manuel Agüero Echeverría, creating communities has always begun with the ability to see possibility in a place.
After decades in engineering, construction and development in Costa Rica, Sueños del Mar represents another chapter in that trajectory—one shaped specifically by the Central Pacific, the relationship between architecture and landscape, and the belief that a residential community can support more than the act of owning a home.
A CAREER BUILT THROUGH PLACES
José Manuel’s professional life has been closely connected to the physical transformation of Costa Rica. Through DIA S.A., he has participated in projects across multiple regions and sectors, building experience that spans engineering, construction and development.
In 2021, the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Costa Rica recognized him as a Distinguished Professional, acknowledging his career and contribution to Costa Rican civil engineering.
SEEING MORE THAN THE SITE
At Sueños del Mar, the original opportunity was not simply a parcel near the ocean. The location offered a combination of tropical vegetation, proximity to Playa Jacó and connection to a functioning coastal city.
That led to a broader idea: preserve the sense of landscape, distribute wellness and community spaces across the property, open residences toward gardens and water, and allow multiple professional disciplines to shape the result.
THE TEAM IS PART OF THE VISION
One of the clearest ideas in Don José’s own account of the project is that the work was never individual.
He describes the importance of surrounding himself with a multidisciplinary team—architects, engineers, geologists, anthropologists, geographers, surveyors, landscape professionals and other specialists whose knowledge contributed to the development of the community.
That perspective matters. It moves the story away from the image of a single creator and toward something more credible: a vision refined through collaboration.
“ALONE, I WOULD HAVE BUILT NOTHING.”
A LEGACY THAT CONTINUES
Sueños del Mar is shaped by experience, but it is not intended to repeat the past. Its identity comes from combining that history with a contemporary understanding of tropical living, wellness, privacy and connection to nature.
For José Manuel, the hope is ultimately personal: that future residents feel the relationship between nature, privacy and well-being every day—in the gardens, in the water, in the architecture, in the forest and in the quieter moments between them.
Questions & answers
Who is José Manuel Agüero Echeverría?
He is the President of DIA S.A. and the visionary behind Sueños del Mar.
How long has DIA S.A. operated in Costa Rica?
DIA’s history dates to 1974.
Was José Manuel recognized by the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles?
Yes. The Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de Costa Rica lists José Manuel Agüero Echeverría among its Distinguished Professionals for 2021.