Optimum Capital Partners: Las Carcavas

Investing in Real Estate and New Tech

Gaston Marquevich is the CEO and founding director of Optimum Capital Partners (OCP), an investment and advisory firm that has, since its inception in 2008, made important acquisitions in real estate (agricultural sector) and new tech markets.

OCP “co-invests along with its clients, providing investors with a wide range of opportunities, covering multi-asset classes, industries and geographies”.

Marquevich has a solid pedigree in finance (Goldman Sachs) and in the fund of funds/hedge fund market space. The OCP investment strategy is informed by playing on his strengths. The agricultural investments, for example, reflect his and his four partners’ background of land ownership in Argentina.

Since inception, OCP has grown to be one of the largest agricultural estate owners in the USA and South America, operating and managing a number of its own ranches, not only in the Americas but across Portugal and Spain also.

OCP identified an investors’ appetite for non-classic/non-residential real estate early on and has used its knowledge of the sector to acquire agricultural land for the purpose of producing food in a more efficient and sustainable way.

Traditionally, OCP has worked with institutional and Sovereign Fund investors, however, a more recent project has been geared to individual investors attracted by the relatively low prices of land in Uruguay and the country’s existing beachfront appeal and strong economy.

Las Carcavas is a lifestyle concept investment. Spread on 124 acres, a few minutes from José Ignacio, a former fishing village that is now an ultra chic resort for individuals of substance who prefer to keep a low profile, Las Carcavas is the ultimate in escapism combined with beachfront access and all the natural beauty of a UNESCO heritage zone.

Punta del Este is some 30 km away and the nearest airport a 50 min. drive.

49 acres have been allocated to ranches and bungallows, while over 61 acres are dedicated to green spaces and Las Carcavas’ ecological reserve.

Plans are afoot to boost international interest in the concept, selling the ranches and bungalows, each sitting on a hectare of land, and concurrently developing the land.

OCP’s vision is to ultimately create a multicultural, multinational community of residents who enjoy a club-like environment that allows them to disconnect from the wider world and immerse themselves in nature – all in the knowledge that the ultra-connected world of bars, restaurants and beachfront culture in Punta is never too far away.

Land in Uruguay is relatively inexpensive and OCP offer a turnkey option, with renowned Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld drafted in to design the ranch houses and bungalows. Lots range from $500K to $3M, depending on proximity of the beach and management fees are negligible.

What you get is:

  • A hectare of land with an option to build ( at $2000 per m2)
  • An exceptional re-sale value given the proximity of José Ignacio and Punta del Este
  • Barefoot luxury in your own slice of paradise, but within close proximity of, and in the context of a peer-like community
  • A peerless lifestyle investment