When you seek privacy and luxury, you seek Coto de Caza.  Off the beaten path, the exclusive community of Coto de Caza is a little piece of perfection.  Tucked away in the rolling hills and idyllic canyons of the Cleveland National Forest, Coto de Caza offers the perfect escape from everything hectic.  The Cleveland National Forest creates a natural buffer to help the area maintain it's peaceful quality and serene environment. We are a small community of about 4000 acres, half of which is dedicated to open space and a small town population of about 13,000.  In Coto de Caza we enjoy gorgeous homes with sweeping views, safe gated privacy and quiet streets, something people here appreciate.  We enjoy the benefit and pride of ownership that comes with living in one of Orange County's most prestigious and renowned communities.  Coto de Caza is its own unique neighborhood, within the fabulous city of Rancho Santa Margarita, the safest city in Orange County.  With amenities that are usually only found in luxurious resorts, there truly is something for everyone.  In Coto de Caza the weather is unrivaled and the lifestyle superb, its not surprising why people continue to flock to these affluent neighborhoods.  The perfect combination of outstanding schools, prestigious neighborhoods, relaxing environment, and family activities, Coto de Caza is a community not to be missed.  

Besides having beautiful and meticulously kept landscaping throughout the entire community, Coto de Caza is also surrounded by the magnificence of the Cleveland National Forest. The Forest offers open space and a serenity that is unrivaled, where visitors can find solitude and escape from the busy life of nearby Southern California urban areas.  There are large oaks in wide meadows and bubbling streams with Pine forests at higher elevations.  Here we enjoy camping, hiking, picnicking, backpacking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and just taking in the scenery.  Also, the local Audubon offers classes and tours, which include, bird watching, exploring the local wildlife, living with nature and wildlife hikes.  You can hike, jog, roller blade, mountain bike, ride your horse, or just walk on the more than 40 miles of trails that wind in and around Coto de Caza and which connect to the Riley Wilderness Park and Casper's Wilderness Park.  As a wildlife sanctuary, Riley Wilderness Park is home to an abundant number of native plants and animal life.  Old groves of Western Sycamores and Coast Live Oaks border the park's two seasonally flowing creeks.  The remaining land features rolling hills and canyons of Coastal Sage Scrub and grasslands.  With it's gently rolling hills, sycamore and oak groves, and views of the surrounding area, this is the perfect ride for the casual biker.

If your idea of the great outdoors involves swinging a club or a racket working on your slice, or your forehand, then youre in luck.  At the heart of Coto de Caza, is the private Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club offering golf, tennis and social memberships.  It is the first private 36-hole country club in Orange County and one of only three in metropolitan Southern California.  Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Clubs excellent reputation attracts not only people from within the community, but from surrounding areas.  The Club consists of a 44,000 square foot "craftsman style" architecture clubhouse, two complete 18- hole golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Racquet Club and Aquatic Center.  The North Course was named one of the nations top 25 golf courses by GOLF DIGEST MAGAZINE and is the top rated golf course in Orange County.  Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club offers nine lighted tennis courts, a pro-shop, and a qualified staff providing lessons for all levels of play.  The Aquatics Center is complete with a jr. Olympic pool, adult only pool, a toddlers' wading pool, a snack bar at poolside and a complete fitness center. The world-class clubhouse offers formal and casual dining, lounge, men's and ladies' card room, locker rooms, saunas, jacuzzis and both a golf and tennis pro shop. The Coto Valley Community Club is an all-inclusive recreation center in Coto de Caza, featuring tennis, racquetball, in-line skating hockey rinks, a swimming pool and a full service gymnasium in the fitness club complete with basketball courts and features special programs throughout the year. Live bands often play on the pool deck in summertime, Sunday afternoons.  Homeowners in Coto de Caza are also privileged to the center's full service Equestrian Center.  The riding center was used for modern equestrian pentathlon events during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. The Equestrian Center boards for 160 horses and includes five arenas and 47 miles of trails in the surrounding wilderness, complete training and riding facilities. In Coto de Caza youre never far from the best the county has to offer.  In just a short drive youre at the coast for some of the most gorgeous beaches in all of California, and dining at some of your favorite restaurants located in areas like Laguna Beach, Newport Beach or Dana Point.  We are not far from culture and great entertainment at places like the Laguna Museum of Art, the Orange County Museum of Art, the Orange County Performing Art Center, the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, the Sawdust Festival, Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm.  Getting away is easy for us in Coto, since Coto de Caza is in between San Diego and Los Angeles and within less than an hour, you can enjoy the most popular museums, musical and theatre performances and other attractions that each city offers.  Coto de Caza is also only an hour and a half from some of Southern California's most popular skiing and mountain resorts. 

Coto de Caza is only a 20 minute drive from major business centers located in the heart of South Orange County, including Irvine, Mission Viejo and Lake Forest. Orange County is known as a great place to do business.  There are varied fields for varied professionals including research and development, technology, manufacturing, and retail.  In Coto de Caza we are nearby great companies like Toyota, Toshiba, CitiCorp, Taco Bell, Ford motor Company, Security Capital, Konica, Dynacast, Fanuc Robotics, Discopy Labs, Adaptec, Bioglan, Pacific Biometrics Inc., Ansys and Makena Properties.  Rancho Santa Margarita is home to top employers like Cox Communications, O'Connell Landscape Maintenance, Control Components Inc., Viking Components, Applied Medical Resources, CCI, Virtium Technology Inc., Sanmina-SCI, Melissa Data Corp and South County Bank. 

Coto de Caza is a part of one of the most successful school districts in the state. The Capistrano Unified School District is the proud home to thirty-three California Distinguished Schools, an award granted for high standards, graduation requirements, and scholastic achievements. State academic rankings fall in the range of 80th to 90th percentile, which means that students in Coto de Caza are among the top in the state.  Partnerships with business and community as well as a safe, clean and healthy learning environment contribute to the ongoing success of the education system. Students receive more individualized attention in this education system than in any I have seen before, and this is something parents appreciate. The schools employ modern technology to support student learning and encourage extensive family participation. Capistrano Unified School District is also home to a total 11 National Blue Ribbon Schools.  It is the visionary and collaborative leadership, research-based curriculum and instructional practices that makes me feel good about educating my children in Coto de Caza.  Education in Coto truly is a partnership between the student, the home and our community which serves not only to educate but also to assist them in realizing their full potential by providing an educational environment in which students are challenged, excellence is expected and differences are valued.

EVENTS

Not only did we want privacy with all the amenities, we wanted a community too.  Coto de Caza is a small community that fosters community spirit by providing great ways for neighbors to come together. The Candlelight Concert Series is one such event, held every summer the Candlelight Series consists of three symphony orchestra concerts sponsored by the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.  Proceeds fund the free music education programs for children in Orange County.  Other events include outdoor live bands at the community club pool deck Sunday afternoons, Easter Eggstravaganza, 4th of July Parade & Country Fair, Halloween Party and Community Holiday Lighting Contest, equestrian lessons for the family, and activities held by the Coto Community Activities Network.  The Rider's Cup Celebrity Golf Tournament is a favorite event held at the Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, where celebrities such as Robert Hayes, Wil Shriner, and David Leisure joined supporters of the center last year for an enjoyable day of golf at the private Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club.  Each foursome is paired with a celebrity for the event benefiting the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center.  The Coto Community Activities Network plans, promotes and implements activities to enhance the cohesiveness of the community.  Some of the clubs include Lady's Bunco, Dine-In, Mom's Club, Women's Club of Coto de Caza, Kids' Swim Team, Women's Tennis Club, Coto Bicycle Club and Coto Motorcycle Club and the Committee of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County.  Additionally, some of the residents get involved in the community by volunteering to help out on one of the committees, such as the Welcome Committee or the Landscaping Committee. Besides having a very strong community spirit, a number of the local neighborhoods periodically hold street parties or neighbor get-togethers that have the potential to create life-long friendships between many of the neighbors. 

Luxurious living is something we are never short on.  We knew a good thing when we saw it.  If you are looking for some of the finest homes, great schools and an amazing quality of life, Coto de Caza is your ticket to a lifestyle that few have the privilege to enjoy.

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