Costa Rica Real Estate

Costa Rica Is A Popular Destination for Those Looking for a

Second Home

Costa Rica has been one of the most popular retirement, and/or second home, destinations for Americans abroad.  Some of the most popular areas include the beaches in the Northern, Central and Southern Pacific areas, as well as the temperate climates of the Central Valley. 

A trip to Costa Rica requires only a two-hour plane ride from the Southern tip of the United States, allowing investors to visit and inspect their second homes regularly, as well as stay in touch with family and friends back home.  In addition to the country's natural beauty, Costa Rican property and development costs are remarkably lower than in the United States, and return on investments are higher.  Costa Rica's appeal as a second-home destination is even greater today:  For the first time since real estate began skyrocketing five or six years ago, prices have softened," says Barry Golson, author of Retirement Without Borders: How to Retire Abroad. "With gorgeous jungle, mountain and beach landscapes, Costa Rica continues to set the tourism pace in Central America."                In July 2009, CNN announced: "Forget Disneyland! Costa Rica is the happiest place in the world"    With all these factors in play, it is no surprise that the country has boomed as a choice for second homes.  

Known for tropical animals and exotic landscapes, Costa Rica beach properties are an ideal setting for a second home and no province is as hot for part-timers as Guanacaste on the northwest Pacific coast.     

 

 

OCIO Samara is a low-density project with 22 units on roughly 2.3 acres  of land. All units have a spectacular view of the ocean and sunsets, including the pool and ranchos area. The design is a Bali inspired feel with classic bamboo touches, calm and graceful stones inside and out, the feel of tropical life in Costa Rica. 
 

Three Beachtown Areas 

Sámara:

On the sundrenched Pacific Coast of Costa Rica,  rtthe tiny picturesque town of Samara is located 35 kilometers south of Nicoya and 245 kilometers west of the capital San José.  The town of Sámara  has a paved road all the way down from the highway, making it a more popular weekend beach destination for Ticos as well as a well-known spot for surfers and foreign vacationers.  Sámara  is not only a charming beach resort, with a wide choice of friendly and attractive hotels, Bed & Breakfasts, second homes for rent, restaurants, bars and discos, but, unlike other Pacific Ocean resorts, it is also a thriving fishing and farming community.   AndYet somehow, and most fortunately, "popular" has not translated into crowded.        Fo   

Sá mara is a horseshoe-shaped bay  known for its seemingly endless tropical beach of beautiful & pristine white sand.  Here you can find some of the best water sports activities in the entire country:  excellent & safe swimming, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, and - beyond the coral reef - fine deep water fishing , all embraced by the arms of the wooded peninsulas that frame the bay.   Addi Additional attractions are horseback riding, paragliding, waterfall visits, yoga, private ultra light airplane flights  and canopy tours.  Directly off Sámara 's beachfront beyond the superb coral reef is a picturesque and deserted wooded island in the bay called Isla Chora.  This is a tiny island about a mile offshore, and is a must see for adventurers eager to make the two-hour kayak journey. Those who complete the often strenuous excursion are rewarded with a private pink sand beach, shallow caves, and some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in Guanacaste. 

The town of Sámara  Beach itself is tranquil and easy-going - pura vida, as the Ticos say - but is has everything a visitor could want: a well stocked supermarket, regular vegetable and fish marts, pharmacies, an adequate variety of restaurants, convenience stores, bars, hotels, Gym, Spa, real estate and a couple of banks with ATMs. Guitar, Spanish, aerobic, dancing lessons and massages are also available.  There are even cowboys and cattle drives, fishing boats returning at sunset, exotic fruit harvests, specialty and organic farming, tree  nurseries and reforestation projects and many other authentic Sámara activities that will keep your attention. Moreover, there are unusual plant and animal species, ancient Indian sites, underwater caves and coastal and mountain nature trails that will keep you fit.There are cowboys and cattle drives, fishing boats returning at sunset, exotic fruit harvests, specialty and organic farming, tree  nurseries and reforestation projects and many other authentic and vital Sámara activities. There are unusual plant and animal species, ancient Indian sites, underwater caves and coastal and mountain nature trails  

A second horseshoe bay is located a very short drive south at Carrillo.  This picture-postcard area is lined with lush palm trees, more beautiful sand, and another calm swimming beach. Here, the local airport is a mere 35 minutes from the capital, San José.  And fA  And for those things Sámara  Beach, or Carillo cannot provide, the larger center of Nicoya is a half-hour drive away and boasts a modern hospital, supermarkets and the kind of specialized stores that village life cannot offer. 

 "One of the safest and prettiest beaches in the country is Playa Sámara ..."
Lonely Planet - Destination Costa Rica: Off the Beaten Track

"Playa Sámara  is the perfect long white sand beach with shallow, gentle waters."
The Key to Costa Rica

 "The most beautiful beach in Costa Rica" - Frommer's Frommer's   

And there is even a Sámara art gallery with its own resident artist .

Where to Dine* in Sámara **    :

 

Spectacular ocean view estate.
Best value in one of the best locations on the Gold Coast.
It's not a condo. It's not a house. It's a great second home.
 

Tamarindo:

Tamarindo is among the most popular vacation destinations in Costa Rica!

If you are looking for a destination that has the perfect mix of touristy things to do and beautiful Costa Rican beaches, then Tamarindo is where you need to be. The area has become pretty developed over the years, but not so much that it is overrun with large hotels and chain restaurants. s..

It is a very accessible town (less than 1 hour from Liberia's international airport), with great sport fishing and golf courses. In the town of Tamarindo you can find many things to do both day and night. There are several bakeries, coffee places, an outdoor vegetable market, art galleries, beauty spas and more than 50 restaurants, bars and discos with cuisines to suit every taste. It also hosts an excellent variety of hotels, from economy to luxury. 

Have you ever considered surfing?   This small former fishing village has long been a tourist magnet popular with surfers. Surfing, an exotic and aerobic pastime, is at its prime in Tamarindo. Burn calories while you learn to master the waves! The unique coastline of Tamarindo offers varying wave intensities perfect for the beginner through advanced surfers. Breaks all along Tamarindo are available to choose your own difficulty level from three different beaches. 

  The area is also home to the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge, where visitors from around the world come to watch (supervised) leatherback turtles lay eggs.  Female Leatherback Turtles, the largest living of all sea turtles, come to Tamarindo each year between November and April to dig their nests and lay their eggs. The female turtle will dig a nest up to one meter deep, lay her eggs and then back fill the nest to prevent predators from uncovering her offspring. Two to three months later, the baby turtles emerge, dashing to the shore and hoping to evade predators.  It is absolutely fascinating, and if you have never seen it, you don't know what you are missing. 

Tamarindo is also well known for its underwater masterpieces. Snorkeling is highly popular and widely recommended.  Beneath the water’s surface lies a universe of color and wonder.

Besides surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, horseback riding and scuba diving, you can visit the nearby wildlife refuge of Diriá, as well as the Marino Las Baulas National Park.  And daily tours are available to other fun and interesting destinations such as the Palo Verde National Park and Rincon de la Vieja National Park   .

 Where to Dine: Besides surfing, swimming, snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, horseback riding and scuba diving, you can visit the nearby wildlife refuge of Diriá, as well as the Marino Las Baulas National Park, where leatherback turtles come every summer to nest and breed. Daily tours are available to other fun and interesting destinations such as the Palo Verde National Park and Rincon de la Vieja National Park.    Where to Dine* in  Tamarindo: 

  

Bahia Encantada phase I (48 units) is an impressive beachfront condo community located at the north end of Jaco Beach Costa Rica. Facing giant panoramas of the Pacific Ocean, Bahia Encantada is the most high-profile beachfront estate in Jaco.

Jaco:

The town of Jaco Beach is the closest readily accessible beach to San José (a little over an hour now that the new highway is open), and still has the reputation of being the "fun and sun" spot on the Pacific coast. Playa Jaco  is considered the liveliest and most developed beach town on the Pacific coast and some consider it the most popular beach in Costa Rica. Jaco is a small, yet extremely active town geared towards surfers, parties and nightlife, but is quickly becoming the largest seaside community in Central America. 

Jaco   was once an archetypal sleepy beach town. But it wasn’t long before Jaco   Beach’s excellent waves began to draw foreign surfers in exponential numbers.

The number one attraction is the surf and surfers love the consistent beach break here and in neighboring Playa Hermosa.

Along with the surfers came the need for nightlife. Now, Jaco   is Costa Rica’s wildest party beach, and a top destination for tourists. 

What to Do:

The active village is full of life at all hours of the day and night. There are souvenir shops, local clothing and artisan shops, ice-cream stands, close to 100 restaurants (including some excellent international restaurants have been recently added)  and bars, four casinos and several discotheques where you can dance the night away.  

For families, there is even a miniature-golf course, petting zoo and newly developed playground.    

During the day, you can take advantage of an abundance of Jaco   Tours that will include some of the best sport fishing in the world.  There are also ATV tours, canopy tours, an aerial tram, butterfly farms, bird watching, jet ski tours, parasailing, ultra light, horse back riding, kayaking, a sunset cruise, and many other.Other local activities include fishing, canopy tours, kayaking and horseback riding.

  

The Jaco   night life scene is very diverse. This is the ideal destination for surfers or young travelers looking to be in the middle of the action.   There is an abundance of  bars that host live music including Latin music, rock and roll, blues and Jazz. Hard Rock Casino has just recently opened in the Jaco   Fiesta Hotel and there are also casinos in the Hotel Cocal and the Hotel Amapola while larger casinos are currently in the planning stages.  

Not a Swimming Beach:

In a country famous for strikingly beautiful beaches, Jaco   is rather lackluster. To make matters worse, Jaco  ’s waters are generally unsafe for swimmers—the waves are large, and dangerous riptides are frequent.  You need to be careful about swimming here, as riptides are quite common along the beach shore.     But Jaco  ’s all about the breaks, not the beach. Besides Jaco   Beach itself, more of Costa Rica’s best surfing beaches are nearby, like Playa Hermosa, just a few minutes away, where a yearly international surf contest is  held that attracts a huge number of surfers from all over the globe .

 Esterillos Beaches, just down the coast is connected to Jaco   and Hermosa  by cliffs and small reefs. All three beaches are long black sand beaches with good waves. Again, not ideal for swimming and all have strong tide currents.

 Where to Dine* in  Jaco:  

Lemon Zest Restaurant - Cuisine: International

Adventure Dining - Cuisines: American, Seafood

Pili Pili - Cuisine: French

Tacobar - Cuisines: Healthy, Mediterranean, Mexican, Vegetarian

Poseidon Restaurant - Cuisines: American, Asian, Barbecue

Sabores Lejano - Cuisine: French

Graffiti Restro Cafe and Wine Bar - Cuisines: International, Mediterranean, Pacific Rim, Seafood

I love Sushi - Cuisine: Sushi

Tsunami Sushi - Cuisine: Japanese

Big Rons NY Style Pizza & Subs - Cuisine: Pizza, Sandwiches ,

Papas and Burgers - Cuisine: American

Caliche Wishbone - Cuisines: Pizza, Mexican, Seafood, Local....

Rioasis - Cuisine: Pizza

Jaco Taco - Cuisines: Mexican

Aberdeen Angus - Cuisine: Argentinean

Los Amigos Sports Bar & Grill - Cuisine: International

Peccati di gola  - Cuisine: Italian

Ocean Waves - Cuisine: - Home-style cooking   cooking

Soda Jaco Rustico -  Cuisine: Typical Costa Rican food

Tabacon - Cuisine: American

                       

* We make no promise as to the quality of food, these are simply examples to show the variety of food available. Dining reviews can be found in traveler's review guides, such as "TripAdvisor ." 

Other Favorite Beaches:

Playa Hermosa: The setting of the Billabong 2009 ISA World Surfing Games, Playa Hermosa is no stranger to the surf scene. Experienced surfers will love the pounding surf at any of the 7 surf points along the six mile shoreline. For the novice, we recommend grabbing a table at one of the beachfront restaurants to watch the pros do their thing!

 Another Costa Rica Blue Flag Beach - Playa Bejuco

 

All information presented here and in these sites is proposed and is subject to change or elimination by the Owner or Developer at any time without notice. The questions and answers on this website are for informational purposes only. All questions and answers proposed are subject to any change without any notice. 

Costa Rica Real Estate

    Carolina's Restaurant - Cuisines: Continental   Carolina's Restaurant - Cuisines: Continental   Cuisines: