The
Northern Zone
The little mountain town of Zarcero is
famous for the sculptured bushes. The park in front of Zarcero's
church is full of shrubs that have been sculpted into the
shapes of arches, animals, people and even an oxcart complete
with oxen.
San Carlos, or Ciudad
Quesada as it is sometimes called, is considered the "capital" of
the country's northern zone. We know a few North Americans
who own ranches in this area. Almost everything of importance
is found within several blocks of the town's main square. Plaza
San Carlos is a new mall with around143 stores including
a supermarket, movie theaters, food court, travel agencies
and much more.
Northwest of San Carlos is the
beautiful man-made Lake Arenal. It is surrounded
by rolling hills covered with pastures and patches of tropical
forest. The "very active" Arenal volcano can often be seen
smoking in the distance. This area is rapidly becoming popular
with foreign residents. The lake has excellent fishing,
sailing, windsurfing and other outdoor activities. Land around
the lake is readily available. Land prices range from $7
to $15 per square meter depending on location and views.
There are several interesting
towns in this area. Nearby Tilarán is the home to
a number of foreigners, as are Nuevo Arenal and La
Fortuna . The latter is a quiet town east of the volcano
and a good place to view its activity. The Catarata La Fortuna
is a spectacular waterfall that plummets some 100 feet into
a deep pool surrounded by luxuriant foliage. We have met
a few foreigners live in and around Fortuna.
At Tabacón you will
find a hot spring in a lush valley at the base of the picture-perfect
Arenal Volcano. This is the place to soak your tired bones
after a day of participating in one of the many activities
this area has to offer.
The North
Pacific Zone
The northwest region has vast
plains and is the driest region of the country. Nevertheless,
lush vegetation and breathtaking views can be found here.
The city of Liberia and the new Tempisque Bridge are the
entry points to Guanacaste's beaches. The region has over
50 beaches of all sizes, shapes and colors.
The capital city of Liberia,
located 125 miles north of San José on the Pan-American Highway,
is considered the heart of Guanacaste and a full-service
city. It is quickly becoming one of the country's largest
and most important cities, offering restaurants, hotels,
several museums, good shopping, a new mall with movie theaters,
a public hospital and the Daniel Oduber International Airport.
Liberia is a good place to visit while on your way to Guanacaste's
many beaches. Our good friend Bud from Las Vegas owns a
small farm and is one of the foreigners who live in the area
around the city of Liberia.
Numerous daily flight
to Liberia's Daniel Oduber International Airport and
better infrastructure than the beaches on the Southern Nicoya
peninsula have contributed to the development of this area.
A wide range of condos
may be found on both isolated and popular beaches prices
go from $100,000 to $400,000 depending on location. A couple
of nice gated communities and golf resorts are found in this
section of the country. Undeveloped beach and ocean-view
properties can still be found at about $35 to $55 per square
meter.
Spectacular white and
gray sand beaches and clear blue water are found all along
the Pacific Coast in Guanacaste Province and are perfect
for beach living. However, a few of the adjacent beach communities
may have too much tranquility for some people or have too
much of a resort atmosphere for others.
Playa Hermosa has
some of the country's best diving. It lies in the center
of a string of four major beaches, all within 30 minutes
of each other: Hermosa, Playa del Coco, Playa
Ocotal and Playa Panama. Playa del Coco is
a colorful beach town with an active nightlife and a small
international community. It is set in a deep cove with consistently
calm waters, making it a safe swimming beach. This charming
seaside community is surrounded by emerald colored hills
and offers a variety of water sports, and various forms of
entertainment including restaurants a disco, and casinos.
You will also find a bank, post office and all kinds of shops.
Flamingo is one of the
finest resort areas in Costa Rica and has the country's
second best full-service marinas and a beautiful white-sand
beach. It is Guanacaste's sport fishing capital and
offers some of the best sail and marlin fishing in the world.
There is an abundance of real estate, including condos which
dot the surrounding hills. Three golf courses are located
nearby. Flamingo attracts retired foreigners as well people
with children because of all it has to offer. The Country
Day School, one of the country's most prestigious private
primary and secondary institutions, has just opened in the
area. Hospital Cima of San José plans to open a state-of-the-art
clinic in this area.
Neighboring Portrero and Sugar beaches
offer calm waters, ocean views and breathtaking sunsets.
Many foreigners reside in these neighboring areas.
Brasilito and Conchal, south
of Flamingo, are other beaches worth checking
out. Conchal is famous for its beach, made of small white
seashells. It is also the home of the all-inclusive Melía
Golf Resort. There are a lot of high-priced condominiums
and townhouses for sale at the resort.
Tamarindo is a laid-back
beach town overlooking a long stretch of beautiful beach
and a popular spot among surfers. It has the most developed
tourist infrastructure in Guanacaste. The small foreign community
has given birth to many restaurants, hotels, as well as a
variety of stores for all tastes. The town itself
is very cosmopolitan with residents from all over the world
which adds a very exciting cultural diversity to the area. Property
along with everything else has become rather expensive in
the Tamarindo area due to its popularity.
South of Tamarindo is Hacienda
Pinilla Resort which has a championship golf course
and offers every imaginable water sport. Junqullial is
another fast-developing area and has a white-sand, blue-flag
beach.
Nosara is an attractive
area to live if you are a nature lover. A flourishing expatriate
community gives the town a slightly California-like flavor.
Small U.S.-style restaurants and services exist for this
growing foreign community. A world-famous Yoga retreat is
found just outside of town. The Nosara area is slowly developing
and land prices are starting to rise.
Sámara and Carrillo to
the south are really worth exploring. Both
beaches are located on bays and good for swimming. Property
is still affordable since the area is not as developed as
some of the beaches to the north. Samara has a small
village with a few good restaurants, hotels and nightlife.
Carrillo, the southern most of the two beaches is an exceptionally
beautiful, palm tree-lined, white-sand beach on a curved
bay, yet lacks the development of Samara.
Mal País, immediately
northhwest of Cabo Blanco near the southern tip of the Nicoya
Penninsula, is a surfer's paradise. The word Malpaís means "bad
country" in Spanish and is a misnomer. Nothing could be farther
from the truth. There are several beaches to swim, dive and
snorkel, though its main attraction is its unique conditions
for surfing. This isolated area is becoming very popular
with some foreigners because of its scenery and incredible
sunsets. A few foreigners reside there full-time. To the
north lies Playa Santa Teresa, one of the best beaches
for surfing on the entire Nicoya Peninsula. Nearby Playa
Manzanillo is also becoming popular with expatriates.
We have a German friend who has lived there for several years
and really loves the area.
Montezuma, a remote little
fishing village near the southern tip of Nicoya Peninsula,
has almost perfect beaches with clear-blue water just right
for bodysurfing. There are miles of beaches and even a tropical
waterfall. This cozy town is a magnet for the hip and Bohemian
types interested in alternative lifestyles. European backpackers,
yoga enthusiasts and people in search of something new visit
this area. In this town one can either hangout at the beach
or at a local restaurant. The Sano Banano is a vegetarian
restaurant where many locals and tourists congregate. There
is property available in the area. Jimmy, a 45-year old retiree
from Boston, told us he moved there ten years ago and bought
a small home because he found living in San José to be too
expensive. He gets by on around $800 or less monthly-beer
included.
Tambor is located on
a deep circular bay and is good for swimming and other outdoor
activities. The Hotel Barceló Palaya Tambor resort is located
here. We know a few Americans who reside here and there are
some excellent real estate buys.
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