Guanacaste - Papagayo Peninsula

Papagayo Peninsula - Guanacaste
The Papagayo peninsula is a private community with hotels, golf course and single family homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Bahia Culebra.   Members of Costa Rica Buyer's Agent have access to the selection of homes and condos available in this area, as well as information about new projects.

The Papagayo Peninsula is conveniently located near the Liberia International Airport with direct flights from Miami, New York, Atlanta, Toronto and Houston/Dallas.

Guanacaste - El Ocotal

El Ocotal - Guanacaste
El Ocotal is located on a peninsula just south of Playas del Coco on the Gulf of Papagayo of the Pacific Ocean. El Ocotal beach is located on a small protected bay. The hill slopes rapidly upward with upscale homes nestled into the hillside.

This photo is taken from the hill top of El Ocotal with the beach in the foreground looking north to the Papagayo Peninsula.

In the Members Section you will see many detailed photos of homes and the overall community.        Click here to become a Member. There is no fee for membership.

Guanacaste - Playa Potrero

Playa Potrero - Guanacaste
Potrero is a small community along the north side of Flamingo Bay.  There are direct ocean front homes as well as homes nestled in the hills above the beach looking south to Playa Flamingo and Playa Conchal.  Just past Playa Potrero there is another small beach call Pan de Azucar (Sugar Beach).  After Sugar Beach, the terrain is rugged.

This photo was taken by the marina of Playa Flamingo looking north across the marina and bay at the hills above Potrero Beach.

Guanacaste - Playa Flamingo

Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste
An ocean front community with a white sand beach, hotels, restaurants, casinos and recreation services including deep sea fishing.

Flamingo Beach has a residential area in the hills on the south end of the beach and on the peninsula west of the marina.  Each have a spectacula view of the Pacific Ocean and Flamingo Beach. This photo was taken from the homes in the hills at the south end of the beach, looking north at Flamingo Beach.

MEMBERS of Costa Rica Buyer's Agent have full access to all of the photos, descriptions and floor plans for new homes and condos in the area, and photos of existing communities.  Contact Me for information to find out if we can help you.

Guanacaste - Playa Conchal

Playa Conchal - Guanacaste
Playa Conchal on the Pacific Ocean is a very private community with golf course and upscale housing.  The beach is formed from shells, and the beach is protected by Flamingo bay. It is located just south of Playa Flamingo, and north of Tamarindo near the village of Brasilito. Brasilito is a typical small Costa Rica town with lots of local flavor. It is small, a mini-supermarket and 10 bars.

Guanacaste - Cabo Velas & Playa Grande

Cabo Velas and Playa Grande - Guanacaste
The Cabo Velas peninsula separates Flamingo Bay from Tamarindo and Playa Grande. Playa Grande is known as a Sea Turtle nesting area during December to March. It is also a popular surfing beach.

Both on the Flamingo side of the peninsula and the Playa Grande side of the peninsula there are new small residential communities.

This photo was taken from a hill top community near Tamarindo overlooing the estuary of the river with Playa Grande in the distance.  MEMBERS have access to complete information about new communities of all price ranges and amenities in this area. Contact Me to inquire about becoming a member.

Guanacaste - Tamarindo

Tamarindo, Guanacaste
An ocean front community in the NW coast of Costa Rica just south of Playa Flamingo, Playa Conchal, and Playa Grande.

Tamarindo is a popular location for surfers who find Playa Grande one of the world's best surf locations. Naturally, many of the attractions in Tamarindo are oriented toward surfing. Tamarindo does not have a marina. Fishing boats anchor out in the bay.

The hills behind Tamarindo have new subdivisions with spectacular views of the river delta and Pacific Ocean.  There are new condos being constructed in town, within walking distance to all of the activity of the main street.

Guanacaste - Playa Pinilla

Playa Pinilla - Guanacaste
Playa Pinilla is a newly developing area south of Tamarindo. The terrain is more flat than the area to the north.  This area is developing a hotel, golf course, condos and single family homes.

This photo provides an idea of the beach and terrain in the area.

Guanacaste - Samara Beach

Playa Samara - Guanacaste
Samara Beach and the village are more typical of Costa Rica 20 years ago.  Fishing boats anchor in the bay, similar to Playas del Coco. The village has small restaurants and shops. It is a quiet fishing town and place to relax.

Guanacaste - Playa Tambor & Mal Pais

Playa Tambor and Mal Pais - Guanacaste
At the southern most tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, with rugged terrain to the north, the best way to travel here is either by airplane from the San Jose airport or by car ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera. The car ferry is a beautiful ride and takes about 2 hours crossing the Gulf of Nicoya.

The Barcelo Tambor Hotel has daily airplane service for it's guests from the capital.  The Barcelo Hotel is an all inclusive beach front resort with sight seeing and adventures tours daily.

The area around Tambor, Playa Montezuma and Mal Pais are very dry desert. There is alot of natural beauty with hilltop views of the Pacific Ocean.  I found Montezuma to be a rather bohemian atmosphere, very laid-back young people, alot of European youth and very colorful architecture. Alot of artists in the area with some creative botique shops. Montezuma is worth a visit for tourists.

Near Montezuma there is a beautiful waterfall which you can enjoy taking a 30 minutes up-hill walk from the beach. This tranquil waterfall is displayed in the photo at the left. The trees are full of monkeys in this region.  Mal Pais is the most westerly area on the Pacific Ocean with little development here. Some projects are beginning. It is possible to purchase vast tracts of land with ocean view, but it might be a number of years before it is developed like the Central Pacific area.

Guanacaste - Ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera

Ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera on the Nicoya Peninsula

The ferry can accomodate cars, trucks and buses. You MUST get there early and get in line, it is a busy place.  The ride across the Gulf of Nicoya is beautiful with the mountains reaching down to the beaches.

The ferry ride is about 2 hours and costs about $10 for one car and one driver. Additional persons pay extra. The ferry departs about every two hours from 5am to 9pm.

Traveling from the mainland to Tambor, it is much better to take the ferry than travel to the north end of the gulf of Nicoya, cross the bridge,  and then go back south again.

Central Pacific - San Jose to Pacific Beaches

Travel from San Jose to the Central Pacific Beaches
Currently the route from the airport to the Central Pacific beaches is through La Garita, Atenas and Orotina on a two lane winding road passing through small towns.

A new super highway has been constructed from San Jose through the upscale western suburbs of Escazu, Guachepelin, Santa Ana, San Antonio de Belen, Piedades, Brasil de Mora and Ciudad Colon.  The superhighway will continue from Colon, past La Guacima and Orotina to the port of Caldera by Puntarenas on the Pacific Ocean.

The major bridges of the new super highway are complete, and the construction of the highway has begun. Upon completion, the travel time to the beaches will be cut in half, to less than one hour.  Currently Orotina is about a 90 minute drive through winding roads.

With the new highway, Orotina will be about 18 km ( 11 miles) west of the MultiPlaza elite shopping mall and the new CIMA private hospital.  Orotina, Hacienda Vieja and Vista Mar will become a reasonable commute to the upscale west side of San Jose, and a short drive to the beaches by the Marriott Los Suenos Resort at Playa Herradura.

Central Pacific - Vista Mar & Orotina

Vista Mar - Orotina, Central Pacific Region
Vista Mar offers the best of many features ..... ocean view lots and a quick drive to the beaches, and upon completion of the new super highway, Vista Mar will be 20 minutes to the largest Mall in Costa Rica MultiPlaza and private hospital CIMA.  It is located about 600 meters above sea level (2,000 feet) therefore the climate is hot, but more comfortable than the beach area.
The airport is located at 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) above sea level.

Vista Mar is a new community of 108 lots, mostly 1/2 to 3/4 acre, with wooded nature preserve on the sloping hillside.  Several ocean view lots are fairly flat, providing a generous building and garden area.  Other available properties have a view of the Tarcoles River winding through the valley.

A number of large custom built ocean view homes have already been constructed.  A sample is included in the photo above.  The community has brick paver streets and a private community well.   The new super highway will pass at the lower entrance to Vista Mar at Hacienda Vieja, providing a short commute to the MultiPlaza Mall, CIMA hospital, movie theaters, Outback Steak House, Office Depot and other services in Santa Ana.

Orotina at the base of the hill is the bread-basket of Costa Rica, with the valley producing a large volume of fresh fruits and vegetables. The new super highway will prove to be a valuable route to transport the perishables to the Central Valley.  The super highway will have an entrance and exit at Orotina allowing quick travel to the beaches or the city.  Vista Mar is also sufficiently distant from the highway to avoid noise and vehicle exhaust (about 2 miles).

Central Pacific - Tarcoles River to Villa Caletas

Tarcoles river to Villa Caletas - Central Pacific coastline
This photo was taken from Villa Caletas looking north past Punta Leona and the Tarcoles River to the hills south and east of Puntarenas, Orotina and Vista Mar.  

As noted above, the new super highway will connect the capital and airport to the Central Pacific beach areas.  Note the hills in the distance of the photo.  Orotina is at the base of the hills, with Vista Mar subdivision on the hilltop with an ocean view. 

Central Pacific - Los Suenos Resort, Golf, Marina

The Los Suenos resort complex is first class by world standards. It is comprised of an oceanfront Marriott Resort Hotel with Spa, 18 hole golf course, large deep water marina for yachts over 100 feet long and many deep-sea fishing yachts, condo apartments and ocean view single family homes.  The construction was designed to meet American standards, appealing to an upscale clientèle.  Los Suenos is located on a protected bay on Playa Herradura, just north of Jaco Beach.

Central Pacific - Jaco Beach

Jaco Beach (Playa Jaco) - Central Pacific Region
Jaco Beach is one of the larger cities directly on the Pacific Ocean. Playa Jaco primary industry is tourism with a full range of tourists shops, restaurants, bars and dance clubs.  It attracts a large crowd from San Jose on the weekends.  Many guests from Los Suenos Marriott explore the restaurants, night life and shopping in Jaco Beach.  Although the town is flat, there are high hills surrounding the town, like a bowl.

The photo at the left was taken from a hilltop on the south end of the beach, looking at Jaco Beach.

Central Pacific - Esterrilos and Parrita

Esterrillos and Parritta

Central Pacific - Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio - Central Pacific Region
Manuel Antonio National Park is a "must see" location in Costa Rica.  The ocean front park has white beaches, nature trails, and a variety of birds and animals equal to a zoo.  At the distant beach, there are 3 varieties of monkeys living in the trees who provide amusement for the tourists. Don't put your beach bag down or they will steal your sunscreen.

This photo taken from the hill looking south toward the Catedral peninsula of Manuel Antonio National Park.  As you can imagine, the hills are full of hotels, condos and homes capitalizing on these views. The area has a wide selection of restaurants, hotels and entertainment.

Southern Pacific Coast - Domincal to Punta Uvita

Domincal to Punta Uvita - Southern Pacific Coast
There are two ways to arrive in this area. 

Via a dirt road from Quepos/Manuel Antonio which takes up to 90 minutes to travel to Dominical. South from Dominical the highway along the coast is good.

The alternate route is to travel from San Jose, past Cartago, over Cerro de la muerte mountain (over 12,000 ft) into the city of San Isidro General also know as Perez Zeledon. The drive is beautiful and takes about 3 hours. From San Isidro, travel about 90 minutes to Dominical.

This is the least developed of the Pacific Beach areas, but the scenery is breathtaking. The hills reach down to the Pacific Coast Highway providing spectacular ocean views from the hillside home sites.  The hillside area south of Dominical is known as La Escaleras, continuing south to Punta Uvita and Bahia Ballena (Whale Bay). There is a peninsula shaped like the tail of a whale, named as such.

For ocean view property, this area has the best bargains as it is not overly developed. However, there are few services in the area, shopping, restaurants, etc.

Due to the haze, the Pacific Ocean does not show clearly in the photo.

Southern Pacific Coast - Perez Zeledon

San Isidro General, a city in Perez Zeledon - Southern Pacific Region
Perez Zeledon is a region around the city of San Isidro General.  Residents of the southern coastal communities would likely travel to San Isidro for major shopping, although there are smaller supermarkets along the coast.

Perez Zeledon is another major bread-basket area of Costa Rica, with rich volcanic soil from the Chirripo Volcano. This photo of San Isidro was taken from the highway arriving at Perez Zeledon from Dominical.

San Carlos - Alajuela Province - Lake Arenal

Lake Arenal - Arenal Volcano - La Fortuna of San Carlos
Lake Arenal is a man-made lake created to produce hydro-electric power for Costa Rica. A valley was filled by creating a dam as a natural water reservoir for the country.  The Arenal Volcano sits at the south end of the lake providing an interesting natural attraction for the area.  The volcano erupted several years ago, and now "spits" frequently.  Underground pressures from the volcano affect the subterranian water flow, creating hot water springs which flow into the rivers in the area.

The hillside property overlooking the lake is a popular area to purchase property to construct a home. The elevation is higher, creating a temperate climate. There are no large communities developments, however there are small subdivisions. Many persons purchase independent property in a semi rural atmosphere.

The Tabacon Hot Springs adjoin the volcano.  This photos was taken of Lake Arenal from the Sky Tram gondola.

San Carlos - Alajuela Province - Hot Springs

Tabacon Hot Springs provide a hot water natural therapy from volcanically heated thermal underground springs.

The hot springs are located on the private property of the hotel, and provide a very relaxing experience.

Grecia, Naranjo, Atenas - Alajuela Province

Grecia, Naranjo, Atenas, San Ramon in Alajuela Province
This area is close to the capital, north of the airport, yet less than a 30 minute drive to the metropolitan area.  It is populated, yet has alot of rural agricultural area.  

Central Valley - Upscale west suburbs

Escazu, Guachepelin, Santa Ana, San Antonio de Belen, Piedades, Brasil de Mora, Ciudad Colon
The Central Valley is a basin surrounded by mountains with natural wind currents traveling through the valley.  The communities noted above are located on the southwest side of the capital, and tend to enjoy a dryer, warmer climate.  These communities have more upscale homes and condos and enjoy the services of the largest shopping community in Costa Rica.   The Prospero Fernandez highway leaves San Jose traveling west through these communities, and will continue westward to the Pacific Beaches upon completion.

The MultiPlaza shopping mall has international designer stores and services, surrounded by the Intercontinental Hotel, Marriott Courtyard, Hooters, Outback Steak House, Movie Theaters, Office Depot and the CIMA private hospital affiliated with Baylor Medical Center of Dallas, Texas.  The Forum is a large office complex at the Santa Ana and San Antonio de Belen exit housing multinational companies.

The photo above illustrates downtown Santa Ana.

Central Valley - CIMA Hospital - Escazu

CIMA Hospital - Escazu/Guachepelin