The headline on a recent story in local daily La Nación says it all: “Horror Story.” A highway connecting San José with the Pacific port town of Caldera in the shortest route possible started as a dream in 1973. Ever since then, it’s been a nightmare of legal battles, bureaucracy, waste, and political foot-dragging – until now.

The Central Pacific zone is a beautiful stretch of lowland pasture that, a few kilometers inland, heaves up into the Fila de Bustamente, a line of hills covered partially in thick forest and partially in pastureland. Hectares and hectares of palm oil plantations cover the area surrounding Parrita and Quepos. Passing these plantations, you might

Quite a few local community and business groups are active in the area. Volunteer opportunities are many, especially because of the government’s lack of involvement. Below is a list of the groups the author came across during research. 1. Associación Pro Mejoras de Playa Tamarindo (APMT.) A community group that’s working extremely hard to control

With the majority of Costa Rica’s 2 million annual tourists visiting Guanacaste, the rental market is a big one that can offer second-income opportunities for people owning a number of properties. House and condo rentals have become more popular for family vacations, as tourists find that they can get more value for their money compared

The surge in tourism and real estate development in the Tamarindo area has coincided with an increase in crime. It is, of course, hard to pin down the exact cause of crime trends, but certainly higher rates of youth drug addiction, and the importation of poor migrant workers have played parts. Also, simply enough, there’s

1. Tico Housing Coldwell Banker’s Quesada says there is a lack of housing for Ticos moving in from the Central Valley to work in management in the high-end tourism resorts. These employees often have to bring their whole families, but are priced out of the existing market, which targets the wealthier buyers. 2. Retail New shops are popping up

1. Private Schools The most well-known private school in Northwest Guanacaste is the Country Day School on the road to Brasilito. It serves the whole area, lessons are taught in English, and the school is capable of preparing students to enter a U.S. university (see reference section for contact details). The increase in expatriates with