Water

Northwest Guanacaste is the driest region of Costa Rica, as well as the area with the most tourism and real estate development – not all of it legal. Demand for water is massive, and it’s used for everything from drinking and bathing to filling swimming pools, watering golf courses, and mixing concrete. All this leisure usage during the dry season is rapidly depleting the region’s aquifers.

With the exception of the Papagayo Peninsula, water is sourced from the immediate area, either through national or local water companies or through wells. The dry season often brings difficulties to hotels and developments. At the moment, the government is trying to allow developers to build an aqueduct from the small town of Sardinal to the coast, but that project – already under construction – was met with fierce local protests and at the time of writing had been blocked by the Constitutional Supreme Court.

Given all this, you absolutely must confirm that the property you are buying has enough water, that you can join the local distribution system, or that you can get a concession to use water on your property. Without water, you can’t live in your new home, and you certainly can’t develop anything for sale to others.

Electricity

Electricity isn’t normally a problem in the area. As in many parts of the country, there are regular outages, depending on the time of the year. A good resort or community will have its own back-up generator – one more thing to check with the developer.

Telecommunications

Getting a landline anywhere in Costa Rica is very difficult, and Guanacaste is no exception. Availability in these areas is generally determined by whether there’s enough space in the nearest black box. Many hotels and developments turn to VOIP phones for international calls through satellite link internet connections.

The table below gives you an idea of what to expect in terms of utilities in the main areas of Northwest Guanacaste.