The South Caribbean is a breath-taking four-hour drive from San José, through the rain forest-draped mountains of Braulio Carrillo National Park, down onto coastal plains with their road-side Tico restaurants, and on to one of Costa Rica’s most important port cities, Limón. A further half-hour drive south along the palm-fringed coast takes you to the small but lively Afro-Caribbean towns of Cahuita and – a little further along – Puerto Viejo.

Despite having some of the most gorgeous beaches in the country and a more interesting local culture than most other areas of Costa Rica, the area’s awkward location and reputation for crime and drugs has kept it off the real estate map for the most part. In addition to the locals and the small but visible expatriate community, the towns are a haunt for backpackers and surfers, who come from all over the world to ride the waves at Salsa Brava.

Until a few years back, Cahuita was the more popular tourist town. Its reputation as a drug spot, however, and the prominent murders of two young female tourists provoked an exodus. Since then, Puerto Viejo has taken over as the spot to stay on the Caribbean coast, though these days Cauhita has begun to make a comeback.