Jacó was the first place in the country where the price of titled beachfront property passed the $1,000-per-square-meter mark, and it remains today extremely expensive by Costa Rican standards. It’s not that the beach is particularly beautiful. Jacó is a dark-sand beach with dangerous currents and more than its share of pollution. But titled beachfront

Unlike Tamarindo, Jacó has always been a weekend hangout for Ticos from the Central Valley and that continues to be the case. Wealthier Ticos can afford the condos, hotel rooms, and memberships at Los Sueños Resort, while plenty of mid-range hotels provide lodging for the middle class. The beach is packed with Ticos during holidays, and once a year

The Central Pacific is a beautiful but slow drive over the mountains of the Central Valley (the new highway will run along the bottom of the valley). If there isn’t much traffic, the ride from the international airport shouldn’t take more than two hours, but it’s fairly typical to get stuck behind a slow-moving truck

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