Originally a fishing village of tiny houses wedged onto a narrow strip of land between the ocean and a small cliff, Tambor is undergoing a massive transformation that will probably spell the end of the village and usher in a number of large resorts, a marina, and a lot of real estate development.  It would

Tucked at the foot of a steep and wooded hillside, Montezuma is a lively but quaint tourist town. Unlike almost every other beach town on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, Montezuma faces east, which allows residents to enjoy the sunrise rather than the sunset. The town really got its start as a popular hippy hangout. During

These two towns are located about 3 km apart on the Pacific side of the peninsula. Both towns more or less consist of a row of small hotels, cabins, restaurants, cafes, bars and houses lining the unpaved road that winds it’s way up the coast. Both places have great waves and are popular with surfers,

For three areas located so close to each other, the diversity in residents, land prices and development outlook is remarkable. The fact that development in this part of the country is just starting in earnest means that there are still many good investment opportunities, for both large and small investors. Though they’re in an awkward,

1. Desarollo Armónico de la Peninsula. This foundation was about to be born at the time of writing. The brainchild of the project manager for Punta Piedra Amarilla Marina Project, Angel Coello, the foundation is being set up to join the forces of developers, the three municipalities of Cóbano, Paquera and Jiquaral, the local MINAE

With a different profile of visitor and slower pace of development, rental prices in this area are much lower than in Northwest Guanacaste. In the surfing areas like Malpaís and Santa Teresa, visitors can expect to pay about $800 per week for a studio, $1,200 per week for a three-bedroom house on the beach, and

Like everywhere else in Costa Rica, crime in this area is on the rise, and you must always be on your guard. Development isn’t anywhere near the level of Northwestern Guanacaste, and crime rates are subsequently lower than there. However, petty theft is rampant in all the towns discussed in this section. Lately, residents have