(QBLOGS) I’ve lived in Costa Rica for over eighteen years and practiced law for fourteen of them. In the course of my law practice, which involves mainly foreign clients looking for properties to purchase and legal Residency status from the Immigration Department, I am often asked what my preferred area of Costa Rica is, particularly regarding beach vacation, retirement home, and/or beach investment locations.
My answer is, Costa Rica offers a beach location to suit everybody’s taste. Great beach locations abound in all parts of the Country.
Costa Rica is a very small Country, approximately one and one-half times the size of Vancouver Island, B.C., where I’m originally from in Canada. What makes Costa Rica different is that throughout the Country, due to the mountainous terrain inland, there are a multitude of micro-climates.
Essentially, the climate is a true hot tropical climate at sea level locations only, with cooler climates existing inland and at altitude in the mountainous regions. With the Northeast Trade Winds being the prevailing winds, the Caribbean Coast and the Southern Pacific Zone near the Panamanian Border tend to be the wettest and the most humid areas of the Country. Lush tropical plants grow right-down to the water’s edge.
Yes, biting bugs, such as mosquitoes, are more prevalent in these locations, so bring your insect repellent if you choose any of these areas for your Costa Rica beach destination.
My personal preference for a beach location is the Province of Guanacaste in the northwest portion of the Country, bordering Nicaragua. There is also an abundance of tropical flora and fauna in this part of the Country, including monkeys, iguanas, sea birds of all descriptions, and many brightly colored flowering trees and plants of all descriptions.
This area is serviced by an International Airport located in Liberia, a major service center in Guanacaste, which is less than a one hour’s drive from most beach locations. All the major airline carriers offer daily connections to many major cities in North America and many direct flights to European destinations as well. Guanacaste is the driest part of the Country, with semi-arid areas existing right down to sea level. Some of the best beaches in the Country are located in this part of the Country, in the coastal area known as “The Gold Coast”, stretching from the town of Tamarindo in the south, to the Papagayo Peninsula in the north.
One of the earliest beaches to be developed in Guanacaste as a tourism destination and my favorite beach location, is Flamingo Beach. Flamingo Beach offers a kilometer of golden sand on a residential bay-setting.
There are many vacation rental opportunities and a variety of gated condo projects and single family homes to choose from as a retirement home, and/or investment. An equally great number of opportunities for dining, varying from the most elegant to the small Tico fish restaurant on the beach are all available. Some of the best hotel and vacation rental options front on Flamingo Beach itself.
Water sports activities abound. Many other beautiful beaches also exist in close proximity to Flamingo, making it the ideal beach location choice in Costa Rica.
