SURE, I’D LIKE TO BUY A VACATION/RETIREMENT HOME
BUT DAMN... COSTA RICA???
BUT DAMN... COSTA RICA???
OK, I’m known to purchase a house or two. So I like talking real estate. Recently I hooked up with a couple of ‘brothers’ on a business trip. The two exposed me to the virtues of having just bought or are currently developing property in Costa Rica? My first thought: IS YA’ CRAZY?
Last week, a Black couple send me an email. They just put down money on a vacation lot in Costa Rica? And “would I like to join them on their next trip down??” My first thought: HELL NO!
Now I have heard about these groups that invite you to Costa Rica for a few days and offer you a “working vacation” in which you are looking at property sites in exchange for a free stay. Before, I wrote these offers off as some suspect real estate purchase companies peddling what I perceived to be swamp land. But perhaps with all this new buzz a second look is needed.
Let’s first break it down by the numbers:
1) Where the hell is Costa Rica? Central America between Nicaragua and Panama
2) How the hell do you get there? International flights arrive at San José's Juan Santamaría international airport, though the airport in Liberia, 217km (135mi) northwest of San José, has been upgraded and now operates as a second-string international airport.
3) When should I go? The best time to visit Costa Rica is the dry season (December through April). But this is also when everyone else goes, so prices are up and hotels are full. From December to February Costa Rican schools are closed and beach towns are especially busy on weekends. In May begins the rainy season. The early months are wonderful: you can avoid the tourist bustle and accommodation is slightly cheaper. However, when the rivers start to swell and dirt roads get muddy, travel gets all the more challenging.
4) What the hell is there to do in Costa Rica? Apparently a lot! Read the following list:
White water rafting Bird Watching *Hiking through the rain forrest *Horsback riding *Surfing *Riding dirt bikes and Quads *Deep sea fishing *Site seeing*Arenal volcano *Scuba diving *Night life! *Spas *Zip Line adventures through the rain forest!
White water rafting Bird Watching *Hiking through the rain forrest *Horsback riding *Surfing *Riding dirt bikes and Quads *Deep sea fishing *Site seeing*Arenal volcano *Scuba diving *Night life! *Spas *Zip Line adventures through the rain forest!
Costa Rica is Central America's jewel. It's an oasis of calm among its turbulent neighbours and an eco-tourism heaven, making it one of the best places to experience the tropics with minimal impact.
LOOK NEXT SUNDAY FOR PART 2 - Is there money to be made in Costa Rica?