If there is an anchor for Americans outside of the Central Valley area of San José, it has to be the Nosara area of Guanacaste’s Nicoya Peninsula.
However, one region, Guanacaste, has been active throughout the year for second home buyers. Located in the northwestern corner of the country, it is known for its captivating coastline and world-class surfing, snorkeling, birding, and windsurfing. The region has not yet reached the level of development of some retirement areas and vacation resorts, but high-end master-planned gated communities have definitely arrived. However, relaxed beach getaways can also be found.
The key to Guanacaste (derived from the word quahnacaztlan, the native word for the guanacaste tree) has been the expansion of the Daniel Oduber International Airport near Liberia. Ask any second home developer, realtor or investor: the potential for buyers and renters is directly proportional to the number of air flights to a nearby and accessible airport. The facility, named after the country’s president from 1974 to 1978 who launched the idea of an international airport in the northern part of the country, has nonstop flights from Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte and Philadelphia with more EE .standing cities online. Traffic to the airport increased 122 percent between 2005 and 2006. Before 2002, travelers to the region typically flew into San José’s Juan Santamaría airport and either took a short flight or drove several hours along the Pan-American Highway.
Playas de Nosara is the oldest expat community in Costa Rica and was founded in 1968 by a group of American investors as the Nosara Civic Association (NCA) “American Project” or “American Project”.
The NCA development stretches along more than two miles of protected beaches and encompasses approximately 3,000 acres. Of these, 850 acres are held in trust as protected parkland, a national wildlife and nature reserve woven throughout the community. Among the other attractions of Nosara are the sustainable hotel and wildlife refuge Lagarta Lodge, the Ostional Wildlife Refuge for the protection of turtles and the constant waves of Playa Guiones. The Nosara Yoga Institute and Omega Institute’s recent $17 million investment in land acquisition for an exclusive yoga and healing resort have made the area a destination for holistic health and wellness.
Nosara’s remote location, highlighted by boutique hotels and restaurants and nestled in a fertile river valley near the mouth of the Nosara River, has resulted in a family-friendly destination with a community feel. It has been a quiet and favorite stop for celebrities such as singer Jackson Browne, actors Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, and football coach Pete Carroll.
“What was originally planned as a country club with a golf course has now become an eco-friendly community where residents live in harmony within the jungle surroundings,” says Chip McGraw, a transplanted surfer from Florida who is now Owner/Managing Broker of Coldwell Banker Del Mar Realty. , Nosara (www.cbnosara.com).
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