November is the month that finds Costa
Rica transitioning from the 'Green Season' into the 'High
Season'. During the last six months we recorded, on our
weather station, 72.5 inches of rain here in Potrero. Just
south of Tamarindo, at Hacienda Pinilla, they recorded 150
inches.
This month also signals the beginning
of the holiday season. Colored lights start to appear on
palm trees, bushes, rooftops, doorways and storefronts.
This holiday finds Costa Ricans flocking to their favorite
beaches to camp or visit family. The country's business's
start to slow down their work schedules until they come
to a full stop on Friday, Dec 17th. Employees are given
vacations at this time and nothing starts to return to normal
until sometime after Jan 10th! It's quite amazing to see
wide-open highways, no traffic in fashionable Escazu and
plenty of parking spaces. Many shops and restaurants also
close just after the 25th to take advantage of the holidays.
Quepos
On November 20, at 2.07 a.m. most of the
country was awaken with a jolt. An earthquake that registered
a 6.2 magnitude, with an epicenter 9 kilometers northwest
of the central Pacific port city of Quepos was the largest
since 1991's 7.6 quake in the Caribbean province of Limon.
The quake did not directly cause any deaths
but estimates do place structural damage at over $5 million.
The National Seismological Network reports that the quake
was relatively shallow on the Paquita fault line on the
Caribe plate. The experts explain that this tremor is different
from previous quakes in the central Pacific, whose epicenters
were mainly in the ocean floor.
Potrero, Brasilito and Tamarindo
Potrero was the site for the annual 'Beach
Challenge' which is organized by the Country
Day School's Parent's Association, to raise funds for local
community schools. The fun began at 7 a.m. with surfboard
races, beach bike course, walks, runs and the long jump.
This is the most important fundraising event of the year
for the association. This event helps kids and their families
be a part of Costa Rican society by integrating CDS with
the local schools.
Ruedi's Run
is an established annual event, now going into it's third
year, which helps to raise money to keep public spaces,
public and green in Tamarindo, This year the money will
go to establish a new exercise trail that will provide an
alternative walking route to the beach with shade and bridges
across waterways.
Costa Rica's National Theatre
Company has started a program, which will
allow actors from the different regions to participate in
a production outside of the nations capital. The director
of the company held auditions in Liberia, of some 40 local
actors from Guanacaste and chose 18 who will have the opportunity
to perform in a full-scale production at the Country Day
School in Brasilito. The National Company will provide the
sets, costumes and direction.
Playa del Coco
4 years, too many reports, meetings, appeals,
letters and hundreds of hours of work by local officials
and their supporters has finally given Playas del Coco it's
first High School. 3 hectares of town land has been given
to build 'Liceo Diurno de Playas del Coco' which
will house 150 students from the 7th to the 11th grades.
1Ha will be used for the school buildings
with the remaining grounds for recreational areas. The Ministry
of Education will give the first installment to start the
construction of the first building in time to open for the
new school year.
Playas del Coco has never had a high school.
In the past the local students - approximately 130 - had
to travel to Sardinal and Liberia.
Matapalo
David Chiarappa is a sculptor who uses
old tree roots and turns them into works of art. His massive
table bases and life-size sculptures can be seen all over
San Jose. David who lives and sculpts in Matapalo finds
the local Caoba and Cocobolo, 2 of the rarest and most valuable
woods in the country, the perfect medium for his art. Chiarappa
spend weeks just looking at a tree root before he starts
to work it into a form.
Art lovers can learn more just email Daniel:
019@13corporation.com
Papagayo
The Four Seasons Resort opened its golf
course to the public for the first time to raise money for
a home for orphaned children in the northern region.
This one-day event raised more than $20,000
with 60 golfers from all over the country taking part in
the 1st annual Four Seasons Charity Golf Tournament.
It was a treat to play this spectacular
course and to help raise funds for Fundacion Corazon
de Jesus. This newly inscribed Costa Rican Foundation
has
a simple plan. First, buy some land, which
has already been identified, east of Liberia. Build a facility
to house 30 to 40 orphans that will address all of their
needs. The complex will consist of 18 four bedroom homes
that will accommodate 6 to 8 children and their foster parents.
Currently the foundation receives no funds
from the Costa Rican government, as it must be in existence
for a year before it is eligible. The intention is to grow
their own fruits and vegetables with a business plan to
commercially raise chickens (6 wk old Broilers) in a facility
that would generate revenues of about $300,000 by Jan 2007.
Mr. Folsom, who is himself adopted and
his wife state that their desire to put together a home
for these children says more about their being grandparents..........than
his being adopted.
Liberia
Additional full-time immigration and security
staff have been hired to help ease congestion with incoming
flights at Daniel Oduber International Airport. This is
the first increase in staff since 1995, when only charter
flights arrived at the airport. The increase staff will
allow the airport to extend their hours of operation to
10 p.m. to accommodate late arriving flights. More computers
will be donated by the Chamber of Tourism to help speed
up the customs process.
The need for additional customs staff
to adequately process the increasing numbers of incoming
flights is still on the table as the Chamber continues to
push their point with the State Treasury.
San Jose
December 1st to the 5th are the dates
for the free open-air art festival in San Jose. Painters,
sculptors and photographers will be joined by the University
of Costa Rica's students who will perform in concerts, magic
shows, dance productions and short plays.
The international festival which began
9 years ago with 30 artists has now grown over the years
to a record breaking 450 artists from Latin American countries
including Mexico, Bolivia, Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, Cuba
joining Costa Ricans in the only exposition of it's kind
in Central America and the largest in Latin America.
Many famous artists such as Cuban Domingo
Ramos, Costa Rican's Edgar Zuniga and Ana Wien will join
young unknown artists to display their work in San Pedro,
Montes de Oca in San Jose.
Osa Peninsula
The Moore Foundation based in San Francisco,
California has given $8 million to the Nature Conservancy
to combat illegal hunting, logging, gold panning, mining
and squatting in Corcovado National Park. This donation
will provide additional funds for park rangers to help protect
the Jaguar and Peccaries whose dwindling numbers is cause
for alarm. This 54,000Ha preserve has only 25 rangers due
to the lack of government funds. Conservation efforts have
survived almost solely on donations from area hotels and
tour guide companies.
To learn more visit: www.osacampaign.com
Countrywide
Costa Rican authorities announced that
tourists from any country may now carry copies of their
passports instead of the originals when traveling within
Costa Rica. This change is designed to cut down on the number
of thefts at tourist’s hotspots such as beaches where
belongings are often unattended. Previously all tourists
were required to carry their passports with them at all
times.
F.Y.I.
- 'Living Abroad in Costa Rica' by Erin
Van Rheenen is a 432 page guide. www.livingaboardincostarica.com
- 2005 Lunar Calendar lists the dates of
meteor showers and other celestial events. www.cientec.or.cr
- December 1st is the 56th anniversary
of the abolition of Costa Rica/s military.
- The Papagayo Project will leave 70% of
its land natural while designing 7200 rooms in various luxury
properties.
- A study confirms coffee plantations planted
within 1 km of a rainforest increase their production by
20%. The coffee benefits not only from the soil, water and
nutrients but also from the rainforest bees.
- Costa Rica has what many call the world's
boldest pay-for-conservation program. The government pays
any Tico landowner to either maintain or restore tree coverage,
according to Forest Law 7575.
Have a wonderful December,
Penelope
If you have a friend that
you would like to have us include in our monthly newsletters
let us know: email us at penelope@lenteckhartproperties.com
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Bahia Potrero
Over the past month, we have witnessed
several Humpback whales in our bay, spending days at a time
cruising from inlet to inlet — it has proven to be
a wonderful show of breaching and tail slapping. We have
also been fortune enough to witness the birth of a calf.
Mom and baby stayed in the area for about two days before
heading out to sea, returning a week later for another visit,
this time the calf was very active and demonstrated many
tail slaps and breaching attempts.
Playa Grande, Las Ventanas and
Carbon
The MINAE, the Ministry of Environment
and Energy, has plans to consolidate the national park,
Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas, legislated in
1995, thereby declaring the 75 meter strip beyond the maritime
national parkland. Playa Grande is one of the few beaches
in the country that does not have a maritime concession
zone thus allowing property owners to build up to 50 meters
of the waterline. Playa Grande is also an area in which
the majority of the returning leatherback turtles come to
lay their eggs. Their declining numbers over the years has
raised issues concerning the nesting grounds. A 16-page
study completed by the National University’s, School
of Biological Sciences, cites that the real danger occurs
out at sea where long-line shrimping and gill-net fishing
have resulted in their declining numbers.
MINAE also hopes to purchase property
but questions exist as to where the government will get
the $300 per m2; the current market value of this special
beachfront land. SETENA, another branch of the ministry,
is looking over environmental studies produced by landowners
who want to develop their lots in what is shaping up to
be an embattled issue with no outcomes in the foreseeable
future. Current market value costs are estimated to be some
$81 million.
Tamarindo’s Growing Pains
2004 is seeing more development than in
the previous 10 years combined and projections suggest that
this increase will accelerate as new businesses and homes
are built. The infrastructure is being severely challenged
as a result. Years ago, Tamarindo water companies warned
that supplies were limited, and development outside of Tamarindo
has depleted the aquifer. Changes in weather patterns to
drier seasons have only exasperated the issue.
Tamarindo road conditions are extremely
poor with virtually no solutions in sight to improve traffic
flow. Wastewater treatment is non-existent in town, leaving
many residents with no sewage disposal system.
Much of the property that developers are
building is already sold or rented and future demand predicts
to exceed supply.
Bat Islands
The local name for the islands off the
coast of Santa Rosa National Park in northern Guanacaste,
Bat Islands, was declared a World Heritage site in 1999
for the estimated 230,000 species that abound its waters
and its 110 kilometers of park coastline.
A new chapter is about to unfold on these
islands as the government has officially set down rules
to allow dive boats into the area. They have chosen specific
dive operators and will allow for two boats per site per
day with only one in the area at a time. The number of people
is limited to 12, including the guide and the instructors.
Only certified divers are permitted to dive and each trip
must be pre-registered in Playas del Coco. Such trips will
be conducted on a trial basis only until further decisions
are made.
Santa Cruz
The Law of Maritime Zone is once again
at center stage. Now Tamarindo and Langosta have received
an order that names 46 beachfront properties that are in
violation. This order speaks to the 50 meters of coastline
above the high tide which is considered public property
and where construction is prohibited.
Six structures in Brasilito’s Barrio
Los Angeles have already been removed as a result of
infractions.
Guanacaste’s Five Star Resorts
The two largest tourist developers are
making a long-term commitment to local schools in both health
and education: Paradisus Playa Conchal will provide financial
support for the Ministry of Health’s programs in Brasilito,
Potrero and Matapalo. These courses emphasize logic, reading
with comprehension and developing creativity in problem
solving. Meanwhile, Peninsula Papagayo began a math-learning
program to advance the level of achievement in the local
area schools. Together, both hotel groups have pledged to
join the Ministry of Health in the education of local children
on health issues and drug prevention in hopes of better
preparing young Guancastans for the future.
F.Y.I.
American and Continental Airlines will
add daily flights into Liberia’s International Airport
starting the end of December.
US Airways will start a Saturday flight
to Liberia from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Iberian Airlines has unveiled direct flights
between Madrid, Spain and San Jose.
Nature Air has expanded its 12 destinations
to include Limon and Panama. The 19-seated DeHaviland Twin
Otter’s are equipped with special observation windows
that are twice as large so that passengers can enjoy the
spectacular views. Additional information: www.natureair.com.
Another wonderful way to see the countryside
is to charter Macaw Air, based out of Tamarindo, for a day
trip to Arenal, Limon, or for a tour of the coast. Additional
information: info@macawair.com.
Costa Rica beat out Hawaii as the #1 adventure-tourism
destination in the world.
Countrywide
Hotels rooms may become scarce by 2006.
The ever-increasing tourist population is growing at 8.26%
per year while hotel rooms are only increasing by 3.26%
per year. The Costa Rica Association of Tourism Professionals
estimates that at least 1000 new rooms need to be constructed
per year to keep pace with the increased number of flights.
Northern Neighbors
Nicaragua is implementing regulations
to protect sailfish and marlin. These new laws prohibit
the sale of sailfish or marlin, mandate catch and release
and the use of circle hooks for all fisheries. Long liners
must now use these specially designed hooks as a means to
greatly reduce the catching of sea turtles, manta rays and
sea birds. We now look to Costa Rica to follow suit in demanding
their commercial fisherman to adopt these same laws. Costa
Rica’s sport fishing crews, captains and fishers have
long realized how lucky they are to live and work in these
rich waters thereby earning a reputation as leaders in conservation
fishing practices.
November is on record as producing some
of the largest yellow fin tuna this year.
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Have a great November!
Penelope
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Potrero, Brasilito
& Tamarindo
“Maritime Zone Clean-up”
These three areas are the
immediate focus of the Municipality in Santa Cruz who has
targeted more than 50 ‘buildings’ to be investigated.
A scathing report issued by
the State Comptroller General’s office criticized
Santa Cruz for it’s handling of concession land under
the Law of Maritime Zone.
The 30-page report called
for the 50 meters of Coastline above the high tide mark
to be returned to the public zone and to remove ALL construction.
The commission has come up
with recommendations and in a case-by-case study the Municipality
will review each building. Some of these cases date back
to before the Maritime Law was established. There are others
that are also protected under different articles of law.
Santa Cruz has within its
boundaries approximately 58 miles of beaches, more than
any of the other 11 municipalities of Guanacaste.
The 30 days to adopt ‘corrective
measures’ has begun and the Comptroller General’s
office expects to see a list of those buildings that are
illegal and that must be demolished as well as an investigation
into companies given rights to concessions, the implementation
to computerize the maritime zone documents and the hiring
of legal specialists to control the public zone.
Guanacaste is Costa Rica’s
gem and the government wants nothing to spoil this new vision.
Tamarindo Airport
The privately owned commuter
airport located to the northeast of town has plans to expand
the runway to accommodate bigger twin turboprop aircraft
and business jets. They have also applied to the Board of
Civil Aviation to charge outgoing passengers to help offset
costs.
Currently regulations do not
allow private airfields to be longer than 3280 feet or to
charge an exit fee. Approximately 50,000 passengers pass
through this commuter airport making it the biggest ‘local’
airport in the country.
The upgrading of Tamarindo’s
airport would call for the land to be donated to the government
with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
laying down the necessary requirements to comply.
So now the talks begin so
that both sides can assess the financial and logistical
requirements of such an expansion.
In the meantime our commuter
airport is still reached by crossing a creek and often times
waiting for cows to move off the road before arriving at
a gravel lot to check-in. Pura Vida!
Guanacaste
The 350 Kilometer Annexation
Day mountain bike race along Guanacaste’s coast drew
more than 150 competitors in several classes, including
women from Costa Rica, the United States and Panama. A very
significant turn out for its second year.
Known simply as ‘Guanaride’
this 4 stage race started in Liberia to El Chorro and back
again then the race continued to Nuevo Colon, Flamingo,
Playa Carrillo and on down to Playa Tambor at the tip of
the Nicoya Peninsula.
The $4,000. prize is one of
the biggest purses in local bike racing. Organizers are
already planning next years July event and we will look
forward to hearing about their new plans to expand the event.
Papagayo
Jaguar Resorts Inc. is currently
working on an alliance to develop a 5 star resort in Guanacaste,
‘JGRT’s’ second project. A developer of
luxury membership resort & spa properties primarily
in Mexico and Central America.
The “Hot Zone”
is identified as Guanacaste’s northern Pacific coast
and serviced by recently opened Liberia Airport. This facility
has had an increase of over 800% in direct commercial airline
traffic in the last 14 months.
Ben Gallagher, Vice President
of ‘JGRT’ states “Costa Rica’s northern
zone is experiencing tremendous growth, as a result, property
values are increasing and will continue to do so which is
creating very advantageous investment opportunities for
those that are able to take advantage of them.
Headed by Clyde Culp III,
former CEO of Embassy Suites and past President of Holiday
Inn; ‘JGRT’s’ first property is the 5
star 122 acre ALTA MIRA Resort & Spa which will be located
in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. This groups mission is
to be the leading developer of fractional interest real
estate resort properties throughout Latin America.
Osa Peninsula
Villa Corcovado is perfectly located between
the Pacific and Golfo Dulce, the 10th deepest gulf in the
world and one of four tropical fjords on the planet. This
magical small hotel has 8 private villas spread out over
a hill on 70 acres that descends into the Gulf. The hotel
is next door to Corcovado National Park, which has often
been touted as one of the most bio-diverse areas on earth.
Over 133,440 acres this park is home to macaws, monkeys,
toucans, hawks, frogs, sloths, anteater, ocelots and is
one of the last strong holds for the Jaguar. The hotel is
a wonderful daydream come true for it’s Argentinean
owner and professional staff. Their website is: HYPERLINK
http://www.villacorcovado.com/
Nation-wide
On August 23rd we awoke to a national strike.
We had been reading that some 75-labor groups had grievances
and we had been following their stories with interest. The
Public employees wanted a 6.5% raise for the last half of
2004 instead of the 4.5% they had received. Taxi and Truck
drivers want the RTV (vehicle inspections) shut down and
the roads repaired. The Free Trade agreement (CAFTA) is
another fear that public employees have, as it will open
the door to outside competition. Schoolteachers joined in
and finally we weren’t sure who wasn’t involved.
As well planned as this strike was many
groups backed out but the 18-wheelers certainly made their
point by blocking all major arteries to and from San Jose
and other large cities. So finally, the police, in the early
morning hours of Wednesday, went from truck to truck and
broke up the massive roadblocks. It has been reported that
over 1000 semis took part. Things seemed back to ‘normal’
by Friday.
Other News in Costa Rica
- Currently 300,000 foreigners live in Costa
Rica.
- In 2003 the economy grew 6.5%.
- October 2004 Iberia Airlines will start
it’s non-stop service from Madrid to San Jose.
- Feb 2005 US Airways will start non-stop
service from Charlotte, North Carolina to Liberia International
Airport on Saturdays.
- In the 1st Quarter of 2005 The Rosewood
Hotel Chain will start construction on their 80-room boutique
hotel on Playa Carmel in Guanacaste.
- Flamingo has a wonderful new French restaurant,
MAR Y SOL. The owners are Alain and his son, Chef Jean Luc
Taulere.
- Costa Rica has approximately 200 public
institutions.
- National Geographic claims “Costa
Rica is the country with the most ideal climate in the world.”
- Money Magazine states “Costa Rica
to be the #1 retirement country in the world.”
Our Neighbors to the North
Nicaragua Canal? If EcoCanal has it’s
way, yes. Congress awarded this Nicaraguan company a 30-year
exploration concession, which proposes to create a river-barge
trade route connecting Central America’s predominately
west-coast production sector with east-coast markets in
the U.S. and Europe.
Currently Nicaragua has no accessible port
on the Caribbean coast. Export bound goods are trucked to
Limon, Costa Rica or north to Honduras’, Puerto Cortez.
Land transportation puts exporters at a disadvantage and
EcoCanal is challenged to find a solution.
Researching history of how trade was conducted
from 1540 to 1898 the idea is to once again use the Rio
San Juan and Lake Nicaragua allowing shallow draft barges
to connect the 480 yr old city of Granada and once again
establish it as the center for trade. The price tag estimated
would be $35 to $54 million.
Two other companies proposed very different
plans using high-speed rail systems, linking deep-water
ports on both coasts. The price tag for these range from
$1.66 to $2.7 Billion. And a fourth The Gran Canal project
hoped to connect The Caribbean and Pacific Ocean via Rio
Escondido to Lake Nicaragua with a lock system dug across
land to the south of Rivas with a proposed cost of $26 Billion.
If EcoCanal gets the nod the estimated
time to build is 3 to 4 years and operational by 2009.
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Flamingo
ICT, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Tourism
held a meeting to review solutions for the closed Flamingo
Marina (effective as of Fri. June 18th). The other issue
that was discussed is the purposed “Ruta del Sol”,
a 460-kilometer (285 mile) road that would begin at La Cruz,
on the northern border with Nicaragua, to Santa Teresa at
the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Conchal
Last month, 50 participants took part in
the inaugural Father-Son / Father-Daughter golf tournament
at Garra de Leon. This two-day tournament brought many families
from the Central Valley, among them was 17 year-old Gloriana
Soto, the #1 ranked woman golfer in Costa Rica and one of
the top ranked women’s juniors in the US, where she’s
a student at the David Leadbetter Academy. On July 24th
and 25th the popular Guanacaste Classic golf tournament
was played at both Hacienda Pinilla and at Garra de Leon.
At this sold-out competition selected players had the opportunity
to win a condo at Reserva Conchal.
The Playa Conchal Resort’s 15-year
master plan has 3 distinct areas. LA
BAHIA contains a 5 star, 308-room hotel, Paradisus Playa
Conchal and features Garra de Leon, an 18-hole Robert Trent
Jones Jr. designed golf course. This resort anchors the
2297 ac. property, in this multi-phase development, the
first of which includes 62 condos that line the third fairway
were offered in 2002 for $265,000 to $595,000. The next
phase, which will shortly be underway, will be 12, two-to-five
bedroom villas priced between $1.6 to $2.8 million; 27 additional
condos; residential lots; a beach club; new roads and an
administration building. The biggest phase of LA BAHIA will
be a second five- star hotel with 220-260 rooms. This ‘European
Plan’ hotel will be operational within three years.
In addition, 500-700 lots will be released over time, containing
a mixture of Villas, duplexes, condos and lots for single-family
homes.
LOS RANCHOS, the next area set for development,
will have 72 larger lots (up to 6 HA (14 3⁄4 ac) and
will be laid out around an equestrian center. Another 18-hole
golf course is also slated for this area.
LOS ALTOS, is the third area to be developed,
will be Conchal’s most expensive property, located
at the southern tip of the 2,297 acres. Here a six- star,
70 room boutique hotel will be developed, along with high
priced condominiums, duplexes and villas all overlooking
an isolated beach which can only be accessed by boat.
This master plan calls for a complex of
green corridors and a 50 HA (123 ac) reserve, allowing native
animals and some 80 species of birds to thrive.
Tamarindo
The increasing volume of tourists and residents
in the area has led to additional traffic and congestion,
leading officials to closely monitor and impose various
commercial traffic and parking restrictions. Being proposed
are three key initiatives: the implementation of an emergency
access road; enforcing regulations pertaining to all vehicles;
and the creation of a second route through Tamarindo. The
goal of this much-needed plan will be to alleviate crowded
streets and allow for ease of ingress and egress.
Peninsula Papagayo
This 840HA (2074 ac) project was officially
inaugurated in July by President Abel Pacheco. Peninsula
Papagayo is a 28-yr project with phase one now completed.
This phase included the Four Seasons Resort which has an
18-hole golf course designed by Arnold Palmer, four private
homes (three of which sold for four million each), partial
share condos and 20 hillside villas. Slated to open in 2006
will be a 375-slip marina. The entire project will have
8 more luxury hotels with 250 rooms each; 2 more 18 hole
golf courses; 200 residential units; a beach club; tennis
courts; archeological museum and an equestrian school.
This project initially began in 1982 when
Costa Rica passed a law allowing for the state owned land
to be developed. Two major investor groups have the mandate
to develop the largest portion of the project, including
the two peninsulas. A subsidiary of the US based Schwan
Foundation and Florida Ice and Farm Co. (which owns Cerveceria
of Costa Rica) formed Ecodesarrollo Papagayo S.A.
A project of this scope and size has the
whole country watching as they manage water usage with an
elaborate plan that is designed to use reclaimed water to
irrigate each plant according to species, height and width
of canopy. The incorporation of a commercial center complete
with an infra structure that allows for 1250 people to commute
effortlessly to all points on the peninsula without interfering
with the ‘guests’ is unique in this country.
So justly proclaimed Guanacaste has all
the future, all the potential with enormous responsibilities.
Liberia
Daniel Oduber International Airport
The Costa Rican government will invest
$10 million over the next three years to upgrade Liberia’s
International Airport. This will include a new terminal
building that will adequately accommodate the new passenger
capacity presently being experienced. This facility will
handle up to six carriers, at a time, through the use of
sky bridges. Other upgrades will include a new ILS beam
(Instrument Landing System); cargo facilities are being
studied for future implementation.
Pacific Coast
Currently, the only legally built and operating
marina on the Pacific Coast is Los Suenos Marina at Herradura
Bay, north Jaco. There have been a handful of marinas operating
since before the 1998 law regulated the country’s
marinas; Flamingo Marina in Guanacaste (currently closed),
Yacht Club in Puntarenas, and Banana Bay and Samoa in the
southern zone, Golfito.
Now there are 11 new marinas being proposed,
extending from the northern Pacific Coast; Cuajiniqull;
Papagayo (opening July 2006); Playas del Coco; Flamingo
(new concession to be awarded in October 2004); Playa Carrillo;
Playa Naranjo; Mata de Limon; Punta Leona; Quepos; Puertocito
and Golfito.
Most proposed marinas will feature between
200 to 300 slips costing $10 to $20 million. Several projects
propose to start before years end.
Email: penelope@lenteckhartproperties.com
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Guanacaste:
Flamingo
The Flamingo Marina was ordered closed
by the National Coast Guard. This day came as no surprise.
Sited by the Ministry of Public Safety for operating illegally
for more than 10 years, all boat owners were told to vacate
their slips by 7a.m. or have their boats removed by the
government officials. So now we see lots of new moorings
in the bay with boats ferrying their passengers via new
dinghies to and from the beach. The marina will remain closed
until the process to re-issue the concession to a new developer-manager
is completed. The new marina complex will include new docks,
slips, shops, restaurants and a possible hotel. October
is the month when the government will reveal who the new
operator.
Pinilla
Hacienda Pinilla is now offering a 20%
discount on the spec homes that where constructed in 2000.
This is an excellent opportunity to get in on the ground
floor of what promises to be a community planned around,
golf, and horseback riding and living on the Pacific Coast.
Northern Pacific Coast
For the last 3 weeks our ocean has been
red. Marine Biologists have warned against swimming along
the Pacific Coast. Many are calling this the worst red tide
in years. As higher than normal concentrations of microscopic
algae germinate rapidly in a broadband extending up to 25
miles off shore, this natural occurring phenomenon happens
when the temperature, salinity and nutrients reach certain
levels. Scientists have confirmed that this ‘red tide’
is non-toxin, but that did not remove the very strong odor
nor the resulting rash if you came into contact with the
water. Red tide in Costa Rica signals the change of seasons
from High to Green. These tides cannot be predicted and
to date there is no known means of control. We are all very
please to finally see our crystal waters again!
Liberia
Growing pains for Daniel Oduber International
Airport in Liberia. The Minister of Tourism for Costa Rica
acknowledged that the infrastructure and resources were
not keeping pace with the rate of growth of the tourist
industry in Guanacaste. Last year tourism grew 12%. 2004
expects an additional 10%. Guanacaste is now the #1 destination
for tourists in Costa Rica. Currently there are 19 scheduled
flights per week landing in Liberia.
Air Canada, USAir, United, Iberia and Spain’s
Air Madrid are all in talks, all wanting direct flights
into Liberia. Travel to Costa Rica grew faster than any
international travel.
Tamarindo & Pinilla
Robert August, of ‘Endless Summer’
fame held his 2004 Annual Surf and Turf fundraisings event
last month to benefit the local High School and the Orphanage
in Santa Cruz. First you played 18 challenging holes of
golf at Hacienda Pinilla and then those brave enough entered
the 1-day surf contest. Lots of parties evolved around this
4-day event, which raised more money for their charities
than in previous years.
Country wide
San Jose
CAFTA still has a long way to go before
the Central American Free Trade Agreement becomes reality
for Costa Rica. The process to date has taken more than
a year of negotiations, months of legal revisions and now
the legislative bodies of the seven participating countries
will vote to ratify or reject CAFTA.
Escazu
The American community once again held
it’s annual July 4th celebration and this time did
so on the 3rd at the Cerveceria’s new outdoor park
as the numbers of American’s living here has outgrown
the grounds at the US Ambassador’s residence in Escazu.
Again your ticket into this free event was your passport!
Pacific Coast
Local hotels, during the ‘Green Season’,
May 15 to Nov 15, offer wonderful escapes and surprises.
Art exhibits, music festivals, theme dinners and guided
nature walks with naturalist as well as other specials on
many excursions.
Caribbean
Organic cacao is being grown in Talamanca,
Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean zone. Fast becoming
famous for producing some of the finest organic cacao in
the world. This product is now prized by the manufacturers
of fine chocolates in Europe. What start as a few neighboring
farmers has grown to a cooperative, some 800 strong. Their
exports are now up to 200 metric tons per year.
From my desk
Have a question or want more information
please email us or pass on a friends name to be included
in our monthly newsletters.
Happy 4th of July
Email: penelope@lenteckhartproperties.com
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Guanacaste Allure
Guanacaste, one of Costa Rica’s seven
provinces, is the largest with 6,300 square miles and the
least populated. In contrast, Liberia, the province’s
capital, has 35,000 inhabitants. Located 175 miles north
of the country’s capital of San Jose, This province
is known as the Dry Forest, with seemingly expansive planes
ideal for cattle ranching and tree farms. Officially designated
by the government for tourism development, Liberia Airport
became the country’s second International airport
in December 2002.
Guanacaste has numerous national parks
and reserves, boasting a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Since it’s inception in 1969, Costa Rica’s National
Parks has designated 39 such areas and has established numerous
biological reserves, covering over 1.5 million acres or
25% of Costa Rica’s total land area. Such places as
the Cloud Forests, mangroves, coral reefs. marine reserves,
sea turtle nesting sites, sea bird roosting islands, rain
forests and dry forests are among those that account for
Guanacaste’s preserves. These truly unique and diverse
geological areas offer numerous natural phenomenons from
active volcanoes and thermal springs to scenic landscapes
with cascading waterfalls and roaring rapids.
Famous for its spectacular Pacific Coast
beaches, that span over 100 miles. Guanacaste offers both
visitors and residents sunny days with warm crystalline
waters – the perfect backdrop for a multitude of water
sports as well as world-class sport fishing. A tour into
the regions interior will find you hiking in rain forests,
white water rafting, taking float trips and canopy tours,
bird watching, mountain biking, wind surfing or simply soaking
in natural hot springs.
In addition to its three, 18 hole championship
golf courses, Guanacaste has also recently experienced an
insurgence of hospitality interest with four major hotel
conglomerates all heavily investing in the area. On-going
resort developments include ultr-private condominium projects,
town homes, single-family residences and estate sites. Such
masterly-planned properties will be equipped with medical
facilities, marinas, commercial town centers, private beach
clubs, and entertainment complexes with restaurants offering
international cuisine. With oceanfront locations, all of
these hotel properties will be no more than an hour’s
drive from the Liberia International airport.
Local News
The Flamingo Marina, located in north Flamingo,
considered to be one of the more prominent ports-of-call
for private yachts and cruise ships, remains open while
the Municipality of Santa Cruz works to select from six
foreign and national consortiums who have all applied for
the right to develop and manage the marina. All bidders
must present their master plans complete with environmental
studies and detailed overviews of the number and types of
commercial establishments that will make up the new marina.
Papagayo Golf and Country Club is under
construction just 6 miles southeast of Playa del Coco. This
18 hole golf course will be the first semi-public golf course
in this area. The first 9 holes are slated to be ready for
play by November 2004. In addition there will be driving
and practice ranges, a clubhouse with a restaurant, swimming
pool, tennis and racquetball courts, open parkland, condominium
sites and 130 residential lots.
The three year old Country Day School,
located in Brasilito and it’s older parent-campus
in Escazu are up for sale. All serious offers are being
considered at this time. The Country Day School, a private,
non-sectarian English-language school, teaches a traditional
college-preparatory education and is regarded as one of
the top ten institutions in Latin America.
Last month local land owners learned that
the Costa Rican government’s environmental watchdog,
MINAE, had stopped approving building permits for housing
developments on property fronting Playa Grande, ( 25 minutes
south of Playa Flamingo). The primary motivating factor
behind this decision was the critically endangered leatherback
turtles which nest each year along this beach. Prior to
this, Playa Grande was one of the few beaches in the country
that did not have a maritime concession zone which as a
result, enabled private property owners to develop within
50 meters of the waterline. In 1995, the Legislative Assembly,
under great pressure from environmental groups, passed a
law declaring a 75 meter strip beyond the maritime zone
at Playas Ventanas, Carbon and Grande deeming all as national
parkland. The resulting 8000 HA which extends into the ocean
became Parque Nacional Las Baules. Landowners are now hiring
biologists to carry out extensive studies in which to present
to the MINAE, in hopes of gaining permission to proceed
with property development. A favorable, 16-page report cites
that the real danger lies out at sea, where turtles come
into contact with long-line shrimp and gill-net fishing
and not where they come ashore to nest. Both property owners
and environmentalists are calling for a coordinated conservation
strategy to both protect the nesting sites of these leatherback
turtles and landowner property rites.
Most recently, the ‘Green Season’
arrived which has once again transformed the region into
a blooming tropical paradise. For locals, this proves to
be our favorite time of year. Glorious mornings, warm afternoon
showers, and spectacular sunsets. Temperatures during this
time range from mid 80’s in the day to 70’s
in the evenings. Such simple pleasures are what we call,
pura vida.
Request a copy of our newsletter for
a friend:
Email: penelope@lenteckhartproperties.com
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Following the Rules is the Way
to Protect Property
Horror stories abound of property owners
not doing their homework or in other terms due diligence
and losing their property to unscrupulous third parties,
including squatters, and/or tax authorities.
The correct registration of a property
is the most important element of land ownership and not
the deed in Costa Rica. Just because someone appears to
be the legal owner of a piece of real estate does not necessarily
mean they are.
Similar to the laws in the U.S. state of
Louisiana, real estate ownership under Costa Rica law is
divided into 2 elements. One person has the use of the property
and another has the ownership. The person with the use is
said to have usufruct (referred to as the usofructo in Costa
Rica) of the property, whereas the owner is called the naked
owner. When you own or purchase a piece of property, you
need to be sure you have the rights to both.
Also, like in Louisiana, property can be
held indivision between one or more people. This means each
person can hold an undivided interest in the property, none
owning any particular piece because each owns a portion
of the whole.
This kind of property ownership is very
common in Costa Rica, especially in large families and is
divided mostly for inheritance purposes but can cause a
quagmire of legal problems. For example, one person dies
in the indivision ownership and his/her death can force
liquidation of the whole to satisfy the estate of the person
who dies.
Another risk is that one of the owners
is sued and the ownership of his/her portion is attached
by the court, which could cause a liquidation of the whole
to pay the judgment. More importantly, the individual parts
cannot be sold with the right of use because the parts depend
on the whole. However, the unscrupulous have been known
to sell these pieces to the unsuspecting because they are
not familiar with this type of ownership.
Costa Rican law is based on civil law and
not common law, as in the United States. Civil law equates
to details and procedures, and the rules are the name of
the game here. Simply not doing something right can put
your piece of Costa Rica in jeopardy.
You need to be sure your property is correctly
registered with the Costa Rica Registry or Registro Nacional;
HYPERLINK http://www.registronacional.go.cr/
You need to be sure you have the kind of title you think
you have. You should have a receipt showing your territorial
taxes are paid and a certification from the municipality
reflecting you paid up with that entity too.
Many older properties do not have catastros
or official topographical maps registered with the national
registry and the municipality. This is very important. Not
having one probably means the territorial taxes of a piece
of property have never been paid.
Paying property taxes is an integral part
of property ownership in Costa Rica and believe it or not
most people have never paid the basic taxes on their properties.
A check of your current holdings in Costa
Rica is a good idea especially now in the country’s
new climate of going after those generally not following
the rules.
Email: penelope@lenteckhartproperties.com
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