Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste

Just 25 minutes from the Daniel Oduber International is the quaint quiet beach town of Playa Hermosa – the closest beach town to an international airport in all of Costa Rica!  Playa Hermosa is a quiet bedroom community offering a high quality lifestyle with a great mix of North Americans, Europeans and Ticos (an endearing name for people from Costa Rica). Beautiful luxury homes, second homes and condos as well as full time residences are situated on the hills surrounding Hermosa.  Offering a wonderful year round climate, Playa Hermosa is a great place for retirement, vacation or investment with homes and condos starting in the low $200,000 range and going up to some of the most expensive homes in all of Costa Rica.  Spectacular views can be enjoyed from the hills surrounding the horseshoe bay where you neighbors are beautiful tropical birds and monkeys.  The ocean views are comparable to those along the California coast without the hefty price and tax load that goes with it!  Costa Rica has been compared to Hawaii of the 1950’s so the opportunities are here!

The beach itself is tremendous with beautiful tan to cream colored sand with no riptides or undercurrents. Playa Hermosa means “BEAUTIFUL BEACH” and it truly is. Playa Hermosa is one of only 26 Certified “BLUE FLAG” beaches in the Pacific Northwest region of costa Rica. This great swimming beach is safe for children of all ages!  Plus when the waves are up, it is a fun yet safe boogey boarding beach similar to a large wave pool!! Sport fishing, sailing, snorkeling, kayaking and diving are just some of the activities offered along with all the regular beach fun. And every spot on the beach enjoys a perfect view of the famous Monkey Head Rock (named for the strong resemblance of a monkeys face that can be easily seen as you pass by on a boat) and the Four Seasons Luxury resort.   Many of the homes and condos in the area are within walking distance of the beach, a great plus for those wanting to vacation without renting or owning a vehicle.

Playa Hermosa is in the midst of some great future projects.  The community is bordered on the south side by the Steve Case Cacique Project, which will see an Andre Agassi & Stefi Graf tennis center along with a One and Only Hotel, Miraval Spa, golf course, equestrian center and many other amenities. Mr. Case has stated he is committed to completing this huge project while minimizing the environmental impact – lots of natural green area with state of the art environmental conservation programs. To the north is Playa Panama which will be home to the new Westin Hotel, Grand Occidental, Hilton Papagayo and more on the way. There are many positive changes for this beautiful area.

Playa Hermosa offers great hotels, bars and restaurants as well - Ginger, Villa del Sueño, The Upper Deck Sports Bar, La Finestera, El Velero Hotel and the  Bosque Del Mar Hotel (Playa Hermosa Hotel). There is a Spa, movie theatre, and miniature golf, gymnasium as well as some of the best Pizza around. The Super Luperon, the local grocery story, will fulfill most of your shopping needs from fresh produce to fine imported wines to dog food for your pets. For more choice in shopping and restaurants, Playas del Coco, just 10 kilometers away, is the main shopping hub for the area - it offers great shopping with four supermarkets including the Auto Mercado which is equivalent to the best supermarkets in the US or Canada.  

All in all, Playa Hermosa offers many great attributes and amenities to those looking for their “Piece of Paradise”

 contact me today for more information on this great town.

“I know firsthand, as I invested in this great town and live here. FULL TIME” 

Joseph A. Emanuelli

Associate Broker

Jaaechef@gmail.com
RE/MAX Los Tres Amigos
#1 RE/MAX in Costa Rica
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Costa Rica, Central America
Mobile 011-506-8358-6617
Office 011-506-2672-4100
Fax 011-506-2672-0254
Toll Free from US & Canada 1-877-661-6074
Member CRGAR, NAR, IRES, TRC, ICREA, 

Playa Ocotal

Located three kilometers south of Playas del Coco and only 35 minutes from the Daniel Oduber International Airport, is the small quiet bedroom community of Playa Ocotal. This quaint coastal town has a residential feel to it as much of the land has already been developed with private home lots, and condos within a couple hundred meters from the beach starting as low as $115,000 to beautiful ocean view homes nestled in the hills valued into the millions. Ocotal is not over built and has impressive development projects such as Azul Paraiso, Vista Ocotal, Pez Vela Resort, Coco Bay Estates private Beach Club and the Ocotal Beach Resort, as well as an array of smaller bed and breakfast hotels with a low-key, rustic vibe.   

The beach at Playa Ocotal is a calm, black sand beach about a third of a mile long situated in a tiny cove protected by high bluffs.  It is ideal for swimming and snorkeling, or just to relax and enjoy the peace and tranquility in a lush tropical setting.  Scuba diving is also available, and the nearby Catalina Island is a recommended diving spot. Many local sport fishing operators work out of the bay for some of the best fishing in the area.

Father Rooster is the premier beachfront bar and grill in the town and is situated along the north end of the beach.  Enjoy the wonderfully bright red and purple colors of the sunset while sipping a frozen tropical drink, munching on their famous nachos, or enjoying the fresh mahi-mahi tacos.  Other great restaurants include the Ocotal Beach Resort, set above the ocean in the surrounding bluffs offering incredible ocean views, as well as Picante, a restaurant on the beach in the Pez Vela Resort offering delicious international cuisine at affordable prices. 

Playa Ocotal is only a five to seven minute drive to Playas del Coco, the commercial hub of the surrounding bedroom communities, offering all the necessary services and featuring an abundant night life with many lively bars, restaurants, shops, and two casinos. After living it up in Playas del Coco, return to the quiet and tranquil peacefulness of Ocotal and realize that you are so close to everything, yet a world apart. 

Joseph A. Emanuelli

Associate Broker

 Jaaechef@gmail.com
RE/MAX Los Tres Amigos
#1 RE/MAX in Costa Rica
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Costa Rica, Central America
Mobile 011-506-8358-6617
Office 011-506-2672-4100
Fax 011-506-2672-0254
Toll Free from US & Canada 1-877-661-6074
Member CRGAR, NAR, IRES, TRC, ICREA, 

   

Peninsula Papagayo, It all Started Here.

The Papagayo Gulf is located in the NW corner of Costa Rica. The majority of this area is a National Park known as Santa Rosa. But a gorgeous pristine bay, Bahia Culebra, is very quickly becoming one of the worlds prime resort destinations. Over 20 years ago the Government of Costa Rica designated this area strictly for Resort Tourism Development. They picked this area for three main reasons. Weather; The Gold Coast of Guanacaste has more days of sunshine and the least amount of rain than anywhere in the country. Water; This is one of the only areas in the country with tranquil calm bays, perfect for swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, water sports, fishing, boating and marinas as there are no rip tides or dangerous currents like other parts of the coast. For those that love surfing, Witches Rock, one of the top surf destinations in the world, is just a few minutes away. Airport; The Daniel Oduber Airport opened in 2004. It has recently under gone an $18 M expansion making it one of the nicest International Airports in Central America. A short 20 minute drive makes it very convenient after a day of travel. Just a few minutes after you land, you can be enjoying a cocktail on your patio and watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.  The cornerstone for the future growth of this region is a mega project known as Peninsula Papagayo which is over 2000 acres. The star of the show is the new Four Seasons Hotel which the brand calls its Flagship Hotel, and whose share holders include Bill Gates and Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal. There is also a $25 M Arnold Palmer Golf Course and a new $15 M Marina. With a 28 year development plan, Peninsula Papagayo will be home to 9 of the top hotels in the world, a 375 slip marina and 3 of the finest golf courses in the world, as the new Jack Nicklaus course is slated to be opened within a year. There will also be multiple Beach clubs, Tennis and Fitness and Equestrian centers. But that’s not all. The rest of the Bay will also be home to over a dozen other high end resorts; Hilton, Occidental, Westin, Viceroy, Mandarin, Melia, Hyatt, Starwood and the Cacique Project by Steve Case and Andre Agassi which includes the One and Only Hotel and the Miraval Spa. This truly is an uncut jewel and we are in the earliest stages of what will become some of the highest property values in the world.  

Continue down the page to see more information about the beach towns that make up this area.

Contact me today for more information on this great area of Costa Rica 

Joseph A. Emanuelli

Associate Broker

Jaaechef@gmail.com
RE/MAX Los Tres Amigos
#1 RE/MAX in Costa Rica
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Costa Rica, Central America
Mobile 011-506-8358-6617
Office 011-506-2672-4100
Fax 011-506-2672-0254
Toll Free from US & Canada 1-877-661-6074
Member CRGAR, NAR, IRES, TRC, ICREA,  

Playa del Coco, Guanacaste

Playas del Coco as it is sometimes referred to, lies 35 kilometres (22 miles) west of Liberia, Guanacaste’s main hub. Its close proximity to the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia means you can get off the plane and be sipping a cold one in less than 30 minutes.  You can’t beat that for location!  The new CIMA Hospital is only 20 minutes away making this a great location for retirees, families with children and those looking for a cosmetic surgery holiday.

This former fishing village is a popular destination for Ticos and international travelers alike.  It offers a variety of nightlife and restaurants. Some of the popular restaurants include Papagayo Seafood, Coco Palms, Casa Maria Bonita at Ladera del Mar, Las Olas Seafood, Citron in the Pacifico Retail mall, Jardines Tropicales, Soda Teresita and my favorite local joint for lunch and breakfast is Soda Los Pelones.  Most evenings (and well into the night) you can hear plenty of music coming from the open air bars and night clubs in town - from the sounds of Latin America’s top musicians to Rock & Roll. A few of the famous (or should I say infamous) clubs are Zi Lounge, Beach Bums, Lizard Lounge and Coconutz Sports Bar.  Happy hours range from noon to 7 pm depending on the establishment, so bar hopping is a common past time for all who want to enjoy the laid back atmosphere and energy of a beach town in action. For those looking for a snack on the run, you’ll find a Subway, Texas BBQ Burgers, Asia-Tica Chinese & Thai Cuisine and of course several pizza joints.  For those with a sweet tooth, you don’t want to miss out on an ice cream or gelato at the Italian ice cream shop or POPS ice cream shop in the Auto-Mercado shopping center

The bank, church, police station and new post office are located along Coco's main boulevard as are well-stocked supermarkets like the Auto-Mercado and Luperon, hardware stores, a variety of pharmacies, taxi services and of course fabulous souvenir shops. There are a number of medical clinics in town offering medical care in Spanish and English with a 24-hour emergency care complete with a new ambulance service.

Sailboats and fishing boats can be seen scattered throughout the bay offering a great opportunity to watch local fisherman at work. Playas del Coco is one of the most popular beaches in the country.  It is best known for its sports fishing, surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling. Originally known as the main Costa Rican hub for surfers who want to take in surf spots like Ollie’s Point and Witches Rock, this busy beach has become a prime launch site for many dive shops. Local waters feature rich marine life with huge schools of fish and other marine animals. Many rock formations can be explored with good visibility. Humpback whales, dolphins, Olive Ridley and Leatherback turtles, eagle and manta rays as well as other wildlife can be spotted in the waters around Coco.  The pirate ship “The Perla Negra” offers a great event venue where you can “walk the plank” and listen as Captain Richard Hook shoots off the cannon.

The soft volcanic sand of the Playas del Coco beach provides a wonderful place to walk along the shoreline especially when the tide is out. Surrounded by steep hills, this horseshoe shaped bay area is the ideal place to have fun, relax, take in the view or spend the day people watching. In August 2011, the new boardwalk, affectionately called “Amor de Temporada” was complete and future plane are to expand it further along the shore line. The name comes from a song written by Guanacastecan Héctor Zúñiga Rovira in 1930.  It’s a sad love story about an April romance that ends with him riding out of Coco on his horse with only the moon to accompany him and his sweetheart in love with another man.

The weather in Guanacaste is the best in all of Costa Rica.  The climate is perhaps Costa Rica's most temperate, averaging 85°F with only 55-65 inches of rainfall annually. Sunshine washes over the region most days even during the rainy season, making outdoor activities from hiking to windsurfing to sport fishing or lazing about on the beach a year-round possibility. The strong Papagayo winds blow in during the dry months to provide a wonderful cooling effect especially while you’re relaxing in the warm sun. With the dry season comes the busy tourist season, but here's a secret not everyone knows about: Guanacaste is a nice place to visit year round. Yes, the dry season is a nice reprieve from the Northern Hemisphere's cold winter, but during the months of May through November the area is green from the almost daily rain showers that lasy only a short period of time. Characterized by sweeping savannas and rolling hills that turn dense and green in the rainy season the area around Coco provides an interesting change of scenery as the dry season leaves and the green season begins.  The spectacular flowering trees herald the change of seasons and one knows that soon everything will be green and lush again. 

 contact me today for more information on this great town.

“I know firsthand, as this is where I shop for all my needs and have tons of fun!! 

Joseph A. Emanuelli

Associate Broker

Jaaechef@gmail.com
RE/MAX Los Tres Amigos
#1 RE/MAX in Costa Rica
Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste
Costa Rica, Central America
Mobile 011-506-8358-6617
Office 011-506-2672-4100
Fax 011-506-2672-0254
Toll Free from US & Canada 1-877-661-6074
Member CRGAR, NAR, IRES, TRC, ICREA,