Guanacaste

Playa Samara

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Guanacaste now has a tourist information center

Source: http://www.journalcr.com

Posted by Roger Vlasos
Broker/Owner
Century21 At the Beach
Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Website: http://www.century21incostarica.com
Email: roger@century21incostarica.com

For tourists, information about the place they are visiting is a very valuable resource that maximizes time, money, interests, and more. And now there’s way to find everything tourists need in Guanacaste, with the opening of the Tourist Information Center (CIG), located two kilometers south of the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia.

Guanacaste’s Tourist Information Center provides a centralized platform to educate residents, visitors and businesses about the great variety of services and products available in the region.

Guanacaste has become the center of tourism activity in Costa Rica, which demands this kind of service, previously available only in the capital city of San Jose. At CIG, tourists can come spend a nice time, while they enjoy a refreshing beverage and, in only 10 minutes, take a visual tour of everything the country offers. All information is provided in English, allowing tourists to also ask questions and clarify any doubts they may have, thanks to the center’s personalized attention.

As you are about to land in Costa Rica, these and other questions may come to your mind: What can be done in 10 minutes? Where are the best canopy tours? Where can I find the best food? Where are the fish biting today? Where can I find a soft pillow and clean sheets at a good price? What would be the best option for investing in a property in Costa Rica? Where are the most popular real estate developments? Where can I find an honest, responsible architect and builder? Who can help me furnish or remodel my house? Where do I find local artisans?

If that’s the case, simply ask a member of CIG’s team of professionals, who will be wearing distinctive shirts with the word “Ask me.” They will be ready to provide you with answers to your many questions. Concierge services will also be available to supply you with questions that might make your dreams reality whether you are vacationing or have made Costa Rica your home.

CIG is all about helping. And so, if in addition to having your questions answered, you are interested in lending a hand, you’ll have such an opportunity here. You can join in charity activities for the community, which benefit the Salesian Ladies Association (a nonprofit that helps single mothers) and the Foundation for Assistance to Abused Children. CIG invites visitors and residents to help choose a third charity to help. You can let your voice and commitment be heard by submitting your petition at CR411.com. The Tourist Information Center will support the petition through additional votes. Your vote must be submitted through a verifiable e-mail address and must be received by Oct. 15, 2008. Encourage your friends and family to submit a vote, and look for results in this newspaper.
There’s limited space to advertise at the Tourist Information Center, so those interested in doing so please contact us ASAP. Just ask Randy. In only 10 minutes you could find out how to be a part of the Tourist Information Center of Guanacaste!

Posted by Realtor at 1:15 PM Links to this post

PR-CANADA.net - New Costa Rica Real Estate Web Site Provides Market News

PR-CANADA.net - New Costa Rica Real Estate Web Site Provides Market News: "New Costa Rica Real Estate Web Site Provides Market News PDF Print E-mail
Written by Editor Choice
Friday, 03 October 2008
The booming Costa Rica real estate market is a hot topic today, and CoztaRica.com (http://www.coztarica.com), a new Web newswire site, has been developed to supply the public with the most up-to-date news and announcements about this rapidly growing area of interest. Interested readers can review articles covering a wide variety of topics regarding Costa Rica real estate on one Web site, rather than having to visit several sites for their information.

Costa Rica is quickly becoming a favored location for those searching for a scenic retirement spot and tourists looking for an exotic, yet affordable, vacation destination. Investors are finding the Costa Rica real estate market to be quite profitable and are interested in keeping on top of the latest developments. A centralized real estate news center was the logical next step for communicating current Costa Rica real estate news to potential buyers, tourists, and investors, and CoztaRica.com provides this communication quite nicely.

News articles listed on CoztaRica.com include topics such as the latest international events related to Costa Rica real estate, new residence construction, important information from within the real estate community, and future plans for real estate developments. Readers can also register as a subscriber to CoztaRica.com to receive the most recently submitted news articles by email. Buyers, renters, and investors will be able to easily keep abreast of the current trends and latest happenings in the Costa Rica real estate arena.

One of the biggest names in Costa Rica real estate news is the Costa Rican Development Corporation (CRDC), and CoztaRica.com has recently featured several articles about CRDC’s newly constructed luxury community, Cerro Fresco. Cerro Fresco (www.cerrofresco.com/) is one of the most popular choices for high-end investors, and there are plans to increase the Cerro Fresco sales force. Cerro Fresco’s Internet Marketing Consultant, Bob Garcia, stated, “The surge of foreign interest in Costa Rica has resulted in incremental business – in many sectors. Referring specifically to the popularity surge of Cerro Fresco, Garcia commented, “The increase in Costa Rica’s popularity has resulted in an increase in world-wide searches for Costa Rica related keywords – specifically tourism and real estate related. We are positioning Cerro Fresco at the top of search results to further enhance its brand equity and generate more sales.”

About CRDC: The Costa Rican Development Corporation (CRDC), a leader in today’s Costa Rica real estate market, specializes in the design and development of luxury residential communities. With an emphasis on total customer satisfaction, CRDC guarantees quality and excellence in their stylish estate homes. CRDC’s current developments are Cerro Fresco, Hermosa Highlands, Villas Altas, and Highland Estates. For more information about Cerro Fresco, please visit www.cerrofresco.com/.
"

Some of the most diverse wildlife

Costa Rica Ecotourism Trail
Volunteer on the Wild Side

Gaudy Leaf Frog, South Caribbean | photo: Juan Amighetti

Article by: The Thorn Tree, September 2006

Costa Rica has some of the most diverse wildlife and natural landscapes in the world so it is no small wonder that ecotourism has become big business. It seems like everyone wants to jump on the green bandwagon; there are 'ecological' car-rental agencies and even 'ecological' menus in restaurants.

photo: Juan Amighetti

Volunteer programs are also taking off where travellers can get involved in reforesting national parks, turtle-tagging on the coast and tracking endangered animals.

The best option for finding a worthwhile project is to first spend some time on the ground, getting a feel for which organisations are working in your area of interest whether it's wildlife protection, environmental conservation or community development. It's also possible to arrange a position before you even step on the plane, since most Costa Rican organisations advertise their programs on the web.

Check out the projects as carefully as possible - sometimes the too-good-to-be-true volunteer stints are nothing more than high-priced tours. As a general rule, volunteers are asked to pay a small maintenance fee for food and accommodation, though you should be wary if a program has a hefty price tag, especially by Western standards.

Contributors to Thorn Tree, Lonely Planet's online travel forum, have volunteered in Costa Rica and posted up their ecotourism tales. To get a real-life feel for volunteering check out these posts:

Posted by: Eryn

I spent a month at Finca Ipe, a farm located inland about a half-hour bus ride from Dominical, on the Pacific coast. I went to Finca Ipe to learn about organic farming and to escape the tourist road for a bit.

Each morning all the volunteers met at the seed tables where the farm manager gave us duties for the day. Duties included: caring for the farm's resident animals (goats, sheep, chickens, and guinea pigs); creating new compost piles; weeding the fields; and harvesting citronella/lemon grass and cinnamon. We also got demonstrations on how the essential oil was made from the harvests.

Work stopped at about lunch time and the rest of the day was spent lying in hammocks, lazing at the beach, painting a mural on the wall of the sheep pen, and practicing yoga.

photo: Juan Amighetti

Posted by: Erica

For two months I lived in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, on the Sixaola River near the border of Panama. I was volunteering for a Costa Rican sea turtle conservation project run by Asociacion ANAI. It was an amazing and challenging experience - one I'll never forget.

One of the jobs was to walk several miles up and down the beach in night shifts to locate the females coming ashore to lay eggs. We mostly found leatherbacks, but also an occasional hawksbill or green. The leatherbacks were so huge they looked pre-historic. The whole process was painfully slow. We would stay behind the turtles, so they wouldn't notice us and carefully collect the eggs as they were laying them. We then took the eggs back to the hatcheries and re-buried them in a man-made hole. Sixty days later, the baby turtles would emerge from their holes and shells. It was amazing to see them and their unending determination to make it into the sea. Sadly, of a group of 100 eggs only five or six will eventually make it to adulthood.

Posted by: Eryn

I was involved for two weeks with La Tortuga Feliz, a turtle conservation project in a remote area off the Caribbean Coast, north of Limon. The man behind the project, Paul, takes volunteers on a 45-minute boat ride to the project in what's known as Costa Rica's mini-Amazon - the location is absolutely breathtaking and completely untouched.

As a volunteer I spent time marking, painting and counting the beach markers which are used for recording locations of turtle nests. I also helped design and dig a hatchery on the beach for the laying season. The resident biologist educated both volunteers and locals on all things turtle: nesting and mating habits; instructions on how to handle eggs; how to patrol the beach at night; and how to spot turtles crawling up the beach.

While at La Tortuga, I had opportunities to interact with locals in a way I would not have otherwise. Although the project is still in its infancy, I learnt a lot and had a wonderful time.

Posted by: Will

I volunteered in Costa Rica for my senior thesis through the Institute for Central American Development Studies. It was a great place and they got me into a volunteer program at ASEPROLA. I was studying the labour rights movements in Central America. There are a lot of problems with big agricultural multi-nationals abusing local labour laws, so we did a whole lot of organising to educate people about the Dominican-Republic -Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). It was a good time and I met a lot of really interesting people down there.

If these tales inspired you, check out these ecotourism programs recommended by Lonely Planet travellers:

PR-CANADA.net - Mexico’s Huge Investment in Costa Rica is Good News for Costa Rica Real Estate Market

PR-CANADA.net - Mexico’s Huge Investment in Costa Rica is Good News for Costa Rica Real Estate Market: "Mexico’s Huge Investment in Costa Rica is Good News for Costa Rica Real Estate Market PDF Print E-mail
Written by Editor Choice
Friday, 03 October 2008
Building on an already well-established trade agreement, Mexico is investing more than US$400 million in Costa Rica, with an emphasis on financial services, the food industry, communications and construction. The added boost to the construction sector is welcomed by the Costa Rica real estate market, especially high-end developments such as the Costa Rican Development Corporation’s Cerro Fresco (www.cerrofresco.com/), since an increased construction budget means Costa Rica real estate will become even more desirable.

Mexico and Costa Rica have been operating under a North American Free Trade agreement for thirteen years, and their bilateral trade has increased to nearly eleven times the amount reported in 1995. In August, 2008, it was announced that Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez, Assistant Secretary for Latin American and the Caribbean, and Ambassador Edgar Ugalde Alvarez, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of Costa Rica, had reported Mexico’s huge investment commitment to Costa Rica. Costa Rica real estate agencies are particularly interested in this news, as more monetary support for Costa Rica’s construction efforts will inevitably lead to enhanced telecommunications, new and better roads, and an overall improvement to Costa Rica’s transportation systems.

The Costa Rican Development Corporation (CRDC) is anticipating an increased interest in its newly constructed luxury community, Cerro Fresco, as a result of the influx of Mexico’s investment money. Located in the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica, in Jaco´, Cerro Fresco is located 1,500 feet above sea level.

Upgraded and newly developed roads will be a huge benefit for CRDC, as these will make travel to and from Cerro Fresco, as well as to and from nearby attractions, more convenient for Cerro Fresco residents. Improved telecommunications and transportation systems, particularly airports, will make Costa Rica an even more desirable location for the more than two million visitors traveling to Costa Rica each year.

Cerro Fresco is already a popular choice for high-end investors, tourists, and retirees, with more than sixty percent of its elegant estates pre-sold. Sales of Cerro Fresco’s open-air Balinese bungalow villas will likely gain momentum once the news of promised enhancements to Costa Rica’s communication and transportation systems becomes more widespread.

About CRDC: The Costa Rican Development Corporation (CRDC), a leader in today’s Costa Rica real estate market, specializes in the design and development of luxury residential communities. With an emphasis on total customer satisfaction, CRDC guarantees quality and excellence in their stylish estate homes. CRDC’s current developments are Cerro Fresco, Hermosa Highlands, Villas Altas, and Highland Estates. For more information about Cerro Fresco, please visit www.cerrofresco.com/.

PR-CANADA.net - Jaco Bay Ramada Launches New Website for Costa Rica Tourism

PR-CANADA.net - Jaco Bay Ramada Launches New Website for Costa Rica Tourism: "Jaco Bay Ramada Launches New Website for Costa Rica Tourism PDF Print E-mail
Written by Gretchen
Wednesday, 01 October 2008

Jaco Bay Ramada, the newest luxury resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, offers information on Costa Rica travel and adventure as well as details about the most anticipated resort on the Central Pacific coast at www.jaco-bay.com/resort.

September 29, 2009 – Inmobiliaria Zeta, the developer behind the Jaco Bay Condominiums & Resort at Ramada, launched a new website to promote the amenities and services of its nearly finished resort in Jaco, Costa Rica. Internet-savvy travelers can now access property details, find local maps and directions, learn about Costa Rica tourism highlights, and make reservations online at the new site, www.jaco-bay.com/resort.

The only Ramada resort in Central America, Jaco Bay Ramada is the largest luxury resort community in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Comprising of seven 10-story towers, the resort boasts 190 condominium residences and a 200-room Ramada hotel.

“The new website allows you to step inside and take a tour of the most anticipated resort on the Central Pacific coast,” said Gretchen Gary, marketing manager with Jaco Bay Ramada. “Visitors can view pictures, watch videos, book online and even see the current temperature in Jaco Beach.”

From the fully equipped condominiums to the full-service hotel, Jaco Bay Ramada promises the ultimate resort experience for any traveler, whether single, couple or family. Two and three-bedroom condo rentals will debut in December 2008, just in time for High Season, and introductory rates offer irresistible discounts.

Jaco Bay Ramada is poised to become one of the leading destination resorts in Costa Rica – a comprehensive village within a village complete with restaurant, bars, spa, fitness center, business facilities and onsite commercial center. Inmobiliaria Zeta is certain that the resort will draw new tourists to the area as well as improve the international appeal of Jaco Beach. Through online resources like www.jaco-bay.com/resort, travelers all over the world can learn more about this perfectly exotic destination.

About Inmobiliaria Zeta

Inmobiliaria Zeta, www.zetaonline.com, is a full range real estate organization, with over 50 years of experience with large scale master-planned developments in Europe and Central America. With the financial strength and know-how to assume complex and challenging development projects worldwide, Inmobiliaria Zeta has developed residential high-rise buildings, urbanizations, resorts and hotels, corporate offices and commercial warehousing developments.

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To learn more about Jaco Bay Ramada, call toll-free from the United States or Canada at 1(888) 414-4314 or within Costa Rica at (506) 2643-6600. You can also visit our website at www.jaco-bay.com for more information about the condominiums and resort.

The Costa Rica Blog

Esta es una transcripción de:

The Costa Rica Blog:


The hottest real estate market in the world
April 26th, 2008
1

So many of you may have read about Costa Rica being the hottest real estate market in the world, but the truth is that not every spot in Costa Rica is hot. Investing in overbuilt areas like Jaco is not recommended since current homeowners willing to sell are unable to get rid of their properties for the price purchased.
So where in Costa Rica should you invest? Only one place, the Nicoya Peninsula.
The Nicoya Peninsula features excellent areas such as Malpais, Santa Teresa, Cabuya and it has its business center in Cobano.
Cobano is where you have to go to go to the beach neighborhoods. You enter the Nicoya Peninsula by ferry coming from San Jose and the ferry ride is about 1 1/2 hours. Tambor is where you can find the Barcelo resort and Las Delfinas. It’s where you go golfing and a new marina is being built. A new marina is also being built in Cabuya.
The Nicoya Peninsula is THE place to invest in now.
Puerto Viejo also is recommended and so is the Peninsula de Osa/Povones.
Those who have never been to Costa Rica, should visit Malpais. Malpais is where the jungle meets the beach.
The perfect place to chill. Close to the surf spots of Santa Teresa, Cabuya and Playa Carmen the ideal place to get away from it all and visit the action when you want it.
Nightlife is fantastic in those surrounding areas. One road leads from Cabo Blanco National Park thru Malpais, Playa Carmen and Santa Teresa which you can follow all the way thru to Manzanillo and even Samara.
Once the roads are fixed, real estate prices will go up and you will be able to sell your land for a lot more.
There is a quick road from Malpais to Cabuya, the Cabo Blanco park is the southern tip of the peninsula bordering on Cabuya on the other side.
The Nicoya Peninsula also features great mountain areas and villages where you can buy land cheap and enjoy the scenery of Cerro Frio and be close to Cobano and the beach cities.
Why do I recommend the Nicoya Peninsula?

I recommend it because for the past 2 years I have seen it grow in the speed of light. I have seen the amounts of tourists double and half of the commercial buildings there now were not there when I have first arrived in 2006.
Costa Rica is where 3rd world meets first world. Currently I am in the San Jose area for business, and everything you need you can find there. Beach areas are where you find the biggest contrast between locals with low funds and U.S. celebrities like Mel Gibson and Leonardo di Caprio.
The “Yes” on CAFTA promises huge economic growth for Costa Rica.
You have to be here to see it, understand it and most of all feel it.
One thing I have once read is that the biggest assett Costa Rica has is its people and I agree 100%.

I believe that Costa Rica is going to change. Not too much but quite a bit. Costa Rica is one of those places where you can feel that life is evolving and turning into a more American way of life. I like the fact that people are so laid back here. It is not always the most efficient way to do business, but then again we have enough of that abroad.

I would like to know more from all of you what inspired you about Costa Rica and what keeps you coming back.
Visit our Costa Rica Forum and let us know!

Costa Rica Sales & Rentals: Travel Costa Rica

Costa Rica Sales & Rentals: Travel Costa Rica: "martes 30 de septiembre de 2008
Travel Costa Rica

About Costa Rica

Tourism ranks second in revenue generating for Costa Rica . The country has not been overdeveloped with mega resorts and volume group travel. Hotels and resorts outside the capital city of San Jose are small, which limits the number of travelers coming into the country; therefore, beaches, parks, nature preserves and rivers are not taken over by tourists.

Deep water fishing on the Pacific and Tarpon/Snook fishing on the Atlantic are world class. River rafting class 1 to the exhilarating rapids is a favorite here. Lake Arenal is referred to as have the number 1 wind surfing conditions in the World. Snorkeling and diving are fast becoming popular on both coasts.

Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometers (802 mi) of coastline (212 km / 132 mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km / 631 mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia and shares that state's reputation for excellent whitewater kayaking/rafting opportunities.

Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only abo"