In this week’s Your Overseas Dream Home Digest…
- Why Costa Rica? [A Timeline in Photos]
- The Scarcest Type of Real Estate in the World
- This Costa Rican Surf Town Is Moving Upmarket
- What Life Looks Like on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific
- WATCH: The Emerging “Singapore of the Americas”
- Your Questions Answered on Portugal
Costa Rica is a natural paradise, a land of stunning beaches, lush jungle, warm Pacific waters, and some of the most desirable coastal real estate in the Americas.
And on Wednesday, June 3, at 1 p.m. ET, I’ll open a very special opportunity on the country’s central Pacific coast.
This is an exclusive, off-market opportunity for members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group in the town of Jacó.
This is not just beachfront real estate…but titled beachfront in one of the world’s most supply-constrained coastal markets.
True titled beachfront in Costa Rica is extraordinarily rare thanks to the country’s Maritime Zone Law, which places most beachfront under concession rather than freehold ownership.
That’s what makes this upcoming opportunity so unusual.
In this week’s digest, I explore the forces that shaped Costa Rica’s rise, why the country’s central Pacific coast increasingly stands out to me, plus a new video deep-dive on Panama City, and buying real estate in Portugal.
But first, how Costa Rica evolved into one of the world’s great lifestyle destinations…
Costa Rica is safe, stable and democratic with a huge emphasis on the protection of the environment.
Why Costa Rica? [A Timeline in Photos]
Costa Rica didn’t become one of the world’s most desirable lifestyle destinations by accident.
Over decades, the country evolved from a relatively under-the-radar Central American nation into a global tourism powerhouse known for surfing, eco-tourism, nature, and warm-water living.
Today, Costa Rica is the most-visited country in Central America for foreign tourism.
When I first began researching Costa Rica around 2006, international access was limited. Today, direct connections from North America and Europe continue expanding as global demand grows.
Monday’s dispatch traces the story of Costa Rica’s rise.
And that long-term growth story helps explain why one particular type of real estate has become so valuable…
This ad from the 1950s positioned Costa Rica as “The Heart of the Americas.” Read more on its transformation here.
The Scarcest Type of Real Estate in the World
From the French Riviera to Malibu to Los Cabos, warm-water beachfront has long attracted global wealth.
And there’s a simple reason why: the world keeps creating more wealthy people…but the supply of true beachfront can never grow.
Costa Rica adds another layer of scarcity to that equation.
Thanks to Costa Rica’s Maritime Zone Law, around 95% of the country’s beachfront is concession land rather than fully titled freehold property. You cannot create new titled beachfront in Costa Rica. The supply is effectively fixed forever.
Here, I explain why titled beachfront in Costa Rica is so rare…and why opportunities to own it almost never emerge at accessible entry points.
Waterfront real estate on the French Riviera has been attracting wealth for more than a century, and pricing reflects that. Read more about the scarcest type of real estate here.
This Costa Rican Surf Town Is Moving Upmarket
Surf towns often follow a familiar pattern.
First come the surfers. Then the backpackers. Then the cafés, restaurants, yoga studios, and boutique hotels. Eventually, affluent buyers arrive looking not just for a vacation…but for a lifestyle.
That transformation has been unfolding in Jacó.
For decades, the town was known primarily as a laidback surf town. Today, it’s becoming a more sophisticated year-round destination with international dining, expats, international buyers, and improving infrastructure.
And crucially, it sits just 90 minutes from Costa Rica’s main international airport.
Now Jacó may be entering a new stage of growth. Read the full story here.
The surfers discovered this coast first, in the 1960s and ’70s. Then came the sportfishers. Then the roads improved, the airport grew, and the world followed. Learn more about the town’s gentrification here.
What Life Looks Like on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific
Surfing at sunrise. Marlin fishing offshore.
Jacó today offers far more than just a beautiful beach.
This stretch of coastline has evolved into one of the most active lifestyle hubs anywhere on my beat.
Residents and visitors can split their time between surfing, fishing, golf, marina dining, rainforest adventures, and weekend escapes into Costa Rica’s lush interior.
That mix of outdoor living, accessibility, and natural beauty keeps drawing more international buyers every year.
Read more on what you can do in and around Jacó here.
Jacó has been drawing surfers from overseas for decades. Today, they are joined by growing numbers of well-heeled expats, remote workers, and families who come for the town’s vibrant community and beachfront living. Read yesterday’s dispatch here.
WATCH: The Emerging “Singapore of the Americas”
And Costa Rica isn’t the only place on my beat undergoing dramatic change right now…
Panama City shouldn’t be as important as it is.
But despite its population of just over 4 million, Panama controls one of the world’s great trade arteries and has become one of the most strategically important hubs in the Americas.
Since taking control of the Panama Canal in 1999, the country has undergone one of the most dramatic urban transformations on my beat.
On Thursday, I released my video deep-dive on this booming world capital in the new episode of The Ronan McMahon Report.
Click below to watch it now. And when you’re done, share your thoughts or questions in the comments. My team and I read them all.
In this new deep-dive on my YouTube channel, I take you to booming Panama City, positioned along one of the busiest shipping routes on earth. Click to view…
Your Questions Answered
Have a comment for me or my team? A question about owning overseas? Share it here. I’d love to hear from you. Here’s a question I got from a reader recently…
Denise M. asks: Would you please advise on property in Portugal. Thank you.
Ronan says: Hi Denise, and thanks for your question.
Portugal remains one of the most attractive real estate markets in Europe thanks to its lifestyle, climate, infrastructure, safety, and relative affordability compared with many other Western European countries.
I’ve been scouting real estate there for more than two decades and I’ve personally bought for my personal portfolio multiple times in destinations across the country, including the Algarve and on the Silver Coast north of Lisbon.
My most recent purchase there is a historic villa in the emerging town of Caminha in the far north of Portugal.
Next month, I’ll be making my way back to Portugal to scout two core destinations on my beat: the town of Lagos in the southern Algarve region and the Silver Coast region north of the capital Lisbon.
In both, I’m hunting for new deals to bring to my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group, and I think I’m closing in on something special…
Stay tuned for more on that.
In the meantime, you can read my Guide To Buying Real Estate in Portugal.
Hilltop castles rise above many towns and cities and are a link to Portugal’s rich history. For more, read my Guide To Buying Real Estate in Portugal.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
P.S. If you have a question about buying real estate overseas or have suggestions for destinations my team and I should put on our scouting list, drop me a line here.
