Costa Rica has some of the most desirable beaches in the world.
But owning true beachfront real estate there is extraordinarily difficult.
Last week, my scout, Ciaran Madden, concluded a two-week scouting trip that took him to destinations across the country’s central and northwestern Pacific coasts.
His first stop was the beach town of Jacó—the closest to the capital city, San José—where a transformation is now accelerating…and I’m bringing members of my Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) group an incredible new off-market deal on true beachfront real estate.
This is a landmark deal for my group. It’s the first time in the 18-year history of RETA I’ve gotten a true beachfront deal in Costa Rica.
More on this in a moment…
First, after scouting Jacó, Ciaran went north to the “Gold Coast” region to check in on coastal towns where there have been past member-only deals.
He sent me this update from the road, which I shared with RETA members last week…
The upcoming RETA deal is a chance to own true beachfront real estate in the closest beach town to Costa Rica’s capital. This is a landmark opportunity for my group—the first time I’ve gotten members a true beachfront deal in Costa Rica. More on this below…
Boots on the Ground on the “Gold Coast”
By Ciaran Madden
I was told it was off-season in Tamarindo. But I couldn’t find any evidence of it.
When I put boots on the ground there last week, this famed beach town was bustling with an international crowd. Surfers from Australia and New Zealand. Beachgoers from Canada and the U.S. Trendy young couples from Italy and France.
You see the full scale of its popularity at sunset, when it feels like the entire town descends on the beach.
Last week, I walked along the shore as the sun dipped. Thousands of people filled the sand to watch the show, while hundreds of surfers remained out on the water, catching a last wave.
Tamarindo has evolved into one of those internationalized places. A true cosmopolitan hub that draws people from all over the world year round.
The numbers tell the story…
Tamarindo’s two-mile beach is the engine of the town—walkable, surfable, and a constant draw for high-value renters.
Nearby Liberia airport saw record traffic in 2025. This year is trending even higher. The first quarter of 2026 was the busiest in the airport’s history.
Plans are now underway to improve the airport to accommodate the surging demand, including a $36 million project launched just over a month ago to upgrade the runway.
Many of those coming here today are affluent buyers looking for primary and secondary homes.
I spoke to a local broker while in town. He told me the demand is focused on high-end properties. New communities are set to come online offering lots to build high-spec homes in the multi-million dollar range.
High-end, ocean-view condos walkable to town are similarly seeing high demand.
Sunsets are a big deal in Tamarindo and across coastal Costa Rica. When you own here, the beach is your “village square,” the place you stroll, fish, swim, relax, and catch up with friends.
Full ocean views are rare in Tamarindo. Condos that have them routinely list for around $700,000 and up. At the top end, folks are willing to pay millions, like this four-bed ocean-view penthouse listed for just under $3 million.
It demonstrates what an amazing deal RETA members got here.
Late last year, Ronan brought members the first-ever RETA deal in Tamarindo. The deal was in Almarena. This boutique community will be perched on an elevated plateau above Tamarindo—a short walk to the beach, a stroll to town, and every condo will have a Pacific view.
RETA members could own two-bed ocean-view condos in Almarena at exclusive pricing from just $392,400. Ronan expects these condos to be worth $700,000 just three years after delivery.
I visited the site and strolled the neighborhood around it last week. The views are mesmerizing. Many of the homes nearby are custom-built—the kind of true luxury real estate that sells in the millions.
There’s nothing like Almarena in Tamarindo, not at the RETA-only pricing.
An easy walk to the beach and town, Almarena sits in Tamarindo’s prime walkable core. Ronan expects gains of $307,600 on the condos RETA members could own from just $392,400. (Developer renders like this shouldn’t be considered final, but give a good idea of what to expect.)
After Tamarindo, I pushed north to Playa Flamingo, site of another incredible Costa Rica deal.
Playa Flamingo is one of the most picturesque coves on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast—a crescent of white sand framed by emerald hills and calm turquoise water.
For decades, Flamingo was quiet—a hideaway for well-heeled Costa Ricans and a handful of foreign owners. But that’s changing fast. A new top-class marina has transformed Flamingo into a true luxury hub, bringing in yachts, boutique hotels, and upscale residential projects.
Now, there are plans to expand the marina. When I scouted it, preparations were getting underway for new slips. New residential communities. A new waterfront hotel.
The “Path of Progress” is accelerating. (A Path of Progress is anything that improves the accessibility of a piece of real estate and increases its value.)
I put boots on the ground in Playa Flamingo last week. There was an incredible RETA-only deal here in 2024, just a short walk from this stunning beach.
I visited the site of the RETA deal here, called Acquarello Flamingo.
In March 2024, Ronan brought members this chance to own luxury homes a short walk to two beaches and the brand-new marina that anchors the town. The RETA-only pricing was from just $286,800 for a two-bed home and from just $386,800 for a three-bed home.
The community is moving ahead quickly.
I was blown away by the progress of the community and the quality of the homes. The thoughtful design. The high ceilings. The terraces with views of the community’s pools.
Touring Acquarello Flamingo with a member of the developer’s team. The community is progressing well and RETA members who bought here have already seen six-figure uplifts.
As I walked the community with the developer’s team, they told me the retail pricing is now $405,000 for a two bed and $505,000 for a three bed. Uplifts of $118,200 in just over two years on the RETA pricing.
And very few homes remain. Almost the entire community is sold out.
The pricing RETA members got here already feels like a distant memory—something that will never come again in Flamingo.
Ronan says: Costa Rica is the site of some of my RETA group’s best-ever deals. There was a frenzy around past deals like Acquarello Flamingo and Almarena.
For those unfamiliar with RETA, by using the collective-buying power of all RETA members, I can negotiate exclusive deals from developers.
Now, I’ve negotiated a new deal here and it’s unlike any in the history of my club. For the first time ever, members are getting a true beachfront deal in Costa Rica.
This is a landmark opportunity.
True beachfront is the most coveted real estate in the world. The chance to own steps from the sand is extraordinarily rare.
It’s so precious and highly prized that finding a RETA-grade deal on true beachfront is challenging anywhere. And nowhere on my beat is it tougher than in Costa Rica.
The beaches here rank among the best on the planet. Millions come every year to experience them. Costa Rica—the original eco-tourism destination—is careful to protect its coastline…
Most beachfront real estate in Costa Rica sits in a restricted coastal zone. It can only be used through concessions. Not owned outright.
Even when it can be bought outright, in many cases restrictions on development mean it can’t be touched. And when it can, the land cost is typically so high it only makes sense for a luxury hotel chain with branded residences.
But now members have a huge opportunity…
I’ve managed to get RETA an incredible deal to own best-in-class, true beachfront real estate on a glorious stretch of beach in Jacó.
Set on a two-and-a-half-mile sweep of Pacific sand, Jacó is the closest beach town to the capital and has been attracting surfers, beachgoers, and nature lovers from overseas since the 1960s and ’70s.
Because of the particular way it developed, beachfront land here was grandfathered in before the rules restricting outright ownership were introduced decades ago.
Now, Jacó is at an inflection point.
In recent years, more affluent buyers and renters have been coming to Jacó, drawn by its true beachfront lifestyle…walkable community…incredible nature and wildlife…excellent dining scene…and growing international energy…
Developers are responding. New residential communities are rising. New hotels are planned. New commercial spaces are appearing along the town’s main corridor. And all of this rising demand is running into one hard limit: There is very little undeveloped beachfront land left.
Now I’ve gotten RETA a deal to own in a best-in-class, true beachfront community on one of the very last remaining beachfront parcels of land.
And I’ve negotiated a RETA-only price that I believe positions members for huge gains and strong rental income.
Stay tuned. More on this soon…
Wishing you good real estate investing,
