American Airlines have just announced another direct flight from the U.S. to Costa Rica…the latest in a long list of new flights that have been announced throughout 2024.
Starting in March, American Airlines will fly direct from Philadelphia to Liberia airport in the country’s Guanacaste region. Dubbed “The Gold Coast.”
Costa Rica gets almost 3 million tourists a year. It’s natural beauty, wildlife and stunning beaches have been attracting people in big numbers since the 1980s.
This is more good news for this part of Costa Rica on the country’s north Pacific Coast, one of the regions I’m particularly bullish on right now.
Rolling green hills meet the Pacific Ocean in Guanacaste…with yet another direct flight into nearby Liberia airport from the U.S., this part of Costa Rica is becoming easier to get to.
I often get reader emails asking me what areas of Costa Rica I’d recommend for living and buying real estate in, like this one from Stephen F. He asks:
“My wife and I are seriously considering a move to Costa Rica and buying a home or condo. We would like to visit the country first, and if possible, seek your advice as to how to go about checking on real estate availability in the various regions. Our present plan is go there for a week just before Christmas.
“Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated. If all works out for us, we anticipate a move by June 2025.”
Guanacaste is certainly a location to check out, Stephen.
My team and I have made numerous scouting trips to Guanacaste and it’s a place I love visiting. Not only become an expat haven but also one of the most popular vacation spots in Costa Rica thanks to its beaches and activities like surfing, fishing, and outdoor eco-adventures.
The region is notable for its many peninsulas, gulfs, and bays, with hundreds of white-sand, golden-sand, and even volcanic black-sand beaches. The water is warm year-round.
Beaches on the northern Pacific can be “wild,” with the jungle running right up to the sand—they are undeveloped and often protected natural areas. You also have funky seaside havens attracting a bohemian crowd to traditional slow-paced fishing villages to denser developed areas with condo towers and resorts, cafes, boutiques, and high-end dining. The Gold Coast has all of that in spades.
Playa Flamingo is just an hours drive from the international airport in Liberia.
Playa Flamingo is at the center of Costa Rica’s Gold Coast and it’s a town with a real village vibe.
And the blazing orange sunsets each evening is an event here with both tourists and locals gathering on the beach as the sky bursts into a palette of coral, tangerine and cotton-candy pink.
The beaches here are some of the most beautiful in Costa Rica, some say in all of Central America. Forested slopes roll down to meet strands of blonde and volcanic sands. The waters off these beaches showcase a spectrum of blues…turquoise, indigo, cobalt.
The Gold Coast is truly one of the world’s up-and-coming high-end havens. Those folks I call the ordinary rich” are coming here in droves. They are highly paid professionals but they don’t fly on private jets and don’t fork out $2,000 a night to stay in the Four Seasons. But they are willing to pay for a short term rental that gives that high-end amenities.
Click here to take a video tour of Costa Rica’s breathtaking Gold Coast, a natural paradise and emerging high-end haven.
As a result, demand for both rentals and resales on Costa Rica’s Gold Coast is through the roof! The cheapest listing one of my team saw in a broker’s window at the sleek new marina was pushing $600,000.
But in May of this year, I brought members of my Real Estate Trend Alert group a deal in Playa Flamingo to own luxury homes in a community called Acquarello Flamingo, which boasts world-class amenities like pools, a co-working lounge, an indoor-outdoor gym, and more…all close to the new upscale marina and Playa Flamingo beach.
Members could own two-bed homes here for RETA-only pricing from $286,800. In October, the developer told me that two-bed homes similar to those that RETA members could buy for an off-market price of $286,800 were listing for $339,000…an uplift of $52,200 in six months!
I believe those same homes could rent for between $2,500 and $3,500 a month (and that’s being conservative). Rent short-term (and maybe spend some time there yourself during the year) and I think they’ll be looking at gross annual yields of at least 15% (once occupancy has been built up).
Playa Flamingo has a laidback vibe…a lot of folks use bikes and golf carts to get around town.
I’m closing in on a new deal here for RETA members, so if this is a part of Costa Rica that you’re interested in, stayed tuned. This will be a RETA members-only deal, so if you’re not yet a member, you can join here to ensure you’re first to hear about this, and all the other deal, I’ll be bringing to members in 2025.
Elsewhere in Costa Rica, on the southern Pacific coast, you have the Southern Zone. It’s a natural wonderland where vast tracts of primary forest run down from the mountains to a coastline hemmed with magnificent Pacific beaches.
Much of the area is protected land: forested national parks, marine reserve, wildlife refuges, it will always be a low-key region perfect for nature lovers.
It’s among the most beautiful places on earth. That also makes it appealing to the millions of newly mobile remote workers…folks who can grab a laptop and luggage and go where they want for a few months…not to mention snowbirds who seek relief from chilly winter weather in tropical climes.
Once remote and inaccessible the Southern Zone is now easy to reach—just three hours from the country’s main international airport in San José. The world has woken up to what this means. Every other week I get news of a Path of Progress event…a freshly tarmacked road, a gourmet restaurant opening…a new Belgian craft beer emporium…the arrival of high-speed internet.
It used to take 8 hours to get from Ojochal from San Jose airport, but thanks to a Path of Progress, it now only takes 3 hours on a modern highway.
Because so much of the Southern Zone is protected land: forested national parks, marine reserve, wildlife refuges, it will always be a boutique, low-key region. No mass-market resorts here—think small boutique hotels and eco-lodges.
The limited available land has played into the real estate opportunities that RETA members have tapped into in the region…
Those opportunities here have centered around the little jungle village of Ojochal in the heart of the Southern Zone.
The Southern Zone is home to some of Costa Rica’s finest beaches.
That new highway that cut the journey time from San José meant more and more people discovered little Ojochal. Today you’ll roll along a tarmacked road past sleek modern buildings and a couple of busy little commercial plazas. You can visit the farmers’ market. There’s a pharmacy, bakery, cafés, stores, bars…everything a visitor wants is a walk away.
Ojochal has the feel of small European countryside village—surrounded by some of the most pristine rainforest in Central America. And that’s not just because of the authentic French bakeries in the heart of town…
It has a strong community feel where everybody knows everybody. You can walk among little shops, open-air restaurants, markets selling fresh fruit and veg—tables piled high with mango, papaya and pineapple grown locally, and roadside stands and fish markets where you can buy fresh red snapper for a fraction what you would pay in the U.S.
I’ve previously brought members the chance to own villas and plots in and around Ojochal at incredible, RETA-only pricing. And I’m constantly monitoring this market for new opportunities…
Ronan McMahon, Founder, Overseas Dream Home & Real Estate Trend Alert
P.S. The best way to keep up to date on opportunities in Costa Rica is to be a member of my Real Estate Trend Alert group. When you join, you’ll be the first to hear about deals, insights, and opportunities my team and I uncover here. All the details you’ll need to join RETA are here.
P.P.S. Have you been to Costa Rica? Are you thinking of buying here, or have you already bought? I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a line here and tell me your story.
Your Daily Dream Home
Caramanico Terme, Abruzzo, Italy
This charming three-bedroom cottage is in a quiet hamlet in the heart of a National Park. The property has views of the stunning countryside and is surrounded by a 2,260 square feet garden.
The cottage is spread across three levels. The first floor has two cellars with ancient brick vaults and autonomous entrances. The second floor has a terrace, a kitchen with a fireplace, living room, and a bathroom. An internal staircase leads to the third floor, where there are three bedrooms, two with panoramic balconies.
The house, which requires renovation, retains many original elements, such as a Majella stone portal, alcoves, wooden fixtures, window shutters, brick floors, brick vaults, and an ancient fireplace.
The cottage is close Caramanico Terme, a beautiful village in Italy. It has amenities like supermarkets, stores, bars, pizzerias, restaurants, banks, a post office, a pharmacy, and farms for local produce. The village also has a swimming pool, an adventure park, and a visitor center. The property is approximately 35 minutes from Pescara International Airport. You can reach ski slopes within 20 minutes, and the beaches of the Adriatic Sea are about 40 minutes away.
