How many of us dream of living on the beach?
Owning a place where the backing track is the rhythmic sound of waves…where each day fills with glorious hues of sunrise and sunset…where you can step out the door and sink your toes into the warm sand, with nothing but the ocean between you and the incredible sky…
Beachfront homes evoke a sense of freedom and connection to nature that is rare in today’s world. They are more than just properties. They are a lifestyle.
And because it’s so scarce and sought-after, true beachfront isn’t just a dream realized, it can be a powerful investment…
Nowhere on my beat is the chance to own it rarer than in Costa Rica.
The upcoming deal I’ve negotiated is a chance to own true beachfront real estate in a proven coastal destination in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica is a natural paradise.
The beaches here rank among the best on the planet. Millions come every year to experience them. And 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.
But I’ve managed to get Real Estate Trend Alert (RETA) members an incredible off-market deal to own best-in-class, true beachfront real estate…on a glorious stretch of beach…in the closest beach town to the capital, San José.
This opportunity is in Jacó…
Set on a glorious, two-and-a-half-mile sweep of Pacific sand, Jacó has been attracting surfers, beachgoers, and nature lovers from overseas since the 1960s and ’70s.
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…
This town is at an inflection point.
It’s why I’ve worked so hard to secure a deal here.
And it’s exceptional: True beachfront, ocean-view condos in an amenity-rich community on one of the very last beachfront plots in Jacó. I’ll share more details soon.
Today, a report from Jacó…
In late April, I asked my scout, Ciaran Madden, to travel to Costa Rica to track the transformation quietly moving through this beach town.
He sent me this note from the road…
RETA photographer Noah Duethman is joining Ciaran on his scouting trip in Costa Rica and snapped this photo of the sun setting over the beach in Jacó. Sunsets are a big deal in this part of Costa Rica. Folks flock to the beach to watch the sun drift below the horizon.
Surfboards in the Kitchen
By Ciaran Madden
There’s a stretch of town locals have started calling “North Jacó.”
The name is half tongue-in-cheek.
This isn’t some new district. It’s the north end of Jacó’s long-established central corridor—the same road running parallel to the beach that’s been attracting expats and vacationers for decades.
But the North Jacó name is sticking because this area is starting to feel different.
Newer. Sharper. More deliberate.
I stood at an intersection there last week and watched the shift happening in real time.
On one side of the street, workers were putting the finishing touches on a small new commercial strip—covered boardwalks, black steel frames, warm wood finishes. Signage was already in place above several units where boutique stores and trendy restaurants were preparing to open.
A handful of similar commercial spaces have already opened just up the street.
Then there’s the lot on the beach side…
At the intersection at the end of Jacó’s central corridor is one of the last true beachfront parcels.
For now, it sits empty. But not for long.
A local contact told me one of the region’s top developers has plans for a high-end hotel and pedestrian plaza—cafés, dining, retail. It will sit beside the newly renovated Clarita’s beachfront resort, now positioned as a boutique, upscale hotel.
New residential real estate is coming in this area too.
Just up the street from the hotel lot, groundwork has started on a new amenity-rich beachfront community that’s also set to include retail spaces on its city-facing side.
Taken individually, these are all small changes. Together, they point to something bigger.
Jacó isn’t what it was.
And it’s not going to stay what it is.
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.
As I met contacts and explored this region, I couldn’t help but feel Jacó’s transformation was inevitable. After all, this stretch of coast is already proven as a luxury destination…
During my time in Jacó, I drove 15 minutes north to Los Sueños.
Launched more than 25 years ago, this is the original high-end enclave on this coastline—anchored by a Marriott resort, an 18-hole championship golf course, and a 200-slip marina.
More than 700 condos, homes, and villas have been delivered here.
It attracts a global, high-net-worth clientele. (Michael Jordan, a passionate sportfisherman, is a regular visitor.)
I had lunch with a local contact in Los Sueños. We sat beneath the covered terrace of the Marina Village, boats rocking gently in the slips behind us, as he walked me through pricing in the community today.
Ocean-view condos—set on the hills above the coast—start in the $700,000s. Villas regularly list for $3 million, $5 million, and more.
The marina in the Los Sueños master-planned community just north of Jacó. This coast is an established luxury destination.
Los Sueños is polished. Manicured. The kind of resort destination where you know what’s on the menu before you look at it—a $20 Caesar salad…a $30 burger…a $45 steak…
This curated experience is exactly what many affluent buyers want. Los Sueños serves them well. But the market has broadened.
There’s a shift underway…
The contact I met at the marina is a case in point. He’s successful…runs a real estate office with around two dozen employees. But he doesn’t eat around the marina much, he tells me. He prefers to be in Jacó.
That’s where he chooses to live and spend time.
I visited Los Sueños’ 200-slip marina while scouting Jacó. Michael Jordan is a regular visitor. My contact told me the basketball legend has been three times already this year.
Today, a growing number of affluent buyers want to live in a real community.
Jacó offers this.
It has five private bilingual schools…an established expat community…great gyms…art galleries and farmers markets…
There are around 100 restaurants and bars, many with international chefs cooking authentic cuisine.
A pizza place by a guy from Rome…a bakery with great coffee run by a French woman…a Thai restaurant operated by a Thai-German couple…
This town has a real pulse, with locals, expats, surfers, families, remote workers, weekenders from San José, and international visitors all mixing together.
Jacó has something else Los Sueños can’t offer: true beachfront real estate.
My contact here showed me the condo where he lives with his wife and kids. It’s set in one of the new high-end true beachfront residential communities in Jacó.
His condo is bright, modern. Full, unbroken ocean views from the dining room and master bedroom.
I stood in his dining room, looking out at the ocean. The tide was coming in. A few surfers were heading out. Some beachgoers lying on the sand, just yards away.
Over in his kitchen, there was a stand with a collection of surfboards. One for him. One for his wife. One for each of the kids. Always ready for when the conditions are right.
Not beach living. Beachfront living.
This is so rare globally. More so in Costa Rica.
Except in Jacó.
But very few oceanfront plots remain.
I walked the length of Jacó’s 2.5-mile beach multiple times. There are almost none left. And of the very few that do, some are already spoken for, like the one in “North Jacó” that’s set to become a hotel.
A new Jacó is emerging.
Ronan says: Ciaran’s note gets to the heart of why I’m so excited by what’s happening in Jacó.
And how rare and special the upcoming RETA deal is.
Demand to own and rent in the best-in-class beachfront communities in Jacó is already strong. And with so little land left, it has only one direction to go.
Stay tuned. I’ll have more details soon.
Wishing you good real estate investing,
