Pacifico condos in Playas del Coco are in a prime location on the Papagayo Gulf on the northwest Pacific coast of Costa Rica. They are popular for second homes and rentals, as well as having some year round residents. The gated community is beautifully landscaped with staff that maintain it daily. The Lifestyle condos are 2 and 3 story buildings surrounding multiple swimming pools on relatively flat ground. The Clubside condos are 3 and 4 story buildings on the hillside, with covered parking underneath. Some of these have ocean views. There are also a few townhouses. Owners also have a membership in the Pacifico Beach Club which offers beach, pool, fitness center, spa and a restaurant. Free golf cart shuttles run between Pacifico and the Beach Club.

Right outside the staffed entrance gate to Pacifico is an Auto Mercado supermarket, some shops and offices, and a variety of restaurants. You can walk or drive down Coco’s main street to the Beach Promenade. The newly expanded Liberia Cost Rica airport (LIR) with direct flights from several US cities, Canada and Germany, is just 30 minutes away. The new CIMA hospital is along the way as are various doctors, dentists and clinics.

Resale condos at Pacifico currently start at $215,000 furnished. We’ve been watching prices go up this year, so don’t wait too long to buy yours!

 Unobtrusive on the main road to Playas del Coco in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Donde Johann restaurant is a diamond in the rough. We tried it because of recommendations from local friends, and the food was fantastic. We had the Caprese Salad, which was reminiscent of the French Riviera except that the presentation was much more interesting, and the Seafood au gratin Casserole. Every spoonful had seafood and the sauce was delicious. Their menu is extensive and they also have pizza and sushi menus. 

 The long awaited Liberia airport (LIR) expansion opened yesterday in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, making this northwest Pacific coast resort area more easily accessible. The Daniel Oduber Quiros airport opened officially at 4 am yesterday and the first flight out was at 6:30 am to Miami. The new building is airconditioned, has shops and restaurants, and jetways out to the planes. The opening was scheduled for November but ran into additional delays. There are direct flights from several cities in the US as well as direct flights from Canada and flights from Dusseldorf, Germany. Many of the beach resorts are less than 30 minutes from the airport. 

Many people want to buy a second home, an investment property and/or take some portion of their assets outside of the US. Contact us for information on properties for sale in Costa Rica.

 The Pacifico mail center no longer sells stamps or accepts outbound mail, so we went to the nearby Playas del Coco post office.  Instead of searching for a birthday card to send back home, we bought a large postcard with several scenes of Costa Rica and wrote birthday wishes on that. The cost to mail it was 500 colones or $1.

 We hear a lot about dental work in Costa Rica – how much less expensive it is than in the United States. Generally dental tourism, like medical tourism, is centered in San Jose.  That’s changing, however. CIMA Hospital has already built and is ready to open a “satellite” hospital in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, just 15 minutes from the Liberia LIR airport and also 15 minutes from some of the wonderful beach resort communities in Guanacaste: Playa Panama, Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco – and the Four Seasons at Papagayo Peninsula is not much further.

As it happens, the dentist I visited today, Dr Ana Valdelomar, is in the Do It center just adjacent to the new CIMA hospital. I had arranged to go for a regular cleaning of my teeth.

Dr. Valdelomar’s office is clean, modern and very professional. She speaks excellent English and was welcoming, patient and caring. My first surprise was to find that the dentist actually cleaned my teeth, not a dental hygienist. I didn’t feel rushed. She explained what she was doing and why, and educated me. I’ll definitely return to have my teeth cleaned in the future.

There were other dental issues, and Dr. Valdelomar explained the options clearly, illustrated them on the iPad, and gave her recommendations. I feel very comfortable. “care” is definitely a part of health care in Costa Rica. 

Guanacaste Costa Rica beach

The Tico Times recently posted a survey asking readers for their favorite vacation destination in Costa Rica.  Keep in mind this is “vacation spot” which is not necessarily the same as “best place to live” in Costa Rica. Here are the results when I last checked the website:

25%  Central Pacific – which includes Jaco and Manuel Antonio
24%  Guanacaste Beaches (northwest Pacific coast)
14%  Osa Peninsula (southwest Pacific coast – more remote)
12%  Arenal
11%  Caribbean coast (including Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero)
10% Nicoya Peninsula
3%  Monteverde  (Cloud Forest)

What’s your favorite vacation spot in Costa Rica? Where’s your favorite spot to buy a second home or to live permanently?

Golf at the Costa Rica Four Seasons

The rainy season is over, the holidays have gone, and it’s now summer in Costa Rica. For Guanacaste, that means morning temperatures are in the low 70s and afternoon highs are in the mid to low 80s with a nice breeze and very low humidity. Perfect weather for having your meals on the patio.

The photo is from the Four Seasons Hotel golf course on the Papagayo Peninsula in Guanacaste. It’s about 30 minutes from the Liberia International Airport (LIR). If you’re not a guest at the Four Seasons, you can also play at the Papagayo Golf and Country Club in Libertad.

Most people think about the water activities in Costa Rica – the fishing, diving, sailing, surfing. But there’s so much more, from golfing to horseback riding to enjoying nature and adventure.

To find out more about living in Costa Rica or buying a vacation home there, contact Sharon Simms at ALVA International, Inc. real estate.

It’s nice to have breakfast and a morning smoothie in el Coco. This is at the Hotel Coco Palms in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Notice that it’s not only decorated with fruit, but also with a fresh flower. Small details matter.

Downtown Playas del Coco

This 5 minute video on Playas del Coco in Guanacaste Costa Rica on the northwest Pacific coast gives you an overview of the town of Playas del Coco including the beach, the new beachwalk, the main street and shops and brief interviews with some Coquenos. Andy Browne of Boomers Offshore produced the video.