Saturday, July 31, 2010
Costa Rica is one of the most bio-diverse countries on the planet
Dear Reader,
For such a small country, Costa Rica makes a big impact in some of world's rankings. The Happy Planet Index placed Costa Rica top of their list for 2010. The index measures more than just a nation's happiness: it takes into account the country's eco-footprint too. Costa Ricans live longer than Americans, and report much higher levels of life satisfaction--with an eco-footprint less than a quarter the size.
In the 2010 environmental performance index, Costa Rica reached #3 out of 163 countries, with a score of 86.4. Only Iceland and Switzerland scored higher. Canada reached #46 in the list, and the US #61. This index studied biodiversity, water and air quality, forestry and fishing, and protection of endangered habitats. Costa Rica scored highly in all these areas.
Costa Rica's dedication to protecting its natural environment blazes a trail for other countries to follow. Merging the government's energy and environment departments helped: 99% of the country's power comes from renewable sources. A quarter of Costa Rica's land (around a million hectares) is set aside in preserves, parks, and wildlife refuges and corridors.
Even the national motto, Pura Vida (Pure Life), symbolizes the country's commitment to the environment. Moreover, it all pays dividends. Costa Rica's green machine attracts almost 2m tourists annually...who come for the pristine beaches, the vast national parks, the lake and volcano tours, the chance to get up close with exotic wildlife, and practise outdoor sports (fishing, white water rafting, canopy tours, surfing, zip lining, sea kayaking, to name but a few).
Costa Rica featured in National Geographic Adventure's 25 Best New Trips for 2010. They chose a tour of the country's Caribbean with Wildland Adventures...taking in a rappel down an 80-foot waterfall, learning cookery (Creole-style), and exploring the coral reefs offshore. The trip gives a taste of Costa Rica's less-known Caribbean side that's off the well-worn tourist trail.
Medical tourism is another growing segment. Costa Ricans achieve their high life expectancy and happiness on a relatively low budget, around a quarter the GDP per capita of the US. Put simply, you can live better, for less, in Costa Rica. Medical procedures cost significantly less than in the US. Private medical insurance runs around $80 per month. Residents can access the country's universal healthcare system. Factor in the low cost of groceries, and you can live comfortably on $1500 a month here.
Buying a property won't drain your bank account, either, if you know where to look. You can own a spacious 1.5-acre lot for $50,000. You can build a home on that lot for $75 a square foot. Your setting: 640 acres of rolling hills, waterfalls, rivers, and rainforest, close to some of the country's nicest beaches--in Grand View Estates, on Costa Rica's Caribbean side.
Gill Phelan from Grand View hosts a free webinar on Wednesday next, August 4th, at 9pm EST. The webinar will cover the benefits of living in Costa Rica...the properties at Grand View Estates...current news from Costa Rica's Caribbean...home building techniques and costs...and potential business opportunities. If you want to reserve your webinar place, click here: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/995991995.
Margaret Summerfield
P.S. Spaces for the webinar are limited, so register today if you want to take part. It's the quick and easy way to discover what living in Costa Rica's Caribbean is really like...from Gill, an expat himself, who moved here in 2002.
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