Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Dear Reader,
For today’s competition, we head back to Costa Rica…and an area that’s on the move. Known as the Forgotten Coast, Costa Rica’s Caribbean is starting to attract attention. A planned billion-dollar gentrification project…new boutique hotels, upscale restaurants and a slew of expats moving here, are finally putting this place on the map. This stretch of coast won’t stay forgotten for much longer…
Today’s prize is a free weekend for two, in an established development called Grand View Estates. The property covers 640 acres…and boasts fresh ocean breezes, ocean views, waterfalls, rivers, and hundreds of bird and animal species…
The trip includes accommodation, transfers, and some meals. You’ll get a chance to explore the pristine beaches on this coast…take a dip in the sparkling waters of the Caribbean…see the rugged national parks in the area…and watch parrots and toucans fly past as you breakfast on the terrace.
The trip is a quick, easy way to try this coast on for size. Just fill in your name and e-mail address here for your chance to win a free chill weekend on Costa Rica’s Caribbean. You can read more on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast (and Grand View Estates) below.
Margaret Summerfield
Stake Your Claim on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Side
Dear Reader,
We often talk about the Path of Progress…new or improved infrastructure that opens an area up to mainstream tourists or property buyers (new bridges, airports, roads or ports)...or tourist amenities such as golf courses, upscale hotels, and nice restaurants. Following the Path of Progress means snapping up desirable properties, at early-in prices, and waiting for those prices to rise, when the mainstream catches on. You’ll often find these Path of Progress stories in emerging markets. But what about an established tourist destination like Costa Rica?
In March 2008, we started telling you about Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. We said it was up-and-coming. We called it the Forgotten Coast. We’d heard about a billion-dollar investment scheme, that promised infrastructure and amenity upgrades, to bring more tourists here. We’d also found some incredibly affordable real estate. We knew this place had potential. It was simply overlooked, by developers, property buyers, and tourists alike. That’s starting to change…
Previously, most mainstream travelers headed for Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. They thought there was nothing on the Caribbean side…no infrastructure, bad roads…and it took too long to get there.
Those stereotypes are the property-buyer’s best friend.
Why?
Because the stereotypes are slow to die. They hold property prices down until word gets out to the mainstream that things are different.
This is the case with the Costa Rican Caribbean. The truth is that it’s around two hours from the capital (San José) on a paved highway. There’s an airport on the Caribbean coast, at Limón, and regular flights from San José, too.
And the area boasts immense national parks; a gorgeous coastline, complete with pristine beaches; boutique hotels and eco-lodges, and fine dining. It’s not surprising that many of those tourists coming here want to own a piece of this place…
Why Was This Coast Forgotten?
There’s a reason why this coast was forgotten for so long. For much of the last century, Limón was a company town. The controversial United Fruit Company managed the port, built the railroads and bridges, looked after the colonial buildings, and ran the local businesses.
Back then, bananas were a better business than tourism. When the company pulled out of town in the 1960s, Limón became Costa Rica’s forgotten province.
When the Costa Rica tourism machine began bringing in droves of foreign visitors in the 1980s, it was the northern Pacific coast that most benefited.
That’s set to change. Cruise ship arrivals in the port of Moin should hit 500 a year in the next two years, double the current number.
Better yet, the Costa Rican government has decided to develop the province of Limón in much the same way the Mexican government developed Cancun in the ‘70s, with a billion-dollar investment project.
A billion is a lot to spend on a scheme like this. But Limón needs a lot of work.
The World Bank allocated $72.5 million to gentrify Limón and improve the city infrastructure and tourism amenities. The rest of the money ($900 million) will come from private investment.
With more amenities here, the tourist stampede should be staggering. It’s already picking up speed…
Tour companies Wildland Adventures and Disney Adventures now offer trips to the Caribbean coast, covering national parks like Tortuguero and Braulio Carrillo. The Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic yacht race, one of the world’s top yacht races, was run between Le Havre, France, and Limón in 2009. It was the first time the yacht race had aimed for Costa Rica. Costa Rica’s Caribbean will host the 2011 World Rafting Championships in October next year, too.
The first luxury boutique hotel, Le Caméléon, opened in late 2009, catching the attention of the New York Times. The hotel caters to the growing numbers of sophisticated travelers in the area.
No doubt about it, the "Caribbean side" is on the move…and if you get in on the right side of this massive cash injection, you could make a lot of money.
The Caribbean coast doesn’t currently have much in the way of real estate development, although a planned marina resort development is on the cards. The area’s premier development right now is Grand View Estates.
An ideal location…
Grand View Estates is located just 1.5 hours east of San José. And it’s only 30 minutes from the beautiful white sand beaches and the sparkling waters of the Caribbean. Since San José‘s airport is only two hours from Miami, you can arrive in Grand View in just over half a day from Florida.
Unlike the Pacific Coast, the Costa Rican Caribbean enjoys year-round rainfall without a dry season. So instead of the parched, dusty environment found in some areas, you’ll find lush green tropical forests, tumbling rivers, and abundant tropical wildlife.
The nearby city of Limón is home to 75,000 people, 40% of whom speak English. It’s equipped with up-to-date supermarkets, excellent small specialty stores, and a modern hospital.
Just south of Limón, the coastal towns of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo have become popular European tourist destinations, and enjoy a number of excellent European restaurants (including La Pecora Negra, Costa Rica’s finest Italian restaurant) . Puerto Viejo also boasts world-class surfing, while nearby Punta Uva ranks as one of the top 10 beaches in the world, according to Outside magazine.
Rainforest, rivers, waterfalls…and wildlife
Nestled deep in the Talamanca Mountains, Grand View Estates enjoys magnificent views of the Caribbean and the surrounding mountains and valleys. You’ll spend endless days wandering the pristine 640 acres. The 1,300 foot elevation allows for fresh ocean breezes as well. The site is diverse, with virgin rainforest, five rivers, two waterfalls, and gently rolling hills.
The wildlife is abundant, with hundreds of bird and animal species. You can breakfast on your veranda, while toucans and parrots fly past. If you’d rather explore the area on horseback, Grand View Estates offers stables on the property.
Nearby, more adventures of the tropics await you. You can enjoy a quiet nature hike, a volcano tour, or perhaps a visit to an indigenous village. Or maybe kayaking and white-water rafting are more your style. And with the Caribbean nearby, don’t forget sport fishing, dolphin-watching, or snorkeling and scuba diving. No matter what kind of healthy, outdoor lifestyle you’d like to lead in Costa Rica, Grand View Estates delivers it to your doorstep.
Grand View Estates has optimized the project’s design, with spacious lots that offer privacy, while taking advantage of spectacular views of the Caribbean, valleys, and mountains. Lots range from one to five acres, assuring plenty of room to stretch out.
When you’re ready to complete your dream by constructing your new home, Grand View Estates will help with all of the details. They’ll even assist you with selecting a builder, work with you on the design, and provide construction oversight if you need it. But don’t worry: There’s no build requirement, so you don’t have to build if you don’t want to.
Explore Costa Rica’s Caribbean for Free
Lots start at $50,000. That gets you 1.5 acres. The price reflects the "early bird" nature of the market on the Caribbean side of the country—you could pay four times that amount for similar properties on the Pacific side.
Grand View Estates is one of a kind…there’s really nothing to compare it to. So frankly, it’s hard to know if this style of country living is really what you’re after, without giving it a try.
So the developers of Grand View Estates are offering a free chill weekend for two here. You can spend a relaxing few days at as a guest of Grand View Estates…
Just get to San Jose, where the Grand View team will meet you. Then they’ll take you to the development, where you’ll get a chance to explore the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. Most importantly, you’ll be able to wander the 640 acres of tropical paradise known as Grand View Estates…try it on for size…and see if it’s the lifestyle you’re looking for.
If the prospect of owning a piece of the Costa Rican Caribbean sounds enticing, but you’re just not sure…then this is a prize draw you don’t want to miss out on.
Fill in your name and e-mail address here, and your name will go into the draw. We’ll announce the winner on January 7th. Good luck!
Margaret Summerfield
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