Saturday, March 12, 2011
You can enjoy Costa Rica's natural attractions...on your doorstep
Dear Reader,
I'm planning a scouting trip to Costa Rica later this month. Unfortunately I only have a few days, and a lot of ground to cover, so I won't get any free time there. It's a shame; I love spending time in Costa Rica. And I'm not alone in that.
Costa Rica ranked fifth in the Americas for tourism and travel competitiveness this week at the Global Tourism Form in Andorra. The country got excellent marks for its natural resources: World Heritage sites, diverse wildlife and a high percentage of protected areas. It also scored well in terms of environmental protection and having a well-developed tourist infrastructure, including plenty of hotel rooms.
It'll likely need those hotel rooms, too. Budget travel site Let's Go featured Costa Rica in its top spring break destinations. They point out that although Costa Rica means "Rich Coast" you don't have to be wealthy to enjoy the many natural attractions the country offers.
And you don't need a fat bank balance to enjoy some of the cultural activities on offer, either. The National Arts Festival takes place every two years in a different region of Costa Rica. This year's kicks off on March 18th, in the towns of Siquirres and Turrialba (on Costa Rica's Caribbean side). With 350 shows and 2,000 artists, it's quite an event. Program highlights include a film festival, workshops, 14 art exhibits and a traveling festival bringing puppet, poetry, theater, dance and circus shows to local communities.
More good news for Costa Rica's Caribbean came from a Dutch company, APM. APM just won the concession to expand the port of Moin. This expansion requires an investment of $948 million. It will increase capacity at the port, allowing it to process Post-Panamax ships (supertankers and container ships that are too large to fit through the Panama Canal).
Laura Chinchilla, the Costa Rican president, said that the port expansion will be part of a national development plan for the region. The plan calls for the improvement of the highway from San Jose (the country's capital) to the Caribbean coast, along with the development of other roads in the area, and the possible construction of a petroleum refinery.
Outside the mayhem of the National Arts Festival, Siquirres (and Costa Rica's Caribbean side in general) is tranquil. With 55,000 residents, Siquirres has banks, supermarkets, medical clinics, and a farmer's market. Close by, national parks (Braulio Carillo, Tortuguero Canal, Poas Volcano Park) offer adventure trips, hiking, white-water rafting, or zip lining the forest canopy. Siquirres is ideally located: Less than two hours to San Jose, the international airport, shopping, malls and entertainment, and thirty minutes from the uncrowded beaches on the Caribbean coast. It feels off the beaten track...secluded and peaceful...but still connected.
The most established real estate development in this area is Grand View Estates. It's set in the Talamanca Mountains, just outside Siquirres. The development covers 640 acres, with rivers, waterfalls, rainforest, and a lot of wildlife. The property offers stables for those that want to explore on horseback, too. The development's elevated setting means fresh breezes, and gives some of the lots ocean views. They're spacious too; the smallest lot is an acre in size. Lot pricing starts at $52,000.
There's one catch, though. Out of the 79 lots in the first three phases, only eight lots remain. If you want to lock down one of those eight lots, contact Gill Phelan here.
Gill can also arrange for you to visit Grand View on a chill weekend. Priced at $299 per person, the chill includes accommodation, transfers, and some meals. You'll get a chance to explore the pristine beaches...take a dip in the sparkling waters of the Caribbean...see the rugged parks in the area...and watch parrots, toucans and giant electric-blue butterflies fly past as you breakfast on the veranda.
And you can try some optional adventures, too (including river rafting, horse riding, or scuba diving). But hurry...contact Gill today to lock down your lot...and a spot on a chill weekend...while you still can.
Margaret Summerfield
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