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Visit our Costa Rica Beach Properties page for a complete listing.
Almost all initial searches for property in Costa Rica lead investors directly to the beach. The dramatic landscape, warm water and the lifelong dream of owning property on the beach make this location the most desirable. Moreover, due to the unique natural landscape of Costa Rica, much of the beachfront land boasts dramatic, jungle backdrops making for a picture perfect destination.
Of course, this premiere location is sought after by many, and therefore, the prices are at premium, (not compared to those found in the US and other tropical destinations such as Hawaii, etc) and there are truly only a handful of beachfront properties remaining.
Our portfolio of Costa Rica beachfront property includes a wide range of options from small, single family home sites, single family homes or condos, and large development parcels.
Maritime Zone and Concessions
In Costa Rica, one of the most important factors in buying beachfront property is to ensure the property’s status in the national registry. The majority of beachfront property falls into a category commonly referred to as concession property because it is located within the maritime zone (Zona Maritima Terrestre). The maritime zone is composed of the first 200 meters of beachfront starting from the highest tide. The first 50 meters are considered public (zona publica) and no construction is permitted, even with a granted concession in place. The second 150 meters is government owned land (zona restringida), which can be developed under guidelines granted through a concession. A concession (granted by the ICT, local tourist board) is similar to a leased property in that the property belongs to the government who is authorized to lease the land under certain guidelines of use. These guidelines would include tourist, residential commercial, etc and do not necessarily affect the desired use of the property for the investor. Before conferring the concession, the law mandates that the beach area have the high tide markers in place (Mojones) and a Zonning Plan Approved (Plan Regulador). There are currently changes being made in the concession law. As soon as we here of anything concrete, we will make you aware of the situation in the event that it applies to a particular property about which you inquire.
There are a number of beachfront properties which are fully titled (fee simple) due to grandfather clauses which make them that much more valuable. These properties can be bought and sold just like any other properties.
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