March 2008

Amidst the recent turmoil and slowdown experienced by some real estate markets, Costa Rica continues to secure its place as a stable and high growth potential market.

The combination of the country’s location and easy accessibility, coupled with its many natural assets and an enviable variety of lifestyle possibilities, make this country an exceptionally attractive and safe destination for second home and vacation home buyers.

In Costa Rica, discerning buyers have a fantastic range to choose from: ultra-luxurious branded beach resort residences, secluded mountain, beach or lakeside retreats, sophisticated city dwellings with access to every creature comfort imaginable, all within a country that has shown –and continues to experience- tremendous growth in its real estate market and as a tourist destination cherished by those looking for a variety of experiences and settings rarely available in a single destination.

So, just as it has been for decades from a political stability standpoint, Costa Rica now emerges as one of the best and safest investment locations for discriminating real estate buyers in the region.

Best destination: Costa Rica has been chosen as the “Best Tourist Destination” in Latin America by Travel Weekly, a trade publication. The award was given in recognition to the variety and quality of activities that tourist can experience when visiting the country, the country’s steady focus on protecting its environmental assets and as the region’s premier ecotourism and adventure tourism destination.

First in environmental protection: Costa Rica is the top performer regarding environmental and biodiversity protection in the Americas. This surfaced in the last edition of the Environmental Performance Index, (EPI) which evaluated 149 countries in areas such as environmental health, atmospheric pollution, water resources, biodiversity, and habitat. Yale and Columbia experts graded the countries from 0 to 100. Switzerland tops the overall list at 95.5, followed by Sweden (93.1), Norway (93.1), Finland (91.4), and Costa Rica (90.5). EPI scientists said there was no surprise in Costa Rica’s outstanding performance. According to the director of Yale’s Environmental Law and Policy Center, Dan Esty, this Central American nation rates among the top in the world in terms of biodiversity protection.