Buying a Vacation Home in Costa Rica for Paradise and Profit

Courtesy of Prlog-Costa Rica -  July 2010

One of the best investments these days in Costa Rica is in a vacation home. Many people have made the smart move to buy and then rent out as short term vacation properties. These properties more than pay for themselves making anywhere from $500 - 7000 per week during high season. Many of these properties are found near or at the beach and if you make the right choice you are guaranteed to make money….

Good examples of viable vacation properties can be found in the popular area of Manuel Antonio and further down the Pacific Coast towards the South Pacific Zone & the Osa Peninsula. A mid range 2 bedroom vacation home or condo will rent for $1400 per week in this neck of the woods. Beautiful views, white sand beaches, rain forest, and wildlife surround you here. These properties during the high season (Dec-April) enjoy a 90% or more occupancy rate. They fill up because they are cheaper than many of the hotels around them. If you do the math you could be making up to $5600 per month, that's $28,000 just in the 5 months of high season. During the Green Season you may only experience 50% occupancy but that is still $2800 per month. By these rough numbers your vacation rental will net you in the neighbourhood of $47,000 per year! With the many property management options available here, you can pay for your property, and make money, without ever even lifting a finger…

Sustainable tourism flourishes under the CST - June, 2010

Sustainable and eco tourism are among the fastest growing segments in the international travel industry today, and few countries can compare to the natural offerings of Costa Rica.

Sustainable and eco tourism are among the fastest growing segments in the international travel industry today, and few countries can compare to the natural offerings of Costa Rica. The Central American nation has developed into a must-see destination for green tourists hoping to explore unspoiled and natural settings in a beautiful and diverse landscape. Yet, as a hotspot for international travel, the country has had to make a concerted effort to keep its jungles, mountains and beaches clean and beautiful.

Key to the preservation of Costa Rica's natural splendour is the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST). Enacted in 1996, the CST program is a series of guidelines and rules that outlines those steps required for a tourist site to operate while minimizing its impact on the local environment, population and culture.

These guidelines have helped shape the construction, management and operation of travel providers and accommodations across the country and caught the attention of larger national policy makers in the process. Indeed in recent years, the CST program has been celebrated by the World Economic Index Forum and the Environmental Performance Indicator developed by Yale and Columbia Universities, who have labelled Costa Rica as both the best and cleanest place to do business in the Americas.

The travel industry at large has also embraced the CST, with more than 150 hotels and tour operators receiving certification within the country. There was even some discussion of adopting similar programs in other countries at the III Virtual Congress on Latin American Tourism Industry and Destination Competitiveness.