Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and Nicaragua real estate news : Costa Rica tourism

Costa Rica: Working with China for more investments

Nick Halverson — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:10:00 GMT

http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_08/080210.htm#story4

By Chrissie Long
Tico Times Staff | clong@ticotimes.net

Even as the Chinese are putting the finishing touches on world class soccer stadium in San José's La Sabana metropolitan park – a gift to the Central American country – Costa Rica is seeking more investment by the Chinese in infrastructure and in clean energy.On Sunday, during a visit by China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Costa Rica made a pitch to its Asian ally to invest in a $221 million highway that would connect the country's northern plains with the Caribbean port of Limón, among other infrastructure projects.

The plea comes at a time when Costa Rica's highways are crumbling under heavy rains and the weight of years of postponed improvements. Just three days before Jiechi arrived, part of the country's main highway north, which connects the country with the rest of Central America, was closed when part of a bridge over the Rio Seco collapsed (see story, below).

But Costa Rica's foreign minister, René Castro, said the relationship should be a two-way street.

“They also have some ideas for advancement relating to biotechnology, cultural exchanges and sciences that are being developed,” he said, adding that he is looking for “a mature, win-win relationship” between China and Costa Rica in years to come.

Following a working session at the Foreign Ministry's headquarters at the Casa Amarilla, in downtown San José, the two diplomats signed a cooperation agreement, which is expected to bring $6.2 billion in infrastructure improvements to Costa Rica.

Jiechi spent time with President Laura Chinchilla, Vice Presidents Alfio Piva and Luis Liberman, as well as the heads of the Security Ministry, the Foreign Trade Ministry and the Transportation Ministry.

Formal relations between Costa Rica and China began in 2007 during the Oscar Arias administration. In addition to the soccer stadium, China is also investing in the state-owned refinery in Moín and has purchased $300 million in bonds, among other projects.

South Pacific More Popular than Guanacaste this Year

Nick Halverson — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:31:00 GMT

By Matt Levin
Tico Times Staff | mlevin@ticotimes.net
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_07/073010.htm#story5

Costa Rica's summer break vacation period saw many travelers heading toward the Central Pacific coast or to Monteverde, while fewer vacationers made the trip to Guanacaste, a traditional vacation hotspot for Ticos.

Photo: Nick Halverson. Ballena National Park, Uvita, Osa, Costa Rica

A survey conducted by the National Tourism Chamber (CANATUR) tracked the level of occupancy of hotels in nine different areas of Costa Rica during the last month.

The area with the greatest percentage of occupancy overall was the Central Pacific (65.4 percent), followed closely by Monteverde (64.6 percent) and the Southern Pacific (63.7 percent).

CANATUR said overall occupancy was a middling 56.1 percent.

Guanacaste, specifically its southern part (36.4 percent), saw the least growth. According to CANATUR, South Pacific hoteliers believed that opening the road to Caldera and the Costanera Sur highway from Quepos, attracted travelers to the area.

"We are very pleased because the occupation in the first half of July exceeded our expectations,” said Ulises Ramirez, manager of the Cristal Ballena Hotel in the Southern Pacific region. “Employers believe that hotels in this area benefited the opening of (the new roads), as this saved time for tourists travelling to the region.”

The northern parts of the country took in the most foreign tourists, with 76.9 percent of the total. The highest percentage of domestic tourists (45 percent) visited the Southern Pacific region.

Hotels in other regions attributed growth to mid-year promotions that pitched deals as last-minute options.

"The mid-year holiday season is important for the sector. However, this year was atypical because the promotions that the hotels offered served as last resorts in many cases. Poor weather also scared off tourists to the area," said Luis Villegas, of the Hotel Montaña de Fuego, located in La Fortuna de San Carlos.

Average Occupancy by region during mid-year vacations:
Mid-Pacific	65.4%
Monteverde	64.6%
South Pacific	63.7%
Central Valley	56%
Northern Plains	56%
Caribbean	54.8%
North Guanacaste	52.9%
Puntarenas and Islands	51,7%
South Guanacaste	36.4%
Total:	56.1%

Costa Rica Launches Aerospace Program

Nick Halverson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:57:00 GMT

By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | awilliams@ticotimes.net
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_07/072710.htm#story4

What the city of Houston, Texas is to space travel in the United States, the city of Liberia may soon be to Costa Rica.

On Sunday, President Laura Chinchilla announced that Liberia, located in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, will be the location for an initiative entitled “National Aerospace Development and Integration for the Central American Region in the Generation of New Technologies.” The presentation also included the unveiling of the Central American Aerospace Industry Chamber (CACIA), which will consist of numerous aerospace experts and companies in Central America. Chinchilla had mentioned further development of the national aerospace program as one of her priorities since her inauguration in May.

Liberia was selected as the site for the program's launch because of its proximity to the headquarters of the Ad Astra Rocket Company, which was formed in 2005 by Costa Rican astronaut and rocket scientist Franklin Chang. Chang, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), spent many years working as a scientist and astronaut with the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Ad Astra is based in Houston, Texas.

The Costa Rican branch of the company, located 10 kilometers west of Liberia on the campus of EARTH University, focuses its research on the creation of the plasma rocket, known as the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). Ad Astra in Costa Rica hopes to test one of their first plasma rockets in space by 2014.

“We want recognition for Costa Rica, so the country can enter this special industry,” Chinchilla said in May. “We hope that Costa Rica will be the first Latin American country (to enter the space industry).” (TT, May 14)

Of the various experts in attendance, several spoke on their ideas for the development of Central American aerospace, their plans to finance the projects, and explanations of how they will advance the use of plasma energy. According to Costa Rica's foreign minister, René Castro, over 80 Central American companies have expressed interest in participating in the development of CACIA and the aerospace program.

New Highway in Guanacaste Cota Rica Planned

Nick Halverson — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:40:00 GMT

By Adam Williams
Tico Times Staff | awilliams@ticotimes.net
http://www.ticotimes.net/daily_paid/dailynewsarchive/2010_07/072610.htm#story3

Costa Rica's Second Vice President Luis Liberman announced Saturday that $1.5 million will be spent to build a new two-kilometer road in the northwestern province of Guanacaste.

The proposed road will connect Playa Panama with route 159, the roadway that links the coast with the provincial capital of Liberia farther inland. The project was announced in Liberia during the weekend celebration to commemorate the 186th anniversary of the annexation of the province to Costa Rica.

According to the Public Works and Transportation Ministry (MOPT), the new roadway project will be built in two stages. The first will connect the principal street of the town of Panama to Route 159 in Playa Arenilla, while the second stage will connect Route 159 with Playa Buena. MOPT also said the project will include improvement of some of the side roads and bridges in the area, as well as the creation of new bus stops. The projects are expected to be completed during the next three months.

“This is an important development both for tourism and the people of these communities,” Liberman said. “We want to provide tourists more access to these communities, which will generate employment and financial opportunities for their residents.”

The project, which will be implemented by MECO, a private contractor, will also improve the bridge over Quebrada La Pita. The one lane bridge will be expanded to two lanes and an additional support beam will be added to the bridge's base.

Rich experiences a bargain in Costa Rica

Nick Halverson — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:21:00 GMT

By Zach Pontz
CNN (Original Here)

(CNN) — If you consider new experiences and foreign cultures an investment, Costa Rica might be a better option than the stock market right now.

Flights are reasonable — I paid roughly $370 from Atlanta, Georgia, on short notice — and if you’re smart, so are meals.

Sodas, small roadside stands which have minimal seating but maximum eating capacity, serve traditional dishes such as gallo pinto, a religiously devoured dish of rice, beans and alternating spices, or chicharrones, a typical fried meat dish. Cheap and delicious, they’re a great way to dine your way through the country for just a few dollars.

And in Costa Rica, even indulging is cheap: For the most part, top-flight restaurants won’t cost you more than $25 a person.

I was able to save some money by traveling with my friend Cristina and her family. But even if you don’t know anyone in Costa Rica, you can experience the authentic Costa Rican Tico style without going broke. Just follow me.

South to San Isidro

First thing to do upon arriving in the capital, San Jose, is head south. As in all tourism-driven countries, there are decidedly more expensive and increasingly non-indigenous sections of country, the north being the perpetrator here. For us, San Isidro, a small city in the southern part of the country, was our first stop.

We drove, but if you don’t want to shell out a few hundred dollars for gas and the weekly rental of a car, buses are cheap and trustworthy. The quickest route to San Isidro is along the Pan-American Highway, a winding, throttled roadway through mountains and rainforest.

Spinning through the fog and rain, our car pumping along, the silhouette of valleys along cliffs edge on either side of us, I began to ask myself when this trip would level out. As we approached our destination and the pulsing lights of the city in the valley below burgeoned, I had my answer.

San Isidro sits amidst the hills on the edge of Chirripo National Park. What seems like a sluggish little town proves otherwise, as the center of the city is vibrant and rhythmic, bustling with people, shops and a multitude of restaurants. The main square, at the base of the town’s largest church, is attractive with its surrounding cafes, markets and stores.

Particularly appealing is the Central market, open every day but Sunday until 5 p.m. The true character — and cheapest meals — of San Isidro are uncovered here, where bakeries, food stands and sweet shops act as a culinary history of a people . The empanadas, ceviches and plates of rice and beans — with their Spanish roots — were especially tantalizing.

Waterfalls and surf

The next day, we headed off toward the coast, but not before stopping to take a trip through the rainforest on horseback to Nauyaca Waterfalls. For $45, Don Lulo’s Nauyaca Waterfalls provides the horse, escort and grub.

I admit I’d never been on a horse before, and the lack of control I felt at first wasn’t altogether pleasing. Despite some startling missteps by my horse, Yogi, I felt safe most of the time, and the trip was capped off with an amazing lunch of chicken, beans, rice and batidos, a popular Costa Rican drink consisting of fruit blended in water or milk.

From the falls, we shot to Dominical, a small surf enclave with a rugged unmarked beach. We checked into Tortilla Flats, a hotel that sits 20 feet from the beach. For $20 a night, its location can’t be beat, even if its spartan rooms left a bit to be desired.

The town has a bounty of small eateries. With multiple choices, including a sushi restaurant and a Mex-American bar, we chose a small deserted soda to dine in. The open air and scanty seating assured us that this was the place locals — and thus fine indigenous food — could be found. We were right.

Wildlife in Manuel Antonio

Last Stop: Manuel Antonio. This resort town sits on the edge of a national park. Frequented by movie stars and everybody else, the main road is lined with fancy hotels and restaurants. But the beauty of the place is that it’s not a one-note town. Scattered amongst the resorts are affordable accommodations that don’t skirt quality. At Villas El Parque, one such lodging, our room’s expansive views of the ocean were enthralling.

A variety of restaurants, from tourist traps to small gastronomic gems, litter the mountainside. El Avion might be of interest, as it’s built around an old C-123 that was the sister plane of the one at the center of the 1980s Iran/Contra affair. Salvaged from the San Jose airport in 2000, it now acts not only as a novelty but also as a nightclub.

The park itself is the main draw. Though it is smaller than most other national parks, its assortment of wildlife is astounding. You’ve got to be quick to catch a glimpse of the endangered squirrel monkey or a colorfully brilliant toucan. If a slow pace is more your style, lovably indolent sloths abound.

I suggest hiring a tour guide. For a minimal fee, their quick vision and knowledge of the park’s life forms will no doubt ease any reluctance you might have about not going it alone. For a day’s worth of fun, you won’t spend more than $25 a person.

For the week, I struggled to spend $300 in this tiny country, ironic when one considers that the English translation, Rich Coast, was coined when Spanish explorers came ashore in the 1500s and found natives wearing gold bands in their ears.

Depending on your budget, anything from zip-line tours to windsurfing and scuba diving to climbing the edge of volcanoes can be accomplished in Costa Rica. The Tico lifestyle is enticing. A relaxed and languid pace reminds you of exactly what life is about — and how not to go broke trying to discover it.