Traveling

Refugio Caño Negro

By: Scott Bowers
Editor, The Costa Rica Zine

I recently had the opportunity to do a boat tour of the Refugio Caño Negro located not far from the Nicaraguan border in Los Chiles. My agency, Package Costa Rica, has sent many customers on this tour, but I had never before experienced it myself. I can attest that if you are interested in Costa Rican Naturaleza this is one of the best places to visit in the country.

Getting There

The best way to do the tour is from La Fortuna with a package that includes the transportations. There are several companies that run such a tour. One of the best is Canoa Adventures, whose office is in La Fortuna. Canoe owns a nice little facility right on the banks of the Rio Frio about 20 minutes downriver from the tiny village of Caño Negro. The facility has a bar and restaurant and clean bathrooms and it is where they put the canoes in for the tour down the river.

Getting to this place yourself by car can be quite an adventure. You head due north from La Fortuna towards the Nicaraguan border. Near the town of Los Chiles you hang a left on a dirt roan that takes you to your final destination. The road is rocky, but not too bad. At least when I went it wasn’t too bad, but this was during the dry season too. You follow the road for about 45 minutes before you arrive at Caño Negro. There is a large bar by the docs and there you will find any number of guides that will take you on a covered boat tour for about $20 to $30 for a couple hours.

What you Can See

The wildlife in this area is truly spectacular, especially the birds. Caño Negro is one of the few places where, if you are lucky, you can catch a glimpse of the exotic Jabiru Stork, the tallest flying bird found in Central and South America. On our trip we saw tons of wood storks (but unfortunately not the rare Jabiru), cormorants and other varieties of birds, sloths, howler monkeys, and many caimans. The river is teeming with life at almost every turn. Other birds that can be found in the refuge include the glossy Ibis, black-necked stilt, neotropical cormorants, American anhinga, northern jacana, American widgeon, wood stork, white Ibis, black-bellied tree duck, cattle egret, northern shoveler, snail kite, green backed heron, Nicaraguan grackle, roseate spoonbill, and blue-winged teal. Also found in the park are spider, capuchin and howler monkeys, spectacled caimans, crocodiles, jaguars, cougars, tayras, ocelots, tapirs, white-tailed deer, jesus-christ lizards, black river turtles, and enormous orange iguanas.

Near Death Experience

While you can swim in the river at certain locations, with the caimans and crocodiles lurking about, do you really want to? For me I had no choice. My so-called “good-friend” and traveling companion (Yuri) pushed me into the river during a vulnerable moment. We had actually stocked a cooler-full of Nicaraguan beer back at the dock. Yuri is from Nicaragua and could not miss the opportunity. The place is so close to the border that the bar had one of the best (and very potent) Nicaraguan varieties readily available. Needless to say, I was a little wobbly on my feet on the boat and Yuri seized the opportunity to try to do me in once and for all. Fortunately (or not so fortunately for Yuri), I am still alive to tell the story.

If you are staying in the La Fortuna area, I would highly recommend a visit to Refugio Caño Negro. We can set you up with a tour. Just give us a call toll-free (from the U.S. or Canada) at 1-866-424-6439. Visit our travel web site for a full list of our packages and other useful information about Costa Rica.

Investment

The Central Valley

By: Scott Bowers
Editor, The Costa Rica Zine

This is the first of a series of articles about the various geographical divisions of Costa Rica. In coming months additional articles will be written about the Northern Pacific, Central Pacific, Southern Pacific and finally, the Caribbean. I hope these articles will give you a better “big picture” view of what Costa Rica has to offer investment-wise. However, the best way to really know is to pay a visit and see for your self. Our Real Estate Exploration Tour can be set up with focus on any particular area, or combination of areas, of the country that you are interested in.

San Jose and the “GAM”

The highlight of the Central Valley is, of course, the capital city of San Jose. Actually the Gran Area Metropolitana (or GAM) consists of not just San Jose, but also Alajuela, Heredia, and Cartago. In the GAM you will find about half the total population of the country, or approximately 2.5 million. Here you will find a sprawling metropolis and extremely congested traffic conditions. However, almost anything you want is here. The best hospitals, Clinica Biblica and Cima, are located in San Jose. The largest international airport is here. Telecommunications in this area are much better than other areas of the country. San Jose is a very cosmopolitan city and you will find great food from all over the Latin world and Europe. There are numerous malls that rival anything in North America. The nightlife is as good as you will find in the country. Whatever, your religious background you will find a place to worship in San Jose. There are also numerous theaters such as the famous Teatro Nacional pictured above. There is a large amount of North Americans already living here, so if you want to plug into that community; it is certainly available in San Jose. A good resource in San Jose for those who are considering, or already engaged in, relocation is the Association of Residents of Costa Rica.

For purposes of this article I will divide the Central Valley into the following investing areas: Sabana, Escazu/Santa Anna, San Rafael de Heredia, San Pedro/Curridabat/Tres Rios, San Ramon and finally Cartago.

Sabana

This is actually where I currently live. Sabana Park is the largest park in the San Jose area. Around the park there are neighborhoods that I would rate as some of the safest and best values in the city. Sabana is also located far enough away from downtown to avoid the crime and congestion (although the traffic can still be horrible, especially at rush hours), but close enough that it is only a 10 to 15 minute drive from downtown. It is also very close to malls such as the Multi Plaza in Escazu. It is a great place to live if you plan to open a business as well. You can find great apartments to rent in the $400 to $600 per month range (for a two to three bedroom, two bath). Properties for sale are plentiful as well. You should expect to pay $200,000 to $300,000 for a three bedroom, two bath house with garage. One of the best advantages of this area is the park itself. It is a huge square tract with trails, many ball fields, lakes and other amenities. On the weekends it is a preferred destination for Tico families and there are always special activities going on.

Escazu/Santa Ana

This is the most upscale area of the city. It is very westernized and here you will find all the gringo fast food franchises and many fancy boutiques charging prices similar to what you would find in the U.S. This area probably contains the largest percentage of ex-pats in the country. Real estate prices have risen to match the influx and here you will pay dearly. A three bedroom, two bath house or condo can cost well above $500,000. It is also a very traffic congested area. This area has the best mall in the city, Multi Plaza. I took my kids there this summer and they all agreed it was better than the mall back in the states. In my personal opinion, I believe there are better values to be had in areas such as Sabana. But if you are looking for a gringo haven in Costa Rica, there is no more apt location than Escazu/Santana. As a side note, a little farther to the west you have the cities of Ciudad Colon and further, Puriscal. These are worth considering and if the new highway from Colon to Caldera becomes a reality (see my recent Blog) property values could sky-rocket, as this new highway will shorten the trip to the popular Central Pacific beach town of Jaco from two and a half hours to a little over an hour.

San Rafael de Heredia

Pure and simple the highland areas of Heredia are some of the most beautiful of the city. Heredia is also known as the “Ciudad de las Flores” (city of the flowers) mainly because it is known to have the most beautiful women in the country (I am not completely sold on that idea, but there are some awfully pretty ladies over there). Heredia encompasses a very large area and my personal favorite is the mountainous part known as San Rafael. Nights can get pretty cool in this section of Heredia. There are some great restaurants and fine hotels. One of my favorite hangouts is the bar/restaurant/disco known as Puerta de Alcala. They have good foods, great music (Costa Rica’s best national musical groups play there) and the place is a lot of typical Costa Rican fun. This area is very upscale and prices reflect it. You can find homes at prices similar to Escazu. but also some bargains for considerably less. Getting in and out of this area is difficult as the roads get extremely congested at rush hours. If you are looking for a place with fresh cool air, great views and a rustic mountain atmosphere, then San Rafael de Heredia could be interesting for you. The area of the Barva Volcano is another area worth taking a look at as well

San Pedro/Curridabat/Tres Rios

This bustling area has become one of the busiest business districts of the country. Naturally it has also become one of the most congested areas for traffic. San Pedro is home to one of our best malls, aptly named Mall San Pedro. It is also where the University of Costa Rica is located. Traveling east after San Pedro you reach Curridabat and then further east Tres Rios. Tres Rios is home to some of the best coffee in Costa Rica. The neighborhoods of these three contiguous barrios of San Jose are predominantly upscale. You could expect to pay prices similar to areas like Sabana and maybe on the low end, Heredia, but less than Escazu/Santana. The main draw back to living in these areas is the traffic, which is absolutely horrible and virtually impassable at rush hours.

Cartago

Founded by the Spanish conquistador Juan Vasquez de Coronado, Cartago was the original colonial capital of Costa Rica. The entire city was destroyed by a devastating earthquake in 1910. The ruins are still there and Cartago is undoubtedly the most historic place in Costa Rica. It is also where the cult of the Virgin de Los Angeles was initiated and the Basilica of Cartago (where the Virgin is supposed to have been found) is the most spectacular of the country. On August 2nd of each year Costa Ricans from all over the country make an annual pilgrimage to Cartago to receive the Virgin’s blessings. Cartago is situated in the shadows of the gigantic Irazu Volcano the area surrounding it is very beautiful. It is an “up and coming” area in terms of real estate and prices are still relatively cheap. A three bedroom, two bath house (tico style construction) could be purchased for under $100,000.

So there you have it, the Central Valley, the hub of life in Costa Rica. Well, at least for human life. Outside of this busy area is where you find the incredible biodiversity that attracts so many to this country. The goods news is that you can live in San Jose, enjoy all its attractions and benefits, and still be only a half day’s drive away from all of Costa Rica’s rich natural wonders! The other great benefit of the Central Valley is the superb weather it experiences all year long with temperatures always in the low to mid 70’s. In coming months, we will describe the other main geographical divisions, so stay tuned into The Costa Rica Zine. And if this article has inspired questions, please feel free to give me a call in Costa Rica anytime, toll-free. The number here is 1-866-424-6439.

Tico Style

Costa Rican Energy Potential

By: Scott Bowers
Editor, The Costa Rica Zine

I have been know to say often that one thing Costa Rica will never run out of is food, since almost anything will grow in the fertile soil that exists here. However, based on an interesting article the recently appeared in La Nación (the newspaper of major circulation in the country), it seems that Costa Rica will also never run out of energy. This comes as a surprise to those of us that suffered the rolling blackouts last year during the dry season when the reservoirs of some of our key dams dried up. Nevertheless I guess the facts speak for themselves. Speaking of facts, here are a few that appeared in the La Nación article.

Costa Rica has the potential to triple its capacity to generate electricity in clean form without the necessity of using the resources of the National Parks, which account for almost 30% of the entire territory of the country. This is according to the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) as set forth in its report of future expansion called Estado de la Nación.

The additional capacity is primarily from the rivers (4,445 MW) with the balance coming from wind (208 MW), volcanic gases (98 MW) and waste from sugar cane production (95 MW) for a total capacity of 4,846 MW. Identified capacity for the short term is 1,987 MW. As such, Costa Rica is in an enviable position in the long term of almost tripling its capacity and of producing over 80% of its total energy needs from clean and renewable resources. That is certainly enough to put a smile on Al Gore’s face.

According to Pedro Pablo Quirós, presidente of ICE, the country needs to double its capacity within the next 10 years in order to satisfy increasing demand. According to ICE this goal is achievable and there are already specific plans to increase capacity given that the economy of the country is expected to grow from 5.3% to 5.5% annually over this period.

Further the article points out that the growth potential provides significant opportunities for the private sector. Past legislation has granted this sector the right to produce up to 15% of the total capacity of the country.

Advice

Update re Caldera Highway

By: Scott Bowers
Editor, The Costa Rica Zine

After 30 years of delay, the long-awaited start of construction on the Caldera Highway will commence this month according to the CNC (Consejo Nacional de Concesiones). The section of the highway extending from Ciudad Cólon to Orotina is expected to be completed in thirty months, or by July 2010. The finance-related impasse was overcome the 21st of December when Autopistas del Sol reached an agreement with the BCIE (Banco Centroamerica de Integración Económica and the Caja de Madrid (a Spanish financial institution) to finance construction of the road, valued at $230 million.

The total route will cover 77 kilometers (48 miles) and will link the capital of San Jose with the country’s most important port of Caldera, running through the towns of Santa Ana, Ciudad Colón, Atenas and Orotina. The road will require a pretty hefty toll of about $2.70. However, it will reduce the drive time to Jaco by about 30 minutes, from the current 2 to 2.5 hours. The road will have two lanes on the uphill segments and one lane on the downhills. This will help faster cars avoid the slow moving tractor-trailers.

This road has been long-awaited by the investing community and will surely give rise to increases in property values in areas benefited by the new highway.

Pura Vida Mae!

Scott Bowers, Editor