Year after year Costa Rica has been heralded as a top tourism destination of the world, and has been ranked as 2018s best location to retire in the world per International Living Magazine, and has been lauded as both the happiest and most biologically-diverse country in the world. Therefore, it is no wonder that this small country’s population is growing by leaps and bounds. Just yesterday at 9:27 PM, the population of Costa Rica reached the FIVE MILLION mark with the birth of a lucky little Tico Bebito named Eithan Jesus.
While growth is apparent all over the country, nowhere does it feel more obvious than along the range of the Costanera highway that runs through the area known as Costa Ballena (the whale’s coast) which runs between the town of Dominical to the north, down through the commercial and tourism center of Uvita (home of the famous whale’s tail reef formation in Marino Ballena National Park), on down to the growing foodie hot spot of Ojochal in the South.
Located in the biologically-intense Osa region, this area is a great place to see amazing wildlife and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Just last week nearby Corcovado National Park was voted the best National Park in the world by Discover Corps and last year Marino Ballena National Park (the second most-visited national park in the country) hosted over 300,000 visitors, which is three times more than in 2012 per ICT statistics, (and is an amazing place to experience the incredible bi-annual humpback whale migrations).
In addition to growing tourism numbers, during the last couple of years there have also been some very strong real estate market indicators that are directly related to the popularity (and subsequent population growth) in this area. With a dozen or so new restaurants, a half dozen new supermercados, and two new internationally-accredited bilingual schools being added to the list of public and private primary education options, and a farmer’s market within a short drive almost every day of the week, this area no longer seems like the wild green (and largely undiscovered) frontier I first knew when I moved to the area just over twelve years ago.
While the beaches and surf breaks are still uncrowded and beautiful (with the exception of during big National holidays like Semana Santa), just taking a gander towards the hills one will see the growing number of beautiful homes speckling many ocean-facing mountainsides. With competitive pricing on real estate investment opportunities in Uvita, Dominical and their surrounding areas, current real estate-related activity is higher than I have seen in over a decade and there are great investment opportunities for every budget.
Given the way that the steep Fila Costanera mountain range abruptly meets the coast line and its numerous beautiful beaches, growth (and its potential environmental impacts) will also be limited by the rugged terrain, guaranteeing that the beautifully dramatic landscapes will last long into the future. The magic of waking up to a symphony of toucans, monkeys, and a million other curious little creatures will remain a blessing of each day and is one of my absolute favorite elements of living here.
For those of us already lucky enough to call this beautiful part of the world our home, we are happy to share the wonders of this area with new neighbors and friends. With every new acquaintance, I continue to be amazed by the caliber and quality of good people who have chosen to call this magical place their home, and who have moved here to enjoy a life less ordinary. I feel extremely blessed to live here with my family and I absolutely LOVE watching my young son learn about the natural world while growing up in this wonderland of biodiversity...
Pura vida, indeeda!