Just because many people vacation in Costa Rica because they are on a budget or really want to make their vacation dollars last, that doesn’t mean you can’t find the occasional multi-million dollar mansion here or there. In fact, there are probably a lot more luxury villas and mansion in Costa Rica than you think. Perhaps it has something to do with the real estate boom that happened there years ago. Regardless, here are some of our favorite luxury villas from Costa Rica. We probably won’t be staying at any of them any time soon, but its fun to look.

El Castillo De Esparza

Per night: $2,571 and up

A nine-acre estate ensconced on top of a mountain, El Castillo de Esparza was built for the Countess of Baillet-Latour. The estate has 10 bedrooms and more than 43,000 square feet of air-conditioned living space in the main and guest houses. It can comfortably accommodate up to 22 people.

A full-time staff is on duty to take care of all your needs. You can relax by the pool or revel in the views of the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Nicoya. Features on the fully landscaped grounds include fountains and a waterfall, a swimming pool with a large deck, and areas for playing croquet or practicing your putting.

Palacio Tropical

Per night: $2,142 and up

This eight-bedroom, eight-bath beachfront property is in the Cabo Blanco Reserve. The elaborately decorated house features exterior spaces of equal beauty, including patios, decks, balconies, a swimming pool with a waterfall, and a private beach.

Inside, amenities include an entertainment room with satellite tv, a full kitchen with dishwasher, microwave oven, and coffee maker, and a generator to keep the power going regardless. The staff includes a driver, who can take you around in the 15-passenger van.

Villa Estrella

Per night: $2,000 and up

Villa Estrella is a newly built villa on a private mountaintop, with stunning views of the Pacific and of the mountains. The house can easily accommodate up to 20 guests. Each of the seven bedrooms has its own private bathroom and a safe for storing valuables.

The villa has satellite tv, a free high-speed internet connection, a home theater sound system, and a washer and dryer. Outside, you can swim in the infinity edge pool or lounge on the deck while waiting for your dinner to come off the barbeque. The full-time staff is on call all week long. The price includes three meals per day, alcohol, snacks, and drinks from the espresso bar, and baby equipment.

Guests must put down a security deposit. Pets and smoking are not allowed in the villa.

Casa Oceano

Per night: $1,085 and up

With six bedrooms and four bathrooms, the Casa Oceano can be the home away from home for your entire family. Upstairs, the master suite has a private bathroom and shower with a whirlpool tub for the ultimate luxury. Immediately to the right of the main entrance, is a private entrance to three additional upstairs bedrooms through a vaulted ceiling stairway.

Two more bedrooms have whirlpool tubs and private balconies that overlook the ocean, while one has a view of the spectacular gardens. All the bedrooms are air-conditioned.
The villa has a gourmet kitchen, and a full-time, bilingual staff, including a cook, to look after you. TV, CD and DVD players, a home theater, computer and wireless internet connection, a washer dryer, and baby equipment are all included in the price.

Villa Paraiso

Per night: $1,000 and up

A large and beautiful home, Villa Paraiso is a Guatemalan-style house with five bedrooms and five baths in the Las Olas neighborhood. Up to 10 guests can comfortably relax here and take in the amazing views of the water. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, a private bath with shower and Jacuzzi, and a wraparound terrace. The other bedrooms have beds of varying sizes and showers. All bedrooms are air-conditioned.

You can watch a movie in the home theater with state-of-the-art surround sound and graded seating, listen to music on the CD player, or whip up a meal for yourself and your guests in the gourmet kitchen. Outside, the courtyard has a fountain, and the infinity pool has built-in chaise longues and a swim-up bar. There is also an outdoor kitchen.

Services include daily housekeeping, a manager, 24-hour security, and concierge services on-site. A cook is also available at an additional charge.

Children are welcome at the villa, but pets are not allowed, nor is smoking in the house.

Royal Villa

Per night: $899 and up

A three-level, five-bedroom villa, this property is on the beach and offers unobstructed views of the ocean. The villa has a full kitchen, living room, a terrace, and a whirlpool bath. Each bedroom is its own bathroom, a king-size bed, a coffe maker, and satellite tv. Guests at the Royal Villa are free to use the restaurants, bars, swimming pool, and spa at the nearby Tango Mar Hotel.

The Royal Villa can accommodate up to 10 people, with a maximum of four children. Kids over six are considered adults. Children age 5 and under stay free. No smoking or pets are allowed in the villa, and a security deposit is required. Breakfast is included in the price. A cook is also available at additional cost. With 15 days notice and a $100 payment, the kitchen can be stocked to your specifications.

Original article can be found here: The Most Expensive Rental Houses in Costa Rica

Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica – Where to find the Canadian Embassy

Canadian citizens traveling to Costa Rica or living in it, should know where the Canadian embassy is located in Costa Rica. The Canadian embassy in Costa Rica is located in the capital city of San Jose. It is here that you will be able to get in touch with your local embassy for things dealing with passports and other country specific issues.

Street Address:
Located west of downtown San Jose, in Sabana Sur, behind the Contraloría in the Oficentro Executive complex.
Building 5
Map (IMG 26 KB)

Mailing Address
Embajada de Canadá
Apartado Postal: 351-1007, Centro Colón
San José, Costa Rica

Telephone
(506) 2242-4400

Fax:
(506) 2242-4410 – Administration, Assistance to Canadians (Consular), Public Affairs
(506) 2242-4411 – Political
(506) 2242-4415 – Commercial
(506) 2242-4416 – CIDA

Email
General: sjcra@international.gc.ca

Hours of Operation
Monday – Thurday: 7:30 – 16:00.
Friday: 7:30 – 13:00

After hours emergency contact information (for Canadian citizens only)
Call collect: (613) 996-8885 / (613) 944-1310 (TTY)

Official Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica Website

Services Offered By the Canadian Embassy

The Canadian government is happy to helps is citizens while traveling or living abroad in Costa Rica. The embassy can help you with a number of problems you may encounter while traveling abroad. Some of these problems and services include:

• Arrest or Detention
• Child Abductions
• Evacuations
• Natural Disasters and Civil Emergencies
• Financial Assistance
• Lost or Stolen Belongings
• Medical Matters
• Missing Persons
• Passport
• Transportation Accidents

Original article can be found here: Canadian Embassy in Costa Rica

One of the most common reasons for locating a Embassy in Costa Rica has to do with passport issues. If you have lost, or had your passport stolen, the local embassy is here to help. While the local embassies take care of many passport related issues, they can also help you with a wide range of things. From moving into the country, to helping you get out of jail; your local embassy is there for you.

All embassies are generally located in the capital city of San Jose.

Consulates and Embassies in Costa Rica

There are currently 47 countries that have embassies in Costa Rica. Some larger countries includes, the United States, Canada, China, and the United Kingdom; all of which will offer services to those holding passports of the said country.

More Detailed Information on the Embassies

British Embassy in Costa Rica

US Embassy in Costa Rica

Getting to San Jose
Many visitors to Costa Rica will have flown into the San Jose airport. Finding your way back to the capital should be no problem. For those of you who are unfamiliar with how to get to San Jose, don’t worry, it is very easy.

Every major bus terminal usually has several buses heading to San Jose daily. If you are unsure of the closest bus station with transportation to San Jose, simply ask anyone who lives in the area. Everyone will know how to get to San Jose.

Original article can be found here: Embassies and Consulates in Costa Rica

Long term rentals in Costa Rica are perfect for both tourists and those wishing to move to Costa Rica. However, finding a good long term rental is not as easy in Costa Rica as it is in some other more developed countries. This means that the search for a good long term rental in Costa Rica might take a bit longer than you anticipated and be a lot more research than you bargained for. But, if you are reading this post, you will be well on your way to cutting that work load down a bit.

Below you will find a plethora of information and resources on finding a long term rental in Costa Rica.

Why a Long Term Rental

As I mentioned above, long term rentals are great for both tourists and wannabe expats. The pros for would be expats are obvious. A long term rental allows someone to really experience living in Costa Rica before they make the plunge of moving here for good. All too often people come here on vacation, fall in love with it, and automatically start looking for a place of their own to buy. Only to realize after six months of living here that it is a bit different than vacationing. That said, lets talk about why long term rentals in Costa Rica are ideal for tourists.

If you are looking for a long term rental because you want to move to Costa Rica, I suggest reading my post on planning your fact finding trip to Costa Rica. If you have pets, you might want to read this post about bringing your dog to Costa Rica as well.

If you are the type of traveler who wants to explore the entire country and stay in various locations for weeks at a time, a long term rental probably isn’t for you.

But, if you like the ideal of “living” in a specific area and getting to know people, a long term rental can make for a good basecamp for your vacation. Renting long term doesn’t mean you can’t see the rest of the country though. Many people rent houses in areas of the country they like and take regular multi-day excursions to other parts of the country. The people that tend to rent long term are those who want their own privacy or don’t feel like dealing with the crowds at hostels. A long term rental allows you to live more comfortably than a hostel would and a lot less expensive than a hotel would.

Another cool thing about long term rentals is that they allow you to get to know locals and expats that live in a certain area. Building up these sort of relationships is nice because it allows you to get inside knowledge of the area and find out about “local only” spots and other cool things that are way off the beaten path.

Advice on Renting long Term

The best piece of advice I can give about renting long term is to try and see if you can pay for one months rent with the options to continue renting. This won’t always be an option due to busy seasons and popular rental houses with many reservations. But some less popular rentals and those during the slow season might be willing to offer something like this.

Why do I suggest this? Mainly because a rental house you see online might not be all the ad said it would be. Main times people tend to exaggerate things in their ad. They may advertise a two bedroom house with internet and it end up being a one bedroom apartment with a community laptop. Sadly, that is not an over exaggeration on my part.

Also, if you don’t know the are well, you may find something that looks like its only a few minutes from town, but in actuality its a 30 minute walk or a US$10 cab ride. Sometimes rental ads will say they are only a 15 minute bike ride from town. They very well only be 15 minutes from town, but if you haven’t rode a bike in a while, that 15 minute ride in the scorching sun can seam like forever.

The other reason I suggest this is that there are probably a ton of rentals in the area that are not listed on the internet. These rentals are usually a lot cheaper than the ones you find online. So secure a place you find online for a month and then use that time to ask around about rental properties in the area.

Finding a Long Term Rental

Costa Rica doesn’t have any sort of MLS for rel estate, which means finding one central site to look for rental properties is impossible. More than likely you will have to search a variety of sites and Google various terms to find something to your liking. Below, I have included some popular rental houses and websites that are a great place to start your search for a long term rental.

Craigs List – If you are on a budget and looking for a cheap long term rental, this is going to be your best bet. As with anything Craigs list, be cautious about sending money ahead of time.

Properties in Costa Rica – website – This is a great site that offers house for a variety of budgets. Every now and then you will find super cheap rental properties here, but the majority of the rentals are mid to high price wise.

Vacation City – website – These guys probably have the largest selection of rental properties listed anywhere on the internet. The budget ranges from low to extra high. They are also one of the more reputable online reservation systems for renting a house in Costa Rica.

La Salvetica – I personally live here for several months and loved it. Read my review of La Salvetica.

Casa Mono – I also lived here for several months. Read my review of Casa Mono.

Original article can be found here: Long Term Rentals in Costa Rica

Getting your residency in Costa Rica is all about long lines, lots of stamps, and tons of red tape. Your best bet in getting your Costa Rica residency with as little headache as possible is to hire a lawyer to help you. They can streamline the process and take care of all the red tape for you.

If you feel like getting all your ducks in a row before you find a lawyer, here is a checklist of the required forms for Costa Rica Residency.

Birth Certificate – This will need to be an officially stamped or sealed version from the hospital.

Marriage License – Only needed if you are married.

Proof of Income – This is probably one of the most important parts of your application. The more money you can prove you will have while in Costa Rica the better. The proof of income and amounts depend on what type of residency you will be applying for.

Copies of Degrees – If you plan on working in your profession while in Costa Rica, you will want to have copies of any diplomas, certificates, degrees, and other certification forms.

Good Conduct Certificate – A police certificate stating you had good conduct in the last place you live for at least two years is required. You should get this certificate toward the end, as it is only good for six months.

Background Check – This part of the process is done in Costa Rica. All you need to do here is surrender you fingerprints to be run on the Interpool system. The background check process usually takes a month to complete.

Dependents Birth Certificates – Spouse who don’t make an income and children are both considered dependents. You will need to have official copies of their birth certificates from the hospital. If any of your children are over 18 years of age, you will also need a plice certificate of good conduct for them.

Photos – The Costa Rica residency process loves to have your photo on file. You will need photos of yourself almost every step of the way. Do yourself a favor and stock up on them. I would recommend having no less than 10 front facing photos and 5 side view photos. Your local post office or where ever you got your passport photos should be able to do this for you.

Medical Exam Certificate – Although rare, you may be asked for a certificate of good health from your doctor. It is worth mentioning that Costa Rica has the right to refuse entry to people with AIDS, but it is very uncommon.

Document Translation – Once you have all your documents ready to go, you will need to have them translated into Spanish. This can only be done by the Costa Rican Consulate.

Original article can be found here: Costa Rica Residency Checklist

Planning a move to Costa Rica and planning a vacation are two totally different things. Don’t make the mistake of calling your last vacation to Costa Rica your fact finding trip. Odds are, you didnt really look at the things you needed to while you were on vacation.

Even if you have been to Costa Rica before on vacation, it is important to plan a fact finding trip before you move. These fact finding trips are essential in finding out information about the area you want to live. Or, if you don’t have an area in mind, a fact finding trip can help you find the area thats right for you.

Read Up

Spend some time browsing the shelves at your local book store. There are plenty of guide books about Costa Rica that will help you learn more about traveling in Costa Rica. There are also a hand full of books written about moving to Costa Rica. These books can be great for answering some of the more technical and legal question you may have about moving to Costa Rica.

The Internet is also a great source for finding information on Costa Rica. Travel Gear Scout is perfect for reading up online or for printing and reading offline. There are also a number of Costa Rica expat sites that can be a easy way to meet people who have already made the move abroad.

Look at Maps

From the day you decide you are going to move to Costa Rica you should have a map handy. Grab an easy to read map of the whole country and hang it on your wall. This way, when you are reading about areas that interest you, you can mark them off on the map and see other areas that are close by.

Once you get a few locations marked off on your map, you’ll have a better idea of where you will be spending your fact finding trip.

Get Advice

Odds are you probably know some people who have been to Costa Rica on vacation before. Talk to them and see what kind of extra information they can feed you. If you are lucky, they may know someone who lives down there that they can put you in touch with.

If you are lucky enough to know people who know people in Costa Rica, get their contact information and try to meet up with them while on your fact finding trip. Even just meeting with other people who have made the move or live there for a cup of coffee can unload tons of information on you.

Check Your Passport

With all the fuss thats going on about passports and other travel documents, it is a good idea to double check your passport and make sure it doesn’t expire anytime soon. It would be a real bummer to buy your plane ticket and then realize your passport will expire before you even leave the country.

Get Information About Pets

If you plan on bringing dogs or other pets when you make the move to Costa Rica, use the fact finding trip to start gathering information about traveling with pets. If you have time at the airport, talk to ticketing agent about traveling with pets, they should be able to give you some basic information.

When looking at cities and towns that you enjoy, take into account how your pet will be able to get around. Official taxis will almost never allow dogs or animals in the cab. Unofficial taxis may or may not let pets in the car. If they do, they usually charge more for it

Original article can be found here: 5 Tips for Planning Your Fact Finding Trip

Renting a house can be a great way spend an extended vacation in Costa Rica or as a way to live in the country without buying property. Thanks to a popular real estate market, there is no shortage of rental houses anywhere in Costa Rica. The only tricky part is finding one that fits in your budget. With such a wide variety of houses, this usually isn’t a problem.

Starting the Search

Assuming you already have a location picked out, the first logical step is start researching listings and realtors in the area. A note about “realtors”: There is no such thing as a certified realtor in Costa Rica. It is simply a term used to describe people who can help you find a house to rent. When working with realtors, it is a good idea to ask around about their reputation. You will quickly find out if your chosen realtor is a trustworthy business person or not.

Many people start their rental search online because they have no other choice. This is a perfectly fine way to start the search, but shouldn’t be considered the only way. Many of the rental houses you will find online are placed on the web by expats who are more than likely charging higher prices than a local would.

Because of this, I recommend using the internet to find a house to use as your initial destination when you get into the country. Find a house thats to your liking and rent it for one month. Use this as your base camp to search out other rental houses in the area that aren’t listed online and are more likely to be cheaper than anything you have seen online.

Advice on Renting

When paying the deposit for any rental house, try to pay with a secure method such as Paypal, credit card, or debit card. These methods will give you some added security should you pay the deposit and your realtor skip out on you.

You can try to have some sort of contract drawn up, but many private houses won’t have one. Not to mention that it is worth little in the grand scheme of things. Renters in Costa Rica have a number of rights by law, with or without a contract and these rights are something you should certainly look into.

Are you looking to buy a house? Check out our Costa Rica Real Estate Classifieds.

Original article can be found here: Renting a House in Costa Rica

It is no secret that buying land and building houses in Costa Rica can be done for very cheap. Although prices for land are getting higher and contractors are starting to charge more, you can still get a lot for your money. Which means, if you have a whole lot of money, you can get one heck of a house. Check out this post to see what some people are building with their money.

These houses are nothing short of amazing. I guess we can all dream, right?

Check out the list and let us know which one of these killer houses is your favorite!

Pictures are from:
Viviun, Properties in Costa Rica, Unusual Villa Rentals

Original article can be found here: Must See Houses of Costa Rica

Exchanging money in Costa Rica isn’t a hard thing to do, but many travelers are unsure of how they should exchange money when they first enter the country. You have a number of choices; you could use the money exchange service at your departing airport or in the Costa Rica airport, you could wait and exchange money at the bank, carry travelers checks, or any other number of options. the question is, which is best?

Really it depends on your plans and what type of traveling you will be doing. For the sake of this post I will assume you are a budget traveler staying at a hostel or hotel in San Jose.

If you arrange for a van or cab inside the airport via the information booth, you will be able to pay with US dollars. ( At this time Im unsure if the airport accepts other currencies.)

Many youth hostels and budget hotels tend to be very good about offering many exchange services at the same rate as the bank or better. Even if your accommodation’s charge a little more than the bank, its probably worth it. Making your way to the bank, standing in line, and having to deal with tellers can be a drawn out process.

If you will be traveling with a debit or credit card, you can always visit the closest ATM. Fees are minimal and most ATMs are in Spanish and English. You may or may not be able to use your card at your lodging of choice.

Original article can be found here: Exchanging Money in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a popular destination for people looking who are looking to retire o rjust live somewhere a little more exotic. If this is something you are intrested in, you have no doubtably looked at a number of books and website regaurding the matter. Many of these reousces are filled with great information, but much of it tends to be the same. This list is geared toward exposing you to some of the little facts you might not know about living in Costa Rica.

1. Gringo is not a racial slur to white people. It is simply a term used to identify foreigners. Remember, the meaning of many words are very different in Costa Rica.
2. As a tourist, you can stay in Costa Rica for 90 days. If you wish to stay longer, all you need to do is leave the country for 48 -72 hours. Don’t forget, Panama and Nicaragua are bordering countries. This could give you an excuse to go on a vacation every 3 months!
3. A maid in Costa Rica can cost as little as $30 US a week. You can even hire live in maids for around $200 a month.
4. If you are worried about security you can hire a local security guard. They will patrol your house and property during the wee hours of the night with firearms.
5. Power outages happen often here, usually not for long. If you rely heavily on a computer, you may want to think about bringing a UPS.
6. In locations other than beachfront property, the real estate market is still very slow. This is great for you as a buyer. It means you are in control. Don’t hesitate to ask a seller if you could first rent the home for six months before you buy it. Work out a deal that if you decide to buy the home, a percentage of the rent you paid go towards your down payment.
7. Unless otherwise stated, homes come unfurnished. This means no fridge, dishwasher, stove, etc. If you buy a house furnished, you will be paying well more than you need to for the items in the house.
8. Everyone in Costa Rico has a friend who builds, cleans, does real estate, etc. Finding good local recommendations is you best bet for doing anything here.
9. Address barely exist in Costa Rica. Zip codes are non existent. Your best bet for mail is to rent out a mail box at the closest post office.
10. Besides some businesses, nobody uses checks. You pay utility bills at your local bank.

Original article can be found here: 10 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Living in Costa Rica