Sonidos Del Mar-Costa Rica Weblog

New Luxury Marina Papagayo Now Leasing Slips During Peak Marlin Fishing Season

sonidosdelmarcr — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:34:53 +0000

The new full-service, five-star Marina Papagayo is now leasing wet slips to the motor yachting, cruising and sport fishing nautical community – just in time for the big-game sport-fishing and cruising season in Pacific Costa Rica.

Peak marlin season runs from January through March off the coast of Marina Papagayo.

Costa Rica is currently experiencing sunny, 80-degree weather – perfect for cruising, fishing and enjoying an exotic, tropical atmosphere.

Marina Papagayo is one of only two full-service marinas on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, situated on Bahia Culebra in northwestern Costa Rica. Before Marina Papagayo opened in December, 2008 at Peninsula Papagayo resort, there were scant options for yachtsmen desiring full-service marinas in Pacific Costa Rica.

Capt. Pat Rains, author of the book, Cruising Ports: The Central American Route, said yachtsmen and sport fishermen have been waiting for years for a facility like Marina Papagayo to open. Capt. Rains told Brandy Marine in an interview in December that owners of high-end yachts were looking forward to the opening of Marina Papagayo as an alternative to Los Sueños Marina & Resort and to marinas in Mexico that fill up quickly during the fishing and cruising season.

By: Inside Costa Rica (Original here)

Visa Offers Tax Rebate On Purchases in Costa Rica

sonidosdelmarcr — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:16:39 +0000

Visa Latin America is offering visitors to Costa Rica a chance to get a reimbursement on sales taxes paid in the country with purchases made with a VISA® or VISA Electrón® cards.http://www.visalatam.com/taxfree/index.jsp and click on “BASES Y CONDICIONES” which opens a new browser window with all the rules and regulations of the promotion or call (506) 2287 8090.

The rebate is equal to the tax paid on purchases in Costa Rica between 9 January 2009 and 22 February 2009.

Visitors leaving Costa Rica will be able to present their Visa vouchers at the Juan Santamaría airport and have a chance to win a rebate of the 13% sales tax on the purchase. Not eligible are ATM withdrawls, purchases made online and purchases were sales tax did not apply.

On presenting the vouchers at the airport, winners, who are chosen at random, will be notified immediately and will receive a Visa debit card with the amount of the tax paid in Costa Rica on their purchase.

The Visa module at the airport is only open between 9am and 7pm from Monday to Sunday.

For more information and details of the “tax free” promotion, visit:

The website and its content on the promotion is only available in Spanish. Clicking on the “English version” at the top of the page will not get you to the information.

By: Inside Costa Rica (Original Here)

Info on Owning in Sonidos Del mar Visit Sol Property Group at www.solpropertygroup.com

New Tourist Investments Dot Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast

sonidosdelmarcr — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:39:56 +0000

Since the economic crisis hit Costa Rica investment hard, halting tourist and residential projects and scaring off million dollar real estate development plans, several projects have managed to stay afloat with a positive outlook for the future of tourism in the country. Many investors will be watching the outcome of these investments intently, using them as a strong indicator for whether Costa Rica tourism has the potential to continue growing exponentially, or whether it is time to slow things down. (read more here)

Why go to Costa Rica for medical care?

sonidosdelmarcr — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:32:46 +0000

US and Costa Rican medical tourism agency Health Choices International has developed answers to perennial questions they are asked by potential customers.

There are three principle reasons why individuals from a developed nation would travel to Costa Rica for healthcare.

1. Affordability – For many, healthcare ay home is too expensive.
Costa Rica has cost savings of 40%-80% of US prices.

2. Accessibility – The medical treatment needed is not available in their home country or the waiting list is too long. Individuals are simply not eligible for certain medical treatments due to age or health limitations – hidden medical rationing. In other circumstances the medical treatments are simply not available due to cost. Costa Rica has none of these problems.

3 Quality. The boom in high-quality healthcare providers internationally, primarily in less-developed countries, has made treatment overseas at the same quality as at home, easily available.

Costa Rica is one of the top medical tourism destinations in the world. Costa Rica’s healthcare system is very advanced, particularly in the city of San Jose, and is considered one of the best in Latin America. For some procedures, it ranks higher than the US.

Second homes: Living abroad never looked so good

sonidosdelmarcr — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:11:19 +0000

Costa Rica has been one of the most popular retirement destinations for Americans abroad, and it has boomed as a choice for second homes. No province is as hot for part-timers as Guanacaste on the northwest Pacific coast.

“Costa Rica’s appeal as a second-home destination is even greater today: For the first time since real estate began skyrocketing five or six years ago, prices have softened,” says Barry Golson, author of Retirement Without Borders: How to Retire Abroad. “With gorgeous jungle, mountain and beach landscapes, Costa Rica continues to set the tourism pace in Central America.”

Costa Rica put eco- and adventure tourism on the map, and Guanacaste is home to 98% of the world’s rare dry tropical forest. It sits in the hurricane-free zone, and has mostly dry, sunny days from November to April. (More Here).

Retiring abroad: Cheap but different

sonidosdelmarcr — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:49:59 +0000

By: Dana Dratch

More than 150 years ago a popular phrase urged Americans with unlimited financial prospects, “Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.”

Today it’s more like, “Go south, old man and you may outlive your money in Mexico — or Costa Rica.”

Retirement abroad used to be the purview of the well-to-do — a luxurious reward of exotic locations, expanded horizons, prolonged travels and a life without schedules.

These days it’s a matter of survival, or at least a rather drastic financial maneuver to make a dwindling nest egg last longer. (READ MORE HERE)

Living Abroad in Costa Rica

sonidosdelmarcr — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:44:20 +0000

Costa Rica is becoming an interesting retirement destination for Britons, Europeans and North Americans seeking an affordable haven where they know they can live well for less, and ride out the impending global recession in relative comfort.

The nation has long been on the radar for intrepid travelers particularly from the Americas, but greater promotion of this peaceful and beautiful Caribbean country has led to increased interest from both the less adventurous traveler, and those who want to find somewhere more affordable where they can set up home. (Read More Here)

Marina Papagayo Now Open in Costa Rica

sonidosdelmarcr — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:35:57 +0000

BAHIA CULEBRA, Costa Rica — Marina Papagayo is the first boating facility you reach as you enter Costa Rica from the north — and it just opened, Dec. 15.

Billed as a five-star marina, Marina Papagayo is nestled into the north end of Bahia Culebra, in the Costa Rican state of Guanacaste, so the location has always provided good shelter from the notorious Papagayo gales. Bahia Culebra is famous for its many jungle-clad anchorages and great sportfishing close offshore. (READ MORE HERE)

Pura Vida in Costa Rica

sonidosdelmarcr — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:06:01 +0000

Terry Smith and Lisa Zweber-Smith have traveled the world, but Costa Rica stopped them in their tracks long enough to buy a second home. The house was finished in February and Terry considers it a relative bargain. Two-bedroom single-family homes in their complex start at $150,000 to $200,000, only two blocks from the beach. Read more here!

For an Affordable Retirement What About Costa Rica?

sonidosdelmarcr — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 13:22:31 +0000

Sandwiched between Panama and Nicaragua, the dramatically beautiful nation of Costa Rica lies in the Caribbean Sea soaking up the sun – it’s a country lesser explored by British and European retirees, but one becoming increasingly popular with North American baby boomers in search of a place where they can retire for less.

Lying just a 3-hour flight time from Miami, the nation feels comfortably close for many Americans, and when they arrive to explore Costa Rica they find an incredible paradise of a place where the pace of life is so laid back and the cost of living attractively low. Read More Here!