_f.jpg)
_f.jpg)
_f.jpg)
_f.jpg)
Costa Rica Investment Guide
Traveling to Costa Rica
After you have a clear idea about your property investment objectives, you should arrange a trip to Costa Rica to evaluate several candidate properties.
Getting here
Costa Rica has two international airports: The Juan Santamaría International Airport, which is close to San José, and the Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste with convenient access to the beaches in the Pacific Northwest.
Getting around
Traveling in Costa Rica can be frustrating at times, especially if you are on a tight schedule. As a rule of thumb, allot twice the amount of time that you think you will need for a given activity. The bus system is inexpensive, but slow, so you will probably want to rent a car or hire a private driver in order to view properties in an efficient manner. Hiring a driver is an especially attractive option due to Costa Ricans' aggressive driving style, poorly-maintained city streets, and the sometimes daunting mountainous two-lane highways.
Logistical and Cultural notes
- You will find Costa Rica to be quite modern. There are many international businesses, most stores accept credit cards, and there are plenty of Internet cafés. The more remote areas of the country are still developing, however.
- Pay attention to the weather. During the rainy season (May to November) it rains nearly every afternoon. Some roads and bridges become dangerous or impassable after heavy rains.
- Due to traffic, narrow highways, and mountain passes, average highway driving speeds are only about 35 mph (60 kph).
- There is a language barrier. Though some people in Costa Rica speak English, it is not a bilingual country and misunderstandings are very common, even when dealing with a near-fluent speaker.
- You will almost certainly run into major cultural differences with respect to etiquette. For example, it is common for an informal meeting to be canceled on short notice. Many times the other party just doesn't show up.
- Take all verbal agreements with a grain of salt. This is generally a symptom of most Costa Ricans' tendancy to avoid conflict and confrontation.
