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Everything You Need To Know About Samara Costa Rica Real Estate
Playa Samara is truly one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica. And the town itself isn’t bad either! The watchwords here are laid back or low key. Samara Costa Rica real estate is largely without fuss or bother. Not for this town the fancy condos and millionaire lifestyle! Samara is small, close-knit, and just all about the beach.
Situated on the Nicola Peninsula, about four hours from the capital city of San Jose and around two hours from the regional capital of Liberia and its international airport, Samara is perhaps the picture-perfect beach town. It’s on a perfect horseshoe-shaped bay where the Pacific Ocean calm laps golden shores. Long a favorite go-to place for Costa Ricans wanting some beach time, it’s become over the years home to a small but thriving expat population too.
It’s grown, for sure. Like pretty much every other beach community in Costa Rica, over the years Samara has attracted tourists which in turn has attracted investment. But unlike many other, easier to reach places in the country, the growth has been much more muted and low key. Probably the best reason for this is the fact that Samara is pretty isolated. The closest international airport is at least two hours away, and until very recently the road in and out of town was unpaved, making driving during the May-November season a nightmare. Nowadays things are much better, infrastructure-wise, but that isolation still stands and still makes Samara really more of a place for pioneers to live rather than those who need to be easily connected with the world around them.
Of all the beautiful spots in Costa Rica, why Sámara? Well, that’s easy.
Discover Sámara, Costa Rica and Live the Dream
Costa Rica is a country of beautiful, stunning, pristine beaches. With a Caribbean coast and a Pacific coast, the country is spoiled with beaches. So when it comes to Samara, you know it must be something special when pretty much everyone in Costa Rica agrees that the beach there is the prettiest in the country. There are actually two beaches in the area – Samara itself, where the town lies, and Playa Carillo, a few minutes drive away. Carrillo is also picture-perfect, another palm fronded horseshoe backed by rolling fields and farmlands. Both places are perfect for finding a home or some land, but one has to remember the zoning laws in Costa Rica before getting too far into the process. These laws prohibit any building or development 50 meters or less from the beaches high tide mark. This means that there is nothing truly “beachfront” in Samara. Everything is set back from the beach in order to protect its beauty and integrity. For someone thinking of moving to an isolated community where there really isn’t that much apart from the beach, it’s important to know exactly what the word “beachfront” entails in Samara (and throughout Costa Rica as a whole, in fact).
So what do foreigners buy in Samara? What type of people decide to move there specifically (as opposed to moving elsewhere)? Well, as mentioned above, the expat moving to Samara is more than likely to be more of a maverick, more independent-minded. Samara is pretty remote and the population is quite small compared to more developed beach towns. This kind of place suits people who are prepared to rough it a little bit, to find their own way and build their own slice of paradise. These reasons prompt people to buy land in Samara by the lot, rather than a ready-built house. For the pioneering expat, buying your own land and building on it is the way to go. The land is good farmland and has sustained local Costa Ricans for centuries. Many people are coming to Samara and having a go at sustainable farming or ranching themselves, having a go at making something from the land. Others are building the home of their dreams to live somewhere peaceful by the beach.
For those not really prepared to put a shovel into the ground and build their own house or till their own soil, there are still options. Most homes in and around Samara are smaller, more basic structures built on their own lots with a balcony to see the ocean and a hammock somewhere to lie in. That’s Samara living to a tee!
There’s not a huge condo market in Samara. There are a few, but nothing like elsewhere in the country. The few condo developments that exist, are set inside gated community-like environments and are low-rise – two or three stories tops – and low key. Generally people who come to Samara and buy a condo are snowbirds, just coming to Costa Rica for the winter and not settling permanently. Either that or they’re people looking for an investment opportunity by renting their condo out to tourists throughout the year. Sure, there are people who live in these condos year-round, but they’re generally few and far between. Most people who come all the way out to Samara are looking for a level of privacy and so end up buying homes set on their own plots of land.
The area around Samara – outside of town – has also attracted some of Costa Rica’s mega-rich over the years. It comes down to the area long being popular with Ticos (the nickname that Costa Ricans go by) as a vacation destination. This has led to a number of luxury homes and mansions being built in the area and among the rolling hills that surround it. The relative difficulty in getting to Samara and the overall isolation of the place means that compared to other parts of Costa Rica, the prices of these luxurious homes tends to be somewhat lower than elsewhere.
The bottom line with Samara is that anyone thinking of buying a home or property there has to weigh up what’s more important to them. Do they need to be closer to the outside world and have access to shopping malls and airports? Or are they happy with a slower pace of life on a pristine beach in a beautiful place? Samara is not for everyone. People coming to Samara are, as already discussed, more likely to be pioneers and less likely to fear getting their hands dirty. If this sounds like it could be a lifestyle for you to consider, then Samara is really a no-brainer. The tranquilly, the beauty, the slower and more laid-back way of life may not be for everyone, but to those to whom it does appeal, they won’t find a better place in which to spread roots and settle into a new community.
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Living in Samara, Costa Rica Video
Come to Sámara when you want to get away from the city and resort areas, but still want access to many amenities. We have a massage school, farmers market, handmade specialty jewelry, a language school, yoga classes, an animal refuge, a gym, and so much more.
There’s an array of outdoor activities; dolphin and turtle tours (seeing turtles nesting is an unforgettable experience), surfing, zip-lines, horseback rides, stand-up paddle boards, you name it!
Then, there’s that one unbeatable option: hanging out by the beach or pool. You can easily see howler monkeys, iguanas, so many birds, and even the occasional crocodile at Carrillo Beach.
Which is just one more great experience–Samara gives you the choice of many beaches within a short distance. We have neighboring beaches for you to enjoy: Carrillo, Barrigona, Esterones, Buenavista, Izquierda.
We considered all these issues when we were exploring where in Costa Rica we wanted to live. Our goal was the dream: live in paradise and have a business that finances our lifestyle, plus some profit.
We built a small boutique hotel with North American quality, for our comfort and for our guest’s enjoyment. The first year was a challenge: finishing construction, getting the business up and running, training our staff. The adventure and challenge was unforgettable.
It’s the quality of life. Samara was the way. Are you ready for an adventure? Now, what’s keeping you?! Come discover Sámara! You’ll be glad you did.
Samara Income Producing Real Estate For Sale.
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