Playa Grande, Guanacaste is the home of Parque Nacional Las Baulas (Leatherback Turtle National Park) and is located across the bay from the popular surf town of Tamarindo.

Known for a spectacular beach and one of the most consistent surfing waves in Central America, Playa Grande is a charming, unspoiled coastal town of about 200 year round residents.

There are a number of quality restaurants in town, and surf shops and lessons are a common site on this 3-mile stretch of beach. For those who like a slower pace, Playa Grande is a must-see, and Tamarindo and all its amenities is a long walk (with a quaint water taxi ride) or short drive away.

The National Park beach is one of the primary nesting grounds for the Leatherback Turtle in the Northern Pacific. In the interest of protecting these magnificent creatures, for many years Playa Grande has had stricter building regulations than almost anywhere in Costa Rica, including a lengthy moratorium.

But now, for the first time in 4 years, construction permits are again available in Playa Grande with a new approval required related to ground water.

The first new permit for a home has recently come out, and the project is indicative of the new regulations: within 500 meters of the beach, there is essentially no commercial construction of any kind, only single family residential construction with limited coverages and low environmental impact will be permitted.

After more than 4 years with virtually no construction, there is much demand to build and to sell in Playa Grande.

This type of lengthy delay creates a nice opportunity for buyers; that is to say that prices are still low as the the market is just waking up.

Lots for sale within a short walk to the beach range from $90-130,000 for around 800 square meters (with financing available), and some lots that would require a 15-minute walk are as low as $40,000 for over 5000 square meters. Large ocean view lots go from $99,000 to around $200,000.

Homes in the two neighborhoods next to the beach have been changing hands from the $300,000s up in to the $600,000s for beach front homes. Today Playa Grande offers a rare opportunity for beach living at reasonable prices.

Living in Playa Grande means living in harmony with the environment. Looking from the beach, one can see few signs of the presence of humans. Tall, dense trees line the length of beach and birds and howler monkeys are plentiful.

Many days one can walk out and be alone on Playa Grande, Playa Ventanas, or Playa Carbon, all within walking distance. For six months of the year, Playa Grande is dry and enjoys offshore winds often.

During the green season, it cools off a bit with some rain and the forest explodes with lush tropical beauty. This town is quaint and quiet, truly a gem worth seeing.

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.