Top 10 Costa Rica

Earn Up To 24% In Costa Rican Real Estate

In today’s world the value of assets is not always obvious. It is often latent, and has to be unlocked through financial and human capital. We recommend Gap Investors, who focus on unlocking this latent value in Costa Rican property development.

Gap Investors specializes in brokering syndicated loans, which are loans offered by a group of lenders, to provide funds for a borrower to start a real estate development project on properties with high potential (known as latent value) in Costa Rica.

The goal of this form of lending is to get development plans off the ground. These loans will not be given by risk-averse banks without a significant amount of collateral and a high income, so we come in by bringing in a group of enterprising lenders to provide enough short-term funding to get the development to the point where banks will be open to financing.

Because of the nature of the loan the interest rates are typically higher than regular bank interest rates. Collateral is provided in the form of a mortgage lien on the borrower’s property, which is shared by all lenders in proportion to the funds invested by each, through shares in a corporation holding the mortgage.

Bridge loans are usually short in duration and effectively create a financing bridge from the start to the point where banks are interested in the project.

The loans use multiple lenders to allow maximum flexibility. At Gap Investors, a single investor can finance multiple syndicated loans at one time, therefore diversifying their total investment portfolio.

Contact us for more information on offshore investments, or feel free to visit the Gap Investors web site.

Costa Rica is a small country with an incredible variety of flora and fauna, offering you volcanoes, pristine beaches, rain forests, dry forests, birds, monkeys, big cats, big waves and lots of fun. To list the top destinations is not easy. The best way is probably to offer a bit of everything!

So, we’ll start with a volcano…

1. Arenal is the obvious choice, although they are all awesome. Arenal is the only volcano in this country that will offer you the whole show. With eruptions going all day and all night long, it is hard to beat. Arenal throws fire, gases and lava in the air about every 45 minutes, making it the third most active volcano in the world. The best time to see the bright orange lava is is at night, as long as there is a clear sky. The show is indeed spectacular. The sounds transform it into an even more unforgettable experience. As it roars, the ground and everything around is shaking. It seems like the roars come from the center of the earth, very, very deep down, far away, powerful and invincible.

La Fortuna is where most people choose to spend the night to see this spectacle, with most hotel rooms offering direct views of the steaming volcano. The town has a perfect variety of places to stay and eat, and hot springs where you can laze about endlessly amid waterfalls and tropical vegetation. You may be too relaxed to find your way home once you have spent a couple of hours in these hot waters. Waterfalls, horseback riding, hiking, it is all there, and it is undeniably an important part of this wonderful country.

The beach is another main reason people choose to visit Costa Rica, and indeed there are plenty of these, to please every taste. For this reason, this section will be split in three…

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When traveling to a foreign country for the first time, one of the main questions is: What to wear? Costa Rica only has two seasons: the dry season and the green or rainy season . The Costa Rican dry season happens during the months of December throughout April. The temperatures are quite high and almost never exceeding the 90 degree range. During the months of December and January, the North and Northeast trade winds sweep across the country thus providing cool evenings and nights. Light cloths are recommended during day activities and a light jacket or sweater for the cool December and January evenings. The rainy season, also known as the green season, runs from April to November. During this period, water proof clothing and umbrellas are a must. The typical rainy season day is a clear cool morning followed by a vigorous afternoon shower storm. The usual tropical storm hits the region around the months of May through October which can bring at least 3 or 4 days of clouded skies and nonstop rain. In the Caribbean and Pacific Coastal areas, temperatures rarely fluctuate and stay within the 75 to 89 Fahrenheit degrees. When going to the beach, make sure you where the proper sunscreen protection as well as a hat. When visiting the country’s higher terrains such as volcanoes and mountains, temperatures are usually quite cool and stay within the 43 to 60 Fahrenheit degrees. A cool jacket or sweater and water proof shoes are recommended. Unless you plan to attend a formal event, Costa Ricans normally dress in an informal manner. If you plan to visit the theatre or go out for dinner, casual attire may be worn.

So you are addicted to shopping and you are not sure that Costa Rica will give you what you need? Rest assured. Over the last decade, shopping here has become really rewarding. Whether you want to buy souvenirs, shop like the locals, or simply want to buy a pair of shoes and a nice dress, it is all there for you!

It would be a shame to go back home without some indigenous products, for yourself and also for your family and friends. Costa Rica has very interesting wood handicrafts made by some of the few indigenous tribes still living here. The Borruca People make interesting ritual masks, for instance, which are always a winner. Going to Borruca itself is quite a trip but you can find some of the best ones in La Casona, in the center of San Jose, and in Galeria Namu, just behind the Holiday Inn. You will also see very beautiful and refined woodcarvings made of the precious woods of Costa Rica; they are the perfect souvenir to bring back from here. Also, leather good are popular, belts, bags, or a good pair of genuine cowboy boots, maybe!

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Music in Costa Rica is music to dance to. From Salsa to Chamber music there is something for everyone. Live bands play at different clubs all over the country. Salsa, Jazz, Rock, Tango, Tex-Mex, and Calypso are all on the venue at different nightspots in Costa Rica.If you are staying in and around San Jose some of the best nightlife is found at El Puebl

The National Hurricane Center says a tropical depression has formed off the coast of Costa Rica, just days before the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins.

Senior hurricane specialist James Franklin says the depression is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours as it approaches the coast of Nicaragua. The depression had winds of 50 km/h and was moving north at five km/h. Forecasters say it was located 169 km/h west-northwest of Cabo Blanco.

Franklin says the depression will primarily bring heavy rains rather than strong winds.

The hurricane season begins June 1.

NOAA (Washington DC, USA) has announced the launch of a new satellite. The satellite will monitor the rate of sea-level rise and help measure the strength of hurricanes. NOAA will use data from the Jason-2/Ocean Surface Topography Mission (OSTM) to extend a 15-year record from two earlier altimeter missions that currently show sea level is rising at a rate of 3.2 mm/year - nearly twice as fast as the previous 100 years. The Jason-2/OSTM is scheduled for lift off June 15 at 1:47 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The spacecraft is a joint, international effort between NOAA, NASA, France’s Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), and the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (Eumetsat).

Like its predecessor missions TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1, Jason-2/OSTM is designed to extend the climate data record by providing a long-term survey of Earth’s oceans, tracking ocean circulation patterns and measuring sea-surface heights and the rate of sea-level rise. These are all key factors in understanding climate change. The satellite will use a radar altimeter instrument attached to it and fly in a low Earth orbit allowing it to monitor 95 percent of Earth’s ice-free oceans every 10 days.

In addition to detecting climate change factors, Jason-2/OSTM will also be used in the prediction of short-term, severe weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms. NOAA will use the altimeter measurements to monitor ocean conditions that trigger changes in the strength of tropical cyclones, as they move over the ocean towards the land. The technique involves mapping the ocean heat content - the fuel that feeds a storm’s intensity - along the storm’s predicted track.

During the Jason-2/OSTM lifespan, NOAA will work with CNES to handle the complete ground system support. This includes commanding all the satellite’s manoeuvres, downloading all the data the satellite captures, and distributing it to weather and climate forecasters, who are monitoring ocean-born storms and phenomena such as El Niño/La Niña and global sea-level rise. Additionally, Jason-2/OSTM will be the first, newly launched satellite in which NOAA provides ground support from its NOAA Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland. The facility opened in 2007 and houses $50 million worth of high-tech equipment and controls nearly $5 billion in satellites.

Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

Pura Vida from the fishing capital of Costa Rica and the world famous Los Suenos Resort & Marina.

The Los Suenos region once again upheld it’s globally known reputation as the Fishing Capital of Costa Rica with a tremendous Peak Billfishing season this year.( December through April is peak Sailfish season with a very Strong Marlin bite from late November through late January)

Hooked On Costa Rica’s top producing boats and Captains delivered hundreds of visiting anglers incredible numbers of caught and released Sailfish and Marlin per trip, as well as hundreds of enormous Mahi-Mahi in the 35-50lb. range, and lots of tasty Yellowfin Tuna.

The bite as of Mid-May has slowed down a bit as usual for this time of year, however the Hooked On Costa Rica boats are still managing to deliver their guests some very nice fish.

While any travel calendar you read will indicate that the Costa Rica Rainy season has begun (May-Nov), the rains don’t appear until the late afternoon in May and June, offering plenty of nice weather in the morning and throughout the day to enjoy a full day offshore.

Here come the Roosters! While the Billfish season traditionally slows down after April, the Nearshore fishery comes alive. The Hooked On Costa Rica team of the areas best Near Shore Captains and boats are prepared to offer lucky anglers a shot at some of the trophy Roosterfish that habitate our waters. We’re talking 25-90lbs. of hard fighting, drag screaming fish!

Weather you wish to chase Sails, Marlin, Mahi, and Tuna, or trophy Roosterfish, Jacks, and Snappers, Los Suenos Costa Rica is THE place to visit for your best chances at success!!

FISHING FACT: There are more trophy fish caught out of the Los Suneos Resort & Marina year round, than ANY other part of Costa Rica.

Costa Rica’s largest provider of electricity, CNFL has decided to invest $4m into the Balsa Superior Hydro Electric Plant in between San Ramon and Alfaro Ruiz. However CNFL is part of the ICE Group who have a monopoly on the telecommunications market of Costa Rica and they deem the project to be inviable and highly risky.

The main issue that ICE and CNFL are having is that CNFL says that it has acquired the land and performed all the necessary studies in order to go ahead and perform this project. However the President of ICE, Pedro Quiros stated that these do not exist. It was stated that ICE had told CNFL to halt the project in 2003 however this had not happened.

The CNFL requires the extra 25km of tunnels as the land currently does not have enough water to support the planned plant. However Quiros said that the more tunnels there are means that there is little water in the area and therefore the project will not have sufficient water to generate electricity.

The planned plant would produce 132 megawatts of electricity, enough for over 100,000 families. Costa Rica produces the majority of its energy via hydroelectric means and its long term plan is to become solely sufficient on this type of electricity.

The embattled president of Costa Rica’s Olympic Committee has finally agreed to step down.Jorge Nery Carvajal submitted his letter of resignation late Monday, two months after the majority of Costa Rica’s 47 sports federations voted to kick him out amid allegations he falsified documents and engaged in fraudulent management of the organization.

Nery Carvajal denied those allegations and initially refused to leave his post. His opponents then set up a parallel committee that was never recognized.

But late Monday at an Olympic Committee meeting mediated by four members of the Pan American Sports Organization, Nery Carvajal said it was time to leave.

In comments broadcast nationally on television, Nery Carvajal said he didn’t want the controversy surrounding his post to affect the six Costa Ricans who have qualified for the Beijing Olympics this summer.

“Our athletes haven’t been able to get behind our flag for the Beijing Games, and we can’t allow that,” he said.

His resignation was effective immediately and came 23 years after he first was named president of the Olympic Committee. He said he will continue in his post as vice president of PASO.

Roberto Verdesia was named the committee’s interim president. A new election will be held in September, after the games, to choose Nery Carvajal’s replacement.

Costa Rica’s Health Ministry is working to push through laws that will ban smoking in restaurants and shopping centers. The set of laws include restrictions on cigarette advertising and the inclusion of more visible health warnings on cigarette packs. Another cigarette related law aims to block the entry of a package containing only 5 cigarettes into the market. These small packs are thought to be a strategy used by tobacco companies to target young people and those with low incomes.

The Banco de Costa Rica and Banco Nacional took the first steps Monday to form a single entity that could compete with private banks.

What the change means is that a cheque written on a Banco Nacional account can now be cashed at a Banco de Costa Rica branch, and vice versa, without having the need to got to the issuing bank or depositing the instrument and waiting for the clearing period of days. Tellers in either bank will have access to a customer’s account information and will accept deposits, payments or other transactions as if they were in the home bank. Automatic teller cards also will work in machines maintained by either bank.

Costa Rican tourism authorities have come together over the past years in order to promote the country’s tourism industry in Europe. This initiative has lately paid off and the results are a visibly higher number of European tourists who have chosen Costa Rica as their vacation spot.

In the first trimester alone of 2008, over 532, 000 European visitors to Costa Rica where counted. Looking back at the first three months of 2007, this number reflects a fourteen percent increase in European tourists looking to spend their vacations in Costa Rica.

This increase of approximately sixty five thousand tourists during the first trimester of 2008, where accounted for those arriving via air travel alone. Costa Rica’s hotel availability is very diverse and caters to all types of tourists. Tourists seeking for cheap Costa Rica hotels will find that the country offers plenty of options in the low budget range without compromising its cleanliness and safety.

For the more demanding of tourists, they will find that all major hotel chains and beach resorts have a strong presence in the country.

When many people hear about Costa Rica, they think, “Well isn’t it a third world country?” or “It’s probably pretty risky to live there.” Sure, it’s a fair assessment to say that Costa Rica isn’t as developed as the United States, or similar nations, but if you tell someone who’s been to Nicaragua or Honduras that Costa Rica is a third world country, they might look at you cross-eyed. There are many aspects of Costa Rica that differentiate it from other much less developed countries, but below are five reasons why “third world” appears to be incorrect categorization.

A relatively high economic standing, and is growing fast

At one point known only for its agriculture products and tourist attractions, Costa Rica is growing rapidly in the telecommunications and call center sectors. For example, Intel has made a substantial investment here and continues to create jobs for Costa Ricans. It also has the highest GDP per capita in Central America at $11,862 annually according to an IMF study. This is relatively high when you consider it’s not a highly industrialized nation and the cost of living is about half of what it is in the United States.

Given current economic woes in the United States, those looking to invest or retire here may wonder how this will affect Costa Rica’s economy. Of course, if companies in the U.S. import less from Costa Rica it will certainly have some impact, but Costa Rica is well prepared to fend off any possible recession because it currently has a surplus. Therefore, the government will have more flexibility in placing more capital in the marketplace short term to boost the local economy. Just the fact alone that Costa Rica has a surplus should be a solid indicator that “third world” just doesn’t fit. In addition, Costa Rica’s tourism sector, which employs a significant number of people, is expected to continue to be strong as historically in times of recession, people travel closer to home for their vacations.

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If you’ve ever traveled though Costa Rica, you’ll know that this Central American paradise’s road system is far from perfect. The reality is a maze of winding mountain roads, potholes, and semi-paved paths that lead to breathtaking views and incredible natural attractions. Depending on your mood, these literal roadblocks can be either humorous or frustrating, but they must always be taken seriously, with personal safety in mind.

MOPT (the Public Works and Transportation Ministry) takes the public’s safety very seriously, and diligently monitors road conditions and public transportation companies. Improving Costa Rica’s roads will someday be a major — and very expensive — undertaking, so MOPT focuses much of its available energies on traffic safety.

On the week of May 19, MOPT revoked the transportation rights of two local bus companies, one which runs the San José - Quesada Durán route, and another that operates the San José - San Vicente (La Unión, Cargago) line. Unfortunately for both bus lines, they were taken off the roads for failure to comply with quality standards put in place by MOPT to ensure public safety on the country’s roads.

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