Costa Rica’s natural beauty, healthy way of life, and sustainability aren’t a secret. But as the world reopens, more and more people are starting to see Costa Rica not just as a country that’s got potential.
Instead, Costa Rica is finally (and maybe a few years too late in our opinion) becoming recognized as a country that has arrived and still has an incredibly bright future ahead.
Let’s take a look at 10 articles that caught our eye this month for calling out what many of the people here have known all along — that Costa Rica, and especially the Nicoya peninsula, is one of the top places in the world to vacation, live, and retire.
A World-Class Vacation Destination…
Long sought after for its beautiful beaches and incredible biodiversity, Costa Rica has continued to grow as a must-visit destination both in Central America and worldwide.
After a quiet 2020, new lodging and experiences across the country began to return with gusto at year’s end, as the industry continues to refine and improve the many ways to experience Costa Rica.
Bloomberg News was quick to hail Costa Rica in its “Where to Go in 2021” feature of 21 top world destinations, noting not only the country’s new 5 star options but also its continued dedication to protecting its environment and reducing natural impact.
Costa Rica doubled down on ecotourism more than 20 years ago with the creation of the Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST) in 1998, and this year raised the highest standards of certification even higher, acknowledging hoteliers who continue to raise the bar of ecological responsibility.
Our home province of Guanacaste looks to be a center for this increasingly healthy tourism industry, welcoming several new direct flights to Liberia airport from the American West Coast, and the resumption of other key direct flights.
Add in the upcoming Flamingo Marina, scheduled for phase 1 completion in the next 12 months, and the evolving shops and restaurants around Tamarindo, and you have a recipe for a vacation spot comparable to any in the world.
…And A Base for a Little Longer
But beyond tourism, Costa Rica has also begun to emerge as a center for digital nomads, workers abroad, and sabbatical travel on the back of updated infrastructure to support the country’s already vibrant artistic and outdoor lifestyle.
Conde Nast lauded our home region on the Nicoya Peninsula as “A Natural Haven for Creatives”, exploring the faces of art, food, music, and more that have built a center for creative culture on top of the country’s strong ecological foundation.
Forbes took their praise for the nation to the next level, listing it as #1 on its list of nations to live abroad in 2021. Hailed as the “Switzerland of Central America” for its dedication to peace, the article goes on to laud Costa Rica for its affordable healthcare and easygoing, accessible way of life.
And it’s easier to do so than ever before. In a recent article, we touched on Costa Rica’s new visa dedicated to digital nomads, which laid out an expedited path for remote workers and their families to live for up to a year in Costa Rica.
Especially as many of us remain working from a distance heading into 2021, making Costa Rica into your home not only looks more desirable than ever but also easier than ever.
Costa Rica’s 75 Year Long-Play (And Why It’s Paying Off)
Not long after a brief, violent civil war in the 1940s, Costa Rica abolished its military in 1949, making it one of the only demilitarized nations on earth and the only one in Central America (followed almost 50 years later by Panama).
This formed the financial and political groundwork to prioritize human development initiatives, but the work wasn’t done. In fact, by the 1980s, only 1/3rd of the woodlands that had covered Costa Rica remained due to rampant deforestation.
However, as EuroNews explores in a recent article, series of bold decisions to prioritize the protection and restoration of the environment lead to a complete transformation of the country, into the ecological paradise it is today. Or, to use their words, “The Greenest and Happiest Place on Earth.”
It’s a bold claim, but recent reports show that it might not be too much of an exaggeration. Recent adjustments to the UN Human Development Index to include environmental conservation sent Costa Rica skyrocketing up its lists, reaching the 25th overall position and definitive first ranking in Central America.
This recognition of Costa Rica’s impressive ecological record comes on the tail of Costa Rica’s nearly entirely sustainable grid (powered by 98+% renewable energy for the 6th straight year), last year’s bold decarbonization plans, and new initiatives for conservation.
For example, Costa Rica joined together with 50+ countries recently, which together represent 28% of the world’s total biodiversity, to join together in a coalition aimed at protecting a baseline of 30% of the world’s landmass and aquatic area, and grow from there.
The Costa Rican News’ recent article covers Costa Rica’s wholehearted contribution to the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People (or HAC for short), adding to the country’s continued effort to be part of the solution, not the problem of global ecological change.
As a whole, these initiatives for the country’s people, public health, environmental protection, and sustainability are a major part of why we’re proud to be contributors to our local Costa Rican community.
And How You Can Start Making Costa Rica Home Today
You’re not the only person looking at Costa Rica and thinking about making it home, whether that’s for vacation or something a bit more permanent.
The New York Times was quick to jump into the movement, featuring a glimpse of Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast living in their real estate section. And while we prefer our slice of Nicoya to the House Hunters’ selection in the Puntarenas, you’d be hard to go wrong anywhere along the ocean.
Our last piece of news comes straight from the heart of Senderos, where we’re thrilled to report that tours and site visits continue to bounce back strong, with another round of sales on the horizon.
For a long time, Costa Rica has been billed as a place of the future. And while there’s still an incredible amount to look forward to in our corner of the world, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Costa Rica’s moment is now.
You can reach out to our team at info@senderos-cr.com to ask our team any questions you might have about how to visit, how to try out living here, and ultimately how to stay. You might be surprised at the answers you discover…
