IL Postcard

The Problem With Costa Rica…

Date: 10/17/2007

I love Costa Rica. Maybe because I was married there 10 years ago and I have fond memories of spending time there with my new husband. There is, though, one problem I have with Costa Rica…
Every time I leave, I go away feeling cheated. I always feel like I didn’t have enough time, and that I have barely scratched the surface of this gorgeously green eco-wonderland.
The last time I was in Costa Rica—earlier this year—my son and I rented a car. We were there on business, but we wanted to have some fun, too, and we had only a limited amount of time. I wanted to hit the coral reefs and do a bit of diving, but my son was set on whitewater rafting. Finally, we did what any rational mother-son team would do, and we argued about it. (And then we compromised.)

We headed for Manuel Antonio, on the Pacific coast and the central-southwestern side of the country. Here, you’ll find a virtual smorgasbord of activities to keep anyone entertained— snorkeling, whitewater rafting, sea kayaking, horseback riding, fishing, surfing, and boating, and on and on.

Manuel Antonio is one of my favorite places on Earth…and it won’t do to try to describe it to you. Until you see it for yourself…the nationally protected jungles and the beautiful beaches…you really can’t absorb the splendor of it. There are many, many places along Costa Rica’s Pacific coast just like this. There is always something to see… something to do… something to experience.

Thankfully, I’ll be going back to Costa Rica soon…this time with my husband. We’re going to revisit the hotel where we were married in 1997, and we’re going to spend a few days relaxing along that magnificent Pacific coast. Then, we’ll be “tanned, rested, and ready” for the International Living Live & Prosper in Costa Rica Seminar that will take place Nov. 5-7 at the Los Sueños Marriott Resort at Playa Herradura.
I’ve talked with quite a few of the speakers who will be present at this event, including my fellow IL colleagues, some of whom who are turning this seminar into an extended vacation. Can you blame them? Events Coordinator Eric Stapp has threatened to disappear somewhere in Costa Rica until Christmas…and knowing Eric, he may do just that.

Like me, Eric knows how hard it is to leave Costa Rica. It pains him to see anyone cut a trip short to someplace this great because of prior obligations…like work. So, displaying his empathy for those who are overworked and under-vacationed, Eric has arranged for two lucky seminar attendees to receive a free real estate tour. The tour will take place immediately after the seminar and is a great opportunity if you are thinking about pulling up stakes for good and heading for Costa Rica.

The tour, Nov. 8-10, will take you to see properties near Jacó and Esterillos, Dominical, and farther south along the Pacific coast, as well as outside of San Jose. These properties have been scouted by Pathfinder real estate specialists who say these are the very best values in Costa Rica today. The Pathfinder team will be along on the tour to offer assistance and advice. This is not a sightseeing tour, but is for anyone who is serious about making a move to Costa Rica. The cost for the tour is $495 (single) or $945 for a couple, and it includes all transportation (including return airfare to San Jose), one-night accommodation in Jacó, one-night accommodation in Palmar Sur, two breakfasts, three lunches, and two dinners.

Sign up now for the Live & Prosper in Costa Rica Seminar and real estate tours and you will be entered into a raffle to win your real estate tour for free. Two of these prizes will be given away.

My advice: plan on extending your trip for at least a week after the seminar. Go on the real estate tours and see this special country for yourself. But be careful, you may not want to ever leave…

Regards,

Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editorial Director