Five Things to Do In Arenal

It's a dramatically beautiful setting with lots to do... and low-priced properties

Dear Reader,
Arenal's a little hidden corner of Costa Rica, with a dramatically beautiful setting. Lush green hills and mountains curl around a wide,deep-blue lake. The show-stealer sits lakeside. It's a cone-shaped volcano, with smooth purple slopes rising skywards, its peak ringed by clouds. The scale of the views- the huge lake, the high volcano, the impressive mountains- contrasts sharply with the small towns and little farms scattered across the landscape.
It's not just the setting that draws a growing number of expats and property buyers to Arenal. The serene, placid, unhurried pace of life attracts them, too. Factor in low property prices, and Arenal's appeal becomes obvious.
More on the low property prices in a moment. But first, five things you'll enjoy if you visit Arenal...
#1, Water Sports. At 26 miles long, Lake Arenal will win over water sports fans. You can try swimming, water-skiing, sailing, kayaking, wind-surfing or fishing. Close by, you can swim in waterfalls, or try your hand at white-water rafting.
If you prefer dry land, you can explore the cloud forest and national parks that surround the lake...go hiking, horse riding, or bird watching (you can spot hundreds of bird species here).
With warm sunny weather and cooling lake breezes year-round, you can spend a lot of time outdoors in Arenal.
#2, See the Sights. Aside from the obvious lure of the lake and volcano...
You can check out the gigantic ceiba tree, that's around 500 years old and 197 feet high, at Ceiba Tree Lodge. Draped with ferns and orchids, and truly massive, this ceiba was Costa Rica's national tree in 2006.
It's a nature walk that will take some beating, and a must-see in Arenal: The Hanging Bridges. It offers 3 kilometers of walking trails, and six hanging bridges, suspended between towers. You'll see all kinds of wildlife as you walk through this tropical rainforest reserve.
If you prefer cool, dark, and underground, Venado Caves formed 15-20 million years ago. A ninety-minute tour will let you see limestone rock formations and marine fossils.
The Maleku indigenous village (thirty minutes from Arenal) gives you a glimpse of the traditional way of life of Costa Rica's smallest tribe. One tour option takes you into the forest to show you the medicinal plants used by the tribe.
#3, Thermal Springs. If relaxing is more your style, try soaking in thermal springs. La Fortuna, a town in Arenal, boasts a range of resorts and spas that make the most of the area's heated mineral water springs. The best resorts offer a selection of pools, with the water varying from cool to very hot. Some offer pampering massages, swim-up bars and cleansing volcanic mud treatments.
#4, Good Food. In the town of Nuevo Arenal, try fresh-baked bread from the German bakery. Or a recently opened steakhouse, with burgers, barbecue and wings on the menu. Little sodas offer low-cost, local plates...and there's a choice of pizzerias and cafes. Food gourmets should make a beeline for the Gingerbread restaurant. You won't find better food in Costa Rica.
#5, Good Company. Arenal's expat community is small, but friendly and active. They get together regularly, and support each other in a way I haven't seen elsewhere. It's a major factor cited by many of the expats who move to Arenal or buy a vacation home here.
Of course, Arenal's low property prices help make it an attractive location. Here's a sample:

• Half-acre lake-view lots in a private community from $19,000
• A two-bed two-bath riverfront home for $75,000
• An 8.25-acre estate lot with volcano and lake views for $195,000
• 93 acres with forest, pasture and rivers for $93,000
• A new, two-bed, two-bath home with lake views, furnished, for $125,000

If you want to check out Arenal for yourself...contact Terry Moran here. Terry is a real estate agent we work with in Arenal. He'll help you with your travel arrangements and accommodation. And he'll show you a customized selection of properties... based on your budget and requirements. You'll see what you want to see, when you want to see it.
This is the easiest way to get a feel for Costa Rica's lake country, and immerse yourself in its charms for a few days. Contact Terry today...and discover this hidden corner of Costa Rica.
Margaret Summerfield

International Living The Greatest Name in International Real Estate

Moran Real Estate - Over 50 years of Tropical Real Estate Excellence

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10 Reasons to Buy Property in Costa Rica



Costa Rica is a popular tourist destination. More than two million tourists visit this small country each year. They love this country’s natural beauty….pretty beaches…and wildlife-packed forests. Many of these tourists put down roots here, as expats, retirees and second-home buyers. And if you’re looking for a second home destination, Costa Rica’s hard to beat. Here are ten reasons why Costa Rica is on the shortlist of savvy property buyers:

1. It’s a stable, democratic, peaceful country. In fact, it officially abolished its army in 1949. It’s the only Latin country listed in the 22 most steadily democratic countries since 1950.
2. It’s close to the US. A 2 hour 40 minute flight gets you here from Miami, and it’s only five hours from New York. With so many major airlines flying here, and budget groups like Spirit and LACSA, you can take advantage of low-cost fares to visit friends and family back home…or they can come visit you.
3. It has a growing economy, up by 3.6% in 2010. The total amount of foreign direct investment was second only to Panama in the Central American region in 2010. Last year was a record year for tourism, too, when more than two million tourists visited Costa Rica.
4. It’s stunningly beautiful.
   Costa Rica has an abundance of natural wonders… volcanic peaks, a craggy spine of mountain ridges twisting its way through the center of the country, limpid lakes, thundering waterfalls, pristine beaches, and rich cloud and rain forests. 27% of the land lies in parks and reserves. One area, the immense Corcovado park in the Southern Zone (covering more than 100,000 acres), ranks as the most biologically intense place on the planet, according to National Geographic. Fluorescent frogs, scarlet macaws, secretive tapirs, sociable monkeys, gigantic butterflies…you can’t help but spot wildlife in this place
   
5. Medical care is top quality and highly affordable. In San Jose, the capital, hospitals like Clinica Biblica or CIMA provide world-class care, at a fraction of the cost you’d pay back home. Costa Rica is a popular choice for North American medical tourists looking to cut the cost of major procedures (dental treatments, joint replacements, eye surgery, etc.). Costa Rican residents pay a low monthly fee to join the national health care system (CCSS), and can use CCSS hospitals and clinics. Fees for private medical cover start from around $50 a month.
6. Costa Rica boasts a superb quality of life. Life expectancy is high, at 77.7 years on average. The country also regularly tops the Happiness Index. The index is a measure of health, life satisfaction, and environmental footprint. A score of 8.5 for life satisfaction places Costa Rica almost a full point ahead of its closest rival in this category. Costa Rica’s easygoing, friendly, family-centered, low-stress outdoors lifestyle plays a big factor in longer lifespans and feeling content with your lot.
7. The climate is warm year-round, outside the Central Valley (where temperatures hover in the 60s). You can wave goodbye to freezing winters, ice and snow. Temperatures average in the 70s and 80s, with no tornadoes or hurricanes. If you enjoy spending time outdoors…sport fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, zip lining, horse riding, hiking, wildlife watching…the climate in Costa Rica will allow you to enjoy these activities pretty much all year.
8. You have a choice of residency options. You can become a resident if you can prove income of $1,000 a month, for example.
9. Costa Rica is already home to an estimated 30,000-50,000 North American expats who own property in Costa Rica, or live here full or part time. They have a long-established association of residents with a bi-monthly newsletter, and they help newcomers get settled in.
10. It’s affordable. It’s not just the health care. Property taxes are low, at around 0.25% of the recorded or municipal-registered value of the property annually. That’s around $462 on a $185,000 property…annually. You can afford domestic help, too.

And despite the growing numbers of celebrities and wealthy businessmen who have purchased multi-million dollar homes in Costa Rica, you can still find low-priced properties here…and afford to custom build your dream home.

Moran Real Estate Over 55 years of Tropical Real Estate Excellence

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Moran Real Estate Unique Properties

A Rare Hotspring on 25 acres of rolling pasture land 30 minutes west of the Lake. The hotspring is just a few feet from the springs that make up the pure clean large Rio Corobici, and the hot spring is accessed from a hanging bridge across the river.

The property also includes a former bar and restaurant next to the Hotspring Pool and a beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home, which is connected but can be utilized as 2 living units. The property is totally off the grid, having their own well and solar and hydro-electric power system.

The views from the property are spectacular, including 5 volcanos and on clear days all the way to the Pacific Coast. Just one hour from the Liberia International Airport which you can see lit up at night far in the distance.

This property offers a myriad of possibilities but in my opinion it is an ecological resort waiting to happen, with horse trails going in every direction for miles and miles and the peace and quiet of the country side.

This property is offered at $685,000, call us and take a look, the photos don't do justice to this unique beautiful property.

Moran Real Estate Over 50 Years of Tropical Real Estate Excellence

                       Buy land. They've stopped making it.
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Moran Real Estate Introduces Its Fly And Buy Program

Moran Real Estate in co operation with a few exclusive developers has inaugurated a fly and buys program and now offers $1000 towards your airfare to Costa Rica plus 2 free nights at The Gingerbread Boutique Hotel and Fine Restaurant if you purchase one of the fine properties participating in this program with us.
These developments include, Bella Vista Estates,  Turtle Cove Yacht Club,  Blue River Estates  and  The Preserve At Lake Arenal, with more properties to follow.
This affords a potential buyer to save time and money while seeking their dream in Costa Rica.

Call Moran Real Estate at 506 2694 0088, or Cell 506 8880 8888  24/7

Gingerbread Boutique Hotel

Moran Real Estate Over 50 Years of Tropical Rean Estate Excellence

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