Thinking about moving to Guanacaste? Costa Rica’s north Pacific coast – from roughly the Papagayo Peninsula south Playa Marbella – offers spectacular views, superb amenities, an array of gated communities, and an incredible diversity of properties and property types, from small lots and palatial development parcels to oceanfront condos and luxury villas.
So, we thought we’d pool our collective knowledge and cover the basics of the 17 beach towns and areas we know best. From north to south (Part 1 destinations, linked!):
Table of Contents:
- Papagayo
- Playas del Coco
- Playa Hermosa
- Playa Ocotal
- Las Catalinas
- Playa Potrero
- Playa Flamingo
- Playa Conchal
- Playa Grande
- Tamarindo
- Playa Langosta
- Hacienda Pinilla
- Playa Avellanas
- Playa Negra
- Playa Junquillal
- Playa Lagarto
- Playa Marbella
#1: Playas del Coco
Location: Google Maps
A town of several names, Playas del Coco – often styled as simply Playa del Coco or Coco –has some of the best amenities on the North Pacific coast, paired with cinnamon-sand beaches and affordable real estate, making it a popular choice for families, retirees, and digital nomads moving to Guanacaste.
The community is well known for its empty-nester condos and more spacious oceanside townhomes, with a growing inventory of luxury villas and family homes, drawn in part by the excellent quality private schools in the area. The town is also home to several gated communities, including Coco Bay Estates, Monte Hermoso, Monte Mar, and Pacifico.
Prices start around $200,000 for building lots and homesites and $300,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at around $800,000.
Featured Property: Villa Cielo y Mar
Offered at: $1,790,000
A breathtaking and one-of-a-kind home, Villa Cielo y Mar blends modern construction and contemporary style with a privileged hillside location, perched 500 feet above sea level and home to unparalleled panoramic views – some of the most incredible ocean vistas in northern Guanacaste, no contest.
Sprawling 4,800 square feet over two levels, this luxury villa is a testament to the joys of indoor-outdoor living. Whenever you’re inside, the ocean breezes and panoramas draw your gaze outward. And when you step outside, your heart leads you to the designer, infinity-edge pool, with a spacious lounger area and BBQ station for poolside entertainment and dining. Welcome to paradise!
>> Playas del Coco Real Estate <<
#2: Playa Hermosa
Location: Google Maps
Located just north of Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa (Guanacaste) – don’t confuse it for the Playa Hermosa in Puntarenas province, just south of Jacó – is a kind of best of both worlds, home to an understated lifestyle and high-quality, abundant lifestyle amenities, thanks to the town’s proximity to Coco and Liberia.
Here, you’ll find a gorgeous beach – hermosa means “beautiful,” in Spanish – and chill, beachy, pura vida vibes that lure everyone from retirees and families to digital nomads and investors. Here, you’ll have everything while surrounded by tranquility, which is unequivocally the draw. Gated communities in Playa Hermosa include Monte Bello and Hermosa Heights.
Prices start around $100,000 for building lots and homesites and $375,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at around $1M.
Featured Property: Hermosa Del Mar
Offered at: $549,999
The only high-rise condominium development in Playa Hermosa, Hermosa del Mar represents luxury and sophistication, just steps to the beach and almost close enough to hear the crashing surf.
This beautifully appointed, third-floor condo promises an oversized balcony, mountain views, and a resort-style community pool. You’ll also appreciate high-end finishes, including marble and granite countertops, A/C, and new, high-end furniture. Hermosa del Mar community amenities include an assigned, covered parking spot with a storage room, two community pools, a gym, and 24/7 security.
>> Playa Hermosa Real Estate <<
#3: Playa Ocotal
Location: Google Maps
If you’re looking for incredible ocean views, a great swimming beach (also a recipient of Costa Rica’s ecological Blue Flag!), and excellent convenience, Playa Ocotal is both one of the coast’s cleanest beaches and the most affordable choices when moving to Guanacaste. Proof that you really can have everything!
Within a short drive of Playas del Coco amenities and the Guanacaste International Airport in Liberia, Playa Ocotal is a haven for those who seek convenience without the crowds. Real estate is varied, focusing on condos, townhomes, single-family homes and villas, and even a new cadre of luxury homes.
Prices start around $100,000 for building lots and homesites; $100,000 for condos and townhomes; and $350,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at around $1M.
>> Playa Ocotal Real Estate <<
#4: Playa Junquillal
Location: Google Maps
Playa Junquillal is one of those rare, residential paradises: a surf town that that promises a blended rural lifestyle and convenience, paired with superb value. There’s a reason why this quiet town’s name is so often whispered from those in the know to those who soon will know.
One of the greatest draws to Playa Junquillal is that it’s home to some of Costa Rica’s rare, titled beachfront property. Additionally, you’ll find a growing inventory of homes and villas – far from the tourist throngs, not from the amenities! There are few gated communities in Playa Junquillal, including Brisas del Mar.
Prices start around $300,000 for beachfront lots and homesites and $500,000 for title beachfront single-family homes and villas. A growing luxury market starts at around $750,000.
Featured Property: Casa Oceana (Titled Oceanfront)
Offered at: $499,000
Welcome to Casa Oceana, a rare opportunity to own titled beachfront, to the tune of this 2-bedroom condominium at Brisas del Mar. Here, you’ll experience incredible ocean views and fresh breezes, from surf and sand that’s only a few steps from your front door.
The home seamlessly blends indoors and outs, thanks to an open plan, ample windows, and a private, oversized covered terrace – close enough to the Pacific to hear the crashing surf! Making this an even better deal and a bigger dream, Casa Oceana is offered fully furnished and turnkey, so you can walk right into your home.
>> Playa Junquillal Real Estate <<
#5: Playa Lagarto
Location: Google Maps
Firmly in the up-and-coming realm, Playa Lagarto is one of our top choices for anyone seeking a paradise not quite discovered. Here, you’ll get a taste of the old Costa Rica – of amenities in seclusion, where you can find a sense of community while still enjoying privacy and tranquility.
All this, for an excellent value, as Playa Lagarto is one of the most affordable beach towns you’ll find when moving to Guanacaste. The real estate inventory is still small, although you find the gated community of Playa Lagarto Eco Development, which promises a see-it-to-believe-it blend of community amenities and affordable homes.
Prices start around $35,000 for beachfront lots and homesites and $110,000-$250,000 for single-family homes and villas.
Featured Property: Casa del Sol
Offered at: $229,000
Welcome to Casa del Sol and Playa Lagarto Eco-Development! A fantastic opportunity, Casa del Sol offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bedrooms, sold fully furnished, turnkey, and move-in ready. Walk right into paradise!
Here, where howler monkeys play in the trees and beachy décor invites you to the tropical lifestyle, this cozy home offers a private pool, a covered patio, and other lifestyle amenities. The Playa Lagarto Eco-Community offers its own amenities, including 24-hour security, a full-service Spanish Restaurant, two pools, full property maintenance services (cleaning & gardening), and a shuttle to and from Guanacaste Airport.
>> Playa Lagarto Real Estate <<
#6: Playa Negra
Location: Google Maps
While the famed surf film, Endless Summer II, put Playa Negra on the map in 1994, the town and world-class surfing destination has since managed to hold tight to its chill vibes, consistent waves, and off-the-beaten-path ambiance, complete with pristine sands, rustic charm, pura vida attitudes, and a [mostly] sandals-and-swimsuit dress code.
Indeed, Playa Negra is still very much the realm of “old” Costa Rica: a beach town that houses (for now) just a handful of boutique hotels, surfer cabinas, single-family homes, and ocean-view villas. Here, you can wake to hooting howler monkeys, walk almost anywhere, and still get in on the ground floor for development, at an affordable price.
Prices start around $65,000 for building lots and homesites and $350,000 for single-family homes and villas. A growing luxury market starts at around $750,000.
Featured Property: Entrepreneur’s Dream
Offered at: $188,000
A perfect opportunity for future development, this Entrepreneur’s Dream offers 71 feet (21.7 meters) of public road frontage (soon to be paved), plus mixed-use zoning with almost no restrictions and permission to build up to 70% of the property, so you can build a single or multi-family home, condominium, boutique hotel, yoga retreat, restaurant – or a combination of them all!
Cutting through the headaches, the property also has certain public utilities, including public water, electricity, and high-speed Internet. What’s more, the water is courtesy of the Paraiso ASADA, which has an abundant water supply – even more valuable, considering how scarce water can be on Guanacaste’s northern beaches!
>> Playa Negra Real Estate <<
#7: Playa Marbella
Location: Google Maps
Somewhat under the radar, Playa Marbella is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an off-the-beaten-path kind of paradise. It feels a bit like a hidden beach: far from the crowds and yet, close to great surf, quiet sands, and a taste of the rural Costa Rican life that’s often hard to find along the coast.
As Playa Marbella is still mostly undiscovered, its real estate is largely undeveloped and inventory is often small. But what you do find is available at an affordable price and the area’s development opportunities are some of the best when moving to Guanacaste. Gated communities are still few and far between, but look into Vista Bella Ecological Estates to start.
Prices start around $75,000 for lots and homesites and $300,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at around $750,000.
Featured Property: Vista Bella Ocean-View Lot 31
Offered at: $135,000
Get in on the ground floor at this 2.57-acre, ocean-view lot at Vista Bella Ecological Estates, which offers amenities including community infrastructure. electricity and water connections up to the lot lines, annually maintained roads, and fiber optic internet up to 100MB. The town’s water supply is strong, thanks to an excellent well system.
Onsite security includes a gated main entrance, 24/7 guard patrol, roving patrols, and a sign-in/out process. Common areas include three community parks (managed by HOA). Affordable annual dues are $800 per lot. Each lot in the community is titled, registered, and insured.
>> Playa Marbella Real Estate <<
#8: Playa Langosta
Location: Google Maps
One of the most exclusive towns in Guanacaste, beachfront Playa Langosta welcomes you to the refined, tropical lifestyle and a finely tuned balance of tranquility and convenience: both close to Tamarindo’s world-class dining, shopping, and other amenities, and just far enough down a sandy beach road to feel like a world all its own.
Playa Langosta’s residential real estate market is well-developed, offering luxury single-family homes, lifestyle and luxury condominiums, and oceanview real estate. Gated condo communities include Peninsula Condos, Tamarindo Preserve (aka Punta San Francisco), Horizontes del Mar, and Crystal Sands.
Prices start around <$400,000 for a rare homesite or building lot; $325,000 for condos and townhomes; and $650,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at $1M.
Featured Property: Peninsula Condominium Penthouse
Offered at: $1,250,000
If you could create your own paradise, it would likely look much like this Peninsula Condo Penthouse, set amidst magical white sands and sparkling turquoise waters, just one block from the beach. From your 8th-floor sundeck, you can watch the sunset and take in panoramic mountain and Pacific Ocean views.
Designed for comfort and decadence, the penthouse is an entertainer’s dream. It’s also a lifestyle dream, thanks to fine finishes, contemporary design, and the community’s lifestyle amenities, which extend to a resort-style swimming pool and jacuzzi, gym, tropical gardens, 24-hour gated security, and more.
>> Playa Langosta Real Estate <<
#9: Papagayo
Location: Google Maps
One of the original luxury destinations for anyone moving to Guanacaste, Papagayo is the region that occupies the gentle curve of the Gulf of Papagayo – roughly Punta Santa Elena south to Punta Gorda, with Bahía Culebra as the jewel in its sparkling crown.
Here, you’ll find ultra-high-end real estate, superb infrastructure, and ultra-high-end real estate, mostly centered around the region’s upscale resorts and gated communities, thanks to a handful of upscale resorts and gated communities, including the Four Seasons, Reserva Papagayo, El Mangroove, Las Terrazas, Peninsula Papagayo, and Villas Diria.
Prices start around $100,000 for building lots and homesites; $1M for luxury condos and townhomes; and $550,000 for single-family homes and villas. Luxury properties start at around $1M.
Featured Property: Casa Alegria
Offered at: $749,000
Casa Alegria promises an incredible opportunity on the Papagayo Peninsula: a nearly 4,000 square-foot, fully furnished, single-level, ocean-view home perched in the hills, home to Pacific breezes and unparalleled panoramic views. The result is a spacious, airy home that blends indoors and out, ocean and mountains, life and lifestyle.
This is a home designed for outdoor living, complete with a private pool, covered terrace area, and outdoor BBQ. Imagine long afternoons and poolside dining, ocean views and seas of stars. Indoors and out, thanks to the home’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows – just one of Casa Alegria’s many fine amenities!
>> Papagayo Real Estate <<
Thinking About Moving to Guanacaste?
You have questions, we have answers! Whether you’ve already settled on your favorite gated community or are still browsing the options for Guanacaste real estate, we’d love to help you explore the world of master-planned communities.
At Blue Water Properties of Costa Rica, we’re committed to you. Not to selling you a property or spamming you with all the options, but to helping – genuinely and with good intent – to match you to the perfect property for your needs and wants. We thrive on relationships and promise the fastest communication and best services in the industry.
We’re proud to offer some of the best Costa Rica real estate. We have condos and homes, land and businesses for sale.
Go ahead – try us. Give us a chance to show off our expertise – and wow you with the possibilities! We look forward to it.
