Hacienda Matapalo – Legit or Scam?

Those in the real estate business know that there are three items that sell homes, Location, Location, Location. In case of the "controversy" Hacienda Matapalo development,  a "proposed" 665 acre resort style gated community, situated in a rainforest on a mountain overlooking the Pacific between two beach communities of  Quepos and Dominica, location couldn’t … [Read more...]

Ocean’s Dead Zones Increase – Billfish More Exposed to Capture In Costa Rica and Other Places

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. USA. – With the New Year comes new challenges to fish in our world’s oceans and one of the major concerns is the expansion of hypoxic zones. That’s the scientific name but more recreational anglers are becoming aware of them as “dead zones.” They are areas in the oceans with low or non-existent oxygen levels which, according to a recently released research study by … [Read more...]

Puerto Jimenez – Osa Peninsula – Costa Rica

The first time I went to Puerto Jimenez was back in the mid 1970, and it took us about three days traveling on very pot-hole ridden, one-lane dirt road. And thinking back, I think we were heading to Panama or Golfito, made a right instead of going straight at Chacarita,  and ended in this very remote town. About the only Gringos we saw were surfers who were headed to Cabo Matapalo, a small town … [Read more...]

Sea Turtle Extinction – Harvesting or Thieves

We have just discovered why the Costa Rica sea turtle is going extinct, it is not being trapped in fishing nets, pollution,  global warming or tourism development, but local Costa Rican's  over harvesting eggs where many are starting to claim, it has becomes an illegal attack against nature. The above photographs [that have been plastered all over the internet],  show the destruction and/or … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Future – US Marines, Drugs, Investments, Tourism, and Oil

Last week our email box was pretty much filled with, “Why the US Marines were invading Costa Rica?” Even at our Facebook  account, a few commented on right-wing political BS, “It's all about the oil, about building a military base in Costa Rica, and of keeping an eye on all the other dangerous countries around like Venezuela." However, I would like to comment on the one of the insanely … [Read more...]

Golfito, Banana Republic and Ecotourism of Golfo Duce, Costa Rica

These days, the words Banana Republic are more likely to conjure up an image of neatly stacked chinos and v-neck sweaters than they are a place like Golfito. But when United Fruit built this town on the southwest coast of Costa Rica in 1939, there was nothing here but wilderness and Boruca, the region's indigenous tribe. Fleeing a rash of banana disease. like what happened to Quepos, that … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Drug Smugglers Problem – Crocodiles

As Costa Rica slowly but surely becomes the new hub for drug trafficking, and with San Jose now the place to smuggle containers of drugs to the US,  it now appears that drug smugglers have a new problem, which is not the US DEA, local police or competition, but crocodiles! It’s no surprise that the Central Pacific between Puntarenus to Quepos with the hot tourist spot of  Jaco between has … [Read more...]

Paving Starting On Costa Rica’s Coastal Highway From Quepos to Dominical

A picture is worth a thousand words. The photos are taken just a couple of days ago of a very tiny portion of the newly-paved 44 km (27 mile) stretch of the Costa Rica's coastal highway (Costañera Sur) leading south from Quepos to Dominical. It's been a long time coming, but at last this major public works project is not only well underway, but about 75% completed. Some of the major and … [Read more...]

Costa Rica’s Coronado – Wellness, Development, Airport

Not to be confused with the mountainous region north of San Jose,  about half way between the Pacific side cities of Uvita (South of the Dominical) and Puerto Cortes, lies the growth-targeted  natural wonderland of another,  Coronado. While tourist and retirees were flocking to Costa Rica's northern Pacific Coast which has been perceived as the country's first hot spot, further South (about 240 … [Read more...]