Golfito Costa RicaGolfito Costa Rica is a quaint picturesque little harbor town. It reminds me of the little fishing villages I’ve been to in southern Italy and Spain. The town is located in a protected bay within the larger Golfo Dulce, and is surrounded by eco-preserves and protected areas. To the south of the town are miles of beautiful beaches. 
Golfito Costa Rica was originally home to the Chiquita banana company and so the town was well developed to support the workers of the thriving banana industry. You can get pretty much anything you need here with several grocery stores, pharmacies, video stores, internet cafes, restaurants, bars and several hotels. 
New development has also begun in this area. A new local hospital was recently built in the town which also has it's own regional airport and university. 
And just north of Golfito a new international airport was recently approved to begin construction and a new larger regional hospital is nearing completion. In 1985 when the Chiquita company closed shop, the Costa Rica government opened a large duty free market here to help reduce the impact of the loss of a large employer in the area. The duty free zone is still here today and allows Ticos to buy various goods and electronics free of tax. The town has become a bit run down, but you can see the amazing potential for real estate development and tourism here. The town of Golfito is located on a small gulf of water surrounded by the larger Golfo Dulce. This location provides shelter for boats during storms, which along with it’s deep water bay make this an excellent location for marinas. This is also the first protected bay for boaters coming down through the Panama canal and heading back up the Pacific coast. A major marina project Bahia Escondida is being built on the old Chiquita banana site for 217 boats slips, and will accommodate boats up to 200 feet long. The marina is on the site of the banana shipping port and is also being structured to handle the smaller cruise ships in the future. In addition to the marina, this development includes a waterfront condo and retail complex. The condos are selling from $325K up to $1 million plus and the cost of the boat slips start around $225K for a 50ft slip. Sport fishing here is first rate. The sea life in this area is amazing as the waters are protected from international fishing for 400 miles offshore. Because Coco island, which is also part of Costa Rica, is located 200 miles out, and this extends the international waters off Costa Rica out another 200 miles. 
Also, just south of the town of Golfito Costa Rica are the beautiful beaches of Zancudo and Pavones. Pavones is famous for having once of the largest surf breaks in the world. Sufter loves it here, describing it as the place of the endless wave. I didn’t make it to any of the beaches in this area because the roads to get there are very bad. However, this beach area is listed in the Costa Rica Lonely Planet guide as one of the 10 best beaches in Costa Rica, however the road is also currently listed as one of the 10 worst. You used to have to take a barge to cross a river to get access to the southern beach areas but this is changing. A new bridge is being built and road work is in progress for new resorts going in which will then open up access to these beautiful beach areas. Golfito Costa Rica is surrounded by lush tropical rain forests with many protected areas surrounding the town itself. One of the largest protected areas in Costa Rica, the Corcovado national park is found nearby on the Osa pennisula. Following this link to the Costa Rica tourism site and select "South Pacific" to get more information on Golfito and it's protected areas. Development in this area will have some restrictions, hopefully enough to maintain it’s laid back charm. But with the new Bahia Econdida marina project and a new 5 Star Hotel and golf course, plus a second 5 Star Resort and golf course towards Zancudo and many other developments planned over the next few years, this area will soon be booming with tourists. And with more tourists coming to the area, the prices of real estate here are bound to increase significantly. Check out a
great pre-development opportunity
in this new up and coming tourist haven.
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