I came across your blog when searching for info on the new Ojochal airport plans. Your article was from aug 2012, do you have any updated news on the outcome of the studies?
Are you a real estate professional in costa rica? I am looking to buy….
Thank you!
Past articles on the new airport:
Interesting question just came in this morning.
- New International Airport In Costa Rica Aims For “Green Status” – 2012
- Is The International Airport a Reality? – 2011
- New-Old Plan for the International Airport in Costa Rica – 2010
- Costa Rica’s Southern Zone to Have Airport by 2010 – 2007
- An International Airport in the Southern Zone? – 2005
Note that the #5 link above is from 2005, and the title of the #4 article is a bit revealing.
So, in answer to the question from this morning I decided to post my most recent article, this one, on the topic of the prospect of the new airport in Costa Rica’s southern zone.
There is talk of the new airport and there has been for years. I am reminded of the anticipation of the coastal highway being finished some years back. There was a 25 mile stretch of highway between Quepos / Manuel Antonio and Dominical that was unpaved, and it was a helloacious drive. The paving of this final stretch was a big deal and there was lots of talk about it – for years.
Many years ago I approached Jack Ewing, owner of Hacienda Baru Eco-tours. Jack has lived there on the coastal highway just north of Dominical since 1970. He has seen quite a bit of change (duh) and so I thought that maybe I could cut through the rhetoric of “the highway is about to be paved” talk and ask someone who knows. “Jack” said I, “when is the highway going to be paved between Quepos & Dominical?” Jack’s response: “HAH hah HAH HAH hah hah hah hah”. Then he went into his office and came back with a newspaper that was 15 years old. In it was an article about how the highway was going to be paved that year. To this Jack added: “when I see the heavy equipment out there doing the work I will tell you when I think that the highway will be paved.” OK. Nuf sed.
There is a correlation to the impending presence of the new international airport in Palmar Sur or Norte. It has been big talk for years. It is not there. There is talk about all approvals being in, monies being allocated, land being available (or not). The airport continues in its non-existent status.
However, to continue the correlation, the highway DID get paved. It just took many years longer than anyone thought it would. And the effect on the southern zone was/is enormous. I suspect that the airport will indeed be constructed at some point and that the effect on Costa Rica’s southern zone will be huge. As for when is anyone’s guess.
When it comes to investing in real estate I am conservative. I looked at property in Uvita in 2000 and thought that the area was just too darned far off the beaten path for anyone to ever want to live there. This was one of my bigger blunders. The large ocean view parcel that I looked at for $45,000 at that time would now easily top the $300,000 mark.
That is my disclaimer for the following bit of audacious prognostication: when the airport goes in, it is likely that the properties in the zone will jump in value. I hear that the Liberia property values jumped 30% the day the airport opened up there. So, knowing when the airport will be installed would be good investment information.
As for the “when” of it? Can’t say, and so my conservative bent kicks in and pushes that criterion down on the list of reasons to buy property.
There are, however, other compelling reasons to buy property in Costa Rica’s southern Pacific zone. There is some good living going on here by people from various parts of the globe. If these reasons do it for you, you will likely benefit greatly from an “investment” in The Zone.
If the nearness of an International Airport is important to you, you might want to wait. It should be noted that there are 2 regional airportsd within 30 – 45 minutes from Uvita. Quepos to the north and Palmar Sur to the south. You can fly into San Jose and puddle-jump into The Zone from these quite easily. The limitation are that there are only 2 flights a day to Quepos and 1 to Palmar Sur. Also, the planes are smaller and so you can’t bring large luggage.
The second part of the above question is if I am a real estate professional: Yes, I am. And I am happy to work with both buyers and sellers of property in this area.