Hidden Coast Realty
Hidden Coast Realty was founded in Guanacaste in 2000 by Joost Hauwert. His goal was to help find the best deals for his clients, many of whom were from abroad.
Las Catalinas
On Friday I had the pleasure of meeting with Charles Brewer, principal of LasCatalinas, a development underway on the north end of Potrero Bay. Charles formerly founded and sold Mindspring, an early internet service provider, and later developed a new urbanism project in Atlanta called Glenwood Park. These days his attention is devoted fully to Las Catalinas, where he plans to create the most attractive and friendly beach community in the world.
I met with Charles on site and got to pick his brain about the project as we drove through the vast piece of land and walked the construction now underway. The project spans Danta and Dantita beaches, and we spent most of our time at Phase I, located at Playa Danta. The land lends itself to development perfectly as the hills rise up in a sort of bowl, directly overlooking the beach.
Phase I encompasses seven luxury homes just steps off the beach. Staying true to their goal of community, the homes are essentially zero lot line and open to a beach front promenade. The idea is that Las Catalinas will be a self contained and fully pedestrian friendly town, and the developers will be living right there in the heart. As we talked Charles emphasized how it important it is to him that this place be safe for children, and for that reason, parking will be in zoned areas only and all roads through the heart of town will be pedestrian. Additionally, new urbanism lends itself to compact spaces, so securing the area will be quite simple. Charles envisions his three children being able to walk wherever they please at Las Catalinas without the fear of them being endangered by traffic.
Another aspect of the project that he emphasized was the need to make sure that Las Catalinas is a fun place to live. To this end, Phase I contains two commercial establishments that will be open the public. The first will be Lola’s Norte, a beachfront restaurant run by the same geniuses that created Lola’s at Playa Avellanas, a local favorite for a relaxing day at the beach for many years now. Lola’s will be serving up great food and cocktails in the heart of Las Catalinas. Additionally, there will be an outdoor outfitter located at Playa Danta. Here you will be able to rent whatever toys you might interested in for the day including kayaks, paddle boards, snorkel gear, etc. Charles wanted to emphasize that the goal is community, and he would be working hard in all phases of Las Catalinas to make it an interesting place to live, instead of simply a high end resort with little to do.
Las Catalinas Construction
As of Friday the first seven houses at Las Catalinas (owned mostly by the principal investors in the project) were in the gray work reaching the roofs with scheduled completion before the end of 2010. Additionally, there are seven homes available for purchase through Hidden Coast Realty. Please contact us for more information. Hidden Coast will be happy to give you a personalized tour of Las Catalinas.
News Uncategorized by .
Surfers from all over the world love the convenience of a surfing trip to Costa Rica. Read on to find out how to surf diverse breaks all within one hour of the international airport in Liberia, with direct flights to major cities in North America.
For beginners, the recommended spot is to go directly to Tamarindo. Tamarindo is a sheltered beach hidden behind Isla Capitan, and thus receives less swell than most other beaches in the area. Waves break on the beach at a size perfect for beginners. There are many surf shops with tons of instructors and boards to rent, so stop in a get yourself a lesson. You’ll practice standing up on a large and stable board with soft foam cover.
For more advanced surfers, I recommend you stay at Playa Grande. The beach break in front of Las Tortugas is one of the most consistent in the country. There are may be 30 unsurfable days a year at Playa Grande. The main peak throws lefts and rights and occassionally barrels. There are also smaller peaks to the left and right including the rock, Pochotes, and further down, Casitas.
You might also like to try out Playa Langosta, on the southern end of Tamarindo. You drive through Tamarindo following the signs to the Barcelo Hotel. The break here is heavy and with a moving peak, so not ideal for novices. It can be surfed on a mid tide, which is nice when most other beaches are best before and after high tide.
Avellanas is another great location. The rivermouth consistently breaks left and right. Be careful if surfing on a low tide as there is a submerged rock. Little Hawaii is the most famous break at Avellanas. It breaks on the reef west of the Hacienda Pinilla beach club. For an easier swim, walk well south before swimming out and you won’t have to duck dive nearly as much. Little Hawaii is mostly a right that can get double overhead with a large swell. Going left will drop you in a rock area, so generally not recommended.
Playa Negra is a great beach for advanced surfers. There is a large barreling left when the swell is good. Be careful as there are rocks on both sides of the main break. Watch the locals to get an idea of how to surf this break.
You might consider surfing Little Hawaii on a mid tide and then making your way to Playa Negra for the rest of the day if the tide is working your way.
The great part of this area of Costa Rica is that it is slow close to the airport and has consistent swell throughout the year. Search Playa Grande Surf Report on google to get an idea of how the waves are breaking.
Visitors love the fact that the water is so warm too! You never need a wetsuit, only occassionaly needing a rash guard.
Uncategorized by .
A Marrakech Unit
Visitors to Playa Langosta will probably remember seeing the Courtyard Villas from the street at a minimum. Architecturally, they are one of the most appealing properties in the area. The plan for the 10 unit complex was to create a sense of community, and with that in mind, each villa has a covered front porch ideal for reading a book and having a friendly word with neighbors and visitors alike.
It is rare that an architect blends three different styles successfully, but the Courtyard Villas pull it off in spectacular fashion. The three models are Napoli, Marrakesh and Madrid, drawing influence from Italy, Morocco and Spain respectively. The Marrakesh units in particular have received rave reviews from vacation renters as they enjoy the rooftop jacuzzis and dining areas.
A walk through any of the Courtyard Villas is a lesson in attention to detail. Mosaic tile is used in the interiors with baldosa on balcony and patio areas. The ceilings, molding, cabinets, doors and windows are all custom teak. The kitchens feature leaded glass, granite countertops or molded cement, and high end GE appliances. Wrought iron elements and molded concrete pieces accent the exterior areas including gorgeous window sills and columns. Pools and jacuzzis are glass tile and very comfortable, with small fountains.
Each unit also has an exterior propane barbecue.
The complex itself is maintained by Javier, the garden loving handyman who maintains approximately 35 types of plants on the property. They surround the central fountain, which runs west towards the ocean.
Rooftop Jacuzzi
The Courtyard Villas are across the street from Playa Langosta and an easy walk to the supermarket, restaurants, and a bit of night life as well.
As of August 2010, there are two units for sale at the Courtyard.
Courtyard Villa 9 is a Marrakech unit listed at $560,000US.
Courtyard Villa 5 is a Madrid unit listed at $570,000US with a small 4×4 and a scooter included.
Courtyard Villa 8 is a Napoli unit for sale at $529,000.
News by .
The owner of Villa Moderna at Oro del Sol is now more motivated to sell. He has dropped the price of his home to $340,000. This is a great deal. 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, with a pool, garage and a great landscaped lot.
Uncategorized by .
2 bedroom, 2.5 bath unfurnished unit. Can’t beat that price! Emails us to see it!
Uncategorized by .
The view from some of the central Tamarindo hills looks different these days as construction has resumed on La Perla. Workers have stuccoed the exterior and are adding railings. We understand kitchen installations are underway as well.
La Perla
Hidden Coast Realty sellers will now have their properties listed on a nationwide MLS system implemented by Tierra Max. This will dramatically increase the exposure of listings.
For buyers, it is a great situation as well as they will be able to search the MLS directly on hiddencoastrealty.com, with a qualified agent from Hidden Coast able to follow up immediately.
Look for the link to the MLS to appear later this week!
Uncategorized by .
The owner of this two bedroom, 2.5 bath never used unit is ready to deal. Now asking $97,900 for Villa Verde II #8.
Uncategorized by .
The owners of Courtyard Villa #9 in Playa Langosta have reduced their price to $560,000. That is a great deal for a 3 bedroom, 3.5 bath turn-key property. It is a truly unique set up with a rooftop jacuzzi and a ground floor swimming pool.
Uncategorized by .
Perhaps as a buyer you are wondering what the best Langosta real estate deal is these days. You might consider La Esquina #1, a gorgeous condominium located across the street from the beach. La Esquina is a small complex of 10 units with an absolutely gorgeous swimming pool with a truly unique banyan tree. There are two sunset decks that are perfect for cocktails and enjoying the stars. Unit #1 is tastefully furnished and sold turn-key. For $350,000US, it’s a very nice property in a very nice location.
News by .