From the vantage point just above Jacó beach’s southwestern end, the lay of the land becomes evident. Hills extend seaward like the gnarled fingers of an old woman, textured with dense rainforest and the occasional pasture. Just before the hand reaches the sapphire sea, a tuft of coconut palms rings the long, flat horseshoe-shaped beach.
The geological fingers reaching into Jacó were bare until last year. Even today there are only two large buildings easily visible above the vegetation. But ocean-view lots are a hot commodity these days, and they are rapidly transforming this Pacific beach from a budget party town into the coast’s most sophisticated community. Cranes jut above the tree line, and soon the gnarled fingers will bear sparkling glass-and-cement jewels. Municipal officials report that there are some fifteen high-rise projects on the books. "Two years from now Jacó is going to look radically different," said Shawn Fletcher, a sales executive with Daystar Properties.
With a population that, according to the Central American Population Center, will jump from barely 2,500 residents in 1990 to over 15,000 by 2010, Jacó is poised to become Costa Rica’s most visible – if not visited – Pacific town.
You might say that Jacó’s recent history begins with Los Sueños.
Grass, cows and hobby fishermen. That’s pretty much all there was when William Royster, Los Sueños CEO and President, anchored in Herradura Bay in 1991. Before Royster and his partners purchased the 1,100-acre property, it’s only residents were 400 head of cattle and a few free-roaming horses. "This area was outback, rustically undeveloped," said Andrés Madrigal, who has been traveling to Jacó for 30 years.
While nature provided the perfect setting, the true secret to Los Sueños’ success has been Royster’s painstaking planning and religious attention to detail. Royster’s team immediately began working with leading architects from Costa Rica and the United States to develop the perfect combination of highly attractive, luxury-level homes that engage owners with their natural environment. A PGA golf course, marina, hotel and commercial complex round out the picture at Los Sueños.
With a world-class residential community in place, development followed. The boom is evident in the ubiquitous signs advertising residential projects. And Daystar Properties has the most visible signs, suggesting what locals already know: Daystar Properties is everywhere in Jacó. The Michigan, USA-based developer is currently working on seven beachfront projects, three of which are already built. Projects range from the completed Bahía Azul, a small-scale beachfront condo development, to Diamante Del Sol, which will include five ten-story beachfront towers. "We can’t build them fast enough," Fletcher said. "We’re selling out before we touch dirt," he added.
Closer to Herradura, St. Regis’ sleek offices exude a luxurious tropical contemporary motif. This is the headquarters for what is Costa Rica’s highest-end residential community yet. "This is the perfect place for an ultra-high-level development," said Thomas Walker, sales director for the development. St. Regis "is close to San Jose, the rainforest and an established area in Los Sueños," Walker continued.
St. Regis residences will be on a steep, hilly property overlooking the Gulf of Nicoya. The location is attractive, combining ocean and island views with rainforest. Toucans and macaws will rub shoulders with residents, who will enjoy spectacular sunsets year round. St. Regis will have "no more than 135 homes all together," set on 250 acres, according to Walker. The grounds will include a 65-room hotel. "The service and style is a whole different atmosphere," added Walker. "This development will give credibility to the area." St. Regis is slated to be finished in November, 2008.
Just before St. Regis opens Ramada Resort and Residences Jacó Beach is scheduled to open, in March 2008, with six 10-story towers set around an all-inclusive, 84-room hotel. "People can identify with the brand, which is a solid American company. This makes a big difference," said Joann Wilshe. Prices are listed from $330,000 to $710,000, which includes a furniture package.
Another project that many developers are talking about is One Jacó Place, which will have six thirteen-story towers (starting at $250,000 for a 50 square-meter condo). This development aims to bring Las Vegas-style entertainment to the region.
And this is just the short list. Diamond Beach Towers are waiting for permits to erect a series of high-rise condos on Playa Herradura; Del Pacífico, in Esterillos, is building a new community based on the new urbanism theory. And there are many more. A short drive around town will show you real estate offices and developments around just about every corner.
In general, condos in local high rises start around $200,000 and go up to several million dollars, most notably in the Los Suenos and St. Regis developments.
There is no denying that construction is booming on the Central Pacific. The Costa Rican Construction Chamber reports a 136% increase last year in building in the province of Puntarenas over 2005. The transforming effects of these developments have already begun, and not just in the skyline. There is a newly minted Chamber of Commerce, which is working to promote beach cleanup, security and improvements in roads. Additionally, a battalion of interior designers, furniture stores, excellent restaurants, and other services are popping up to serve the area’s new residents.
Critics charge that over-building could become a problem. "Some people don’t want to see the area change from a nature-based destination to an urban resort," said real estate broker Phil Hemion. Others contend that some projects might not be environmentally responsible, such as the controversial Diamond Beach Towers in Playa Hermosa.
A twenty-minute drive from Jaco’s bustling downtown lies Esterillos Oeste. It seems a world away from the cranes and dump trucks and hardhats up the road. Here men barter for fish. Small fishing boats are scattered along the beach, and scarlet macaws sing in the trees. A shirtless, barefoot man walks by carrying a huge coconut in each hand. Esterillos Oeste is a long, wide surf-swept beach, beautiful and bucolic and, for the moment, undeveloped.
One of the fishermen approaches me and introduces himself as Mario Quintero. I ask him what he thinks about the imminent development of the area. Although he fears rent prices will increase, "It’s going to get nicer here. It’s going to be pura vida," he said, using a Costa Rican term that roughly translates as "awesome." "It should be good for us, as long as we keep everything in perspective. If you don’t have peace in your heart, you don’t have pura vida."
With that, he turned back to the small beach market. Just a few hundred meters inland, ground was broken on a new residential project.
Courtesy of Costa Rica Traveler. Published with permission.
