No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCondominium “Village” Offers Water Sports, Diving, Fishing, Beaches and Other Amenities

Condominium “Village” Offers Water Sports, Diving, Fishing, Beaches and Other Amenities

THE Mapache Condominiums, ownedby Carlos Arroyo, are among the mostambitious real-estate ventures in a town ofincreasingly grand projects.The complex is within walking distanceof the town center, the casino,seafood and pizza joints, the high-speedInternet café, dive shops, hotels and eateries,large U.S.-style grocery stores and thekaraoke bar.However, as this enclave develops, it isbecoming a private village with the sameservices offered in town, including a smallschool, as well as some extras that haven’tyet hit the main strip of Playas del Coco.On the horizon are an Italian restaurant,an open-air shopping plaza and thetown’s first movie theater, all along windingstreets patrolled by private securityguards.When finished, it will boast 700condos built among dense gardens underthe shade of the tree giants the builders leftstanding. The units are situated aroundswimming pools – 50, all told – and arewithin two blocks of the beach.Carlos’ laid-back nature, short ponytail,jiggly waistline and quick laughterhardly blend with the luxury, precision andgrandiosity of the project. But he is anideas man. Mario says his brother neverstops thinking; even when cruising in hiswood-trimmed van, he is considering hisnext improvement or his next big project.The school, for example, is an institutionhe helped rescue after the original buildingin town burned down.HOWLER monkeys bellow from thebranches above the rooftops, and Carlos issure that many more monkeys and birdswill descend from the forested hills aroundthe complex when construction is finishedand the rest of the gardens planted withintwo years.As of this writing, 70 of the 100 completedunits have been sold to buyers from22 different nations. One hundred more areunder construction.“It’s not a housing project; it’s a littlecity,” Carlos said, “with studios from$30,000 up to luxury homes in the milliondollarrange.”THOSE who have invested don’t seemto have enough good things to say.“Where else can you buy a mini-housefor so little, just five minutes’ walk fromthe beach?” British expatriate AngelaPerry asked. She and her husband bought aduplex for themselves and 12 studios torent. Units are available for long-termrental or by the night, starting at $15 forthe most basic.Accommodations aside, the other drawis the area’s jungle-and-beach fantasyland.Mapache has an arsenal of motorized toys– 24 ATVs and 12 jet skis, in addition tothe pangas and diving and sportfishingboats under Mario’s command.For information on buying or rentingcondos, or boat tours, fishing and diving,call 670-0239 or visit www.grupomapache.com. For condo info, e-mail marroyo@grupomapache.com, and for infoon water activities, saltwatertours@yahoo.com.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Tourism Sector Alarmed Over Rising Violence and U.S. Criticism

Tourism leaders in Costa Rica are warning that rising crime and international criticism could damage the country’s reputation as one of Latin America’s safest...

FBI Recordings Reveal Costa Rica Ex-Minister Celso Gamboa’s Drug Ties

Costa Rican authorities continue to hold former security minister Celso Gamboa in custody as U.S. officials push for his extradition on drug charges. Recent...

Mexico Battles Wildfire Damage with Drone-Based Reforestation

Authorities in the state of Michoacán, in western Mexico, are using drones to scatter seeds from the air in an effort to reforest hundreds...

Costa Rica President Confronts Calls to Strip Immunity

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves denounced today an “attempted judicial coup” as he appeared before a congressional committee that must recommend to the full...

Costa Rica National Parks to Measure Tourism Impact

Costa Rica will now be able to measure the impact of tourism in its national parks, thanks to innovative environmental technology from The NeverRest...

An Expat’s Life with a Rescue Dog in Costa Rica

For the past 15 months I have been the primary caretaker of a bona fide street dog, a barrio zaguate called Dorothy. My wife...
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica