Houses with names

The large gate at the front of this secluded beachfront home declares that the name of this house is Casa Pochote.  Pochote is a type of tree.

People in Tamarindo name their houses usually when the houses are vacation rentals.  I presume that the names help to market the houses by giving them an identity.  It also makes them easier to find because Tamarindo does not have any street addresses.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the marine life in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

I apologize that I have been so busy lately that I am not posting daily in recent weeks.  I will continue to post when I have time, but not necessarily every day.

Pacific Park Condo Building

This is a view of the Pacific Park condo building, located at one of the two main intersections in Tamarindo.    The balconies that you see in this photo face the hills around Tamairndo.  The balconies on the other side of the building have a view of the ocean, which is about a block away.

This is another example of a large condo project that came on the market at about the same time that the recession hit.  I hope the market absorbs these units.

My own personal preference would be for the condo building to be a color that blends in more with the surrounding, as the white stands out and is very visible, even from a distance.

This week we are showing another set of underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Tamarindo Hills

This is a view of the hills above Tamarindo.  Houses and condos have been built up into the hills to take advantage of views of the bay and ocean.

I personally prefer to have a condo close to the ocean instead of  up in the hills, as I would rather walk along the beach and to see the ocean close up, rather than to look at it from a distance.

It is possible to drive up the tower in the far distance, which provides a panoramic view of the area.  At times we go up there to watch the sunset.

This week we are showing another set of underwater photos from our recent trip to the Galapagos Islands posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Crystal Sands Swimming Pool

This is a view from an upper floor of the Crystal Sands condo looking down to the swimming pool.  This pool is unusual because it is on the opposite side of the building than the beach.  That is probably a benefit for the condos on lower floors that would not want the noise and people from the pool close to their units.  But having the pool next to the ocean is very pleasant for people using the pool.

News/Comment about the U.N.  This week most of the news from the U.N. General Assembly has focused on Syria and Iran, but President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica also gave an important speech.  She emphasized the need for there to be enforcement of the World Court's rulings.

Costa Rica several years ago filed a case against Nicaragua in the World Court about a border dispute over some uninhabited islands in a river.  The World Court ordered that both countries leave the islands alone and not do anything while it considered the case.

Nicaragua has violated the World Court Order for years by occupying the territory with its army and dredging the river, which is environmentally damaging.  Costa Rica abolished its army more than 60 years ago, placing reliance on institutions such as the U.N and World Court.  If we are to avoid military solutions, we need to find effective alternatives.  

This week we are showing photos of an old cemetery and ruins of an old Friary on the Hill of Slane, Ireland, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beachfront home

A week or so ago I showed some condos on the Tamarindo Preserve development and mentioned that there is a beachfront lot available.  This is a nearby beach front home.  I took this photo from the road, but behind the trees behind this house is the southern end of Tamarindo beach.

A house would be too much maintenance for us, as it is a lot easier to take care of a condo and to rent it out to guests to cover the cost for people like us who own vacation property and do not live in Tamarindo all year.  Because of that factor, the price per square foot of houses is a fraction of the price per square foot of condos.

We have photos of the charming town of Adare, Ireland, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Theme Day: Facade

Today's worldwide Daily Photo theme for the first of the month is "facade."  Tamarindo does not have a lot of building that you would describe as having a large facade.

For the facade theme I am showing the facade of two of the larger condos, the Naxos and the Peninsula.  They are both in Playa Langosta.  They are tall in part because the are two blocks back from the ocean, so they need the height to provide an ocean view for the units on the higher floors.

It is no longer legal to develop condos this tall this close to the ocean.

Tamarindo is a small beach town.  The number of full time residents is only 500, but the number it can accommodate in all of the hotels, guest houses, and vacation rental condos and houses can reach nearly 5,000 during the peak season.

We have photos of our experience seeing the Opera in Paris posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

To see how other City Daily Photo bloggers from around the world have interpreted the theme of "facades," use this link.

Tamarindo Preserve Houses

This is a view of some of the houses in the Tamarindo Preserve development.

The Tamarindo Preserve is an ambitious project that came on the market at the wrong time.  Some houses have been built, the market is now improving.  There is only one beachfront lot left.  It was originally price at about one million dollars, but has been reduced.  Lots across the street from the beach are only a couple hundred thousand.  I have no idea what it costs to build a house.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of a night at the Opera in Paris.  We unfortunately went to the wrong Opera House.

Tamarindo Preserve Housing Development

This is the entrance to the Tamarindo Preserve development, located at the point that is the dividing spot between Tamarindo and Langosta.  There are houses and condos on a hillside next to the ocean.

The real estate collaps in the USA in 2008 also affected the real estate market in Tamarindo because nearly all of the purchasers are Americans and Canadians and their equity in their homes or second mortgages  
were often the source of funds to purchase vacation property in Tamarindo.

Tomorrow I will show more of this housing development, and discuss the price of lots.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Buddhas at the Entrance to Tamarindo Heights Development

This is a wider view of the area with the Buddhas that I showed yesterday.  It is the entrance to the Tamarindo Heights housing development.  It is a very large entrance, which I am sure the developers built to impress prospective purchasers, as it would convey the image that the developers have the financial resources to complete the roads and other infrastructure for this project.

As its name implies, the Tamarindo Heights development occupies the hillside that overlooks the entrance to Tamarindo.  There is a guard house at the entrance, which is visible on the left of this circular entrance.  I have never been nosy enough to try to talk my way past the guard to see if I can go up there and take photos and check out the development.  One of these days I will try to do that.

This week we are showing photos of the architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Beach front sand lounge

This is a view down onto the grounds of the Crystal Sands condo from the balcony of a penthouse condo seven stories high.

The patch of sand looks like a sand trap on a golf course, but it is a little area where residents can sit in a lounge chair near the beach.  They put sand there, I guess because people want to have their feet in the sand while listening to the ocean, or maybe some people want to bring down a beach towel or mat and lay out on the warm, soft sand.

This week we are showing photos of Julie's trip through the bottom of the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

High Rise Condos

I will show a few photos in the days ahead of the views from the Crystal Sands condo, which is a high rise
on Playa Langosta.  For Tamarindo, high rise means about 7 stories, as there is nothing higher than that.

Seven stories is plenty high to tower above the trees, which condo developers like to build so that they can charge the premium ocean view prices for the units on the higher floors.  This is the view across the top of the Cala Luna Resort to the Naxos and Peninsula condos.

This week we are showing some additional photos from Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon a few months ago on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Overview of Tamarindo

This overview of Tamarindo shows one of the main intersections in the heart of town, where the large white condominium dominates the skyline, the southern end of Tamarindo beach and bay at low tide, and Playa Langosta in the distance.  the tall condo at the top of the photo is the Crystal Sands, which I have shown in the past.

The yoga dance studio that I showed yesterday is in the building whose roofline is visible in the front left.  The most controversial aspect illustrated by this photo is the effect on the skyline of large condo buildings.  I showed one of the anti-development posters on a store in the old part of town a few days ago.  The old part of town is under the trees in the right side of this photo.

I like that the center of town has so many trees and preserve the small town atmosphere of the area.  On the other hand, the development of condos and hotels allows more people to enjoy the area and supports the restaurants, shops, tour guides and jobs in the area.

The beach is at low tide.  You can see how gradual the slope of the beach is.  At the wide part of the beach is the location of the Capitan Suizo Resort.  It has a nice restaurant right on the beach, which is hidden under the canopy of the trees.

This week we are showing photos of the Khmer jungle temples of Cambodia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Hilltop homes and flowers

Here are some hilltop homes above Tamarindo.  They are nice houses, with a spectacular view of the ocean.  It looks like they have planted a lot of flowering bushes, which they will want to keep trimmed to maximize their view of the ocean.

This week we have more photos of Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Langosta Beachfront House and Garden

This is one more of the the Langosta beachfront houses.  Tropical plants grow so well in our climate that many houses and condos have lush and colorful plants and flowers.

This week we have more photos of Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Langosta Beach Rental Mansion

This is a view of Casa Roca looking up from Langosta Beach.  This is the same house that I showed yesterday.

I would be afraid to have a large house that is rented out to large groups of people.  I think there would be too much partying going on in the house, including bachelor parties before weddings, etc.

Also, there is so much fewer maintenance issues having a condo compared to having a house.  It is much easier to take care of a condo than a house when we the condo is a vacation property and we are not there to look after it all the time.

Perhaps for those reasons, the price per square foot for houses is a fraction of the price per square foot for condos in Tamarindo.

Today is Sunday so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  We are showing another set of photos from Julie's recent rafting trip through the Grand Canyon.  I have not been there myself, other than a hike down and back up.  Floating the entire length of the Canyon for 10 days is a trip of a lifetime experience.

Langosta House Entrance

The Langosta beachfront has a few condos, such as ours, and a row of very nice beachfront mansions.  This is the entrance to one of them, called Casa Roca.  Most of these houses are rentals for people who want to come to Tamarindo with a large family or group.

Casa Roca is one of those rentals.  It has 5 bedrooms, a pool, and overlooks the same stretch of beach as our condo.   Usually the front gate is closed, but I took this photo while walking past when the gate was open.

This week we have more photos of Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Hillside homes

Here is another photo of homes in the hillside above Tamarindo, with expansive views of the bay and ocean.

The government got smart a few years ago.  The adopted a progressive element to property taxes, so there is a higher rate of property taxes on homes and condos that cost more than $250,000.

I think that makes sense and is fair, even though we have to pay the higher tax on both of our condos.  The extra revenue is collected from a lot of foreigners, as Costa Rica is very popular with Canadians and Americans for vacation and retirement homes. 

This week we have more photos of Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. 

Houses overlooking the estuary and ocean

Here is a closer view of the houses on the ridge overlooking the estuary.  These houses will also have a nice view of Playa Grande and the ocean, which is just around the bend in the estuary to the right.

Developers like to build houses on the hills overlooking the Pacific, as people love to have homes and condos with an ocean view.

This week we have more photos of Julie's raft trip through the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

The House Next Door (Is Not Mel Gibson's House)

This is the beachfront house next door to our condo in Playa Langosta, an upscale residential area of Tamarindo.  Why to I make a reference to Mel Gibson in the title of this post, you might wonder?

There has just been an article reporting that Mel Gibson has put his Costa Rica beach house up for sale.  It is located near Samara, about an hour south of Tamarindo.

Good news if you are in the market to buy a home.  Mel Gibson has lowered the price from when he tried to sell the house in 2010.  It is now listed for only $28.75 million USD instead of $35 million.  It has 500 acres of land, with three houses on the property, each on hilltops with views of the jungle and ocean.  The real estate listing agent described it as an ideal family compound.   I do not know if the price includes Mel Gibson's helicopter.

I don't follow Hollywood news or go to movie theaters.  I knew that Mel Gibson has a house down the coast only because a Costa Rican newspaper carried an article a few years ago about Britney Spears vacationing there.  

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on  our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the architecture of Egypt.

Condos at the Tamarindo Preserve

This photo shows one of the condo buildings at The Tamarindo Preserve.  I showed part of the site in yesterday's photo.  This photo shows that the buildings are low rise and will fortunately not change the skyline of the point between Tamarindo and Playa Langosta. Some trees have also been preserved, although this used to be a dense forest before the land was cleared and graded for condos.

I was away for three weeks in Asia until yesterday, so I have not been able to respond to comments that people left on my site, as I had pre-loaded my posts and photos.  I appreciate your comments.  I have also removed the Word Verification feature that somehow had been added to my site.  (Actually, my son removed it, as I was unable to do so.)  I agree that it was annoying.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Cape Breton Island on the northern tip of Nova Scotia.  It is a pristine, beautiful place.