Hilltop condos

Here is another photo of the type of houses and condos that have been built in the hills above places like Playa Panama, Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco. These homes have views out to the ocean.

The views are nice, but as I mentioned yesterday and several people who left comments agreed, I prefer a condo where we can walk to dinner and enjoy the activity of a community like Tamarindo, rather than a hilltop where you have to drive everyplace you want to go. Plus, we like to walk out our door to the beach.

Tomorrow and the day after I will show more of the recent real estate boom, and will discuss that real estate is more than "location, location, location."

This week we are showing photos of Iceland on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Playa Panama housing

This photo shows some houses or condos across the bay at Playa Panama. These people have a nice view of the bay and ocean.

My wife and I prefer Tamarindo, however, where we have a view of the beach and ocean, but there are also about 40 or so restaurants to which we can walk for lunch or dinner. A house or condo in a place like this would require driving to dinner, or cooking yourself.

Hotels in places like Playa Panama are destination resorts, as there are not many places where you can walk and enjoy both the beach and a variety of restaurants.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week we are showing some photos from Julie's brother's trip to Iceland.

The bay at Playa Panama

Here is another view of the bay at Playa Panama, shot with a telephoto from the same spot as yesterday's photo. As this photo shows, there is lots of land around and some people have got caught up in the real estate boom of 5 or 6 years ago. In a few days I will show you the sometimes not-so-successful results.

This week we are showing photos of the cathedral in Como, Italy on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Overview of Playa Panama

This is a view of Playa Panama from the road approaching from the south. This shows something that I commented upon yesterday, which is there there is not much of a town at Playa Panama.

Some people enjoy building houses in the area, or buying condos, that have ocean views, such as the houses in this photo and a few more photos that I will post in the coming days.

This week we are showing photos of the cathedral in Como, Italy on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Playa Panama

Here is a photo of the beach at Playa Panama, looking in the opposite direction from the view that I howed yesterday. As I commented yesterday, the beach here is so sheltered by the bay that it is similar to the shore of a lake rather than the ocean.

I did my little road trip to the beaches about an hour north of Tamarindo on a cloudy day, and there were not many people out on the beach. There is not much of a town at Playa Panama. There are some houses, condos and hotels scattered around.

This week we are showing photos of the cathedral in Como, Italy on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Playa Panama

This is a photo of the beach at Playa Panama. It is sheltered by the its location within the a bay deep in the Gulf of Papagayo, so it does not receive ocean waves or surf. It is ideal for easy swimming.

This area has the advantage of having the closest beaches to the international airport in Liberia, just about one half hour away.

There is a Hilton Papagayo Resort near this spot. It is an all-inclusive resort where guests pay one price that includes their room and their meals. I have stayed in all inclusive resorts in very remote locations, such as Easter Island, Torres del Paine National Park near the southern tip of Chile, and the Atacama Desert, but my wife and I prefer getting out and enjoying some of the local restaurants in communities that have good restaurants.

This week we are showing photos of the cathedral in Como, Italy on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Playa Panama

Today I will begin a short series of one more beach north of Tamarindo, close to the Gulf of Papagayo. This area is under the location where airliners fly over the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica when they make their approach to the international airport in Liberia, about one hour north of Tamarindo.

I previously showed photos of Playas del Coco and Playa Hermosa. The area under the aerial photo I am showing today is Playa Panama. Tomorrow and the next day I will show this area from the beach.

This week we are showing photos of the cathedral in Como, Italy on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.