Welcome to the Osa Peninsula, the wildest place in Costa Rica!
The Osa Peninsula, and specifically Matapalo is without a doubt the most magical place in Costa Rica, and possibly in the world. You can see almost every special animal in Costa Rica – all four types of monkeys, scarlet macaws, whales and dolphins, two types of sloths, and if you’re lucky, even a tapir, harpy eagle, or jaguar.
The land is rugged and so there is little buildable terrain available. Much of it is owned by conservation-minded individuals or international organizations. Much is also in the national park system. What remains is often covered by primary forest which you cannot cut. There are dozens of ecologically-minded watchdogs to protect the Osa Peninsula, so when building a home or other structures, better follow the green path.
The Osa Peninsula, and Matapalo especially, are very exclusive, expensive areas. Most of the beachfront has no plano-regulador and thus cannot be developed at all at this time. This is not the area for developers who would like to make a fortune by cutting up a piece of land into tiny lots. No one in the area wants this type of development and there are plenty of deep-pocketed individuals and organizations that will fight high-density developments. Some big projects have already been shut down by community action. The Osa is one of the two most biologically diverse areas on the entire planet, and currently is a success story as far as keeping the big developers out goes, but where real estate prices are high, there’s always someone out to make a fast buck and the area is under constant threat.
For Osa Peninsula real estate shoppers interested in developing an eco-tourism business, we recommend reading as much as possible about tropical green building and permaculture. This trend is catching on in most developed nations and is currently the fastest growing segment of the construction market in the United States. Many Fortune-500 companies have announced that they are “greening” their headquarters or future construction. In the Osa, people have been putting green-building techniques into use for many years already. For more information, click here:
In Matapalo you will find many yoga retreats like the incredible Tierra de los Milagros, possibly the most amazing retreat center in Costa Rica, with exquisite food and a beachfront location. Trekking through the jungle, in both day and night, are popular here, as well as surfing at several point breaks. Most people come here to see the real rainforest of jungle fantasies, and the Osa delivers.
More stuff about the Osa:
Osa Peninsula Real Estate – Tropisphere’s property listings page
Osa Wiki – Wikipedia Osa Peninsula article
Osa Journeys – CostaRicajourneys.com article