Cabo Velas, Santa Cruz, Costa Rica Real Estate

Cabo Velas, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste real estate covers a district in the canton of Santa Cruz, in the province of Guanacaste, in northwestern Costa Rica. It is district number 8 of the canton, uses postal code 50308 and spans 73.7 km² (28.5 sq mi). Its seat village is Matapalo.

The listings here are houses, lots and land, and farms. Buyers usually look at it as a place to live, to build on, or to hold as a long-term investment on the Pacific side of the country.

Because houses, lots and farms are listed, a few buyer profiles make sense. Some people buy a house to live in, either as a main home or as a second home. Others buy a lot to build on, which means more planning but control over the design.

Buyers who want income can buy a house and rent it out later, since houses are also listed for rent in the district. That makes buying to rent a form of investing, though the result depends on the property and how it is managed. Farms suit people who want larger land and are ready to handle access, water and upkeep themselves.

Three property types are listed for sale. When there are enough listings, this page shows above how many of each there are.

• Houses: check the condition of the roof, structure and electrical system, how the property is reached, and the water supply.
• Lots and land: confirm legal access, the boundaries against the survey plan, and whether water and electricity can reach the site.
• Farms: look at the size on paper versus on the ground, internal roads, water sources and any protected areas nearby.

Cabo Velas is a coastal district in Guanacaste, in the northwest of Costa Rica. In a straight line, it is 27.9 km (17.3 mi) from Santa Cruz, the canton seat, and 197.1 km (122.5 mi) from downtown San José.

For travelers coming from abroad, Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) is 38.4 km (23.9 mi) away in a straight line. Being on the coast matters for buyers who want beach access, but it also brings specific legal checks, covered in the next block.

• A title search at the National Registry (Registro Nacional) to see who owns the property and whether it has mortgages, liens or annotations.
• A registered survey plan (plano catastrado) that matches the title and what you see on the ground: boundaries, size and access.
• A land-use certificate (uso de suelo) from the Municipalidad de Santa Cruz and, where one exists, the canton's zoning plan.
• Maritime-terrestrial zone (Law 6043): the 200-metre strip from the ordinary high-tide line. The first 50 metres are public and the other 150 are only granted as municipal concessions, not owned outright. Check whether the land falls inside it.
• Written water availability from AyA or the local ASADA, and electricity, before buying a lot or farm to build; building permits come from the local authority.
• Property tax (Law 7509) and municipal services paid up to date.

Cabo Velas borders two districts: Tempate and Tamarindo. Both are useful reference points when you study the surrounding area and compare properties.

Within the district, the official villages include Brasilito, Conchal, Flamenco, Playa Grande, Playa Real and Salinas, among others. Real travel time depends on the hour, the season and the state of the road, so drive the route yourself at different times before deciding.

A purchase usually starts with a local real estate agent who knows the area, followed by comparing several properties of the same type. Then a Costa Rican notary prepares the transfer by public deed, which pays the transfer tax (Law 6999). Ask for the full closing-cost breakdown before signing.

Foreigners can own titled property in Costa Rica with the same rights as citizens (Article 19 of the Constitution), with the exceptions the law sets. Agencies and agents with listings in the zone appear further down this same page.