The thesis, in one sentence
Buy land ready to develop, with uses already approved, in a connected and growing area, and capture the value created by development — your own or a third party's — instead of paying for it already built.
The underlying drivers
- A stable, growing economy. Costa Rica, an OECD member, has grown at around 4% per year; the fourth quarter of 2025 posted 4.59%, with forecasts of steady growth for 2026.
- Robust foreign investment. The country attracted around US$4.32 billion in new foreign investment in 2024 (+14% year-on-year), supported by high-value sectors and nearshoring.
- Resilient tourism. 2025 closed with about 2.69 million international air visitors and a year-end rebound that extended into a record high season; North America and Europe are the main markets.
- GAM growth and infrastructure. Improvements in road corridors reorder the map of viable areas and "reprice" nearby land: exactly the logic of the Route 27 corridor where Orotina sits.
- Structural demand. Housing, digital nomads, retirees, and international investors sustain demand for land and real estate product.
Why "land with approved uses," not just any land
- Reduced risk. A parcel's main viability filter — land use — is already resolved. (See the Land Use page.)
- Optionality. It allows several exits: develop, partner with a developer, or hold the land and sell to whoever develops it.
- Value capture. The biggest jump in value occurs between raw land and land that is ready to develop or already developed; buying at the right point in the process is the essence of the play.
Advantages for the foreign investor
- Ownership in fee simple, with the same rights as a national.
- A dollarized economy: real estate transactions are handled normally in dollars.
- The possibility of residency by investment (Law 9996, from US$150,000).
- A transparent market, with a single public National Registry.
Risks to consider (frankly)
An informed investor manages them; ignoring them is the real mistake.
- Horizon and liquidity. Land is a patient, illiquid investment; the return usually materializes over years, not months.
- Permits, water, and environment. A development's final viability depends on water availability and permits; these must be confirmed with studies.
- Exchange rate. The colón–dollar relationship fluctuates — the colón strengthened markedly in 2025 — which affects returns measured in one currency or the other.
- Market cycle. Tourism and foreign investment respond to the global environment; growth can be uneven from year to year.
Where this property fits
This parcel brings together, in a single asset, several elements of the thesis: 4.57 hectares on the Route 27 corridor, 1.4 km from downtown Orotina, with seven approved uses, utilities, paved access, and documentation in order. That opens three paths — develop, partner, or hold with an exit to a developer — on a foundation of low viability risk. Your own due diligence on documented facts is the right way to evaluate it — which is exactly what the data room exists to support.
This page is general information and does not constitute investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. The figures cited are for context and may change; any decision should rest on your own due diligence and qualified advisors. No returns are guaranteed.