A breathtaking 1,400-acre private peninsula on the northern shoreline of Costa Rica, surrounded by white sands and pristine beaches, Peninsula Papagayo stands out as a unique tropical retreat. A short drive from an international airport in the city of Liberia in Guanacaste province, Peninsula Papagayo is home to key regional sustainable luxury destinations: spectacular private estates, Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica, Andaz Costa Rica Resort, and Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course.
Peninsula Papagayo’s new owner, development firm Gencom, is now working on a $100 million groundbreaking transformation of the destination that includes renovations to the two resorts on the peninsula and the construction of 20 new sustainable luxury villas and estates on 17 acres of oceanfront property in Prieta Bay, known as Four Seasons Private Residences Prieta Bay at Peninsula Papagayo, to be completed by the end of 2019. Located between Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica and Prieta Beach Club, this new residential community offers unparalleled views, serenity, and comfort. The new residences, featuring private infinity pools, attached garages, and media rooms range from around 4,500 to 8,000 square feet and start in the mid-$3 millions.
I enjoyed exploring the peninsula along with some of its most beautiful villas and sustainable luxury developments that have become vacation homes and residencies to the wealthy looking for sustainable luxury, along with all that it entails: peaceful, unspoiled nature and wildlife, beauty, exciting adventures, and pura vida. My journey and conversations with locals shed some light on what it is that makes Peninsula Papagayo a unique destination for sustainable luxury.
Costa Rica is a peaceful and biodiverse country committed to sustainability
One of the longest running democracies in Latin America, Costa Rica is safe and peaceful. It has had no wars for over a hundred years, and there is no standing army. This tropical Central American country is home to the greatest biodiversity in the world and ranks as one of the happiest places on the planet. The landscape and biodiversity is simply magical: thick lush rainforests, uncrowded pristine beaches, steep mountains and majestic volcanoes, colorful birds and animals.
For years, Costa Rica has approached tourism from a sustainability angle and has been very serious about its environmental regulations, ensuring that while the country developed its tourism industry and reaped economic benefits, it continued to safeguard its main resources: beautiful nature and diverse wildlife. Costa Rica’s power grid is 100 percent renewable energy: mostly hydro, wind, and geothermal thanks to volcanic geology. Despite many developments, a large percentage of land remains devoted to national parks. As the trend towards more conscious and sustainable living continues to grow, ecotourism and sustainability has turned into Costa Rica’s competitive advantage.
Peninsula Papagayo’s location, geography and weather is like no other
Located on the northern shoreline of Costa Rica, a short drive away from a thriving international airport, Peninsula Papagayo boasts unique geography and weather that makes it a particularly desirable location. The climate is tropical year round. Beautiful sunny weather helps make effective planning easy, and fairy-tale like vacations almost guaranteed every time. Peninsula Papagayo is not friendly to extreme weather events like hurricanes. Tall mountains protect the peninsula by slowing winds.
Consistently perfect weather is one of the reasons why Peninsula Papagayo is such an attractive vacation destination and a prime spot to own a villa: “Every day is very different in many ways and every day is the same in many ways. The weather is always perfect here: sunny, always a little breeze. Even during the rainy season, there is only a little bit of rain and so we can still make plans,” confirms Craig Balsam, a co-founder of Razor & Tie Direct, an independent music label and publishing company in North America, who already owns a villa on the peninsula but is upgrading to a new, larger one thanks to the new development: “Consistency is so important when you go on vacation. My wife and I work really hard and so when it is time to relax, we actually like not to struggle through a lot.”
Fine dining is an experience in and of itself
I did not have high expectations for food in Costa Rica, but I was blown away by all the delectableness that I indulged in at the resort’s restaurants Bahia, Pesce, and steakhouse Caracol, featuring Latin American, Italian and American cuisines. Local chefs clearly mastered the art of Nouvelle Cuisine and proudly serve their guests fresh local seafood, skillfully grilled meats, and delicious desserts.
Focus on fresh, local food and sustainable agriculture is what makes dining here a truly memorable experience. High import taxes on alcohol have encouraged resort restaurants towards seeking out unique and up and coming wineries, resulting in excellent wine and cocktail offerings. Some of the wines I had at the resort’s restaurants were simply remarkable.
Mornings started with refreshing fruit concoctions and a variety of beautifully presented breakfast specials. Later in the day, I sipped smoothies by the infinity pool overlooking the Prieta beach. Lunches and dinners were spent soaking up breathtaking views, while savoring rich and sophisticated meals that would please the most discerning palate. The culinary highlight of my trip was a late night feast right on the torch-lit beach at the Prieta Beach Club, listening to the sounds of waves and drumming in the background.
Nature remains unspoiled and wildlife – diverse
The Costa Rica Tourism Board has allocated Peninsula Papagayo for luxury tourism development. Yet, it made it very clear to the developers that nature must remain unspoiled and wildlife is required to be protected. The area has 70 % natural requirements, meaning that resorts and villas blend in with the natural landscape, keeping nature and wildlife undisturbed. For instance, villa owners leave their properties wild and do not build fences around them to allow free movement of wildlife. When touring stunning multimillion properties that feature views that one can only dream about, I saw plenty of birds and animals myself. I felt immersed in natural wonder. Capuchin and howler monkeys kept chatting and deciding family affairs up in the trees, huge 3 feet long iguanas tried to blend in with the sand on the beach while also hissing at passers-by when those came a little too close. Exotic birds and butterflies filled the skies. Tropical exuberant foliage completed the enchantment.
People who come to Peninsula Papagayo are attracted to unspoiled nature and diverse wildlife, and care about sustainability and ecotourism. According to Steve Grubba, who heads residential sales for Peninsula Papagayo and Four Seasons Costa Rica, “only a quarter of people coming to the resorts are drawn to the golf course, the rest spend most of their time hiking, looking for animals, and engaging in water sports and activities.” Indeed, guests and homeowners have access to a myriad of exciting trips and activities, which help them learn about local nature and culture, enrichening the experience of their stay and making it more memorable. The Papagayo Explorers Club is a gateway to boundless exploration off the beaten path around the Peninsula and in the rest of Guanacaste province. Expert guides and naturalists take homeowners and guests on an array of tailored outdoor activities, from paddle boarding, kayaking, diving, fishing and touring mangroves in the ocean to exploring nature and wildlife on land by bike or horseback. Those who come to Costa Rica to experience local Tico culture can learn more about the life in Guanacaste’s villages and farms, participate in traditional fiestas, take local chocolate making classes, or learn about indigenous handicrafts by making pottery with Guaitil village potters. “We have used this place as a base for doing eco-touring,” says Craig Balsam, “we’ve gone to Tamarindo, Arenal Volcano, South of Coco; we even went to neighboring Nicaragua.”
People are welcoming here, making it easy to forge close relationships
Costa Rica is very friendly. Peninsula Papagayo is especially so. Resort staff provides incredible service and really tries to go above and beyond. I felt welcome everywhere I went when interacting with local staff as well as other resort guests and homeowners, everyone was warm and friendly. “Those working on the Peninsula have been here for years and know all the residents. We know everyone here,” says Craig, “People here know my kids. If I am alone here, they will ask about my kids and they know their names. They recognize them. They have been with us for years.” Peninsula Papagayo estates attract buyers and guests from all over the world: the continental US, Canada, Europe, and beyond. I saw beautiful homes with gorgeous views belonging to families from South Africa, Switzerland, and the Philippines. Families owning and staying here make up a really cool international community. “Owners here tend to be successful,” says Steve Grubber, as we are looking at a 290 ft quarter billion-dollar sailing yacht at the Peninsula marina, “Most have founded companies. Some are tech executives from Silicon Valley in California. They come to Costa Rica to relax and make lots of friends here, often better friends than they have back home.”
Eco-chic: the new estates development is environmentally conscious
While Peninsula Papagayo is going through a transformation and breaking ground on the latest luxury villa development to be ready in 2019, respect for nature and sustainability is felt throughout. All beaches here are shady because of the trees that the local government requires to be protected. Costa Rica’s iconic architect, Ronald Zurcher, who designed the latest residences, has been inspired by the abundance of local flora and fauna, and wanted to make sure that these stylish homes exist in harmony with nature. The residences’ shapes, glass walls, and sleek modernist furnishings are meant to blend in with the surrounding nature, and display a contemporary clean aesthetic. The developers are using hues of brown and grey to avoid disrupting the local landscape.
The new development is also designed to be energy efficient and is built using green roofs and sustainable materials, to minimize maintenance in the years to come. For instance, hard wood floors have been substituted for more sustainable and long-lasting materials to ensure that they require less maintenance and that rainforest is preserved. The peninsula has a big recycling program, which is relatively new to the community here but growing. The golf course partially lives off salt water and partially off grey water, consuming fewer precious water resources. The salt level is turned up to fight weeds and pests, allowing the golf course to use fewer pest control products.
Peninsula Papagayo invests in the local community
In the last 25 years, Guanacaste Province, a remote and once poor region in the northwest Costa Rica, has turned into the next luxury hotspot. The area has moved away from fishing and agriculture to tourism and hospitality. The government of Costa Rica and Peninsula Papagayo developers have been particularly interested in ensuring that locals are absorbed into these new growing industries. Costa Ricans are very friendly and extremely service oriented, which is a natural fit with the hospitality industry. Lots of locals work at the resorts in Peninsula Papagayo, quickly moving up in the ranks and traveling around the globe as opportunities present themselves, bringing back valuable experiences and financial wealth. The growing local economic boom has created a substantial middle class.
Through its charitable organization, Creciendo Juntos, Peninsula Papagayo supports sustainable growth that extends economic opportunities to the local residents, enabling a higher quality of life. Creciendo Juntos is open to the Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica guests and Peninsula Papagayo homeowners and includes a variety of projects from volunteering and providing necessities to financing schools and infrastructure, as well as computer literacy and English language training. The $100 million investment toward the ongoing transformation and preservation of Peninsula Papagayo includes a continued investment in the growth of the organization.
Pura Vida (pure life) philosophy is real
Healthy long lives thrive in Costa Rica, home to one of “The Blue Zones” in the world – places where people live measurably longer and better than anywhere else. What is the secret to longer and more fulfilling lives here? One of the secrets is the laid-back attitude: simply being happy. That philosophy is reflected in the famously Costa Rican catchphrase “pura vida”, which serves as a greeting, farewell or expression of thanks and good wishes. “It is a mellow fun place,” agrees Balsam, “There is no pressure. Pura Vida is a real thing!”
The future of the Peninsula Papagayo oasis and sustainable luxury is certain
Costa Rica’s real estate is becoming increasingly valuable, rebounding after the global financial crisis in 2008. Many of those who buy real estate here try to diversify their portfolios away from US real estate and world equity markets. “It is good to have real estate somewhere, and this is good place as any. And it is growing. And there is real commitment to this place from the new owners,” says Craig Balsam. Owning property on the peninsula is easy, especially for families. Looking for a place to travel to every year and booking for a bunch of people can be tough. Owning a property here takes a lot of the stress out of travel. When owners are away, they can rent out their properties, and Four Seasons handles it all, making sure that everything is taken care of.
Co-authored with Maria Birger, Sustainability Expert
