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Unrivaled Natural Beauty, Calm, Cobalt Blue Waters and Lazy, Sunny Days are Just a Few Reasons Why Expatriate Retirees Come to Seductive Tambor, Costa Rica
Cost of Living: Meets the U.S. National Average
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In northwestern Costa Rica, Tambor (population roughly 600) is nestled along beautiful Bahia Ballena (Whale Bay), a horseshoe shaped bay on the southern edge the Nicoya Peninsula. The bay is known for its warm, cobalt blue waters and dark, soft sand, and it is surrounded by hills covered in dense jungle foliage. The fishing village of Tambor, gentle and low key, has been an expatriate retirement destination for some time, attracting people in search of a spot off the beaten path but with some amenities. Costa Rica has long since been "discovered," and developers have made their way to Tambor, too. Yet this tropical gem retains its rural charm, boasting friendly residents, a low cost of living, a warm climate, stunning scenery, rich biodiversity and outstanding recreation. Spanish is the language of choice, but English is the second language, and Tambor Ticos (the locals) speak both.
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While more tourists are discovering this gorgeous area (it was recently the location of a Fox TV reality show), and hotels and gated communities have popped up, it remains easygoing and relatively inaccessible. Tambor has a small airport (in fact the only airport on the peninsula) with daily, 40-minute flights from Costa Rica's sprawling capital city of San Jose (population 375,000), and there is a road from San Jose and a ferry to and from the city of Puntarenas on the eastern mainland. For the most part, though, Tambor is quiet and secluded, and its 5 mile long beach, Playa Tamor, is beach an uncrowded, uncommercialized stretch of volcanic gray sand with calm waters perfect for swimming, snorkeling and diving.
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When it comes to purchasing real estate, foreigners have the same rights as Ticos, and one does not have to live in Costa Rica to buy property. The buying process is fairly easy and similar to buying property in the U.S. (although there are restrictions on buying waterfront property). Real estate agents do not have to be licensed, but the Costa Rica Chamber of Real Estate Brokers and other groups are working to bring standards and an ethical code of conduct to the industry. A certified escritura (title) and plano (survey) are required for most transactions. Title insurance is available.
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Some of the housing developments here include cozy Tambor Village, a gated, soon to be single family home community with home sites for sale from $79,000. The popular Los Delfines Golf and Country Club has tennis courts, a swimming pool, a golf course, overflowing gardens and lovely, tiled-roof duplex homes from the $130,000s (financing is available). Tambor Serenity is a high-end condo development with homes from the $400,000s. The current worldwide economic slump has also come to Tambor, however, as evidenced by Tambor Hills, a high-end development that is now partially in foreclosure.
Not all dwellings are located within a planned development, and for people hoping to become an integral part of the local community, buying outside of a development is the best way to go. Costa Rica does not offer the real estate deals that it once did, but rustic yet comfortable single family Tambor homes, tucked in the rainforest, can still be found for sale from $85,000, although prices in the high-$100,000s, $200,000s and $300,000s are more common. Million dollar residences are here, too.
Building a home is another option. It is the essentially the same process as in the States (buying land, researching the title, hiring an architect, getting a building permit, supervising workers). Usually, the entire event takes 2 1/2 years on average and costs anywhere from $95,000 to $150,000 for an average 2,000 square foot house, excluding land costs. Keep in mind that squatters are an issue in Costa Rica, and they can acquire limited property rights if a property owner allows them to use his property for just three months. The best plan is to buy and build immediately.
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Some expatriates rent a home while weighing the pros and cons of a Tambor retirement. Rents in the area run from approximately $350 to $500 a month for a two or three bedroom home, but rents in the gated communities run higher ($1,000 a month and up). Generally, rentals (not vacation rentals) are found by talking to the locals.
For the tourists that come, Tambor has tour operators and a handful of hotels. Tango Mar is an intimate spa and golf resort with its own beach, and Tambor Tropical, with just ten secluded suites, is perfect for "doing nothing." But the primary reason many vacationers come here is Hotel Playa Tambor, six miles down the coast from Tambor. All inclusive and boasting a 5-star rating, it is home to a nine hole golf course, a casino, nearly four miles of private, certified Blue Flag (clean) beaches and panoramic ocean views. Although it is only a few minutes away, it is a world unto itself, and its guests only occasionally venture into Tambor.
Boating, golfing at the two resorts, deep sea fishing, beach hiking, bird watching and horseback riding (horse rentals available) take up many a retiree's time here, and nature lovers will rarely find a more inspiring locale. About a mile offshore, the Tortuga Islands boast an abundance of wildlife, pink sand beaches and swaying palm trees, not to mention some of the best diving spots along the entire peninsula. This region has extensive marine habitats, and its rainforests and lagoons are home to more than 230 species of birds, as well as howler monkeys and white face monkeys. To the north of Tambor, the Curu Wildlife Reserve, with its mangrove estuaries and five different habitats, is a tropical paradise. And every year whales come to mate and give birth in the bay (hence the name Whale Bay).
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Tambor is a small community, but most necessities are here, including three supermarkets, a bank, some shops, a car rental service, a small medical clinic, a police department and a taxi service (one vehicle). The village has some excellent restaurants, including the eateries at Tambor Tropical and the Bahia Ballena Yacht Club. Cobano, about eight miles away, is the commercial center of the area and has a small hospital, a pharmacy, twenty or so restaurants, a gas station, a farmers' market, movies and more.
Cobano also has a small hosptial, and for more serious medical care, Monsenor Sanabria Hospital is located in Puntarenas (population 100,000) across the bay and about an hour and a half away by ferry (cars are allowed on the ferry). San Jose has several very good hospitals with English-speaking doctors, and public health care in Costa Rica is quite good and very inexpensive. Most Tambor expats, however, pay cash at a private San Jose hospital, where costs are still a fraction of those in the U.S. Expats from the U.S. also maintain health insurance and evacuation coverage in case of a major medical emergency. If evacuation to the U.S. is needed, it is the 40 minutes to San Jose by air and then another two to three hours to Miami, Florida.
The overall cost of living in Tambor, when real estate prices are considered, is about equal to the U.S. national average. Items such as transportation, health care, food and utilities are much less than in the States, but home prices, particularly in the gated developments, are in many cases higher. When it comes to everyday prices, a loaf of bread is $.50. A pound of chicken is $1.50. A can of beer is $.65. Electricity is $28 per month. A telephone is $15 per month. A maid is $2-$3 an hour. In fact, it is possible for one person to live here on $400 to $500 a month, excluding real estate costs.
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Foreigners who plan to retire in Costa Rica will want to apply for pensionado status, which gives retirees perks that include 50% discounts on movies and sporting events, 30% discounts on transportation and 25% discounts on restaurant meals. Expats must prove $1,000 per month income (including spouse), and this income must come from a qualified pension, retirement account or Social Security. Expat retirees must also change at least $1,000 per month from dollars into the local currency (colones) and live in Costa Rica for at least four months out of the year.
Costa Rica has two seasons, dry and wet, but Tambor is in one of the driest regions in the country. The dry season is generally between is December and April, and the wet season lasts from May through November but still allows an average of about five hours of daily sunshine (August and September are the rainiest months). The average temperatures are 65 degrees at night and 86 degrees during the day throughout the year.
Tambor offers what many people consider the best of both worlds, a remote tropical village along a beautiful coast but with modern amenities nearby (golf, an airport, hotels and good restaurants). Peaceful, safe and visually stunning, Tambor is indeed hard to resist and makes for an idyllic retirement spot.
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Costa Rica Real Estate Active Adult
Developments in Tambor Costa Rica Retirement Communities
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