Paquera

About Paquera:

Paquera covers 335 square kilometres on the southeastern side of the Nicoya Peninsula, facing the Gulf of Nicoya, with Lepanto to the north and Cóbano to the south. It is the only one of Puntarenas’ three peninsular districts that does not touch Guanacaste. Naviera Tambor has run its car ferry across the 11 nautical miles from Puntarenas since 1992, and the crossing takes a little over an hour, landing a couple of kilometres from town; buses for Tambor, Montezuma and Santa Teresa leave when the boat comes in. By road the same port is 192 kilometres away, all the way round the top of the gulf, so the ferry timetable shapes more of daily life here than any road does. Heading north, the 21.8 kilometres of Ruta 160 to Playa Naranjo were rebuilt, paved and reopened in May 2021, with new bridges over the Guarial, Grande and Gigante rivers.

Families started settling the flat ground around Paquera in the 1860s, drawn by unclaimed land and good soil, and fishermen from Nicaragua and Panama settled along the shore over the following decades. Until 1971 the district also took in what is now Cóbano, which is why its population roughly halved between the 1963 and 1973 censuses. By 2011 it was back up to 6,686 people. Since 2003 Paquera has had its own Concejo Municipal de Distrito, one of seven in the country, which issues land-use certificates and building permits, collects municipal taxes and runs the maritime zone. Fishing, cattle and smallholdings still carry the economy, joined by timber plantations and by the tour boats that leave for Isla Tortuga. In town there are banks, pharmacies, restaurants, cabinas and small hotels, plus a technical high school, the Colegio Técnico Profesional de Paquera.

The coastline is a string of small bays and fishing villages rather than one long beach. Playa Órganos is five minutes from the centre, Pochote is twenty, with boats across to Playa Muertos, and Playa Blanca and Playa Gigante are fishing villages, the second with mangrove just around the point. Offshore sit Tortuga, which is really two islands called Alcatraz and Tolinga, along with Jesusita, Cedros, Guayabos and the Negritos, a biological reserve you pass on the ferry. Cedros is the only one with a village, around 80 people who live from fishing. Inland the country is pasture and tropical dry forest, and Curú alone keeps more than 1,100 hectares of forest, mangrove and beach out of the market. On dark, moonless nights several of these bays light up with bioluminescence, which now brings its own trickle of visitors.

Most people who live here are Costa Rican families tied to the sea or the land, and Paquera works as the service stop for everyone heading further down the peninsula. What comes up for sale follows that pattern: town houses and modest lots, rural homes on several thousand square metres, large fincas with gulf views and the odd island parcel. This is a gulf coast. The water is calm, the view is of islands and the mainland across the gulf, and there is no surf break on the doorstep, which sets it apart from the Pacific side of Cóbano. Anyone weighing a move should ride the ferry at a busy weekend before deciding, because that crossing is part of every trip to San José or the airport.

Houses in Paquera:

Homes in Paquera range from single-storey family houses in town and in villages such as Río Grande and San Rafael to country houses on large plots around Bahía Gigante, some with a pool, river frontage or a hillside view over the gulf. Many of the rural properties come with established fruit trees, which says a lot about the kind of life buyers are after here. When you compare houses for sale in Paquera, ask for the permits behind every room that was added later, find out where the septic system drains, and confirm whether the water comes from a public supply, a community system or a private well.

Rentals in Paquera:

There are two rental markets here. In town, small houses rent by the month to people who work locally, often with internet included. On the coast, vacation homes, cabins and a few lodges let by the night around Playa Órganos, Bahía Gigante and on Cedros and Jesusita. If you plan to rent to visitors, remember that every guest arrives on the same ferry, so a property close to the dock or to the Tambor road is easier to fill than one at the end of a long gravel track.

Land and Lots in Paquera:

Land is the bulk of what changes hands. Small building lots of a few hundred square metres turn up near the centre, serviced plots line Ruta 160 between Paquera and Playa Naranjo, and on the hills there are ocean-view fincas measured in dozens of acres. Near the sea, the first 200 metres from high tide are maritime zone: the first 50 are public, and the rest can only be used privately with the Concejo’s authorisation. Where no coastal plan is in force, the Concejo cannot grant concessions and issues temporary use permits instead, which must give way to the plan once one is approved, and it grants none at all on forest or state natural heritage. Titled parcels just beyond the 200-metre line do come up around Bahía Gigante. Before you agree a price on land for sale in Paquera, work out which side of that line the plot sits on and get the legal access and water availability in writing.

Island Property in Paquera:

Every so often an island parcel in the Gulf of Nicoya goes on sale through Paquera, from a few acres with two small beaches to a property with several houses on its own sandy shore. These are lifestyle and hospitality purchases, reached only by boat from Paquera’s beaches and docks. Costa Rica’s coastal law treats islands as part of the maritime-terrestrial zone, so before anything else find out whether the seller holds registered title, a concession or simply occupies the land. Budget too for a boat, a landing and the cost of moving building materials across the water.

FAQ:

• Can I get a beach concession in Paquera?

  Only where a coastal plan is in force. Without one, the Concejo Municipal de Distrito de Paquera hands out temporary use permits rather than concessions, and a permit is precarious: it carries a fee, it does not let you build freely and it must be replaced by the plan once that plan is approved. Ask the Concejo’s maritime zone department exactly which status a beach plot has. For land further back, pull the owner, survey plan and any liens from the Registro Nacional (Registro Inmobiliario) before you pay a deposit.

• How long is the ferry from Puntarenas to Paquera?

  The crossing is 11 nautical miles and takes a little over an hour, sometimes longer when the boat is full. Several sailings run each day in both directions, from early morning until late evening. Over Christmas, Easter and long weekends expect to queue with a car, and buy online where you can.

• Is the road north from Paquera to Playa Naranjo paved?

  Yes. The 21.8 kilometres of Ruta 160 between the two ferry towns were rebuilt and paved and reopened in May 2021, with gentler gradients and new bridges over the Guarial, Grande and Gigante rivers. Side roads to many farms and beaches are still gravel, so drive the exact access to a property in the rainy season.

• Can I really buy an island off Paquera?

  Island parcels do come up, but the coastal law covers islands, so what you can acquire depends on the legal status of that specific land: registered title, a concession or bare possession. Have a lawyer check the registry and the Concejo’s records before you look at the view, and remember that the Negritos are a biological reserve and off the table.

• What do people do around Paquera at weekends?

  They walk the trails and beaches at Curú, take a boat out to Isla Tortuga to swim and snorkel, eat fish at the floating restaurant off Isla Cedros and paddle out on a moonless night to see the bays glow. Playa Órganos, five minutes from town, is where local families go for an afternoon by the water.