Maritime Zone Concessions and Beachfront Property

A significant portion of what is marketed as beachfront property in Costa Rica cannot be owned. It can, at most, be held under concession — and concessions carry restrictions that surprise most foreign buyers when they finally read them.

How the zone is structured

The first fifty metres measured from the high tide line are public. They cannot be owned, occupied or built upon by private parties. The following one hundred and fifty metres constitute the restricted zone, where rights are granted by the municipality as concessions, not as fee simple title, for defined terms and subject to conditions — including limits on the participation foreigners may hold.

What to verify

Whether the property lies wholly or partly within the zone. Whether a valid concession exists, its term and its remaining life. Whether the municipality has an approved regulatory plan. Whether the concession permits the intended use. And whether the holding structure complies with the participation restrictions — because a structure designed to circumvent them is a structure that can be undone.

These are questions to resolve before an offer, not after.

Munduss Legal — José David Garro Castro, Attorney at Law and Notary Public. Offices in Escazú, San José and Tamarindo, Guanacaste. Request a consultation.