Last week, we promised Part 2 of our top gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica – and here it is!
Note that these communities are not strictly retirement communities (with minimum age restrictions), but rather offer the amenities, lifestyle, and diversity that make them ideal for active seniors and retirement living in gated communities in Costa Rica: an outdoor lifestyle, proximity to services (including Liberia International Airport and major medical), and the option for quiet.
Our full list, listed from north (Playa Hermosa / Playas del Coco) to south (Playa Junquillal / Playa Lagarto):
Table of Contents
- Monte Bello Gated Community (Part 1)
- Hermosa Heights Gated Community (Part 1)
- Pacifico Gated Community (Part 1)
- Coco Bay Estates Gated Community
- Monte Hermoso Gated Community
- Monte Mar Gated Community
- Las Catalinas Gated Community (Part 1)
- Mar Vista Gated Community
- Catalina Cove Gated Community (Part 1)
- Reserva Conchal Gated Community
- Hacienda Pinilla Gated Community (Part 1)
- Playa Lagarto Eco-Development & Resort Gated Community
Coco Bay Estates Gated Community (Playas del Coco)
If “master-planned” and “resort community” are music to your ears, then welcome to one of our top gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica: Coco Bay Estates. Here, your retirement lifestyle meets upscale amenities, including a spectacular oceanfront Beach Club, which offers an enormous tropical pool (with a swim-up bar), as well as the community’s fitness center and lighted tennis courts. And they’re just the tip of the resort-berg…
Home to half-acre homesites subdivided to best take advantage of the community’s forest and ocean views, Coco Bay Estates is a community that understands the little details can be a big deal. Here, you’ll find meticulously paved roads and underground utilities, cohesive design, and beautiful terracotta-tiled roofs – a complete picture of resort living in paradise and one of our top retirement gated communities in Costa Rica.
What’s more, you’re located in downtown Playas del Coco, granting access to the best services, amenities, and convenience in the area.
Coco Bay Community Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security
- Private oceanfront Coco Bay Beach Club with infinity-edge waterfall pool, plunge pool, children’s pool
- Onsite restaurant Sugoi
- Access to Ocotal Beach Club
- Lighted tennis courts and full-time tennis pro
- Fully-equipped fitness center
- Playground
- Underground utilities (to ensure unobstructed ocean and forest views)
- Less than 5 minutes to shopping and dining
>> Inquire About Coco Bay Estates <<
Monte Hermoso Gated Community (Playas del Coco)
Proof that dreams can be affordable, Monte Hermoso (Spanish for “Beautiful Mountain”) offers one of the best values in Guanacaste. For here, just minutes to downtown Playas del Coco and gorgeous Pacific beaches, you can purchase a new build, including a private pool, starting at $305,000.
Monte Hermoso seems tailor-made for laid-back, active retirees who seek connection with nature and proximity to the beach. Here, the world is at your fingertips – swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and paddle boarding meet hiking, inland waterfalls, and beach strolls – and Playas del Coco offers an entire smorgasbord of restaurants, services, and amenities.
And, as this community still offers new builds, you can also customize your lifestyle, making it a top choice in gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica. Each home offers a private pool, high ceilings, oversized windows, and ample natural light and breeze, plus access to must-have amenities (ex. high-speed fiber-optic Internet) and easy proximity (about 40 minutes) to the Liberia International Airport.
Monte Hermoso Community Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security
- 5 minutes to Playas del Coco downtown
- Recreational swimming pool
- Ample outdoor spaces
- Hiking trail
>> Inquire About Monte Hermoso <<
Monte Mar Gated Community (Playas del Coco / Nuevo Colon)
Formerly known as Vista Montaña (pre-development), the brand-new Monte Mar Gated Community encompasses 500 acres perched on a mountaintop above the towns of Playas del Coco, Las Catalinas, Playa Flamingo, and Brasilito – sweeping views to breathtakingly scenic coastline and some of Guanacaste’s most desirable real estate, just 25 minutes to Liberia International Airport.
For those who seek a true place to call home, and not merely “another house,” this gated community is designed to create spaces for social interactions, active lifestyles, relaxation, artistic endeavors, and culinary indulgences. And Monte Mar also seems tailor-built for active retirees who seek walking paths, hiking trails, community gardens, pools, restaurants, and intense biodiversity, where parrots, monkeys, raptors, deer, and other wildlife also make their home.
Currently (as of March 2023, Monte Mar has entered the initial sales phase for its Northern Property (Playas del Coco entrance), which offers mid-range to luxury lots distributed over the community’s ocean-view, mountain-ridge home sites, as well as valley home sites surrounded by spectacular and abundant natural vistas (some with partial ocean views). Most homesites are oversized for gated community standards, averaging anywhere from 1/3 acre to 1 acre.
Monte Mar Community Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security
- Future Community Center (planned for pools, decking, and other amenities)
- Lighted Ridge Road
- Future Hiking & Mountain Biking Trails
- Future Restaurants & Bars
- Future Community Gardens & Tree Nurseries
- More, coming soon!
>> Inquire About Monte Mar Gated Community <<
Mar Vista Gated Community (Brasilito / Playa Flamingo)
If you’re seeking gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica with Pacific Ocean views, abundant nature, an active lifestyle, and yachting or boating, then welcome to your new home. Located in the hills of Playa Flamingo, just above the new Flamingo Marina, Mar Vista is a 750-acred community dedicated to gorgeous panoramas, sustainable living, and an upscale community lifestyle.
With an emphasis on environmentally friendly design and the lowest-possible carbon footprint, Mar Vista weaves regenerative construction, water preservation, and other sustainable requirements into a community seemingly tailor-made for an active retirement: an onsite nature reserve, hiking and biking trails, onsite fine dining, night-lit tennis courts, and a gorgeous community Clubhouse with an infinity pool.
What’s more, Mar Vista offers residential communities within the greater community. Choose amongst condominiums and sprawling 1.25-acre homesites, ocean views, and steps-to-them proximity to the amenities you love most.
Mar Vista Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security + Paved Roads
- On-site Nature Preserve
- Community Infinity Pool
- Lighted Clay Tennis Courts
- Top-of-the-Line Fitness Center (New 2019)
- Yoga Pavilion
- 8-km Trail System
- On-site Restaurant
- On-site K-12 Bilingual School
- Organic Orchard, Tilapia Pond + Playgrounds
>> Inquire About Mar Vista <<
Reserva Conchal Gated Community (Playa Conchal)
One of Guanacaste’s most well-known resorts and among the most beloved gated communities in Costa Rica, Reserva Conchal encompasses 2,300 acres of breathtaking vistas, natural wonders, and pristine white-sand beaches. It’s an easy choice for active retirees who seek a closer relationship with nature, sustainable living, onsite golfing, and resort-level amenities.
Indeed, Reserva Conchal’s amenities are genuine showstoppers. You’ll love spending languid days at the luxury Beach Club, home to an ocean-view resort swimming pool, gourmet dining, an air-conditioned fitness center, a full-service spa, and equipment rentals (mountain bikes, kayaks, etc.) – all, just steps to the pink-hued sands of Playa Conchal.
Additionally, the gated community of Reserva Conchal offers several onsite restaurants, which extend to a multitude of service levels and cuisines, as well as the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones II championship golf course, which offers 71-par play over 7,021 yards. And then, there are Reserva Conchal’s 15 residential communities – rare abundance, even amongst the top gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica – each with its own aesthetic, lifestyle, and amenities.
Reserva Conchal Community Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security
- Luxury Beach Club with an ocean-view pool
- 18-Hole Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course
- 100-Acre Wildlife Refuge
- Hiking & Biking Trails
- W Hotel & The Westin Reserva Conchal resort amenities, including 12 restaurants, tennis courts, a fully equipped gym, and a lagoon-style swimming pool
- Low HOA Fees
>> Inquire About Reserva Conchal <<
Playa Lagarto Eco-Development & Resort
Built into the hills above the quiet shores of Playa Lagarto and Playa Marbella, just south of Playa Junquillal and Tamarindo, Playa Lagarto Eco-Development & Resort could easily be considered one of Guanacaste’s hidden gems and a diamond amidst our gated communities for retirees in Costa Rica.
Spanning 1,000 acres of both resort and residential areas, this ecologically responsible development blends the tropical lifestyle with environmental stewardship. Here, strong emphasis is placed on preserving the community’s natural and tree-lined surroundings, creating an in-nature ambiance where you observe monkeys, tropical parrots, and other wildlife from the comfort of your front patio.
Playa Lagarto Eco-Development offers a choice of villas (1-2 bedrooms) and casas (3+ bedrooms) – all, at some of the area’s most affordable prices. And yet, you won’t have to sacrifice on quality or amenities, as the self-sufficient community also offers multiple pools, manicured gardens, hiking trails, an onsite restaurant, and other extras that you’d expect from a resort community.
Playa Largarto Eco-Development Community Amenities:
- 24/7 Gated Security with Guardhouse
- Two pools
- Full Property Maintenance Services, including Cleaning & Gardening
- Full-Service Spanish restaurant
- Walking Trails
- Paved Community Roads
- Daily Yoga & Spanish Lessons
- Shuttle to/from Liberia International Airport
>> Inquire About Playa Largarto Eco-Development <<
Planning to Retire in Costa Rica?
You have questions, we have answers! Whether you’ve already settled on your favorite top retirement gated communities in Costa Rica or are still wondering whether our tiny nation would work for your retirement, we’d love to help you explore the options to retire in Costa Rica.
For years, we’ve made it our job to help people just like you to make their own successful and dream-fulfilling transition to life in Costa Rica. That’s because we offer honest advice rooted in real, hard-earned expertise. We don’t sugar-coat the truth or side-step the tough stuff. We’re here to share the whole picture – not just the carefully curated, postcard-perfect bits.
We hope you’ll find that the real Costa Rica is still your Costa Rica. Download our founder and broker, Becky Clower’s, free eBook. Reach out on socials. Sign up for updates. And look into our Costa Rica relocation services. Go ahead – try us. Give us a chance to show off our expertise – and wow you with the possibilities! We look forward to it.
