Every great coastal house starts as a piece of raw land where someone stood, watched the swell wrap the point, and decided this was the one. Before that decision costs you seven figures, understand the one law that governs everything here.
Step 1 — Understand the Maritime Zone (ZMT)
Costa Rica's Maritime Zone law reserves the first 50 meters from mean high tide as public land — inalienable, unbuildable, everyone's. The next 150 meters is the restricted zone: municipal concessions, not titles, with foreign-ownership caps that require trust or qualifying-corporation structures. Behind 200 meters, land titles normally — full fee-simple, foreigner-friendly.
| Zone | What it is | Can you build? |
|---|---|---|
| 0–50 m | Public zone | Never |
| 50–200 m | Concession (ZMT) | Yes, per municipal plan — structure required for foreigners |
| 200 m+ | Titled land | Yes — standard ownership |
Step 2 — Know what oceanfront actually costs
Potrero titled ocean-view lots
Flamingo front-ridge lots
Conchal corridor
Nosara (scarce)
Step 3 — The due diligence that separates deals from disasters
- 1Title study or concession status at the Registro Nacional — first, before emotions
- 2Water letter (carta de agua) and electrical feasibility — no letter, no lot
- 3Topography + setback survey: your buildable envelope is smaller than the fence line
- 4Zoning (plan regulador) — view height limits protect you and constrain you
- 5Access: is the road public, private or 'traditional'? Get it in writing
The current crop of verified oceanfront lots across the five towns lives in the C21 Beach Properties gallery — every listing pre-screened for the checklist above.
Updated June 29, 2026