According to About.com’s Guide to Romantic Getaways, up to 25% of couples now travel to exotic locations for destination weddings, and Costa Rica has become one of their most popular options, especially weddings on the beach.
“My husband David and I are really excited about this news,” says Discovery Beach House vacation rental villa homeowner, Evelyn Gallardo. “A wedding is such a joyful day for the bride and groom and we love the special energy it brings into our home.”
Luxury villa (home) rentals are increasingly popular alternatives to luxury hotel vacations. And it has become much easier for travelers to find vacation homes to rent — directly online, using rental “by-owner” websites, through travel agents, and from personal recommendations. But do you know whether a villa or a hotel is better fit for you?
When planning your next vacation, the results of this short, easy quiz may help you decide which is your best option.
Keep a running tally of your points; at the end you’ll find recommendations based on your total quiz score below.
Even though the real estate market has slowed greatly in most areas of Costa Rica in the last several years, the Dominical and South Coast areas seem to be immune, with previous lot buyers now building their dream home.
Glen Love - rental owner
“When we first started building our luxury homes in Dominical in 2003, there were only 4 listings for the Dominical area on the entire VRBO website. Now, there are more than 90! That is certainly amazing growth for this once difficult-to-reach area,” related Glen Love, owner of Paradise Costa Rica vacation rentals. “Even before the improved Costaneras coastal highway from Manuel Antonio to Dominical was built, that didn’t seem to deter people’s interest in this pristine, remote area, including ours. It used to take almost two hours to drive the pot hole-filled dirt road with rickety, one lane decrepit wooden bridges – a real daring experience! Even so, the area grew rapidly.”
Although Costa Rica is a relatively small country if you compare it to Mexico, it stands out from other Central American countries by emphasizing the ecotourism trend that it helped create and promote. Especially in this time of economic crisis, the whole idea behind ecotourism is to preserve natural resources while at the same time profiting from them, and giving back to the community. Costa Rica, receives over 1 million visitors per year and practically half of them (49%) come from The U. S, and with the depressed economy there, great deals on travel and eco-tours can be found in Costa Rica as well as Mexico.
Secluded, Los Chonchos Beach, Mexico - Jungle Trekking, Snorkeling, Whale Watching
Most people may not think of it this way, but Costa Rica’s “neighbor” to the north has always offered many eco-tourism attractions. From the Pacific to the Caribbean, Mexico offers unequaled natural beauty and great weather year round. Oliver Weickardt, of Vacaciónes Mexíco, reminds us, “Mexico is not just about sandy beaches, it has many other options to offer its visitors such as: beautiful architecture, mountains, biosphere reserves, and magical archaeology, including one of the 7 wonders of the world in Chichèn Itzà , located in the Yucatan peninsula. Sure, we have our big hotels on white sandy beaches, but if you’re looking for ecotourism, we have isolated beaches, and traveling now is a bargain.”
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Manuel Antonio Vacation Rental overlooking the Pacific and Park
In response to consumer surveys from Trip Advisor, one of the worlds largest travel sites, indicating holiday maker’s preference for vacation rentals, Escape Villas, Costa Rica´s leading vacation rental Management Company has announced a significant increase in property owners signing up for their services for 2011. Traffic to their popular vacation rental website – www.villascostarica.com, has increased, as well as booking contracts, and home owners wishing to use their advertising and rental booking services.
One of the reasons for this is that according to a report released in May 2010 by TripAdvisor, the world’s top rated online tourism guide, vacation rentals have emerged as a popular choice for travelers in 2010. The Trip Advisor survey attributes this growing trend to vacationers seeking greater value and more varied amenities when choosing their accommodation.
In a survey of over 1,000 American participants, results illustrated how 68 percent of travelers are either planning or considering staying at a beach vacation rental in 2010. These figures show a marked increase of 52 percent compared to past renters who said they opted for a vacation rental or villa in 2009.
Tico Times News
