Roads to Papagayo and Panama
Beach to be built
(InfoWebPress) – The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) announced
it will build a highway connecting to the Papagayo Hotel, which is
part of the Gulf of Papagayo Tourism Development in Guanacaste. The
project will have a cost of 600 million colones (little over $1
million) and has already been approved by the Comptroller General’s
Office.
In addition to this highway, other works will be conducted in the
area — including a building for the local Tourist Police, water and
electricity services, and an access road to Panama Beach, which will
cost an additional 500 million colones (almost $1 million).
The Gulf of Papagayo Tourism Development includes 2,000 hectares of
coastal territory and 17 diverse beaches with tranquil waters —
ideal for family enjoyment, diving and water sports, as the clear
waters allow to see the marine wonders of Culebra Bay or simply rest
under the shade of the many trees in the region or hike along trails
on a primary tropical forest watching the many animal species
endemic to this place.
Culebra Bay is abundant in marine species of great scientific and
economic value, as the waters of the region are rich in plankton,
their main food, which grows on the coastal mangrove forests.
Tourists can also enjoy caves, islets, dolphins and other sea
animals such as cat sharks, giant turtles and many multicolor fish.
The Gulf of Papagayo Tourism Development was started in 1974, when
the firm Tecniberia, hired by the Central American Economic
Integration Bank (BCIE), conducted a study of the tourism potential
of the isthmus. The effort created the Central American Tourism
Promotional and Financial Program, whose goal was to attract
international visitors in large groups for vacation.
General objectives of the study included the development of a
tourism hotspot, which would attract local and foreign tourists,
taking advantage of the region’s resources to the fullest by
exploring diversity of destinations and image that would allow this
region to compete in the international sun-beach-ocean market.
This would combine with other natural attractions, including
volcanoes, national parks, wildlife reserves, also incorporating
other tourism projects in the vicinity. This hotspot would be
developed as part of a master plan that would guide physical
organization and a long-term plan — whose goal was to determine the
project’s feasibility and the stages of possible intervention from
the public and the private sectors, seeking to make it a model for
sustainable tourism development in the world.
The Gulf of Papagayo Tourism Development’s boundaries are
established in the Land Maritime Zone Law and go from Cabuyal Beach
to Hermosa Beach. Regarding investments in the project, 42.8 percent
come from national funds, 33.3 percent is mixed capital (Costa
Ricans and foreigners), and 23.8 percent is strictly foreign capital
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