Costa Rica Real Estate Project’s Beach Club Location Named One of the World’s Best Eco-Friendly Beaches

Despite the huge number of people around the world who head to the beach each summer to escape the cities in which they live, not every sandy landscape they visit is beautiful and pristine. In fact, irrespective of the number of beachgoers, many shorelines on the planet are littered with garbage and suffer from polluted waters. Sad but true.

However, there are some beaches that are so magnificent, they not only offer true refuge for travelers, but provide a sanctuary for wildlife as well. Recently CNN Travel and the Mother Nature Network identified the most spectacular, eco-friendly shorelines after searching the planet and, to no surprise, most of their top choices were on protected land or nearly impossible to reach.

One of those beaches, Playa Matapalo, Costa Rica, happens to be the location of where Hacienda Matapalo’s beach club will be located.

“I fell in love with Playa Matapalo the minute I saw it,” said Hacienda Matapalo’s Executive Vice President Brian Albury. “When we chose our location, we knew how special it was. Now the rest of the world knows too.”

Playa Matapalo was named as the number two eco-friendly beach in the world, behind only Whitehaven Beach in Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Some of the beaches it ranked in front of include: Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii; Koh Libong, Trang Province, Thailand; Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain; and Sancho Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.

Although their cartography was a little off, as the article referenced the Osa Peninsula which is actually about an hour and a half south of Playa Matapalo Beach by car, it did collectively describe the two areas beautifully.

“Known as the lungs of the Earth,” the article stated, “the Osa Peninsula is blessed with a dense forest and a conservation-minded government. Half of the 500,000 species of flora and fauna located in Costa Rica can be found here. The area is also home to beautiful Playa Matapalo, a gray-sand beach popular with surfers that leads into the Portalon National Wildlife Refuge complete with a marine turtle protection project.”

“We knew that Playa Matapalo was one of the best beaches on the planet,” Albury said. “It has been a recipient of the prestigious Blue Flag more than once.”

Modeled after the Blue Flag program developed in Europe to identify the world's best beaches based upon ecological quality and visitor conveniences, Costa Rica has created its own Blue Flag program with strict objective rating standards involving water and beach qualities of cleanliness. Only those beaches obtaining a water and beach quality score of 90 or more (out of 100) are certified as Blue Flag.

The Blue Flag designation is a badge of honor and distinction.

The program's overall goal is environmental excellence, not just getting by. The environmental excellence bar is intentionally set high through the establishment of objective criteria. It involves the communities, from businesses to schools to local governments. There is an economic incentive to attain Blue Flag status, community pride at stake and an increasing awareness of how sensitive the oceans are.

“That was one of the reasons we specifically chose Playa Matapalo as the location for Hacienda Matapalo’s beach club,” Albury beamed. “It really doesn’t get any better than this.”

To learn more about Playa Matapalo and the Hacienda Matapalo Beach Club, visit HaciendaMatapalo.com.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project Recognized as a Top Ten Best Home Deal

Hacienda Matapalo, the best selling property in Costa Rica with more than $60 million in pre-construction sales, recently had another accolade added to its growing number of compliments: it was selected by the popular Web site Top Ten Real Estate Deals as one of the best real estate deals on the market.

Ranked seventh, Hacienda Matapalo was selected as the only non-U.S.-based property for the week of June 21, 2010 and was only the second property chosen from Costa Rica since the site launched in 2009.

"This is a big honor for us," said David Matluck, chief executive officer of Pegasus Star Limitada, the developer of Hacienda Matapalo. "It illustrates that the industry is recognizing what we have believed all along – that we are offering consumers a quality, environmentally-responsible development, at an affordable price. This selection is an affirmation of the fact that all of our efforts have gone into delivering the best possible investment value for our future homeowners."

The Top Ten Real Estate Deals Web site has been featured on a number of media outlets including CNBC, Yahoo!, Aol Home and a variety of local news outlets including such markets as San Francisco and Denver.

Each week the editors select The Top Ten Real Estate Deals by researching thousands of properties both in the United States and internationally and weighing various criteria in order to identify and showcase the very best deals available.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, visit their Web site at haciendamatapalo.com.

In other news, Hacienda Matapalo recently announced it will be adding a new holistic wellness center to its development and it will be located within the confines of its gated community.

Because Costa Rica has become a primary destination for the world's growing medical tourism industry and considering out-of-pocket expenses for health care in Costa Rica are as much as 50% less than what they are in the U.S., the option for both traditional and holistic care in Costa Rica is not only viable but desirable.

On Thursday, July 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Hacienda Matapalo's Executive Vice President Brian Albury will be joined by renowned holistic medical expert Dr. Rashmi Gulati, the medical director of New York City's Patients Medical, as she will be talking about the benefits of holistic medicine including wellness programs, anti-aging and hormonal therapy that can add years to one's life.

Interested parties can register here.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project Takes a Holistic Approach to Health Care

Pegasus Star Limitada, the developers of Hacienda Matapalo – a gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast – has announced it will partner with the New York based Patients Medical, PC to establish a holistic wellness center that will be dedicated to helping its residents discover health and rediscover vitality.

"Because Costa Rica has long been identified as a place where people and nature reconnect, we recognized that some of our residents may want to take a holistic approach to health care above and beyond traditional medical care," said Pegasus Star CEO David Matluck of the announcement. "So, unlike the traditional medical clinic that we have planned for our commercial center, the new holistic wellness center will actually be part of our gated community."

"We are excited about this opportunity," added Patients Medical's Medical Director Dr. Rashmi Gulati (pictured above). "Our physicians will bring their multidisciplinary perspective of health and healing to Costa Rica, which has a rich history of this kind of approach. Educated in conventional medicine, our doctors discovered the power of holistic medicine and now balance the two approaches to improve a patient’s quality of life.”

With U.S. medical costs continuing to rise while the health care debate between politicians rages on, many Americans have begun looking toward Costa Rica as a viable health care alternative. And considering Costa Rica's out-of-pocket costs for health care are as much as 50% less than what they are in the U.S., the option is not only viable but desirable. Because of this, in addition to already being seen as an environmentally conscious nation, Costa Rica has become a primary destination for the world’s growing medical tourism industry for both traditional and holistic care. According to Health-Tourism.com, close to 150,000 foreign patients annually seek health care in Costa Rica. In a July 2009 Tico Times article about medical tourism in Costa Rica, estimates put as many as 15-20% of those who vacation in the country being there for medical tourism.

Even Deepak Chopra, the world-renowned authority in the field of mind-body healing, best-selling author and founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., has been looking at Costa Rica as a potential location for a future facility.

Established in 1974, Patients Medical focuses on the root causes of secondary medical conditions, integrating modern medicine, holistic practices and natural supplements to spark healing and prevent disease. Recently they invested more than $1 million and will continue to invest in their state-of-the-art treatment and testing equipment. Their treatment protocols have been developed, tested and proven effective, many for more than 35 years. Their exclusive protocols include treatments for heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, autism, Lyme disease, thyroid conditions, menopause and many other secondary medical conditions.

Dr. Gulati has been noted and featured in three books penned by actress and author Suzanne Sommers, including a personal recommendation in the book Ageless: the Naked Truth about Bioidentical Hormones.

On Thursday, July 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Dr. Gulati will join Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury for a complimentary eSeminar, as she will talk about the benefits of holistic medicine including wellness programs, anti-aging and hormonal therapy that can add years to one's life. Interested parties may register here.

To learn more about Dr. Gulati and Patients Medical, visit their Web site.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, visit their Web site.

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Hacienda Matapalo offers 1.25-plus acre home sites, single-family homes, villas and condominiums, all equipped with state-of-the-art connectivity including satellite, Internet, telephone and 24-hour security.

Father's Day Special

Reservations must be made between June 9th and June 20th. Don't miss out! Get your $5,000 Father's Day travel credit.

Speak to a Hacienda Matapalo Property Specialist Today.

Check out the rest of this week's specials.

Learn more about Hacienda Matapalo at haciendamatapalo.com.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project Bridges the Gap Between Man and Nature

Hacienda Matapalo, a gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, recently announced it will add a 500-plus foot treetop suspension bridge to its development that will stretch across a ravine along the property’s 125-acre nature preserve.

"One of the most appealing features of Hacienda Matapalo is being surrounded by a natural, lush rainforest," said the project’s Executive Vice President Brian Albury. "The development’s 125-plus acre dedicated nature preserve and 90 acre nature conservancy parcel have helped drive our efforts from the beginning to be a 'green,' low-impact development."

The suspension bridge is the latest feature to be added to the environmentally-minded development that will include an equestrian center and nature trails ideal for hiking and horseback riding. Because the majority of the area’s wildlife lives within the rainforest canopy, the hanging suspension bridge will close the gap between man and nature, allowing homeowners and visitors alike to have an up close and personal experience at the preserve.

Hacienda Matapalo Costa Rica Real Estate has tasked key members of its development team with the sole purpose of implementing and maintaining extensive environmental stewardship before, during and after construction.

“It is our goal to utilize the latest ‘green’ technology wherever possible without jeopardizing our commitment to deliver the highest standards to our homeowners,” Albury said. “We believe that a balance and harmony with nature and our immediate environment will make Hacienda Matapalo a truly unique place to live.”

Some of Hacienda Matapalo’s ongoing efforts include:

• Minimized clearing of the present land (dense forest to remain throughout constructed areas)
  
  
• A percentage ratio of 70:30 natural land to developed land (based on a total area of 665 acres)
  
  
• For every tree that must be removed, up to three trees will be planted as replacement
  
  
• There will be an onsite nursery
  
  
• There will be an onsite wastewater treatment plant
  
  
• Landscaping will consist of native species (reducing the need for water and fertilizer)
  
  
• Subterranean power and electrical lines will be used where feasible and strict safeguards will be in place to ensure above ground lines pose no threat to wildlife
  
  
• Recycling receptacles will be in place throughout the property, including an intensive recycling program
  
  
• Energy saving air-conditioning systems will be used
  
  
• A water agreement has been put into place to supply the nearby town of Hatillo with fresh drinking water
  
  
• Onsite lakes will serve as recession ponds, natural habitats and home for many native fish
  
  
• A biologist/naturalist with extensive knowledge of local flora and fauna will be on staff
  
  
• There will be ongoing communication and involvement with the homeowners and community (i.e. community awareness and social responsibility)
  
  
• Exploratory use of cutting-edge “green” technology will constantly be considered throughout development and construction

Albury pointed out that Hacienda Matapalo will also utilize environmentally friendly goods for many of its external building materials including: use of concrete which contains post-consumer materials, siding and external finishes that contain post-consumer materials, low or no volatile organic compounds (VOC) finishes/paints/adhesives, sustainable and locally farmed woods and materials, pervious or permeable pavers/materials for walkways and parking, recycled materials for roofing and materials that drain well and do not hold moisture or heat.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo and their Green Project, visit their Web site.