Where to Stay

A Guide to finding the right vacation rental for you  and your family. Selecting a vacation rental in Dominical, Costa Rica can be a daunting task. If you peruse through the listings here on dominical.biz,  you’ll find that there are numerous vacation rentals to choose from. Altho there are so many vacation rentals in the Dominical area, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover that they each have their own little piece of Paradise, either nestled in the jungle, on the beach, or up on a breezy hill with a view of the ocean.  I feel pretty confident that you will more than likely find the Dominical area very much to your liking for your vacation.

Why Are There So Many Vacation Rentals Around Dominical Costa Rica?

Reason #1 - Topography

Dominical is located in the southern pacific zone of Costa Rica.  The zone is known for its wildlife and outrageous nature.  Here you’ll see waterfalls, beaches, screaming ocean views, and paradisiac flowers around every turn. This sort of environment results in the oft heard expressions:  “I’ve found paradise!”, or “I feel like I’m living a dream” - “Paradise” and “Dream” being the consistent keywords there.

The zone from Dominical down to Uvita is about 12 kilometers long.  The area is unique in Costa Rica due to the mountains coming right down to the beach.  North of Dominical and south of Uvita, the mountains gradually recede back away from the ocean.  So, in the zone, a short drive inland will put you at an altitude where you feel off the beaten path.  You will find yourself in tropical rainforest.  You will also be at a comfortable altitude; many houses in this near-equatorial setting don’t need air conditioning.  Being this close to the ocean, and at several hundred feet altitude, result in constant breezes that make things most agreeable.  Coupled with the abundant shade from the ubiquitous rainforest trees, one finds that life is indeed worth living.  Or conversely, one will utter the “I can die now!” refrain.

Reason #2 - Vacation's Purpose

Visitors to Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone are characterized by a certain sense of adventure.  One has likely flown to Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose, then either hopped on another regional flight to Quepos or Palmar Sur, where they will get picked up, or will have a rental car waiting.  They will then drive the 45 minutes to the zone.  A vacation rental home allows the travellers the opportunity to enjoy the area while living a home-like experience.

Reason #3 - Beds Are Needed

There simply aren’t that many hotels in the zone - yet there is lots of tourism.  This aptly sets the stage for what we find here.  One of the appealing aspects of the zone is that the population just isn’t that dense.  Spend the day at the beach, walk for a mile or two and run into maybe half a dozen other people on the beach.  What this means is that the demographics here are not such that the big name hotels are coming.  (There has been lots of speculation as to when this will happen, but so far – nada.)  So, there are some lovely and affordable accommodations in the area’s hotels, but there aren’t nearly enough to house the number of tourists that visit Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone. 

Reason #4 - Economy

Vacation rentals usually rent for a minimum of 3 or 4 days, and full weeks during holiday seasons.  The nightly rate, when compared to that of a hotel, is usually going to be higher.  However, when you consider that many people travel with friends, and that the vacation rental has 2 – 9 bedrooms, then we can start to see how budget minded vacationers might opt for a vacation rental stay versus more conventional digs. 

Many of the expats that have made Costa Rica home have actually found that they are able to support themselves here by running a vacation rental property.  The real estate agencies in the area report that property sales are frequently to those types of buyer.

Reason #5 - The Three Rules Don't Apply

It is said that the three big rules of commercial real estate are: location, location and location.  These rules seem to go by the wayside here in the zone, and perhaps in Costa Rica in general.  It’s a good thing, too, since there just isn’t that much in the way of commercial centers in these parts.  The towns aren’t much more than a main street with a couple of side lanes. Quaint, old time, small town businesses are found in remote nooks and crannies here.  It seems that visitors to the area either are expecting to get off the beaten path, or they adapt quickly, and the numerous four-wheel-drive-access-only vacation rentals, hotels, and restaurants thrive.

There are some gorgeous vacation rentals in the zone.  We here at Dominical Dot Biz have been working with the industry since it began.  We are available to help with finding you the right place for your needs.  You can either browse through the excellent descriptions and photos on the various listings, or you can fill out our Dombiz Select VR Finder Form and let us help you with finding the vacation rental that offers what you're looking for.