Because of its natural, social and safety attractions, plus its economical and political stability, Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations worldwide. In fact, the arrival of foreigners has brought on the desire in many of the international visitors to make Costa Rica their second country of residence, either for professional reasons or just to live temporally in an excellent climate when year round.

During 2005 over 1.6 million visitors arrived, of which more than 52% were tourist from the United States of America. The majority of foreign residents that buy real estate are of this nationality, many of them retirees. Tourism is the most important generator of foreign currency, ($1.35 billion in 2004) which makes it one of the most important tools of the county’s economy, surpassing exports products such as coffee and bananas.