Countries › Costa Rica › Guide › 11. Real estate and land › Beachfront land in Costa Rica: the maritime terrestrial zone and municipal concessions

Beachfront land in Costa Rica: the maritime terrestrial zone and municipal concessions

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

The 200 metres inland from the ordinary high tide line on both coasts belong to the State: the first 50 m are a public zone where no one can hold rights, and the next 150 m are a restricted zone where municipalities grant concessions. Concessions run 5 to 20 years, need ICT or INDER approval and a coastal regulatory plan, and pay an annual canon of 0.25% to 5% of the municipal appraisal. Foreigners without five years of residence and majority foreign companies cannot hold them.

USD figures use the Banco Central de Costa Rica reference selling rate of ₡454.82 per US dollar published for 29 October 2026 (indicator 318 on bccr.fi.cr), rounded to the cent.

Key facts

Maritime terrestrial zone width	200 mLey 6043 art. 9, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Public zone width (no private rights)	50 mLey 6043 art. 10, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum concession term	20 yearsLey 6043 art. 48, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum foreign ownership of a concessionaire entity	50 %Ley 6043 art. 47, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum annual canon on residential concessions	3 %DE 7841-P art. 49, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. The maritime terrestrial zone is the 200 m strip along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts measured from the ordinary high tide line, plus islands; the public zone is the first 50 m and the restricted zone the remaining 150 m.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 9 and 10, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. All mangroves are public zone; the public zone cannot be occupied under any title and is for public use and free passage.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 11 and 20, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Without legal authorisation no one may fence, build, cut trees or develop in the zone; authorities can evict and demolish at the owner's cost.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 12 and 13, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Concessions can only be granted in the restricted zone, only by the municipality, and require ICT approval in tourist areas or INDER (formerly ITCO) approval elsewhere; island concessions need Legislative Assembly approval.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 39, 40 and 42, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Municipalities cannot grant concessions in tourist zones until ICT and INVU have approved or prepared the development plans.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 38, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. Transferring or encumbering a concession requires express authorisation of the municipality and ICT or INDER; transactions without it are void.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 45, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. No concessions for foreigners with under five years of residence, companies with bearer shares, entities domiciled abroad, entities formed in Costa Rica by foreigners, or entities over 50% foreign owned; concessionaire entities cannot transfer shares to foreigners.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 47, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. Concessions last 5 to 20 years, state the canon (which replaces land tax) and can be renewed; since Ley 9974 of 2021 an early renewal can be requested after half the term to use the concession as loan collateral.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 48 and 50, 2021-04-09 official text · verified 2026-10-30 · changed: Ley 9974 of 9 April 2021 allowed early renewal after half the term for financing purposes.

9. Annual canon within ranges set by each municipality on its appraisal: agricultural up to 2%, residential up to 3%, hotel, tourist or recreational up to 4%, commercial, industrial or extractive up to 5%; never below 0.25%.
Cost to do it: 0.25% to 5% of appraised land value per year.
Example: ₡50,000,000 residential appraisal: ₡125,000 to ₡1,500,000 a year. / About US$274.83 to US$3,298.01.DE 7841-P, Reglamento a la Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 49, 2013-07-24 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. Building or developing against the law in the zone is punishable by one month to three years in prison.Ley 6043, Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, art. 62, 1977-03-02 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Worked example

A Costa Rican company, 60% owned by nationals, applies for a 20 year residential concession in the restricted zone of a beach with an approved coastal plan. The municipality appraises the lot at ₡50,000,000 (about US$109,933.60) and sets a 3% canon, so ₡1,500,000 (about US$3,298.01) a year. Selling or mortgaging the concession later needs municipal and ICT consent.

Step by step

Confirm with the municipality whether the land is titled property or inside the 200 m zone, and whether a coastal regulatory plan exists.
Check the concession in the Registro's concessions section, its term, canon and permitted use.
Structure ownership so foreign holdings stay at or below 50%.
Obtain municipal and ICT or INDER approval before any assignment or mortgage.
Keep the canon current; arrears allow cancellation and block renewal.

Common traps

Buying shares in a concessionaire company that would push foreign ownership above 50% is void.
Without an approved coastal plan in a tourist zone, no new concession can be granted.
Structures in the 50 m public zone can be demolished without compensation.
Concessionaires still pay property tax on buildings and the solidarity tax on homes.

Sources

← Solidarity tax on luxury homes in Costa Rica: 0.25% to 0.55% when construction exceeds ₡143 millionCondominiums in Costa Rica: Ley 7933 regime, common areas, dues and assemblies →

Get rule changes weekly

Free. One email a week from The LatAm Thread.

One more step after you press the button: we take you to Substack, where your email is already filled in. Confirm there to start. No spam, unsubscribe anytime, we never share your address. By subscribing you agree to the privacy policy.