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(Where we work)

Where wework

We design and sign projects anywhere in Costa Rica. Each page gathers what matters before building in that place: the rain, the sun, the wind, the permits and the drive from the airport.

Aerial view at golden hour over Playa Langosta, Tamarindo and its estuary, with Playa Grande beyond
The lines drift with the average wind of the season you pick; the faster they move, the stronger the wind. The colour is the sunlight the ground gets in a year. Wind: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), 2001 to 2020. Sunlight: Global Solar Atlas (World Bank Group, Solargis), CC BY 4.0.
TownCantonRain a yearDry seasonHottest afternoonsSunlight a yearFrom Liberia airportFrom San José airport
Guanacaste
TamarindoSanta Cruz1,741 mmDecember to April35 °C, April2,080 kWh/m²1 h 25 min4 h 55 min
Playa GrandeSanta Cruz1,726 mmDecember to April34 °C, April2,089 kWh/m²1 h 20 min5 h 5 min
Playa NegraSanta Cruz1,792 mmDecember to April35 °C, April2,080 kWh/m²1 h 35 min4 h 55 min
FlamingoSanta Cruz1,755 mmDecember to April34 °C, April2,081 kWh/m²1 h4 h 50 min
Playas del CocoCarrillo1,694 mmDecember to April34 °C, April2,097 kWh/m²30 min4 h 15 min
PapagayoLiberia1,793 mmDecember to April34 °C, April2,097 kWh/m²55 min4 h 45 min
LiberiaLiberia1,779 mmDecember to April33 °C, April2,091 kWh/m²15 min3 h 35 min
NosaraNicoya2,070 mmDecember to April35 °C, April2,004 kWh/m²2 h 20 min4 h 50 min
SámaraNicoya2,091 mmDecember to April35 °C, April2,082 kWh/m²2 h 15 min4 h 40 min
Southern Nicoya Peninsula
Santa TeresaPuntarenas2,841 mmDecember to March30 °C, February2,036 kWh/m²3 h 25 min5 h 25 min
Central Pacific
JacóGarabito2,757 mmJanuary to March28 °C, March2,011 kWh/m²3 h 30 min1 h 40 min
South Pacific
DominicalOsa3,765 mmJanuary to March29 °C, March1,993 kWh/m²5 h 35 min3 h 40 min
UvitaOsa2,751 mmJanuary to March28 °C, March1,925 kWh/m²5 h 50 min4 h
Caribbean
Puerto ViejoTalamanca2,940 mmNone, it rains every month28 °C, June1,781 kWh/m²7 h 40 min4 h 45 min
Central Valley
EscazúEscazú1,994 mmDecember to March27 °C, April1,737 kWh/m²3 h 45 min25 min
Santa AnaSanta Ana2,142 mmDecember to March28 °C, April1,755 kWh/m²3 h 40 min25 min
AtenasAtenas2,307 mmDecember to March31 °C, April2,028 kWh/m²3 h 20 min35 min
HerediaHeredia2,384 mmFebruary to March27 °C, April1,988 kWh/m²3 h 50 min20 min

Rain: CHIRPS climatology (CHPclim v2, Climate Hazards Center, UC Santa Barbara). Temperature and wind: the nearest of 12 weather stations, typical year 2011 to 2025 (Climate.OneBuilding.org TMYx, from NOAA observations), temperatures adjusted for elevation. Heavy-rain days: NASA POWER (MERRA-2), 2001 to 2020. Sun: calculated for the town's coordinates. Elevation: SRTM. Roads and places: OpenStreetMap. Gathered October 2026.

(Guide)

Guides →
  1. (01)

    Building permits in Costa Rica

    Every step to a building permit in Costa Rica, in order, with the law behind it: land use, water, SETENA, the CFIA platform, Health, the Fire Department, the municipality and the coast.

  2. (02)

    Building in a gated community in Costa Rica

    How condominiums and gated communities work in Costa Rica: the law, the design committee, setbacks, fees and the two approvals a house needs.

  3. (03)

    Building cost estimator

    What a house, a hotel or any other building costs to build in Costa Rica, from the Ministry of Finance's official values, CFIA fees, VAT and builders' prices by town, with a schedule month by month.

  4. (04)

    Land prices by zone

    The official land value of every zone in Costa Rica on one map, from the Ministry of Finance, next to what lots ask in 18 towns. In colones and dollars, with the year of each edition.

  5. (05)

    The permit route for your project

    Which permits a house, a hotel or a shop in Costa Rica needs, in what order and from whom: answer five questions and the route draws itself, with the municipality, SETENA, the CFIA and every source.

(Our work)

All projects →
  1. Two-storey white house cantilevered over an infinity pool and a timber deck on a forested hillside Papagayo 404Península Papagayo
  2. Single-storey house with a timber facade and a long low roof behind a dry garden with a young tree Casa AlcaravánPlaya Grande
  3. Two-storey hangar building marked 01 with a deep roof over open bays Hangars BHuacas
  4. Two-storey house with a stone wall, a glass balcony and a pool among trees Kauhane HousePlaya Grande
  5. Single-storey pool house under a deep flat roof, looking over a bay Rancho CartagenaRancho Cartagena
  6. Pavilion house with a timber deck and a reflecting pool among trees at dusk Tragaluz RetreatPlaya Negra
(Start a project)

Tell us about your property and what you want to build. We answer within a working day.

WhatsApp +506 7173 7336 Book a free call hola@cava.design
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