Buying in Playas del Coco? Check the maritime zone before the view sells you.

Why is the coastline the first question in Playas del Coco?

In Playas del Coco, the first question is whether the land is near the coast. On an inland lot, you mostly need to know who owns it and what is registered against it. On a lot close to the beach, a more basic question comes first: is this land something that can be owned at all?

Costa Rica's maritime law treats the coastal strip differently from ordinary land. Under Law 6043, the Ley sobre la Zona Marítimo Terrestre, the zona marítimo terrestre (maritime terrestrial zone, or ZMT) is "la franja de doscientos metros de ancho a todo lo largo de los litorales Atlántico y Pacífico de la República." That is a strip 200 metres wide along both coasts, measured from the ordinary high-tide line.

Playas del Coco sits in Carrillo canton, in Guanacaste. Whether a given listing touches this question depends on where the lot sits, not on how it is marketed.

What do Folio's maritime zone numbers for Playas del Coco show?

Folio measured the legal 200 metre strip along Coco's coast in August 2026 as part of a town-level dataset covering 27 coastal towns. The method overlays the official coastline with the Registro Nacional cadastre. Parcel counts are lower bounds: the real numbers can only be equal or higher. You can read the full town reading on the Playas del Coco maritime zone data page.

For context, the full study counted at least 2,529 parcels touching the maritime zone across all 27 towns, and at least 1,276 lying fully inside it.

What does 84.4% registered coverage mean for a buyer?

It means most of Coco's maritime strip has been mapped into registered parcels. It does not mean most of it is privately owned. The cadastre map shows a boundary, but it cannot tell a titled property from a concession. Both appear as registered geometry.

Inside the 50 to 200 metre band, the zona restringida (restricted zone), most registered parcels are state concessions. A concesión is a right granted by the state to use the land for a set term and under conditions. It is not ownership. Folio's reading for Coco describes the registered area as "a mix of concessions and, in urban pockets, possible titled exceptions." The rest of the strip is unregistered public domain.

So when a seller describes a lot near the bay as "titled," treat that as a claim to verify. The map alone cannot settle it.

Why does registered land inside the first 50 metres matter?

The law sets aside "la Zona Pública, que es la faja de cincuenta metros de ancho a contar de la pleamar ordinaria": the public zone, the first 50 metres from the ordinary high tide. The remaining 150 metres form the restricted zone. The public zone is inalienable.

Folio still measured 0.59 km² of registered parcel geometry overlapping Coco's first 50 metres. That overlap has several possible explanations:

• lawful concessions,
• pre-1973 exceptions,
• mapping offsets, where a parcel drawing sits slightly out of place against the coastline.

Only a registry pull and a professional review can tell which explanation applies to a given lot. If a property you are considering appears to reach into the first 50 metres, this is the most important thing to resolve. Do not treat it as a footnote.

The law also says the public zone includes all manglares (mangroves), "sea cual fuere su extensión," whatever their extent. If there is any mangrove or estuary edge near a lot, ask your attorney how that affects the boundary.

Which public records should you pull for a Coco property?

Use this order. Each record answers a different question, and none of them replaces the others.

1. The map position. Start with the free Playas del Coco property check. Tap the lot to see its cadastral boundary, area, perimeter and a maritime-zone flag. It does not show the owner, liens or the plano. Its job is to show you whether the coast question applies at all.
2. The registry record. Next, look at the folio real, the property's entry in the Registro Nacional. It shows the registered owner, gravámenes (encumbrances such as mortgages or easements) and anotaciones (pending annotations such as lawsuits or embargoes). Certifications and consultations are available through the Registro Nacional's digital services. Check whether the record describes a titled finca or a concession.
3. The plano catastrado (cadastral survey plan). Compare the plano's area and boundary with the registry entry and with what you see on the ground. Mismatches near the coast deserve a surveyor's opinion.
4. The concession file, if there is one. If the land is a concession, ask for the concession contract, its term, its permitted use and the status of the canon (the periodic fee). Your attorney can tell you which office holds the file in Carrillo.
5. The coastal zoning. Ask whether a plan regulador costero (coastal zoning plan) covers the specific stretch. The ICT's maritime zone programme page publishes information on coastal plans and regulations. Ask your attorney how the presence or absence of an approved plan affects concessions and building permits, and have them confirm the position for the lot.

If you would rather have this assembled for you, Folio's $29 verified report is a human-checked records search. It covers the registered owner, liens, taxes, water rights and the exact maritime line, and it is delivered within 24 hours. It shows what the records say. Your attorney or notary still advises you on what to do about it.

What should you ask about a specific lot in Coco?

Bring these questions to the seller, the agent and your own attorney:

• How far is the nearest boundary from the ordinary high-tide line, and who measured it?
• Is the property a titled finca or a concession? Can I see the document that proves which?
• If it is titled and close to the shore, is it one of the pre-1973 exceptions? What supports that?
• Does any part of the parcel drawing fall within the first 50 metres? If so, is that a mapping offset or a real overlap?
• Are there fences, walls or structures inside the strip? Were they authorised?
• Is there a mangrove, estuary or wetland edge on or near the lot?
• Is the concession current, and are its fees paid up?

The structures question matters because the law prohibits, "sin la debida autorización legal," fencing, building or clearing within the zone. An unauthorised wall is not just a cosmetic issue. Ask your attorney to confirm the status of anything already built.

Can a foreign buyer hold a concession in Playas del Coco?

Possibly not directly. The law states that concessions are not granted "a extranjeros que no hayan residido en el país por lo menos durante cinco años": to foreigners who have not lived in the country for at least five years. Ask your attorney whether a concession can be held through a company or other structure, and what limits apply.

This is an area where you need specific legal advice, not a general rule. Have your attorney review how the concession is held and whether the transfer to you would be allowed. Our guide to the Costa Rica maritime zone explained for buyers covers the general framework.

What can the town data not tell you?

Folio's town measurements describe the coastline as a whole. They do not tell you about any single property. A parcel touching the strip might be a concession, a titled exception or a slightly misdrawn boundary. A parcel outside the strip can still carry liens, boundary disputes or access problems.

The 0.0 km² figure means Folio measured no overlap between Coco's strip and protected land in SINAC data. It says nothing about zoning, water availability or easements on a particular lot.

If you are looking at land right on the sand, read buying a beachfront lot in Costa Rica before you make an offer. Then pull the records for the exact lot, and have a Costa Rican attorney or notary review them with you.