The most expensive mistake foreign buyers make in Costa Rica is paying for beachfront that sits in the 200m maritime zone, which cannot be owned outright. The Registro Nacional will not warn you. Folio overlays the official maritime line on any finca, free.
Check the maritime zone freeIf any of a "beachfront" lot falls in the first 200m from the mean high-tide line, it is almost certainly concession, not title. Sellers sometimes present a concession as if it were ownership. Confirm it before you wire a deposit.
A Registro Nacional search shows the owner, boundaries and liens, but it does not tell you whether the parcel is inside the maritime zone. That line is set by the high-tide mark and the ICT, not the property registry. So a clean title search can still hide a concession problem. Folio overlays the official ZMT line directly on the parcel, which is the only way to see it before you buy. Read the full maritime zone guide or the concession vs titled breakdown.
Pop the address or finca into Folio. It shows the cadastre, the 200m maritime line, protected areas and water for that exact parcel. For a serious deal, the $29 verified report confirms the exact maritime line, the concession status and the registered owner. Coastal towns this matters most: Santa Teresa, Tamarindo, Nosara, Manuel Antonio, Puerto Viejo.
Check the maritime zone on any Costa Rica property in seconds, free.
Run a free maritime-zone checkRun the finca through Folio. It overlays the official 200m maritime-zone line on the parcel so you can see whether any of the land falls inside it. The exact concession status is confirmed in the verified report.
Not as titled property. The first 50m from the high-tide line is public and cannot be owned by anyone. The next 150m is concession land leased from the municipality, and a foreigner (or foreign-majority company) generally cannot hold more than 49% of a concession.
No. The registry shows title, owner and liens, but it does not tell you whether the parcel sits in the 200m maritime zone. That is exactly the gap Folio closes by overlaying the official ZMT line.
No. A concession is a time-limited lease from the state, with renewal and use conditions, not fee-simple title. Many beachfront 'sales' are really concession transfers. Confirm which before you pay anything.
General information, not legal advice. The exact maritime line and concession status are confirmed in the verified report and with a licensed attorney.