Exclusive | High-power Americans approach healthy retirement in a blue-zone paradise where houses start at $ 4.35 million

When Ricardo Caceres set the first foot on Conchal beach as a child, it was little more than a quiet section of white sand where the locals camped and played in crystalline waters.

“This has been my favorite beach for a long time,” The Post told The Post, remembering the transfer of his family to Costa Rica in the 70’s. “This is what he attracted to me to end the full circle and spend a good part of the year.”

Now, 54, hunting is part of a growing wave of Americans who sell red, white and blue for the Nicoya Azul area, where locals enjoy some of the longest and healthiest lives on Earth.

The 80 mile peninsula, south of the Nicaraguan border, is one of the five original blue areas of the world. Its residents are more than twice as much as the North -Americans to reach their 90 years in good health.

Expatriates pursuing the lifestyle of the blue zone have come to Costa Rica in recent years, feeding a rise in luxury tourism and private hotel residences throughout the region.

Among them: The W Resciences Costa Rica, a high -end enclave located inside the Community of the Reserve Closed in the province of Guanacaste, where Caceres took a plot in March 2020.

“At Reserve Conchal, we are a community that covers well -being, a connection with nature and a slower and intentional rhythm of life,” he told The Post Fabián Fernandez, head of property business.

“Being in a blue zone is part of our DNA and most people who come to invest in Reserve Conchal are taking into account this.”

“Your exercise routine is very different. You eat healthier. I usually lose weight when I am there.”

Ricardo hunts

From fast food to slow life

Before building his tropical retirement, Caceres spent decades working in the restaurant industry.

At the age of 21, he left Costa Rica in Los Angeles, working as a member of the McDonald crew while putting in college.

During the next two decades, Caceres was raised through the ranks to become the director of operations of a great franchisee, finally opening several of McDonald’s itself before moving to the Phoenix area.

When he got tired of crushing, Caceres returned to his childhood beach, now in the home of an elegant and sustainable community.

He broke the ground in a five -bedroom house when pandemic began. By the end of 2021, it was ready. Now he and his wife Melissa bounce between Arizona and Costa Rica as his daughter ends high school in the United States.

“Being in situ changes your routine completely,” he said. “You really feel you are on vacation, even though you are in your house.”

And this is not a sleepy surf hut.

The private owners of W residences houses enjoy access to all the amenities offered at the W hotel establishment, including a gym, a golf course, tennis courts, a spa, two pools and kilometers of private routes that go through lush perforation.

Hunting starts every day with a training session, and then hits the beach for a walk or paddleboard session in the peaceful calm waters of the Pacific.

“Your exercise routine is very different,” he said. “You eat healthier. I usually lose weight when I’m there.”

The cost of moving to paradise

Reserve Conchal now develops its 17th residential community. Buyers can choose unpainted lots to build their dream home or opt for private residences ready to move.

Options include single -family homes, condomines and brand rents that owners can lease when they are outside.

“Most of the blue zone is within yourself, it is the way of acting, the way of behaving -and the way of life. When you are there, you do part.”

Ricardo hunts

The Laughs Private Lots of Forest View of the new Laurel Community begin from $ 645,000, while the pre-constructed properties currently available in Wonden residences range from 4.35 million to $ 5.45 million.

Most buyers come from North America and Europe, although Fernández said that more native costs are also moving.

“Everyone who comes to Reserve Conchal, especially people who are from the states, but also Costals who currently live in the Central valley or San Jose, are looking for a more balanced and healthy way of life,” he said.

Not waiting for retirement

While Caceres has left the restaurant world mainly, he continues to consult big projects and juggle some companies, often from their breeze office at the Costarricana Home instead of Arizona.

“It really is no different, unless the view is better. The whole atmosphere is much more relaxed and less stressed,” said Caceres. “I never wear shoes there, that says everything.”

And longer he stays, more embrace the local mindset.

“Most of the blue zone is within yourself, it is the way of acting, the way of behaving -and the way of life,” said Caceres. “When you are there, you do it.”

Park City encounters pure life

Nils Thorjussen is also on the mission of finding a new rhythm of life in Costa Rica.

An “serial businessman”, the 59 -year -older speaker spent a decade more recently at the helm of Aero Virgin, a startup that creates choreographed light using drones.

“It was a fun and fun walk, but I’m willing to work less,” said Thorjussen, who admitted that he had taken with burning feelings before delivering the reins and went on a part -time paper earlier this year.

When Thorjussen began looking for a second house, Costa Rica accessibility quickly became an important tie.

“It is easier to embrace it, unlike being in an environment where there is a fried chicken of Kentucky in every corner.”

Nils Thorjussen

“It is within the United States reasonable brand, it is like a three -hour flight of Houston, so it is easy to access unlike some of the other blue areas, as in the Mediterranean,” he said. “It was really important to me.”

Thorjussen and his wife, Rebecca, travel now and return between their home to Park City, Utah, and an ecological five bedrooms, with an ecological, an ecological one, which was above the coast within the Conchal reserve.

“When I am here, I’m happy as a clam,” said the father of two. “It is certainly good for my mental health, because you can really check it and relax -you can enjoy life. It is very easy to move at a different speed.”

The reputation of the Nicoya Peninsula as a blue area also intrigued Thorjussen, who was curious how the region’s lifestyle could influence his own well -being.

“Mostly people live here simpler and closer to nature,” he said. “When you are surrounded by this, it is easier to embrace it, unlike in an environment where there is a fried chicken of Kentucky in every corner.”

This connection with nature now woven in its daily routine. Thorjussen begins every morning with a walk on the property, taking the lush greenery, the parakets and calls of Howler’s monkeys that are echoed by the guanacaste trees.

He already plans to move his sailboat once he and Rebecca move full -time.

Thorjussen habits have changed in other ways, especially when it comes to eating.

“Being a little older, I’m trying to be more aware of health,” he said. “If you want to avoid processed foods, it is much easier to get fresh ingredients here than in most of the United States.”

Nicoyan’s traditional diet is mainly plant -based and focuses on beans, corn and pumpkin, along with rice, fresh vegetables and tropical fruits rich in antioxidants. They eat a considerable amount of dairy and enjoy lean protein such as fish, chicken and eggs in moderation.

The water on the Nicoya Peninsula is also filled with calcium and magnesium, which comes from heart disease and promotes strong bones.

It combines that with vitamin D rican coast stirring a lot of time outdoors and promotes a healthier lifestyle.

“Although I am sure that I would be able to be reasonably healthy in Park City, it is certainly easier to run here,” said Thorjussen.

Live more time together

According to social responsibility and social responsibility, it is also in the heart of the blue area of ​​lifestyle, according to Fernández.

The motto Nicoyan “Plan of Life”, which means a reason for living, feeds the positive perspectives of the elderly, active routines and the strong sense of purpose in their community.

The locals prove this mentality for their extraordinary longevity, and Reserve Conchal is giving life to this spirit.

“Having a sense of community has been very, very important to residents,” said Fernández. “They want a deeper connection to the community around them.”

At Reserve Conchal, both residents and staff are rolling out the sleeves for local volunteer projects, such as painting schools, planting trees, beaches and even scuba diving to remove waste from coral reefs.

Sustainability is also at the helm. More than 85% of in situ waste are recycled, composed or reused. The community manages two wastewater treatment plants plus the first floor of desalination of Costa Rica sea water. Awesome, it makes up 20% more carbon emissions more than it produces.

“Residents want to be more related to nature, have a purpose in their lives, to be part of a more supportive community, so I hope that in the end it will help them to live a longer life,” said Fernández. “I know it will be more satisfactory.”