The Biggest, Big Whorehouse in Central AmericaInside Costa Rica - Sept. 8, 2010 - By Christopher Howard*
Like Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil and many other countries outside of the United States, prostitution is permitted and looked upon with general acceptance in Costa Rica.
In order to control the propagation of venereal disease and AIDS, prostitutes are required by the government to undergo regular health checkups by the Ministry of Health or Ministerio de Salud in order to practice their trade legally. Most upscale brothels make sure their employees have their health papers and tests up to date. 
It is therefore not surprising that many foreigners are attracted to Costa Rica because of the availability of women.
For some people, Costa Rica is a sexual paradise. Many older single retirees choose Costa Rica for this very reason. I heard some of them remark that because of the availability of young women here, they feel like they have discover the “Fountain of Youth.†I am not advocating prostitution but am simply stating that it is available and does draw some older men of retirement age to the country. I am only talking about the “world’s oldest profession†between consenting adults. In San José there is a myriad of bordellos, cabarets, escort services, massage parlors and bars where an older man can find female company. One Costa Rican remarked jokingly when questioned about the number of whorehouses in San José, “ In order to put a roof over all of the houses of ill repute, you would have to cover the whole city.â€
In the “Gringo Gulch†area near Morazán Park two places come to mind. Key Largo is an institution that has been around for more than 25 years. Located in a beautiful colonial mansion directly across from Parque Morazán, the place looks like a scene taken right out of a Humphrey Bogart movie. It offers live music and dancing nightly. The world famous Blue Marlin Bar at the Hotel Del Rey is open 24 hours, is under the same ownership as the Key Largo and the sexual epicenter of the city. The 104-room Del Rey is a neo-classic building in downtown San José and offers all the amenities of a luxury hotel. The hotel is rumored to have the highest occupancy rate in the country for a very good reason.
The “Pink Palace,†as it is often called because of its pink façade, is “the†place to meet women of the night and experience the most sizzling nightlife in Central America. Most evenings are standing room only in the bar. Hundreds of shapely Latin women strut their stuff show off their wares. Customers have their choice of beauties from Costa Rica, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. All shapes and sizes are available for a variety of tastes. Many male guests come to Costa Rica for a couple of weeks and never leave the hotel. Everything they need is right under one roof. Men who have been to brothels all over the would who say they have never been in a place with so many beautiful women from which to choose. You can go Youtube and type in Hotel Del Rey to get an idea of what the place is like.
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Christopher Howard conducts the ONLY legally licensed (ICT) monthly relocation/retirement tours in Costa Rica. He is also the author/publisher of the forthcoming 680-page 16th edition of “The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica,†the new second edition of “The Official Guide to Costa Rican Spanish,†and “The Guide to Real Estate in Costa Rica.â€