Costa Rica, though small is a very diverse country. As such there are many
types of environments in which one can live. Below we have listed some of
the more popular locations from the jungle, cool mountains, to the beaches
and country and urban towns, in which many Americans, Canadians and Europeans choose to live or invest in Costa Rica real estate.
CENTRAL VALLEY AREA (San Jose and Surrounding Cities)
Cariari/Belin Areas
Cariari is a resort type community located just 10 minutes from downtown San Jose and 5 minutes from the International Airport in Alajuela, and a little over an hour to Central Pacific beaches. It is one of the classic areas for foreigners purchasing real estate in Costa Rica and it still offers as much convenience and variety as any other area the Central Valley. It is a secured upscale development with a mix of both older and newer homes and condominiums.A large part of the population is foreign so English is
readily spoken.
Located within Cariari are two of the better hotels in San Jose;
Melia Cariari and Hotel Herradura, both have restaurants
with a wide range of cuisines, Casinos and many other
amenities available to those living in Cariari.
The Cariari Country Club is also located here. On site
is their 18 hole, Par 71, Championship golf course
designed by George Fazio and built by his famous nephew,
Tom Fazio in the early 1970's. The private Cariari Golf
Course is one of the least crowded courses in Costa
Rica. The Course will challenge all golfing skills, as
well as lend an enjoyable playing experience. In
addition to golf the club also includes 12 tennis courts
an Olympic pool, health club, Jacuzzi, and restaurant.
Memberships for the Country Club are readily available
at amazingly low cost to property owners in Cariari and
a bit more for those living outside.
This is a
community that offers a wide array of activities to all,
and with a 10 minutes drive, all the city of San Jose
offers is available as well. You will find properties
priced from $110,000 to $1,000,000+ for some rambling
estates.
There are also many desirable
properties in the area immediately surrounding Cariari.
Belen and close in Heredia have several newer
developments that offer good value and features. Many
multinational and free zone companies such as Intel find
this area the best location because of its proximity to
downtown and the International Airport in Alajuela. This
in turn has attracted hotels for business travelers and
related services like restaurants and entertainment. In
general real estate in this area offers constant growth
and solid appreciation. You can also find older homes on
the market that are good candidates for modernization,
or a better buy for the square footage and lot
size.
Escazu Area
Escazu is located 6 kilometers (4
miles) to the west of downtown San Jose. Escazu is an
easy commute to downtown and is only 30 minutes the
airport in Alajuela. The elevation of Escazu ranges from
1,100 meters on the valley floor, to 2,300 meters
(almost a mile) in the mountains of San Antonio. Escazu
has many attractions: an agreeable climate, natural
beauty, some amazing views and more modern conveniences
and services than anywhere in Costa Rica. As Escazu has
become a favorite of North Americans and Europeans, Real
estate prices are among the highest in the central
valley and the country.
Escazu offers the
tropical colonial feel of old and the modern life of
developed countries. It has grown so that it has become
a mix of both worlds. You can find very old adobe
houses, beautiful century old churches, farmers on
oxcarts and at the same time many strip malls, the most
modern hospital in the country, the largest shopping
mall in Central America and all the bars and restaurants
you may wish in a lifetime.
Escazu is also a
leader on educational level; with a number of private
multilingual schools available. If you are looking for
all the luxuries of today, a great social life, like
shopping, want the schools of your children nearby; want
them to be near their friends, Escazu might be right for
you.
Escazu center is the original town where
you'll find charming old adobe houses, the old church,
the town square, and the municipal government building.
This is a good area for commercial property, apartments
or to purchase an older home in need of renovating.
Parking is at a premium and a number of narrow, one-way
streets can make finding an address a bit of an
adventure.
San Rafael is Escazu's "main drag";
real estate here is characterized by strip malls,
supermarkets, restaurants and many upscale services that
can be hard to find in some other areas of the country.
You will find stores from Lazy Boy to the Hugo Boss
store and restaurants from typical Tico places to
McDonald's, Tony Roma's and many other Fine Dining
restaurants. This is a great location for any business
venture and is the access point to the highway. Real
estate values here are higher than in other areas of
Escazu, because of this commercial nature.
San
Antonio is up the mountain from the center and is the
more traditional side of town. Here you can still find
coffee, vegetables and sugar cane farms. Among these
lovely farms, you will see many new beautiful homes and
developments, built to take advantage of the spectacular
views and the mild weather. Traffic patterns and the
climb make this more out of the way than other parts of
Escazu, but the views and country ambiance make it
worthwhile for people who purchase real estate in San
Antonio.
Guachipelín Escazu, until recently,
this was just a little known, unusually named
neighborhood on the outskirts of Escazu. With the
addition of an ultramodern hospital, an exclusive
shopping mall, and its own exit ramp to the highway;
this area is now one of the most popular choices for
people purchasing real estate in Costa Rica. Very close
to Escazu center and now only 10 minutes from downtown
San José, you'll find excellent and plentiful choices
for shopping, from the Multi Plaza Mall to the Price
Smart supermarket (Costco in U.S.) as well as many
others. The new Cima hospital is the most modern
hospital in Costa Rica. There are also many new
residential areas offering new homes starting at the
$100,000 Real estate values are likely to rise faster
here than in other areas of Escazu in the near future
Trejos Montealegre, Bello Horizonte, These are
the closest residential areas to the highway access, and
traditionally where the most exclusive areas. Here you
will find very nice older homes and traces of many of
Costa Rica's wealthiest families. While not a bargain
hunter's delight, you can often find lower priced homes
here, due to smaller size and age of the homes in these
neighborhoods.
Santa Ana/ Ciudad Colon
Area
West from Escazu on the old or
the new highway is Santa Ana. Only 10 minutes to 15
minutes away from all the conveniences of Escazu. Santa
Ana still has the image of a quiet rural village locally
famous for the fact that they grow the best onions in
the world and is developing very much as a center of
ceramics and pottery. It's more laid-back than, and not
as pricey as its Escazu neighbor.
Santa Ana’s
climate is drier and warmer than the cities east due to
its lower elevation and it’s being on the west side of the mountains.
You see a lot of Southwest style
buildings here probably due to the similarities in
climate. While prices have been rising you can still
find very nice homes at reasonable prices. The new
urban, office park and shopping developments in the area
should continue to lead to rising real estate
values.
Two very popular residential areas in
the Santa Ana area are Valle del Sol a resort type
community with an 18 hole golf course, tennis club and
views of the Santa Ana Mountains and Eco – Residential
Villa Real a development on the highway towards Santa
Ana, just past the Multiplaza mall, offering beautiful
housing projects combined with natural surroundings and
amazing views. The Escazu area, international
schools, commercial development and Cima Hospital are
only a few minutes away from both.
The real
estate in the hills on the south side of Santa Ana
continuing through Brasil de Mora to Ciudad Colon is
slowly being developed into communities where you can
find privacy quietness, and some stunning panoramic
views. West of Santa Ana is the quite little community
of Ciudad Colon which is quickly becoming a bedroom
community. Its excellent access to the highway makes it
a quick commute to the western side of San Jose and only
minutes to the office developments in Santa Ana. Today
Ciudad Colon sits at the end of a highway that is to be
extended to the Pacific beaches. As a result it will sit
halfway between the city and the beach with fast access
to either. Clearly this is an area ripe for development
and as such is a very good area for investment property.
Atenas and La
Garrita Area
Atenas and La Garita
are 10-20 minutes from Alajuela and the International
Airport. They have long been identified as having the
best climate in the world by National Geographic
Magazine. These areas have received much attention over
the years and as a result have attracted many foreigners
already. Both cities offer a friendly small town
atmosphere with many small charming restaurants and
hotels. Values have consistently risen here over the
years and with the new planned highway improvement
project it is anticipated it will see continued growth
in the future.
There are many options being
offered here from gated communities, both lots and homes
to large estates type homes. If you want to be relatively
close, but away from the city noise and pollution Atenas
and La Garita are very good choices. They are still
quite affordable and you can find some properties with
spectacular views of both the Central Valley and the
Pacific Ocean.
Grecia
Grecia located 50 minutes NW of San
Jose and about 30 minutes from the International Airport
in Alajuela. Grecia has a reputation for being the
"cleanest city in Latin America". Climate in the
mountains is 68-82 degrees F the entire year. No monkeys
here, but flocks of parrots or parakeets fly over
constantly and butterflies swarm by the thousands. This
is a city that is beginning to show strong growth so
property prices are beginning to rise quickly.
The Heredia Mountain Area
The province of Heredia is a mountainous region where green pastures turn into pine trees and cloud forests near the summit. The Heredia mountain area is also seeing growth. Many foreigners are attracted to the climate which is cooler, the views, which can be spectacular and the lower real estate prices. The prices have been on the rise in the last few years but given its proximity to San Jose prices are still reasonable. It is generally a rural area with the exception of the area surrounding the city of Heredia. Heredia is a fine example of a Costa Rican city, boasting many of the amenities of San Jose, but in a lower key environment. The Central Park serves as meeting point and most shops are located around it. Heredia is easily reachable from the International Airport. This area may be a good option if you desire to be closer to the San Jose and its offerings than the areas farther west of the city and airport.
The climate can differ substantially from area to area of the mountains. The areas of Santa Barbara, San Joaquín de Flores, San Pablo and Santo Tomas de Santo Domingo which are located in the lower parts of the mountains have a much warmer climate and are seeing more development than the higher elevation areas like Barva, Tirol, El Castillo, Birría and Los Angeles de Heredia. They also see more rain. Some homes in these areas even have fireplaces to enjoy on the cooler evenings.
Rohrmoser
Rohrmoser because of urban growth is now essentially the far west part of San José. It is at the higher end of the Tico market and just a few minutes to downtown San Jose. Rohrmoser offers an excellent selection of services. The United States Embassy is located here. The Homes in Rohrmoser, with a few exceptions, generally don’t offer much in the way of views. There are some lovely older homes some with and without views here that are very well priced. You can find good values in what are usually quiet and safe neighborhoods.
THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COAST
Jaco Beach to Manual Antonio
The Central Pacific coast is a
narrow strip of land surrounded on one side by jungle
covered mountains while the other contains some of the
most beautiful beaches, best surfing and breathtaking
views in Costa Rica. Its beaches are also the closest to
the Central Valley. The area is showing strong growth of
in part because the new highway to be built will reduce
the driving time from 1½ -2 hours to 45 minutes.
Jaco Beach and the areas surrounding will grow right
along with it. Communities from Herraduru, Hermosa,
Esterillo, Parrita all the way to Quepos and Manual
Antonio will benefit from this growth. So be sure to
look at these areas as well. The Jaco Beach Area
is one of the fastest growing areas in Costa Rica. The
population has nearly doubled over the last 4-5 years.
The growth has included a number of new shopping centers
including retail shops pharmacies, doctors, banks,
dentists and a new super market, with more in being
planned.
Jaco has over 100 restaurants and other
nightspots, offering everything from the typical Costa
Rican foods, to fine dining in restaurants of accredited
chefs. You can find cuisines ranging from seafood
dishes, Asian fusion to spicy Peruvian; you will find a
variety that is sure to please everyone.
Recreational amenities abound here from boating,
golfing, world class sport and surf fishing, surfing,
horseback riding, biking, hiking, bird watching, sea
kayaking or just relaxing on the beach. At the end of
the day one can find a sunset view restaurant or dance
the night away at one of the many hip and often quirky
hotspots in and around Jaco. The 210 room Marriott Hotel
Los Suenos development in Herradura Bay just to the
north of Jaco offers a challenging 18 hole championship
golf course that runs through its private rainforest
reserve and a new a state of the art 200 slip Marina
which can accommodate vessels up to 200’ and includes
all the amenities boaters expect. The hotel also
includes a number of restaurants and all these amenities
are open to the public.
Today Jaco is a 1½ -2
hour drive from San Jose but within the next two years a
new highway will be completed and the trip will take 45
minutes. In addition new coast highway will stretch from
Panama’s border to the port town of Puntarenas. This
will be Costa Rica’s Highway 101. At the same time the
new highway will be completed from San Jose to the Port
of Caldera. This will make travel time from Jacó to the
International Airport about one hour. The continuing
growth in the Jaco Beach area makes it one of the best
investment areas in Costa Rica. I would recommend
looking south Jaco to Dominical for very good values as well.
THE PROVIDENCE OF GUANACASTE
Guanacaste, 175 miles from San Jose is one of the
largest and least populated of the seven provinces of
Costa Rica. The province is known primarily for its
cattle production, and it’s often compared to the State
of Texas for this reason. This comparison is not
altogether erroneous as Guanacaste shares with Texas the
long stretches of plains which are ideal for cattle
ranches. In order to facilitate access, the Liberia
airport was upgraded and extended so as to become the
second international airport in the country. Although a
lot of work still must be done to properly accommodate
the amount of traffic the airport is beginning to
see.
The Beaches of Guanacaste
Guanacaste is also famous for its Pacific
Coast beaches which go on for over one hundred miles.
The beaches of Guanacaste are blessed with warm
crystalline waters.
Flamingo Beach,
Tamarindo, Playa Grande and Potrero are
spots many USA citizens, Europeans and
Canadians have chosen for retirement and vacation
homes.
The beaches are ideal for surfing; in
fact the province is rated to be among the
top surfing areas in the world. Deep sea fishing is
excellent, world championships are held annually. Most
of Guanacaste’s white sand beaches are lined with palm
trees and lush vegetation. Some of the beaches are the
breeding grounds for turtles (leatherbacks, hawksbill
and pacific ridley). They say there are so many beaches
in Guanacaste that you might be surprised and enjoy the
beach all alone.
Recreational amenities abound
here from boating, golfing, world class sport and surf
fishing, surfing, horseback riding, biking, hiking, bird
watching, sea kayaking or just relaxing on the beach. At
the end of the day one can find a sunset view restaurant
or dance the night away at one of the many hip and often
quirky hotspots in and around Tamarindo. Among the many
desirable beach areas of Guanacaste are Playa Grande,
Tamarindo Beach, Flamingo beach, and Playa Hermosa,
Samara and Nosara. All of these can be reached by car
from San José. Drive time will be between 3 ½ to 4
hours.
Please contact us if you have questions
about other areas
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