Where To Live In Costa Rica

With today's blog I'm going to give you an overview of what parts of Costa Rica are often chosen for retirement. This won't be an exhaustive list but just an overview of the various areas and why they are chosen, as well as some of the downsides if any. Costa Rica has many different areas and many micro-climates and so you will find Americans, Europeans and others living in most of the country, but some areas are more popular than others.

One of the most popular areas to live is the Central Valley region just west of San Jose' (the capitol city).

Some of the reasons this is chosen are:

• proximity to San Jose's international airport 
• proximity to San Jose' itself which is the country's largest city
• a cooler climate than the beach areas (at least in much of it, though not all parts of the Central Valley are cooler)
• many Americans and Europeans have chosen this area to live

In the Central Valley you have popular places like Grecia, Heredia, and San Ramon all of which have areas of higher elevation (2000-5000 feet) in or around them, where temperatures are cooler.

Another area often chosen is Northern Guanacaste which is the northwestern region. This is chosen because it is the driest area of Costa Rica, with parts of it being desert-like, and many beautiful beach areas. However the choicest spots here tend to be quite expensive, rivaling American prices for prime real estate. There is an airport in the region which is relatively easy to get to and this is also a reason retirees like it. However one downside is that it is far from any major city.

Nevertheless many do choose to retire here and you can sometimes find bargains on properties a bit inland.

On the southern peninsula that borders the Gulf of Nicoya there are also many beaches such as Samara', Montezuma, Tamarindo and so on, all of which have substantial "gringo" communities. The property here can be a little more reasonable than the beaches of northern Guanacaste. However there is much more rainfall here, with some areas getting very heavy annual rainfall totals. Bargains can be found in these more rainy areas, especially a mile or two inland from the ocean.

However one drawback of this area is that roads can get very bad and some areas are prone to heavy flooding. Do your research before buying here. But that goes for any area you would spend your hard earned cash on, right?

Further south is the area of Quepos where the Manuel Antonio National Park is. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to its beautiful beaches and green rain forests. However this area gets quite heavy rainfall and the most beautiful spots tend to be very expensive. Like most areas, good deals can be found if you are willing to look long and hard, if you speak Spanish, if you rent in the area for a long time while you look, and if you have a knack for negotiating with Ticos.

This is a good place for me to interject:
If you buy within 100 meters of the shoreline, you must be extremely diligent as this kind of property is subject to very strict rules on ownership and on building. If I were to buy this type of beach property I would hire not one but TWO attorneys to check everything out for me because most problems encountered in Costa Rica real estate are with beach property.

There are some very nice areas just inland from Manuel Antonio where property is much cheaper. However it still rains a lot and being at 0 elevation it tends to get quite hot as well as humid.

Heading further south you encounter the one area where you can still buy many acres of land relatively cheap. But there is a price to pay: The rainfall is extreme in this area, called the Golfo Dulce. Much of the area is rain forest and many of the roads are among the worst in Costa Rica. But if living "off the grid" is your wish, this may be the place to do it! And in all fairness, the area is improving little by little and there are parts of it that are quite livable. So if you want to find bargain property on the beach, you like rain, and you don't mind living on a bad road nowhere near a city, the southern region may be for you.

Similar to the Golfo Dulce area is the Caribe area on the opposite side of the country, the "east coast" of Costa Rica. Over there it is quite different, as it is on the Caribbean Ocean, is generally less populated and has a slower more relaxed feel. There are beautiful beach areas there; but again you have the heavy rainfall and bad roads, so choose carefully. That said, many Americans love it there and it is certainly worth your time to check it out, especially if you have your heart set on beach property but don't have several hundred thousand dollars to spend like you'll need on the northwestern side of the country.

A few other areas worth mentioning are Puriscal just south of San Jose in the mountains, Arenal, a couple hours north of San Ramon, which makes it about 3 hours northwest of San Jose', and San Isidro Del General about 3 hours south of San Jose'.

Let's talk about Arenal. It is home to the man-made Lake Arenal and nature-made Arenal Volcano. Both are quite beautiful and Arenal is a site to behold with its nearly constantly spewing lava and rocks. Yes it is an active volcano though most experts believe it is not likely to have a major eruption any time soon. However it gives quite a show and its hot springs are fantastic for relaxing. The land in the area is very over-priced for the most part on the La Fortuna side but quite reasonable on the Tilaran side. However the area is quite windy and it gets more than its fair share of rain. Those who like cool weather and don't mind the rain may find it just perfect, and certainly the views are amazing.

One other drawback is that it is 2 hours from the closest larger town (San Ramon) and 3 hours from San Jose', on a long and winding mountain road.

Puriscal is a very quaint and clean town in the mountains just south or San Jose', only about an hour by bus or a bit less by car. The road is very windy but also one of the better roads in Costa Rica. It's not a big town but it is said that it is much like Costa Rica was 20 years ago. It's a quiet area with clean air and beautiful mountain views all around it. If you like cooler weather this is a good choice, and the rain is about average which is to say not too bad. There are very good parcels of land to be found around Puriscal and for the most part the roads are decent in this area. The drawbacks are that you are several hours from the beach to the west and the only way to go directly (without going back to San Jose' first) is along some very small roads. But if the beach is not your thing and you like beautiful mountain views and cool climates, Puriscal may be just for you.

And finally, San Isidro Del General: This also is a very quaint little town, mostly a farm area, up in the mountains and only a little over an hour to the beach of Dominical (by the way Dominical is another beach area many choose to retire in, as is Ojochal to the south of it, but I had to stop somewhere so I am not going to discuss those in this particular writing at this time).

San Isidro - also like Puriscal - does not have a lot to do. If you are looking for night life neither of these last 2 towns are going to be for you. There is really not much to do at either place and while there are a few restaurants to choose from this is not the kind of place for singles or those who are easily bored. On the other hand if you are a  homebody and your idea of fun is waking up and having a coffee on the porch while laying in your hammock looking at at a beautiful mountain range, you will want to consider Puriscal and San Isidro.

The rainfall at San Isidro is moderately high but not severe and it really is a beautiful area. However prices started rising sharply a few years ago and you will have to search long and hard for a bargain if there are any left.

As mentioned, Dominical is directly west on the coast, and along the road to Dominical there are some very beautiful areas with distant or not-too-distant ocean views that may be affordable.

These then are the most noteworthy areas for retirement, in my view. So if you decide to give Costa Rica a look with the idea of retiring there, you can use this article as a jumping off point.

Do you want to live on the beach? Then  Guanacaste - both southern and northern - may be a good place to start; and don't forget to check out the vibe on the Caribbean side too.

Do you like cool nights but want to be near a big city? In that case try the Central Valley! Grecia and some of the areas closer to San Jose' can be quite pricey but San Ramon still has many bargains to be found! Rancho Silencio would be one good choice for buildable lots in the Central Valley that are bargain priced, have distant Gulf and mountain views and only minutes from town with all amenities.

Rancho Silencio offers a very good choice for those who want a cooler climate (due to its 2800 feet elevation), moderate annual rainfall, and all the amenities can be found in San Ramon just 7-8 miles away.

My next choice would be Puriscal, and then San Isidro. The one problem with San Isidro is that it is 3 hours on a windy road, to San Jose'.

So again, this is an overview and please do more research on your own, or subscribe to my blog for detailed upcoming articles on each of these areas!