WHERE TO LIVE AND INVEST IN COSTA RICA

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 AreaEscazu 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 AreaAtenas 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 AreaThe 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.RohrmoserRohrmoser 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 AntonioThe 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

WHERE TO LIVE AND INVEST IN COSTA RICA 2008-07-24T02:14:00-07:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: Merlyn Rosell