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I am planning to move to CR in the next 5 years. What are the pro’s and con’s of living on the Caribbean/Pacific side? I am very laid back and do not want the hustle and bustle of city life. I speak spanish so I dont have that problem. I would like to live near the beach. Any comments would be appreciated.
All anyone could offer is their own predilection. I only have impressions of one visit to a part of the south central pacific coast as compared to many visits to the Central Valley area of San Ramon where I decided to buy property.
I found the coastal area to display more poverty in the towns with less convenient access to health care and other amenities yet I thought the roads to be in better condition. The heat and humidity at sea level in Costa Rica are more intense than they are in Miami and it is year round. If you now live in a cold northern climate, you may have pleasant memories of thawing out at a beach vacation in a tropical zone. However, if you have never lived for any length of time in that kind of heat, you may not appreciate the special challenges that kind of environment can present to most people.
I didn’t spend enough time on the Pacific coast to note any differences between the Ticos there and those of the mountains but I understand that the Caribbean coast has the only concentration of culture which is Jamaican in origin and english speaking. It is supposed to be quite different from the rest of the country in many significant ways.
Make one trip to each coast and do visit the Central Valley. You may find, as I did, that the mountains of the Central Valley are better suited to you….and visa versa.
Boy! sprite has it exactly right about the heat and humidity. We moved from Michigan to the beach in North Carolina before coming to Costa Rica. Loved the beach, but the summer’s heat and humidity wore us out by mid-August . . . and it wasn’t over. When I looked at climatic data for the Costa Rican coasts, I found the weather to be like coastal Carolina year ’round with highs in the nineties and humidity in the eighties. Be warned.
The interior, especially at altitude, is much more livable which is probably a large part of why three quarters of the population lives inland.
I don’t find the Guanacaste region nearly as humid as the OBX of NC in summer having lived in the mid atlantic all my life, but close. However sun is way more intense. The sun and heat are relentless at times. June, July, August and November thru January are great but you have to love being in the water, stay out of the heat in the middle of the day 12-4 (siesta time)and the evenings are real nice. March and April really bake you and you can’t wait for the rains to start.If you love the ocean and need to be by it this is it. However David is right and the populace prefers the mountains and central valley with their spring like weather year round. Not familiar with the Atlantic side though I understand it to be real hot and extremely humid and wet.
Sounds like you’re looking for perspectives, not recommendations, so here are a few of mine. Having visited Limón/Puerto and CV many times, we settled on Guanacaste. It was extremely rural, our desire, yet was accessible to larger towns (in our case, Santa Cruz) for necessary amenities (gasoline, a dentist, etc.) The Pacific Ocean itself was a considerable factor. But what sold us were the people of Veinte Siete, Paraiso, Marbella, and the other towns in our midst. Not a comparison to other areas at all, but we are so genuinely happy with our decision and again, primarily due to the people. Because of obligations in the US, the relative proximity I have to the Liberia airport is notable, though fares are higher of course than SJO. Rainy season warrants a doble tracción where we are, which is right on the coast. Living in such heat takes a bit of getting used to (and some caution,) as someone stated above. Oh, and the other thing that was pretty interesting for me, being African American, was the tacit assumption that I was/am a tico de Limón which amuses me almost daily!
If you have not been here or have limited experience here, you should start by reading some of the many books about Costa Rica, including Scotts.
When it comes to understanding Costa Rica’s differnt regions I suggest reading Phil Baker’s Costa Rica Now. It also explains the culture. Living Abroad in Costa Rica is also a well-written book about living here, but its author (Erin Van Rheean) does not explore Costa Rica’s differnt areas like Baker does in Costa Rica Now. Scotts book explains the basics about buying real estate here. Baker’s book has a differnt approach and covers attorneys and other issues regarding the real estate industry and its professionals.
The caribbean coast has a distinct afrocaribbean culture. The food is also differnt. The coastline is all very similar and beautiful with aquamarine water and golden sand. The west coast has a wider variety of landscapes. Baker’s book also rates the pacific coast and the caribean coast according to weather, access, beauty, infrastructure and amenities providing an overview of each areas strenghts and weaknesses. So if you have not been here yet or if you have, but do not know the entire country then you may want to start with Van Rheean’s and Baker’s books.
[quote=”2BNCR”]have you been to Costa Rica yet?[/quote]
Not yet. I plan on going this summer for the first time. I live in Miami and the heat here in the summer is brutal. I am use to the heat. Miami is very diverse so I have many friends from many different countries. I have travelled to many countries over the years, and I have done a lot of research via internet and asking CR natives living in Miami. I would like my first visit to be the East Coast. I hear Punta Uva area is nice. I would like to hear perspectives of the East Coast. I have a while before we move down, so I am open minded to opinions. Any suggestions on hotels on East Coast.
Having just got back from Costa Rica and spending over a week in the caribe side I have formed a few opinions. Since you are going this summer you will not have a problem finding lodging, you won’t need to book in advance, pick your lodging after you get there. Also search puerto viego satilite.com for lots of info for that area. We stayed in PV for most of the time at Jacaronda. Inexpensive and charming. You can find many other options in town and I would not rule out Cahuita. The people are very nice and friendly for the most part. Punta Uva beach is stunning. If I had my way i’d be looking for a place near the beach there even though it is more expensive. I didn’t find the humidity that bad, but it was hot and use your sun screen. Take that from the white man from Idaho, that looked like a lobster. Enjoy and pura vida. dennis
“I have done a lot of research via internet and asking CR natives living in Miami”
sanvald,
There is a lot of info on the net and almost too much. The good thing about these authors is their volume of information and the research that goes into a book. Books have editors and the info in a book is much more reliable than the web in most cases.
Also consider the source. Van Rheean is a seasoned travel writer and Baker is a Costa Rica consultant who has years of practical experience and lives in San Jose. Scott has been in Costa Rica for several years and runs this site. So whos info would you depend on? The locals in Miami, a blooger – or someone who has taken probally a year or so to research and write a book? Yeah you can get good info on the net but there is a lot of junk info too. Then there is the hours spent on the net collecting info. If you time is vsaluable the amount of researched info you get in a book is quite a deal. I’d rather spend the money on a book and have the info at hand on my trip.
I have lived in Miami all my life and prefer the hot climate to the cooler temperatures everyone is speaking of inland. In the summer it can get to 90 with heat index reaching 100. Im not afraid of the heat!! Living in Miami has also exposed us to many cultures including Jamaican. I would like a little rural and I am interested in not being surrounded by gringos. I am fully bilingual and prefer to be immersed into the tico culture.
Thanks for everyone’s input. I want perspectives, and have plenty of time to make a decision. Me and my husband and just now starting our pre-retirement plans. so we will be starting our frequent treks to CR.:)[quote=”sanvald”]I have lived in Miami all my life and prefer the hot climate to the cooler temperatures everyone is speaking of inland. In the summer it can get to 90 with heat index reaching 100. Im not afraid of the heat!! Living in Miami has also exposed us to many cultures including Jamaican.
I also have lived in Miami for the last 28 years. As you know, we have about 10 months of heat, 7 of them uncomfortably hot and 3 of them brutally hot. The brutal heat and humidity is what I experienced on the Costa Rican coast…and it is supposed to last all year long, every year. In Costa Rica, there is no winter break in the heat like we have in Miami.
I know people who say they “like” the heat, or they “like” the cold. What I think they really mean to say is that they can tolerate one extreme or the other.I am an avid sea kayaker and I spend a lot of time on the water here in South Florida. I am no stranger to heat, bugs and humidity but I am not interested in tolerating a climate. I want to be comfortable.
The Central Valley is famous for having the optimum temperature and humidity for human comfort, all year long. And if I should get nostalgic for dripping sweat, swatting away large hovering insects and and getting sand up my shorts, the Pacific beaches are only 45 minutes away from my mountain property.
Unless you are adamant upon having a home on or at the beach (and wealthy enough to afford it), you can have property in the mountains at a more reasonable cost, be surrounded by towns which are relatively more tidy and still have a view of the ocean way off in the distance.
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