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My wife and I (plus 2 homeschooled kids) are looking to stay in Costa Rica for a period of 6 months starting in Sept / Oct. We know little about Costa Rica’s cities and we are hoping that you can help point us in the right direction by giving us your top three picks.
Here is what we are looking for:
– child / family friendly
– suburbs, not a big city (maybe even a village if it isn’t too small)
– slower paced atmosphere
– beach town is a plus
– must have high speed internetI look forward to your suggestions as it will help me in my research. I know you can’t tell me what is best for me, but I will value your opinions.
Unless you already speak fluent Spanish a “village” will not work for you?
The Costa Rican people are very “child friendly” and very family oriented, the roads and pavements are not.
“High speed” internet is NOT available in all areas and where it is available in the “beach towns’ those will be the most expensive areas to rent.
If you plan on being here for six months, you need to look into your residency status. If you are here merely as tourists, you will obviously have to leave the country while you’re here for a few days.
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comAlright, so which of the beach towns are the most family friendly and slower pace? We do understand that we will have to leave the country for a few days and then return. Is it 3 months in Costa Rica that we can stay at one time? Do we have to then leave for 24 hours? Where can I find more information on this?
I’ll through out a few beach town suggestions;
Nosara: A beautiful area composed of a few distinct neighborhoods Playa Pelada, Playa Guiones and Nosara. Large international community can get a little busy in the dry season with tourists(and dusty).
Playa Hermosa: 1.5 hours from San Jose 5km South of Jaco where you can get everything you need. Still a quiet beach town beautiful black sand beaches, rent a house in the neighborhood “Opera Salvaje” or go a little further south to one of the Esterillos for a little more local flavor.
The initial tourist visa is good for 90 days, after which you can renew it for another 90. When the renewal period ends, you must leave the country for 72 hours, after which you can start the process anew.
I would also recommend Playa Conchal, (Surfside) Potrero and Penca. Close enough to services of Tamarindo and Flamingo, but far enough from the crazy Tourist element. Conchal and Surfside both have High Speed Internet. Beautiful beaches and lots to do if you are an outdoor type person!
Many foreigners who are considering staying in CR for an extended period beyond the 90 day tourist permit wonder how they can remain here legally.
According to the immigration law a foreigner here as a tourist must leave the country for at least 72 hours after he or she has been in CR for 90 days. To travel outside of CR every 90 days for 72 hours to renew your tourist status, is not that big of a deal and can be fun! Many people travel to David or Bocas del Toro, Panama or Granada, Nicaragua on inexpensive bus tours or via airlines for a weekend. It gives you a chance to see the neighboring countries and absorb some of their culture. When you return your passport is stamped and you can legally remain in CR for another 90 days. Many foreigners who stay here under this status are referred to as “perpetual tourists”. There are rumors that the government will be cracking down on people who abuse this process but as far as I know it is currently not illegal to leave CR every 90 days and return 72 hours later.
Beware of local agents that offer the service of updating passports without the foreigner having to leave CR. These agents are paid a fee to take your passport to one of the borders and get it stamped by agreeable immigration officials and then return it to you with the official stamp that indicates you have actually left CR for 72 hours and returned. This process has been in place for many years and still is available but it is obviously designed to undermine the immigration law and is not legal. If an individual is caught in this illegal process they could be deported and according to the immigration law they would not be allowed to return to CR for 10 years.
In conclusion if you are serious about moving to Costa Rica and want to be successful and happy here you should first and foremost plan on learning the local language so you can begin to understand the Costa Rican culture. From my thirteen years of residency here and 15 years of business experience, I can tell you that no matter what problem pops up down here, there is usually an inexpensive solution that enables one to continue enjoying the pura vida! The climate is ideal, the Costa Ricans are friendly, peaceful people and the business community welcomes foreign investment. Hope to see you soon here in paradise!
Here’s a brief description of the central valley communities that you may find interesting. Over half of Costa Rica’s population of just over 4 million people lives in the Central Valley also called the Central Plateau or Valle Central in Spanish. This valley lies at an altitude between 3000 and 4000 feet above sea level and offers a spring like climate year-round. It is surrounded by mountains and is Costa Rica’s primary agricultural region as the rich volcanic soil makes it ideal for growing almost anything including what is arguably the best coffee in the world. The capital city of San Jose is located here as well. It includes the cities of Alajuela and Heredia as well as Santa Ana, Escazu and Belen which are extremely popular areas for new arrivals as well as seasoned residents.
Sabana – Rohrmoser – Pavas: La Sabana Park is a large city park with lakes, trails, museums, sports fields, Stadium, Olympic pool and many more attractions open to the general public which is located just on the outskirts of the center of the city and has nice upscale neighborhoods to the north, south and west named after it. Just west and north of those is Rohrmoser which is an excellent neighborhood made up of mostly homes with some businesses along the main tree lined road of Rohrmoser Boulevard. Many embassy homes are located in this area as well as some very nice neighborhood parks. Most residents here are middle to upper class with a mixture of Costa Ricans and foreign nationals. There is excellent access to all major highways and to all types of services and amenities. Shopping in the area includes Plaza Mayor Mall, an English language bookstore and movie theaters. Pavas is just west and south of La Sabana and is highly commercial with homes there being mostly middle class. The main road is Pavas Boulevard and the US embassy is located on it as well as banks, restaurants, shops, cafes, bakeries, and just about any type of store you might need.
Escazú – Bello Horizonte – Trejos Montealegre: This is an extremely popular neighborhood with foreign residents and in fact as you go down the main road into Escazu and see the variety of stores and restaurants such as Tony Roma’s, TGIF, McDonalds, KFC, Blockbuster, Rooms to Go, and such, you have to blink twice to make sure you’re not back in the USA. Here you can find palatial estates, hi-rise penthouses, luxury accommodations such as Villas del Rio, ambassador’s homes and mixed right in you will also find simple local homes. Many of the finest homes in this area are owned by wealthy Costa Ricans who enjoy the beauty of the area and the convenience of having everything from great restaurants, top notch shopping malls, state of the art medical facilities, office buildings and great nightlife and entertainment nearby. This neighborhood is also home to the exclusive Costa Rica Country Club which offers golf and tennis for its members. Many private, bi-lingual schools are also located here or nearby. Known as the Beverly Hills of Costa Rica, this area’s popularity is going strong. The upscale neighborhoods of Trejos Montealegre and Bello Horizonte are both located here as well. Check this area out.
Santa Ana – Ciudad Colón: Just West of Escazu is Santa Ana and Ciudad Colon which is further west still. This area has seen the tremendous growth in this direction as the city extends itself outward. A big push has come from the beautiful highway that begins at La Sabana and currently ends at Ciudad Colon and which will continue on toward the Central Pacific beaches when the Ciudad Colon-Caldera highway project is completed in 2-3 years. This will put the ocean less than a half hour away!! Santa Ana is a great place to live as it offers a warm, dry climate year round and is near the CIMA Hospital and Medical Tower ( a state of the art facility ), Multiplaza – Costa Rica’s largest mall, Price Smart ( yep, just like back in the states ), the Intercontinental Hotel, Marriott Courtyard and the Comfort Hotel, the ultra modern Plaza Roble and Forum office complexes and so much more
Here again you will find a good mixture of Costa Ricans and foreigners enjoying life to the fullest in one of Costa Rica’s favorite neighborhoods. “Downtown” Santa Ana; however, retains its local small town flavor and is very much like the majority of small towns in Costa Rica with a church opposite a park and soccer field at the center of town. Santa Ana also has an interesting variety of restaurants including a great Tex-Mex restaurant downtown that is one of the most popular places on this side of town. Located a half-block north of the main church in Santa Ana, it serves up Tex-Mex cuisine in a lively atmosphere. Nearby is the 5 star hotel, Alta which also has an excellent restaurant. Definitely a boom area as the city grows westward.Belén, Ciudad Cariari: Known more commonly as Cariari, and located approximately 5 miles north of San Jose, this neighborhood has as its centerpiece, the Cariari Country Club, http://www.clubcariari.com/English, with its beautiful golf course. Located just off the highway from Juan Santamaria International Airport, you can find many top hotels here including Melia Cariari, http://www.solmelia.com/solNew/hoteles/jsp/C_Hotel_Description.jsp?codigoHotel=5894' defer onload=', Herradura, http://www.ramadaherradura.com/english/index/index.htm. as well as good restaurants and the American International School, http://www.aiscr.com. This is a great high-end neighborhood. Just across the highway is Real Cariari – a major shopping mall with a great kids carousel inside, http://www.plazarealcariari.com. Just to the west of Cariari is San Antonio de Belen. More commonly known as Belen, this generally laid back town has experienced rapid growth since INTEL’s huge microprocessor plant opened. You can also find a variety of housing available here in all price ranges as well as the luxurious San Jose Marriott Hotel. Belen consists of three primary villages, La Ribera where the Marriot Hotel is located, http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjocr-costa-rica-marriott-hotel-san-jose, La Asunción which is near the expressway that connects the international airport to the capital of San Jose and San Antonio, where the municipal government offices are located.
San Pedro – Los Yoses – Barrio Dent – Curridabat: These neighborhoods, located to the east of downtown San Jose, are well established and have a mix of both new and older high quality homes and businesses, especially Los Yoses. Curridabat is the furthest east and is an upscale area composed primarily of residences and many beautiful homes can be found here as well as Plaza del Sol which is Costa Rica’s first real mall. Lots of shopping available in these neighborhoods, as you will find Mall San Pedro – housing a major mall, an office tower and a movie theater complex. Further east is the University of Costa Rica campus and many surrounding restaurants and all kinds of entertainment venues, all catering to the university crowd and the local residents. Also the newer American mall and many shops of all types line the main road heading east as well as many language schools which call this area home. This is a great area to live in if you like the convenience of having everything nearby and don’t mind the more crowded environment.
Heredia – Alajuela: These towns are on the outskirts of San Jose and offer all the green areas and views Costa Rica is famous for with all the local flavor and a variety of housing options from inexpensive simple homes to multi-million dollar mansions. Definitely something for everyone here. Heredia is nice and cool and as you go higher up into the mountains in areas such as El Castillo, home to the beautiful La Condesa Hotel and several upscale residential developments, San Rafael and Barva. This area is located 25-30 minutes from San Jose and offers a beautiful rural environment with plenty of homes and lots available.
Alajuela is the second largest city in Costa Rica. Located about 30 minutes out of San Jose and home to Costa Rica’s major airport. As you pass the airport and head east past downtown Alajuela you will very quickly encounter the real feel of Costa Rica with lots of coffee farms, an oxcart or two, horses and lots and lots of green areas and spectacular views. Again plenty of homes and lots available for every budget and taste. As in most of Costa Rica, outside of gated developments and a few neighborhoods, you will find housing varies greatly with expensive homes often built near more modest residences but nobody seems toEdited on Aug 14, 2007 15:28
The prettiest part of the central valley is the north east side. Its ideal as you can drop into San Jose from the autopista that goes to Limon (20-25 min)and harley ever any traffic. The cities I recommend are San Josecito, San Isidro especially Conception de San Isidro, Santa Cecelia and Santa Elena (A bit cooler). This area is going off as upscale Ticos are buying hectare + lots (along with Gringos)and building estates.
Check Craigslist Costa Rica for rentals.
This area is by far the best in the valley as the air is the cleanest in the valley as the wind that passes through the San Jose valley travels from the northeast to the southwest. People who live in Santa Ana do not want you to know that on polluted days the pollution settles in Santa Ana (sorry Scott)as it is lower in elevation and on the southwest side of the valley. It’s a pollution basin at times, similar to the San Gabriel valley in S. California – but of course a CR version.
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