Retirement Living in Grecia, Costa Rica. A true mountain gem! Free video show.
Located off the Pan American Highway, Grecia is known as the “cleanest town in Central America”.
It is a charming farming town with rolling hills dotted with coffee and sugarcane plantations, beautiful mountain vistas, lush green landscapes, and crisp flowing mountain rivers and streams.
A beautiful red metal, gothic style church that was shipped to Costa Rica from Belgium in the late 1800’s highlights the center of town, making Grecia unmistakable.
Retirement Living in Grecia, Costa Rica. Your free video show.
Like Atenas, Grecia has become an enclave for expats from around the globe due to its ideal climate, convenient location, modern amenities, and friendly local “tico” population.
The Central Valley of Costa Rica has been blessed with an eternal spring like climate and Grecia is no exception. With elevations that range from 3,000 to well over 5,000 feet above sea level, Grecia’s average temperatures range from daytime highs around 82 degrees to nighttime lows of 65.
Also, like the rest of the Central Valley, Grecia experiences about 6 months of dry season and 6 months of rain, keeping the mountains lush and green.
With the Pan American Highway passing at the edge of town, Grecia is a short 35 minute drive to Juan Santamaria International Airport, 45 minutes to San Jose, and less than one hour to Escazu, home to Hospital CIMA – one of the best private hospitals in the country.
The central Pacific beaches are close too. In just over one hour you can be dipping your toes in to the warm waters of the Pacific ocean.
Many of the Central Valley’s major tourist attractions like Poas Volcano National Park and La Paz Waterfall Gardens are within a one hour drive, making Grecia a great home base.
Los Chorros, a great local hangout is a private nature preserve that boasts an amazing waterfall and many “chorros” or little waterfalls, and refreshing crystal clear mountain water, perfect for a dip all in lush tropical surroundings. There are picnic facilities making this a perfect place to spend the day!
With a population of around 76,000 inhabitants, Grecia is self contained and has everything you need to live a comfortable life. Plaza Grecia, a nice new mall offers a large food court, movie theater, clothing and shoe stores as well as other “tiendas” were you can find just about everything you need.
The central market and feria (farmers market on Friday and Saturday) ensure an abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, as well as other goodies like homemade cheeses and delectable desserts. Many of the chain grocery stores are present like Perimercado and Pali.
There are many great dinning options such as the Galaria that offers great steaks and homemade desserts. In addition, there are nice cafes like Las Delicias, a great place to have a cappuccino, an amazing cinnamon roll, and a chat with the local expats.
If you are having fast food withdrawals, then take your pick from McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, and KFC. All the national banks (Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, and Banco Popular) are present, in addition to a few private and international banks such as HSBC and Mutual de Alajuela.
Like most other areas of Costa Rica, the locals (Ticos) are what make Grecia special. The town is large enough to have everything, but small enough that everyone seems to know one another and they like to greet you with a friendly “hola” as you walk through town.
Grecia hold as special place in my heart because it was one of my first stops in Costa Rica. It is where I fell in love with this beautiful and dynamic country. We stayed at a small B&B that was surrounded by sugarcane plantations, with stunning views of the Central Valley and the Poas volcano.
Every morning I would wake early to have my coffee alone on the terrace and watch the butterflies and hummingbirds dart through the lush landscape that surrounded me. Toucans would pass by stopping to feed and in the distance I could hear the wake-up call of monkeys in the jungle.
At that moment I knew I had found paradise. Now, having lived in Costa Rica for many years, I still wake up, have my cup of coffee, and admire the beauty that surrounds me.
Costa Rica is still my personal paradise!
Retirement Living in Grecia, Costa Rica. A true mountain gem! Free video show.
Article/Property ID Number 3691
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Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
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Hi I’m looking to move to Grecia. What can expect.