Because of its location on the map, Costa Rica goes through several weather changes not only throughout the year, but also it varies from location to location. The weather you feel in the Caribbean coasts is definitely no the same you will see in Heredia or Cartago; Costa Rica actually takes advantage of all these differences and uses the natural resources as they have developed in each area. When you are checking real estate, Costa Rica weather must be on your check list as a priority, so I have come up with a small explanation about the different types of weather you may find depending on the location.
North Side: Limon and the Caribbean: The weather on this specific area of Costa Rica is very humid, most of the rain forests are located on the surroundings and it rains a lot in the area. The humid weather type is stronger the closest you get to the coast, since the sea breeze merges with the rainy ambience.
East Side: Guanacaste area: This area I am beginning to know like the back of my hand. One of the most impressive things about weather in Costa Rica is that it does change very drastically from one place to the other. Costa Rica rainy areas are only a few miles away from Guanacaste and yet, this is the driest place in the country. The weather in Guanacaste during the summer can be compared to dessert hot and the scenery resembles this accurately.
South Side: Puntarenas: This is where it all comes together. Although the temperature is mostly warm, Puntarenas does get a bit humid, especially on the rainy season. Some areas do experience dry weather depending on the altitude and believe it or not, Monteverde is extremely rainy and cold. Let’s say it has something for everyone taste.
West Side: On the west side of Costa Rica there are different parts of both Limon and Puntarenas, yet the weather is very much humid, like in the Caribbean side of the country.
Middle Side: As I have explained before, Costa Rica weather changes depending on the location. The middle area of the country changes its temperature depending on how high o below sea level each location is. Heredia has a quite fresh sunny weather, while Cartago is cold and rainy, Alajuela has awesome temperatures and San Jose tends to be a mixture of everything.
Everyone is familiar with the phenomenon American Idol has been over the years and I am pretty sure that some of you have even follow at least one contestant at one point. In Latin America, they also have their own version of the show and at this moment Costa Rica has a very talented contestant participating. She is a very lovely 17 year old girl named Maria Jose Castillo from Heredia. Costa Rica has had two other contestants in previous editions of the show yet; it was not possible for the fans to vote since the telecommunications in Costa Rica were not compatible to the ones used for voting.
The girl is quite talented and I decided to make a small space here for her in case you are in Costa Rica lands next week. She will be featured on the show next Wednesday and voting will be enabled as soon as the show ends that same day. All of Costa Rica will be cheering for the teenager, if want to get a glimpse of her performance, be my guest, this was her audition:
As you can see, there are even more Costa Rica treasures besides properties, beaches and rainforests. Although Maria Jose is the only Costa Rican participating she can definitely brighten a room with her voice. In Costa Rica, music has always been a big deal and you can actually feel it: lots of the most important compositors and musicians were born in Guanacaste; real estate wasn’t the most important thing after all.
If you liked Maria Jose’s audition, don’t miss her performance next Wednesday and if did like her and want to cheer for the little Costa Rica idol, voting will be enable after the show and you can access it sending the word MARIA to the number 43657.
A few years ago I decide that I was no longer going to put up with the crazy lifestyle of the U.S and decided to look for a place to rest and spend my golden years. After much research I found what I call now my home: a nice Costa Rica Villa in Guanacaste. I didn’t know being here was my dream until I actually came in the front door. When I first heard of Guanacaste, Costa Rica seemed like a huge rain forest to me and I honestly thought I will not be able to find good real estate. Costa Rica seemed like a dark hole with lovely beaches, but not a place to actually live in, wasn’t I wrong.
At this moment I can tell you that there are many housing projects in all of Costa Rica: San Jose is being remodeled, sort of speak, and tall apartment buildings are being developed in La Sabana surroundings, providing lovely housing arrangements downtown. Also, if you take a quick look to real estate listings, Costa Rica is including more and more residential projects on the Alajuela and Heredia provinces. Cartago, especially Tres Rios, has been developing lovely residential areas for the past ten years and getting a big house near malls and offices is no longer a dream for anyone.
This could be your backyard….
But in Guanacaste, real estate choices are better, cheaper and so much nicer: A villa, like the one I live in, has beautiful sceneries surrounding the property, trees, palm trees, the ocean; fun loving animals of the area are part of your neighborhood and everyday life. The peaceful breeze and the fresh sea water smell cannot be compared to anything. Getting relocated can be quite stressful, but once you see that Costa Ricais in fact that dreamland you had always on your mind, you will see the effort paying up. Right now, there is a boom in Guanacaste, housing projects are all over the place and the prices are worth to look at. Most of these properties are built due to the fast development of the Liberia area, and since the industry is cleverly locating properties where the natural resources are not affected, you can be at peace and still enjoy Costa Rica nature close to your new home.
Yesterday I was admiring the view I get from my house and got the idea of sharing with you some of the very peaceful sightings you get in Costa Rica, especially in Guanacaste. I am not so talented on the photography field but, fortunately we have the World Wide Web and it is full with amazing photographers that have capture Costa Rica sightings the way they are and feel like, so here it is:
If you have decided to move to Costa Rica as I did there are a few things you should get as a must. The first thing I noticed was that the warm weather in Guanacaste gets a bit too hot at night, so make sure you get an air conditioner or plenty of fans for your home, you will be needing them.
Be aware that in Costa Rica, weather does change a lot and because of this bugs tend to move around depending on the hour of the day and the season. Around 4:00 pm you need to make sure you have a repellent near by because mosquitos come out hungry and unfortunately we are all new meat to them.
If you are moving to a rural area, you will find cheaper vegetables and legumes but some other items might be a little hard to get or a bit expensive. It is better if you go to the market as little as possible and get everything you need on one trip, that way you won’t have to spend gas every time you need something; this rule also applies if you move down town, not so much for the distances but because of the traffic. Remember that Costa Rica has more cars that people.
Costa Rica living is quite peaceful, you can get all services everywhere including water, electricity and even satellite TV, so If you are one of those people that think they will be living on a Tipi in the middle of the jungle, maybe you need to reconsider. Costa Ricais not a forest, nor an island, it has many forests and natural reservations but it is a city like any other.
Another thing you need to get as soon as possible is a cell phone line, this you will need to get from someone who is leaving or selling one on the side, cell phone lines are very few and the ICE which is the company that handles telecommunications only releases a few lines every so often. Costa Rica telecommunications will be changing in the next couple of years and there will be a lot more choices, not only for cell phone lines but also, internet connections, in the meantime, all we can do in the meantime is wait until the negotiations are finalized.
At the moment, most of the real estate Costa Rica has to offer will include utilities already yet, it never hurts to ask. If you are getting a car, get a 4X4, might be a little more money but in the long run you will be thank me. Costa Rica roads are not always in the best condition and you will save money.
One of the nicest perks you get from living in Guanacaste is the fact that you can be surrounded by the most characteristic Costa Rica traditions and experience each one of them at their best. Since Guanacaste is still a rural area in spite of the fast development that has been going through for the past years, people still keep their values and traditional activities, which something very admirable.
Among my favorite traditions I can mention the typical dances: Costa Rica dance is actually very colorful and joyful, they have a designated outfit to dance with which resembles the outfits used by agricultures of the yester years, I got so impressed with this that even bought myself a “chonete” which is some sort of hat they used to work under the sun. The main they dance is called “Punto Guanacasteco” and is very delightful and funny, the song has many bridges where the music stops and people say some sort of rhymes they call “bombas”, I can’t really understand them much but after they finish the rhyme everyone laughs and continues dancing. Costa Rica is a very artistic country, so all of these performances are very well thought and practiced; also they are a very big part of Costa Rica culture.
Necessary items to dance “El Punto Guanacasteco”
Now, my second favorite thing is of course food. Costa Rica has one of the richest soils in America, so they grow many different types of legumes and vegetables. One of the most incredible dishes I have tasted is the “picadillo”, the picadillo is a dish made with chopped vegetables, three types tops, ground beef and local spices: just delicious! Specially with a very refreshing “agua dulce”, trust me you cannot top that.
Another good thing is watching the cattle pass by, Guanacaste has many cattle farms and to be honest, I never thought that watching cattle pass by could be so relaxing. Costa Rica has many different things worth to experience; so far I am happy that I have taken my time to get to know everything slowly.
To continue with more ideas and tips about moving to Costa Rica I would like to introduce to you the Pros and Cons of living on the “big cities” of Costa Rica with a very detailed explanation.
Just like in any other country of the world, Costa Rica real estate listings found online are mainly focused on retreats or getaways on paradise like places; not that this is bad, lots of us are actually looking for those kinds of deals, yet some people just want a change of scenery without losing the advantages of living in the city.
PRO: Costa Rica has a very well developed industry, meaning that, by living in areas such as San Jose or Heredia downtown gives you access to everything you would have in the US: malls, movie theatres, museums, every kind of shopping imaginable and much more.
CON: Every big city is hectic, noisy and full of people, and Costa Rica is no exception, so peace might be something easier to find elsewhere.
PRO: By living on a downtown location, you have easier access to visit Costa Rica in all its glory. From San Jose, you can get to every single place. If you need to get to any of the beautiful places to visit, Costa Rica downtown cities are the best bet to open up your traveling choices.
CON: Downtown areas are very insane traffic wise: people just don’t respect traffic signs. In Costa Rica, roads are like a war zone, especially during rush hour. If you are planning on driving anywhere in Costa Rica, my advice is to be very patient and extra careful.
PRO: Houses downtown may be much less expensive than properties in far away areas. In real estate, Costa Rica is advertised as a place to go hide out and lots of lovely properties are lost because they are never advertised. Make sure you know exactly what kind of property you need; in Costa Rica, real estate listings are not your only choice to find a nice place.
CON: You need to make very detailed researches about the location where the properties are located. In Costa Rica, you can find an awesome luxury home located in the worst neighborhood around. Ask questions, be a perfectionist.
So far, this is what I have, as always, feel free to comment or ask questions.
As the world was rejoicing yesterday with the rescue of 14 military hostages in Colombia, after the Colombian forces trick the rebels into releasing them including three US hostages and French-Colombian former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, I was thinking how impressive their military intelligence is and how unbelievable is the fact that they didn’t even fire one single shot.
Also I realize that Costa Rica does not have an army at all, they have police forces and highway patrols but no army or soldiers or even marines, nothing; and apparently they haven’t had one since 1948 when former President Jose Figures Ferrer abolished it. I hadn’t notice this until I heard some locals commenting about the military in Colombia and most of them were not so familiar with the way military forces work or anything. In Costa Rica, they have a very peaceful way of dealing with things, so they just don’t need an army.
15 hostages released by the Colombian Army
It is quite interesting how this way of living gets into your skin once you have a while here. I hadn’t realize that in Costa Rica, people are very laid back and mostly calmed, in Guanacaste, everyone is so easy going that you totally forget about how hectic living in the US is. Even, San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital, with all the insane traffic and cosmopolitan lifestyle is quite different than any big city in America. That made me realized why is that so many immigrants want to come here and why there are so many Costa Rica real estate sites everywhere: people are looking for this kind of peace and that is just undeniable.
My salute goes today for both: To Costa Rica: An amazing country that has given me and my family a place we call home; and to Colombia: A place where fighting for peace is actually fighting peacefully. I do hope that the three US hostages are already home and finally celebrating with their families and that every effort they make to continue eradicating all of this madness ends as successfully as this mission.
Getting to know Costa Rica has become one of my hobbies. The way things work, how to move around Guanacaste which is now my home and even the history of the country and culture is very appealing once you spent a while here. Lately, I have doing some research on Guanacaste history and it is quite interesting; it sure tells me why the people here are so passionate.
According to the story of the Anexion de Nicoya, Guanacaste had to choose if they wanted to be a part of Nicaraguaor Costa Rica. Since Costa Ricawas such a small country and needed a certain amount of inhabitants to be an official republic and Nicaragua had so many government issues, the people in Guanacaste decided to become part of Costa Rica. Also they felt closer to some Costa Rica areas such as Puntarenas, Esparza and Bagaces. Proudly they stated a phrase that they still carry with them until today: De la patria por nuestra voluntad, which translated means something like: “we belong to the republic at our own will”.
I think this is a really nice story and the fact that an entire province wanted to be a part of this country reassures me that my decision to purchase Costa Rica real estate and relocate was the correct one. They people in Guanacaste are still proud of their decision and have no regrets, I felt pretty much connected to this idea and now I also have something to share with my own neighbors: the choice of being part of Costa Rica.
Anyhow, I thought this would be a nice story to share with you all, especially if you are still hesitant about relocating to Costa Rica and leaving so many things behind like I did. Costa Rica is a place where you will feel welcome from the moment you set foot at the airport. I have been here for a while now and I cannot be happier with the choices I have made so far. Costa Rica is really my home now.
If you wonder about one of the nicest and most impressive things about Costa Rica: food. Since Costa Rica is one the country with most cultural diversity due to the many immigrants from all over the world, Costa Rica cuisine is something worth to explore when coming here. Not only it is possible to actually food from all over the world, but also the regular tico dishes have interesting twists due to the variety of nationalities involved. A traditional Costa Rican recipe can also be found to have a whole different way to be prepared from town to town, meaning that you can never taste the same thing twice while visiting and that makes the whole trip even better if you ask me.
In Costa Rica, food prices vary depending on your location and what type of ingredients you need. The main ingredients on any typical meal are rice and beans: you will need them for your gallo pinto in the morning or for your casado at lunch. Traditional Costa Rican food has lots of vegetables like chayotes and vainicas, they also use lots of carrots, corn and potatoes; most of these ingredients will be combined on a huge pot with steamed beef and it will create a killer Olla de Carne which is a very delicious soup.
One of my favorite things to have for breakfast is the Tortilla de queso: a huge corn tortilla filled with home made cheese fried on a regular comalito that, from what I’ve seen is an iron flat pan that has made too many tortillas, that’s probably where the flavor comes from. Costa Rica also has many international choices; you can find a Thai food restaurant as easy as finding a grocery store. People in Costa Rica know food and they eat everything from sushi to kosher food, Brazilian rodizio or Turkish dishes and they all know how to eat it and where it comes from. This is a side of Costa Rica culture that amazes me; they like to learn everything, very well educated people.
If you are coming here, do not worry about finding a nice place to eat, Costa Rica has plenty of choices for every taste, yet, my experience has taught me that it is nicer to come and try traditional meals, one of the many beauties Costa Rica has to offer.
