Costa Rica-Real Estate Condos for sale in Guanacaste

Yesterday I was talking some friends I have made since I move to Costa Rica and they let me in into a very interested subject: What are people in Costa Rica afraid of? I don’t even remember how we got to that subject, yet it is quite impressive to see what troubles the minds of my neighbors.

The main thing as always is money. In Costa Rica economy decreases each and every day and with the raise on the price of the US currency their own currency goes way down, making their salary worth much less. Also, they seemed to be afraid having the utilities services prices go up because of this, so they are now taking extreme measures to be affected a little as possible: walking more, turning off lights and changing light bulbs to fluorescent ones, changing their diet and so on.

It is quite impressive to see how much Costa Rica struggles to continue having the peaceful life they know and to see they are willing to do so much about it. In Costa Rica, properties are not always linked to the same companies for utilities: while some people get their power from the ICE, others have contracts with different companies, especially in rural areas. I bring this up because these small companies are actually doing more to encourage saving that the ICE itself and it surprises me a lot.

Another thing they take very seriously is education. Costa Rica has one of the highest rates of education level in Latin America. Young people often work and study at the same time and it seems to be part of the traditions. Costa Rica does not accept mediocrity on this matter which something lots of countries could benefit from. Just the fact that every where I go I can easily find someone who speaks English fluently is remarkable.  

Last but not least is real estate: Costa Rica has amazing architectures and lots of homes are works of art. They like to take advantage of the area, the sightings and location and often buildings are thought out to comply with nature and the surroundings, which is always a plus.

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 Rica is 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. 

As a follow up from yesterday’s article I would like to bring a certain issue to your attention, just for commenting or considering. Although the car plates restriction was implemented in Costa Rica as one of the solutions to save gasoline, the owners of different companies are stating that they are actually spending more money on it.

Small companies that own only one or two cars are actually losing money since they cannot complete routes or make them anyways and get tickets for not complying with the restriction. In Costa Rica, economy is some sort of conjunction between a lot of different factors and small companies are a huge part of it, since there are so many. Big companies, such as Florida Ice and Farm (Coca Cola Co.) are also stating that although they have many trucks, arranging routes to follow the restrictions has become a very expensive issue.

Come to think about it, Costa Rica is in fact a small country, meaning that although the restrictions considers only the “Casco Metropolitano”, the majority of the people need to drive by this area no matter what to get to their jobs, schools, etc; there is no way to go around it and those who can o want to adventure themselves trying, end up spending twice o thrice as much money in gas, not to mention the condition the Costa Rica roads are in. At this moment and after reading about all these issues I cannot help but think that maybe, the restriction solution has worked for other countries, bigger countries and Costa Rica may be too small for this. As I have explained before, in Costa Rica, transportation is not well settled, neighbor towns cannot be connected by any bus route in some cases and people are obligated to go all the way to San Jose downtown only to come back to get to the next town. In Guanacaste, most people drive, yet there isn’t as much traffic as there is in San Jose.

Another big issue, has been the public transportation: bus drivers are demanding a raise on their prices to pay for gas, yet more and more people need to use buses to get to work and public transportation in Costa Rica was never set up for the increase of users: people are left behind I bus stops because they can’t get into the bus. The train could be the most reasonable solution yet the schedules set up can’t cover the high demand. I wonder how the Costa Rica government is dealing with this matter. If you ask me, instead of trying to convince people to move downtown, they should be encouraging people to move outside of San Jose. I live in Guanacaste and have the exact same facilities that people have in San Jose; Costa Rica is just not arranged properly in my opinion.

Real estate in Costa Rica is big and if the government would only provide more opportunities and chances for people to relocate outside of the capital, maybe a driving restriction that makes companies lose money won’t be necessary.

A few weeks ago the Costa Rica government approved a restriction that stated that depending on last number of your car plate, your car was not allowed to be driven on certain areas of San Jose during rush hour. On the first date, the traffic police wrote over 750 tickets to drivers not complying with the restriction. As the weeks went by, more and more people started to follow the law and right now fewer tickets are written everyday.

This restriction was approved as a solution for the excessive amount of cars driving on the main highways and roads as well as an opportunity to save money and gas. In Costa Rica, almost everyone owns a car and the roads are old, therefore thy were not built to hold the huge amount of vehicles that pass by everyday, causing extremely annoying traffic, road holes and accidents all over the place. Costa Rica transportation has become a circus in the last few weeks due to this restriction.

In Costa Rica, buses have established routes that have not been changed properly over the years; therefore, moving across town is still an adventure for many. For example, if you live on the East side of San Jose and your workplace is on the West side, it can take up to 3 hours to get there by bus, not to mention that you will need to take one bus, then walk about 10 blocks to the next bus stop or take another bus to that bust stop and then go West. Same thing if you need to travel the other way around.

A good solution is to take the train. The Tren Urbano, as I mentioned in previous posts is a lovely ride that goes from West to East and backwards during rush hours on weekdays. This ride cuts traveling time from one side to the other at least for an hour and 30 minutes.

Starting this Thursday, the restriction will be increased from rush hour only to the full 24 hours. If you are in Costa Rica, areas of restriction are what they call the “Casco Metropolitano” and it includes all the main roads of downtown San Jose. Regarding the rest of the provinces, there is no restriction for the moment. Make sure you keep in mind all this information if you are going to drive while you are in Costa Rica and also, make sure you carry all your documentation correctly.

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 Nicaragua or Costa Rica. Since Costa Rica was 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.

Usually, when you first arrive in Costa Rica, transportation is something you probably already planned out: either an arranged transfer, a friend to pick up you, or perhaps you just plan on taking a cab once you pass customs. Well, I have decided to put together a quick “transportation in Costa Rica” guide for newcomers. Hope this helps you out a bit:

First of all, you should know that in Costa Rica, public transportation is as reliable as it is in the U.S, in some cases even more; with the exception of some areas that are very secluded, you can get anywhere by bus. This is a small country, therefore, in Costa Rica, ground transportation is a very reliable and rather fast way of getting around. Let’s take a look:

• Public buses: They are anywhere and everywhere. Costa Rica has buses to get to most places arriving and departing all day long. In San Jose, Costa Rica transportation becomes a circus, especially in the down town area. The only thing you should be aware of is that, down town, there are a lot of robberies, so don’t leave your stuff unattended no matter what. The Mercado de la Coca Cola is the designated bus stop to get to most beaches, since there are a lot of tourists and local travelers with luggage, robbers are common. Just keep your eyes open and your stuff with you and you should be okay. In Costa Rica, travel can be easy, but like anywhere else, you need to be careful.
• Train: This is one of the most interesting and nice things in San Jose. Costa Rica has had this train for many years. About 20 years ago they closed it and after several discussions, they open the train services up again to help with the traffic jams issues. They train only works to cross San Jose from side to side and their schedule is only from Monday through Friday, yet the thing I like and amazes me the most is that they use the exact same carts they have since the seventies, so its like taking a ride to the past. Make sure to you ride it at least once.
• Taxi cabs: These are tricky: the ones set for airport transportation are orange and the drivers wear uniform; the taxi cabs anywhere else are red. Make sure you can see their taxi cab license on the side doors, shown as big yellow inverted triangles with their number. Do not get into any other taxi if it is not licensed, in Costa Rica, there is what they call “piratas” and they will take advantage of you for being a tourist.
• Costa Rica transfers: These have to be set up by your specialized Costa Rica travel agency; they are a bit more expensive but will get you to your destination fast and easy.
• Internal flights: Cheap, fast and reliable. Costa Rica flights go to Quepos, Guanacaste, Golfito and Arenal so this will make things easier for you since you can arrive to most places in 30 minutes. By land, it could take you about 4 hours.

I hope this quick guide to Costa Rica transportation helps a little. If you need more info don’t hesitate to comment, I will try and help as much as possible.