Properties in Costa Rica Blog

Deciding where to live in the Pura Vida Country is not easy. Costa Rica has infinity of great places that can meet your budget and requirements. If you have the freedom to choose where would you live or spend your time in this beautiful country, then my suggestion would be to consider first what lifestyle you want to live and in what kind of climate; even though Costa Rica is a small country it has a great variety of climates.

In terms of lifestyle, if you’ve been to Costa Rica you’ll agree in general it’s a pretty chilled out country. In here family and extended family is an important pillar of society, religion is still quite strong amount all generations, and we haven’t had any wars or not even an army since 1949; definitely the “Pura Vida” slogan and philosophy derives from these cultural and historical factors. Moreover, we can definitely do the distinction in lifestyle between living in and out of the central valley.

The central valley consists in parts of San Jose, Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago provinces, is where most of the population live, and where most government offices, and economic activities develops. This is where the city lifestyle takes place, the Central Valley follows the steps of any big city around the world. You’ll find all commodities and services easily here, such as, shopping malls, trendy restaurants big supermarkets, main hospitals and much more. Lifestyle is definitely faster than in the countryside.

Living in other provinces such as Limon, Guanacaste and Puntarenas or a bit further from the central valley nucleus in cities like Atenas, San Ramon, and Palmares can let you live a more relaxed and slower life, enjoying nature even more. Costa Rica is a touristic country and a big amount of towns and villages enjoy easy access to services and commodities just like in the central Valley. These towns and villages are mainly located on the coasts or near attractions like volcanoes and national parks. Some of these towns are Tamarindo, Flamingo, Manuel Antonio and Puerto Viejo.

Climate is another important factor for choosing where to live, Costa Rica itself has an average temperature of 70 F to 81 F and has only 2 seasons dry and rainy season. Depending on the region this seasons are more or less intense. The dry season, which means less rain falls not completely no rainfalls, is about 5 months per year. The Central Valley enjoys spring-like climate year round and Mountain and high areas are cooler than the coast regions. In terms of humidity, the least humid area is the North Pacific coast where towns like Tamarindo and Flamingo are. This area is called “The Gold Coast of Costa Rica“, with less rain than the rest of the country and 300 sunny days per year. The most humid area is the Caribbean where Puerto Viejo is, this level of humidity allow the most exuberant scenarios and hosts incredible animal populations like sloths.

Knowing a bit more of what you want to experience in your Costa Rican home will let you decide the location that best suits you. After this is defined, finding the perfect property with a group of professionals in the area next to you is just a piece of cake.

The striking homes of the Central Valley perched in the mountains with expansive city views capture the region’s prime real estate market. Secluded, private and enchanting describes many of the homes you will find in suburban enclaves such as Escazú and Santa Ana just outside of San José. Also in the Central Valley is Heredia. The third largest city in Costa Rica, it’s surrounded by the smaller enclaves of San Rafael, Santa Bárbara, San Isidro and San Joaquín de Flores. Similar to Los Angeles, Central Valley homes offer striking vistas tucked away in magical places with lush landscaping and views of the vibrant city in the valley or the blue green waters of the ocean.

In recent years, gated communities have gain popularity in such towns as Santa Ana, Atenas, and San Ramon. There’s a demand for seclusion among homeowners as an extra security measure. In Grecia, you will be swept away by homes with spectacular views of the wooded valley. In San Ramon, “the City of Poets and Presidents,” is known for its jaw dropping ocean views. At 3,400 feet above sea level, the views from these homes will captivate your attention for hours. Enchanting describes many of the homes here.

Throughout the Central Valley, you will find an eclectic mix of architecture both old and new. Grand traditional colonial style homes populate Barrio Amon, Barrio Oro, and sections of downtown San José. High ceilings, ornate floor tiles, large center halls that incorporate victorian touches describe these elegant historic homes. Modern Colonial homes have become the most popular architectural style as well as eco-friendly green homes, and sweeping contemporary homes that maximize indoor/outdoor spaces. Modern colonial incorporate design details such as tiles, high ceilings, and thick walls as well as earthy burnt tones. The trend in architecture among builders is moving toward creating homes that are open and fluid utilizing nature as its backdrop. With such ideal temperatures, Costa Rica can build homes that emphasize a fluidity with nature that most regions can’t fully realize for practical reasons.

With the year-round spring-like weather, proximity to cosmopolitan San José with its many cultural attractions, museums, theaters, restaurants, shopping, and a burgeoning international community, the central valley is the hub for most of Costa Rica’s native and expat population. It is the easiest areas for expats to assimilate. Here, they will find a ready-made community complete with clubs and schools to support them in getting established. Excellent healthcare, modern telecommunications infrastructure, sandy white beaches nearby, hiking, organic fresh produce, and a relaxed lifestyle with easy access to urban amenities makes the Central Valley one of the most desirable places in the world to live. In recent years, living in one of the suburbs has become more popular than living in San José. People want access to San José with the space, security, and peace of living on the outskirts. The outlying suburbs have undergone a real estate boom attracting both Ticos and expats. For people seeking a Cosmopolitan lifestyle, and at the same time, emerged in nature, the homes of the Central Valley have it all.

The increasing offer of sustainable restaurants is a worldwide trend and the North Pacify Coast of Costa Rica, Guanacaste is not falling behind. You can easily find homemade products, organic suppliers, specialized shops, responsible restaurants and much more in the area. This is because sustainability is not a new or temporary trend, and it isn’t a secret the food culture is changing worldwide. In some regions more than in others, but at the end, this trend is all over the industry, from retailers to restaurants.

When purchasing goods at supermarkets people, are caring more about where does their food comes from and its green credentials. They want products with proven ethical and environmental sustainability. This behavior also exists when choosing where to dine out. You can see this demonstrated in the increasing offer of sustainable, vegan and vegetarian restaurants all over the world.

Sustainable restaurants are those who intend to be environmentally and socially responsible. Using ingredients that do the less impact and spending the less resources. Buying to local producers and using alternative or green procedures makes possible to reduce in transportation and electricity footprints.

Sustainable restaurants are definitely what we should choose when dining out. Just 25 min from Tamarindo and 5 min from Hacienda Pinilla in a very exclusive and unique way, we have the perfect option to spend some quality time and enjoy a delicious, healthy and responsible dinner. HiR, is the new restaurant in the area that rose quickly to top 10 fine dining in Guanacaste according to TripAdvisor. It’s owned by a business coach and private Chef originally from Belgium, who has lived all over the world, and decided to settle down in Costa Rica.

The philosophy behind this 8 seat restaurant is to generate surprise and wonder at all moments. From the moment, the guests walk into a garden in the jungle, and sit at the only 2 wooden tables with no waiters, no menus and nothing that feels like a fine dining restaurant; to the moment they start receiving 6 to 10 beautiful and intricate plates that look like coming from top restaurants in Paris, London or NYC.

The dishes at HiR are mostly fish and seafood based or vegetarian. Elaborated from organic vegetables, provided by a local supplier or grown in the property. The zero waste policy characterizes dishes at this exceptional place. “The more you travel, the more you are able to discover that what is considered waste in some cultures might be considered high value in others” is what the Chef says while explaining how he came up to with plates done with avocado seeds, estragon flowers, papaya seeds, and watermelon peels. The defeat of food waste is defiantly a topic among Top chefs, such as Tom Colicchio owner of Fowler & Wells the restaurant at the new Beekman hotel in Manhattan’s Financial District and one of US biggest culinary heroes, Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain is been collaborating with the Rockefeller Foundation on a documentary movie this year that shows “how everyone can make changes to minimize what we throw away.”

Mindfulness and awareness are key ingredients in every dinner at HiR, which is why there is no menu nor introduction to dishes you’ll have that evening, until the moment they are served. We often live like time travelers, looking into the future or the past without being completely aware of the present. When information of that close future is restricted we are forced to live the present and enjoy it as well.

In the chefs words, “It’s not just food. It’s an experience that stimulates the five senses. The reason why people don’t know the menu is so, that it’s a constant discovery. I spend an insane amount of time preparing every dish for 3 moments of magic: first when people see their plate, then when they taste what I cooked and finally when they learn about what they are eating. I love the joy, curiosity and sense of wonder, people have during their experience at HiR.”

HiR’s chef Noam Kostucki is mentored by Quentin Villers, another Belgium chef who has a one Michelin star. Chef Quentin Villers is now a regular guest chef at the restaurant, and the owner looks forward to create special invitations and culinary adventures working with other international chefs throughout 2017. Guests are invited to start as early as 4:30 to enjoy the view of the jungle between the sunset and the orchard in the property, until the evening falls, where food starts coming and people begin being delighted with 5 stars dishes and the beautiful sky of Pinilla with a million stars. Locals, both Ticos and foreigners have been charmed with this new concept of dining, hopefully more dining concepts like this will be developed in the near future.