Moving To Costa Rica

Hey everyone, It's Stephanie again! (I thought I would mention who is writing because David and I both write on here.)

SO I was speaking to a person on facebook who was interested in moving to Costa Rica, I won't mention his name until I have permission but this is what he had to say,

"It's also been sort of hard to find anyone that will actually tell us what the real conditions in CR are like. I've done lots of research online and read many blogs, but haven't talked with anyone from there until today."

After reading his message I decided to dedicate my next few blogs to helping people who want to move here, and giving them tips on what to do and how to make your move more comfortable.



First off, before you start searching for a place to live, you need to know what you are looking for. Do you want to live by the beach, or do you prefer the city? Do you want to live in the tropical jungle or maybe even the cloud forest? I am going to start off with a brief description of each potential living arrangement so you can get a better feel.

Life by the beach: Now it really depends which Coast you prefer. The Pacific Coast is more popular, especially in Liberia. However, Guanacaste can be extremely hot and dry, especially in the dry season which runs from the end of November to mid- April. Jaco and playa Herradura (playa is Spanish for beach) are located in the province of Puntarenas, where it is not as hot most of the time, but still nice enough to go swimming at the beach in the rain! The Caribbean side is not as popular, and is thought to be more unsafe, especially for tourists. During our visits to the Caribbean I didn't feel at all unsafe but there are some stereotypes and negative connotations associated with Limon. I would not recommend moving to the Caribbean coast however, because during the rainy season (May to Mid November) there is horrible weather and it floods every year. It's a great place to visit, but not so much to live. Also, the roads are very bad here so you definitely need a 4x4 to get around.

Life in the city: City life has it's ups and downs, although it can be very difficult if you don't know any spanish. Most people in the city speak very little English, except in the tourist areas, so knowing at least the basics is a must. The bus system is tricky, and taxi drivers will often rip you off. But if you are into the club scene and shopping, then San Jose might be for you. The weather is not too hot not too cold, although it does rain a fair bit. You can get really cheap homes for rent here but the areas are not usually as nice.

Life in the mountains: David and I live in the mountains, between San Isidro and San Rafael in Heredia. It's fairly close to the city, close to the cloud forest, but about 3 hours away from the beach. David has to work in Heredia, which is why we don't move closer to the beach. It can get pretty cold in the mountains during the rainy season, and the power goes out a little more often. The sights from the mountains are to DIE for, and living in the mountains is a mountain biker’s paradise. There are always bikers around training all year round.

That seems to be the main areas, after you have figured out generally what you are looking for, you can then start digging a little deeper into what you want. Still not sure what area is best for you? Think about it a bit more and check back tomorrow for my next blog, where I will attempt to go more in depth. Hope this helps!

~Stephanie