Choosing where to live in Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s beach living vs. the Central Valley for living — very important to keep in mind when choosing where to live.

Beach Living

Costa Rica has some of the of the most beautiful beaches in the world. When the country is mentioned most people visualize themselves sitting on a paradisical beach sunbathing and sipping on an exotic beverage. While this scenario is entirely possible, living at the beach is not for the faint at heart nor for everyone.

First, is the problem of boredom. Other than going to the beach and participating in watersports like swimming, snorkeling, surfing or fishing, there is very little to do. More developed beach towns like Jacó, Quepos, Tamarindo or Dominical offer good restaurants and some nightlife. Having streaming platforms like Netflix can help alleviate boredom to some extent. For a short-term stay it is relatively easy to keep busy and entertain oneself. Snow birds, tourists and other part-time visitors are the ones who will mostly benefit. However, living full-time can prove to be difficult.

Furthermore, if you do not like the heat, then the beach is definitely NOT the place for you.

During the 40 plus years that I have lived here I have observed many expats, who live at the beach, become alcoholics and succumb to other vices, especially single males. Loneliness and boredom most certainly come into play.

On the beach portion of my Combination Relocation tour, my clients get a small sample of what living at the beach is like. In some areas like Dominical and Uvita in the South Pacific and Quepos/Manuel Antonio and Jacó in the Central Pacific, they can observe first-hand that there is a lack of services and entertainment when compared to some inland areas of the country. However, there is an ample selection of restaurants and outdoor activities like visiting spectacular waterfalls, hiking, bird and whale watching and water sports to stay busy.

My guests also noticed that unless one has a four-wheel drive vehicle in some areas, it is well-nigh impossible to reach many properties. Our large tour bus could never negotiate some of the steep unpaved backroads. During the rainy season this situation is compounded. Although Costa Rica’s infrastructure has improved dramatically over the last 20 years, it is still somewhat third-world in most rural areas.

Don’t get me wrong! The Dominical and Uvita areas are drop dead gorgeous and two of the most beautiful and lush tropical places in the country. Many expats have found their piece of paradise there.

Central Valley Living

Life in the Central Valley and nearby areas offers an entirely different lifestyle.

First, the Central Valley boasts year-round spring-like weather. National Geographic considered the mountain town of Atenas to have the best climate in the world.

The area’s infrastructure is the most modern in the country. In addition, the four top public (la caja) and private hospitals are located there.

Boredom should not be a problem. There are entertainment venues including a symphony orchestra, clubs and organizations for expats, exhibitions, parks, language schools and much more to stay busy and happy.

The best shopping in the country is also found there. Almost everything is available at large stores like Walmart, PriceSmart (warehouse store like Costco), giant shopping malls, specialty shops and huge weekend farmers markets that feature a wide variety of exotic vegetables and fruit.

The lifestyle here is unparalleled to which many expats will attest.

San Isidro de General, an alternative

San Isidro, sometimes referred to as Pérez Zeledón, is located in a beautiful valley and the largest city in Southern Costa Rica. It is about a three-and-one-half hour drive from the Central Valley and offers a few of the same amenities. This small city combines inland valley living and is near the beach areas in the Southern Zone, which are only about an hour or so away.

It is worth checking out to experience another type of lifestyle.

Bottom Line

Based on my 40 plus years of living here and by observing foreigners living in different locations I have come to the following conclusion: While living at the beach seems intriguing, the country’s Central Valley offers a more practical and comfortable lifestyle for expats.

The best way to experience both the beach and Central Valley for living is to test drive Costa Rica on one of my monthly Combination Beach and Central Valley tours and seminars.