Costa Rica Real Estate And Living

THE CENTRAL VALLEY- There's a reason so many expats live in the Central Valley. For those who don't do well with heat and humidity, the area's year-round springlike climate is a real plus. It also has most of the country's infrastructure, including major shopping centers and malls, respected private medical clinics, government of­fices, and every imaginable cultural activity, whether you want to stay within the English-speaking expat community or branch out into the larger Span­ish-language world.

Stay in only one or two hotels the whole week, so you can really settle in and not have to worry about moving every other day. Staying a bit outside of the center of San Jose will be more relaxing than being in the thick of things, but even if you're sure you don't want to live in San Jose, do spend some time here. Visit the bustling University of Costa Rica (UCR) in the neighborhood of San Pedro—there arc often lectures or events open to the public, sometimes in English. Walk the Paseo Colon, the pedestrian mall, and explore the Mercado Central, with its little stalls offering up everything under the sun.

Have lunch or dinner at one of the many upscale restaurants in the suburb of Escazu to see that the food here goes way beyond gallo pinto (the national dish of rice and beans). Check your email at a local Internet cafe and see who else is doing the same.

Read the newspapers, especially the invaluable Tico Times, which has its finger on the pulse of Costa Rica's expat common icy. See what events are on offer the week you're there. Maybe you'll catch a concert at the National Theater, mend an English-language play put on by the Little Theater Group, check in with the local Democrats Abroad chapter, or join in an Ultimate Frisbee game.

REALTORS

Talk to a few different real estate agents and see what they have on offer. Ask them to take you around the areas you're most interested in. Take a half-day trip or two to outlying areas like San Ramon (with its growing expat com­munity and its convenient location, midway between San Jose and the Pacific coast); Cartago to the cast (one of the oldest cities in the country); or Arenas (on the road to the Pacific coast), which according to National Geographic Magazine has the best climate in the world.

THE SERVICES

Visit one of the private clinics such as CIMA in Escazu or Clinics Biblica in downtown San Jose perhaps making an appointment fora roar or to ask about the insurance they accept or the prices of particular procedures. Both places have English-speaking staff available, especially if you arrange the visit ahead of time.

If you're in San Jose the last Thursday and Friday of any month except De­cember, consider attending the relocation seminar given by the Association of Residents of Costa Rica (the ARCR; sec the Resources chapter). It costs US$50 for the two days (US$25 if you arc a member; membership is US$100/year). If you keep in mind that many of the presenters—lawyers, real estate agents, and the like—want your business and have a vested interest in getting you to move to Costa Rica, you can extract a lot of usable information from the gentle hype. Even better, you'll meet some people who live here and lots more who are thinking of making the move.

If you aren't here at the right time of month or if you choose not to devote two full days to sitting inside a conference room, you could visit the ARCR office (near La Sabana Park in San Jose) and talk to the staff about what mem­bership would provide you. I know many people who feel that the ARC Rh as helped them a great deal.

Accommodations

If you are looking for a good variety of hotels to choose from the central valley can offer something for everyone. Want to read more on it - try here - Costa Rica Central Valley Hotels