San Ramon Costa Rica Travel Blog

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New Chapter
2010-10-22 01:22:00
It feels like a new chapter is beginning.We just sold our house in La Paz, San Ramon. It's been a rich few years. From my urban childhood in Brooklyn, NY to the pristine natural world in La Paz is quite a trip. We are forever connected and grateful to the Arias family for being there for us in so many ways during our time in La Paz.It's time for something new, the next chapter. The new owners are great people and it has a been a fun transition. We are excited for them as they put their personality, ideas and more into making Quinta Mama their place.For me, I'm going to keep life simple for awhile. I'm exercising daily, cooking and eating well, hanging with friends/family and making space for the new chapter as it unfolds.

The Streets of San Ramon
2010-10-22 01:20:00
After being a country guy these last few years in Costa Rica, I spent last week downtown on the streets of San Ramon. I love the energy of so many people outside ... walking, sitting in the park, chatting with friends. The near perfect 70 degree and sunny weather is a major contributing factor.I stayed at Hotel La Posada which was comical, comfortable and convenient. The comical part is that after 8+ years living in San Ramon, I have never stayed at a hotel. Many of the people I've met over the years I ran into on the streets, which helped me feel connected and cared for. The tradition of kissing the women and shaking hands with men just brings you closer.I have a list of things I always do when I arrive in Costa Rica that seem too expensive when I'm in Ithaca, NY. I love fueling the local economy and indulging, but also feel grateful at how fair and modest the prices are. I visited Dra. Jenny, the dentist and had my teeth checked, cleaned and a cavity filled. Oljer gives the bes...

Eat Pray Love
2010-08-12 19:00:00
On the long plane ride to Costa Rica, I devoured the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is the story of a divorced woman who feels broken and her journey back to life. She divides a year into 3 – four month periods where she eats in Italy, prays in India and loves in Indonesia (and does lots of other stuff also).I cried, laughed, and shook my head as an exclamation point as I read the book. When I came to San Ramon, I was in a similar place to the author. Sometimes you need a physical journey to shake your life up. No old friends or family, no familiarity, no patterns and no idea where it is all going.Everybody has their own way of transformation and their magical people and places that impact them in big ways. This is a cool book for anyone who needs some inspiration to make their life a true reflection of themselves. A special thanks to my friend Greg who gave me this book. Over coffee, beer, tequila and food we’ve spent 28 years supporting each other through our ups ...

Unique Opportunity: House for Sale in San Ramon, Costa Rica
2010-06-17 17:45:00
Moving to a foreign country can be a daunting experience. Rather than an exercise solely in price and value, there are many other issues to creating a successful and happy life ... after the purchase. We have a house for sale in La Paz, outside San Ramon that is all set up for a new owner to enjoy Costa Rica and move smoothly into life in another country and culture with no hassles. We are offering OUR very special, San Ramon home for sale.After 8 years in San Ramon, Costa Rica ... we are integrated into the local scene as few foreigners are. While many ex-pats flocked to the beach, we found that living in the mountain town of San Ramon a far better alternative. It has milder weather, real Costa Rican culture, a hospital and university and is just 45 minutes from the international airport and an hour from the Pacific Ocean.We bought this home, Quinta Mama, from an 80-year-old Tica who connected with Janet over the gardens and peaceful porch sitting. In the past two years, the house ...
More About: House , For Sale , Sale , Opportunity

Riteve: Costa Rica Car Inspection 2010
2009-12-24 23:37:00
One of my least favorite things to do in Costa Rica is have our annual car inspection. Costa Rica subcontracts a Spanish company to do car inspections and the process is frustrating and complicated. Having a 25-year-old car with 200,000 plus miles certainly doesn’t help the situation.Other Central American countries don’t have a daunting system like this and in New York State the inspections are done by mechanics who fix whatever problems they find so the process is seamless. Here, you pay ~$20 and if you don’t pass, you must go elsewhere to rectify the failures and then return to start the process again.Our experience started out hectic. To prepare for inspection, our mechanic Wilbur in San Ramon had to adjust our carburetor to improve our emissions which made the car barely drive, a maximum of 10-15 mph uphill with lots of backfiring. Driving to Riteve was a challenge. Despite our repairs, we went through the Riteve obstacle course and failed. After explaining our predicame...

Sunday ... At The End Of The World
2009-12-11 19:04:00
When we moved from urban San Ramon to La Paz 2 years ago, we were the first and only foreigners in this country oasis. The phone line still ends just past our house and the last mile is on a primitive stone road. About 2 miles past our house the river crosses the road and you need a horse to enter the preserve that stretches all the way to Monteverde and Arenal. In many ways this is the end of the world ... just 20 minutes from San Ramon but as pure and natural as it gets.In the time we've been here, a couple of folks have bought land past our house and built beautiful houses. It's nice having great new neighbors who also speak English and can be there for each other on this wild journey.I used to have to go to San Ramon when I wanted more socializing and action. This past Sunday I went to 3 parties walking distance from my house. I never would have imagined this day a year ago.I started out at an 11AM birthday party for Marielos, our wonderful Tico neighbor whose family has made ...
More About: World , The World

More Cheap Airfares To Costa Rica
2009-11-19 20:46:00
In my lifestyle, airfare between the USA and Costa Rica is a recurring expense. I try to monitor and keep on top of the rapidly changing pricing that is hard to predict.I just bought a ticket for $186 RT between NYC and San Jose/Alajuela (SJO). In almost a decade of doing this trip, this is the cheapest I have seen. I bought our tickets and wanted to alert all of you to the possibilities. I get regular updates from Travelocity which allows me to check numerous individual airline fares at one site. Some people prefer Expedia, Kayak and others. It's gonna be cold, dark and snowing soon and having a $186 RT ticket is a great security blanket.Here is the Travelocity link:(www.travelocity.com)
More About: Cheap

Micro-Giving in Costa Rica
2009-10-14 19:47:00
While it's nice to donate to charitable organizations, it's always seemed impersonal and hard to see specifically how I was helping. Also, many organizations use up a lot of their funds on administrative expenses, real estate, staff etc. There are many wonderful organizations who do great work, but I'm enjoying being able to help people directly in La Paz and San Ramon.Janet and I bought 2 used Apple laptop computers before our last trip to La Paz. Our plan was to donate one to the La Paz school to supplement the one old desktop computer that serves the whole school. The other was a gift to our neighbors, the Arias family who have never owned a computer or been on the internet.Our neighbors love living in their pristine country setting. They have welcomed us as a filtered source of the bigger world outside. They don't travel, but we bring some exotica into their lives. Yet, they know that learning the internet and English are 2 things that will increase the options in the world ...
More About: Costa Rica , Giving , Micro , Costa

I'm Back... Wow!
2009-10-01 21:27:00
I haven't written for a few months as life got hectic and challenging. After some time in the USA sorting it out, we returned to Costa Rica last night. This is the longest I had been away from Costa Rica in 8 years. As we drove from San Ramon to our little paradise in La Paz, life just became simpler and innocent, or as the locals say "muy tranquilo."For me, the key to a good and successful life in Costa Rica is good neighbors. While we were away, the Arias family took care of our land and house so well... it made me teary eyed and oh so welcomed. As we drove up to our house, we saw the beckoning lights. Our house was clean and the kitchen was stocked with organic fruits and vegetables from our land.After a long day (17 hours) of travel and months of stress, sleeping in this serenity is healing on so many levels. We awoke to clear blue skies and awesome mountain views. The birds sang at sunrise and the sounds of the river combined into a symphony for awakening.As a bookend to one o...
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World Economic Crisis and San Ramon, Costa Rica
2009-04-07 01:39:00
It is shocking how the world economy has changed from a year ago. Many people who felt flush with the equity in their houses, value of their stocks and secure jobs are now feeling much poorer as they look ahead. Living in the United States and other developed countries is expensive. It is a time when many are considering other options.I feel lucky to have found San Ramon. San Ramon feels easier for me as the cost of living is relatively low, life is slower and people just seem to smile more. My property taxes are about $25 a year, electric bill $7 a month and the cost of purchasing my home very affordable. Food is local, fresh and alive with amazing fruits, vegetables and more. Going to restaurants and bars is a regular event and keeps me connected with friends and neighbors.The financial crisis has opened people to new possibilities for the future. There are many places to explore. I've learned a lot in San Ramon about what is important. Living a happy, healthy life doesn't requi...
More About: World , Costa Rica , Economic , Costa

Family Time in La Fortuna and Surfing at Playa Samara
2009-03-16 15:38:00
This is Janet’s turn to blog:In February, my teenage daughters spent two weeks with us exploring our world in La Paz and meeting our friends here. It was a special treat for me to share my Costa Rica life with them. We interspersed their trip with visits to some of our Costa Rica highlights: a day at the hot springs, a visit to La Fortuna, and surf time at Playa Samara.It was wonderful seeing Madeleine and Lydia exploring La Paz with the local children, going for unexpectedly long likes, swimming in the river and sharing their slack line. We are amazed at how in two weeks they became comfortable in the language and culture of Costa Rica.The girls came to Costa Rica determined to ride on a zipline. Our good friend Graciela made reservations for us at her family's famous Sky Tram and Sky Trek in La Fortuna (www.skywalk.co.cr) in the shadow of Volcano Arenal. On the drive up to Sky Trek, we pulled off to take photos of the panoramic view of Lake Arenal. When we returned to the car, ...
More About: Family , Surfing , Time , Family Time

Making Cheese Empanadas With The Neighbors
2009-02-11 19:20:00
Being a former restaurant owner and foodie, I love learning about local foods. Costa Rica is blessed with some of the best fruits, vegetables, fish etc. in the world but local cuisine is sometimes lacking creativity and strong flavors.Since moving to the country, my neighbor Mariellas has been inspirational in teaching me some local favorites. We just planted an organic vegetable garden that both our households will share and we also have plenty or oranges, limons and bananas on our land.On a lazy Sunday, our neighbors invited us over to make cheese empanadas. Their family has cows and makes the local cheese which is a fresh cheese that looks like a cross between tofu and feta. Often the corn comes from our garden. A couple of weeks before, Mariellas taught me to make fresh corn tortillas. Together we husked our corn, then Hormidas and I took turns grinding it with a hand grinder. The tortillas were like none I had ever tasted before.We made the dough with cornmeal, salt, grated che...
More About: Cheese , Neighbors

Costa Rica 6.2 Earthquake ... January 8, 2009
2009-01-20 19:52:00
Last Thursday Costa Rica had a major earthquake. The current information is 23 are dead, 11 are missing and 2,300 people have been left homeless. The epicenter was near Poas Volcano just a few hours from my home in San Ramon. President Arias declared some areas uninhabitable in the future. There were photos of people walking away with just a garbage bag filled with a few possessions with all else lost. The planet seems to be reacting strongly with extreme weather all over the world and natural disasters on a regular basis.Fortunately, there was no damage or impact to the people, property and landscape of San Ramon and La Paz. Janet and I were out for a walk during the earthquake/terremoto and didn’t feel a thing. Others in our community felt the tremors, but fortunately little else. We were with our friend and neighbor Falo, showing us a property he wanted us to help him sell. A joyful afternoon of discovery followed while less than 50 miles away chaos ruled. One thing I learn ove...
More About: Earthquake , January

Trout Farm Restaurants in La Paz, San Ramon Costa Rica
2009-01-09 13:16:00
Rincon Poeta in San Ramon was my local hangout while I lived in the barrio these past 8 years. Many thanks to the owner Alonso, Sergio, Jason, Gigi, etc. for great service and to Carla and the chicas in the kitchen for great food. Out in La Paz (20 minutes into the country outside San Ramon), the 3 trout farm restaurants are becoming my new regular spots. A cool Costa Rica tradition is trout farms that double as bars and restaurants. Fresh fish is one thing, but eating a fish that was alive just minutes before eating it is another realm.Mi Tata is the closest to Bajo La Paz center. Located down a dirt road, it has a down home local feeling with it’s open air wooden structure overlooking two trout ponds. When we entered, Johnny Cash was playing followed by “Born to be Wild” and other popular American music…. Kind of surreal. The owner and waitress, who we met on earlier visits, warmly greeted us. Janet and I started our meal with a few shots of Guaro (Costa Rican sugar cane l...
More About: Restaurants

Living in the Barrio
2008-12-20 21:39:00
While many foreigners who came to San Ramon bought lots in ex-pat communities or land in the country, I bought a house in the barrio. Rather than be apart from the culture, I wanted to live in the center of the life that defines San Ramon, Costa Rica. I grew up in Brooklyn, NY and have lived in urban settings most of my life. What seems scary or strange to some has been a wealth of authentic experiences for me.I’m a 10-minute walk from the central park and the heart of downtown. While many foreigners fantasize about 5 acres separate from others, I had a different plan. By being connected to my neighbors and the flow of life here, I have been changed in ways both profound and simple.I bought my house in the barrio 3 years ago after renting downtown, near the university for the previous 4 years. How else to learn about my new hometown and become part of it, if I don’t walk the streets and become the newest Ramonense (San Ramon person)? I was the first foreigner on my street and wh...
More About: Living

Ithaca, NY Winter = San Ramon, CR Summer
2008-12-07 18:54:00
I just finished my annual Thanksgiving in the USA. Nice to see family and friends and remember to be grateful for all that I have. The only bummer is the dark, cold winter weather and lack of people on the streets. After 8 years in Costa Rica, my body just doesn't like the winter in Upstate New York. December starts the summer in Costa Rica. San Ramon temperature remains a comfortable mid-70's year round but summer means the rain has stopped for the months ahead. After months of rain, everything is green and colorful in December. With no daylight savings time, the steady temps are complemented by 12 hours each of daylight and darkness. Easy on the body and spirit.After a hectic visit to New York State, I'm very ready for the slow, friendly, uncomplicated life I have in Costa Rica. As a former restaurant owner and chef, I look forward to expressing my creativity with the fresh organic fruits and vegetables from my new garden in La Paz. During the unfolding world economic downturn,...
More About: Summer , Winter

The New Economy and San Ramon, Costa Rica
2008-11-08 18:24:00
A new era is beginning. This weeks' United States Presidential election reflected the reality of our challenges, followed by outrage after 8 years of wasted opportunity and finally hope. The folly of living on credit has been exposed. Billions of dollars of personal wealth throughout the world has vaporized over the last few months. Falling real estate values, stocks, retirement accounts, job loss etc. have caused many people to have less. The houses and property I have bought in San Ramon, Costa Rica have been the best investments I have ever made. The lifestyle they reflect seemed modest compared to the over-the-top lifestyle sought out by many. They now seem smart, healthy and secure. It's hard going against the grain, but at times you must follow your intuition and take the road less traveled.As we get ready to move into our new house in La Paz, I more fully appreciate my life which is not based on materialism gone wild. I'm thrilled to have no mortgage, $20 a year in taxes a...
More About: Economy , New Economy

My Friend Inez Turns 100
2008-10-08 22:40:00
I wrote a blog a year ago (3 August 2007) about my friend Inez who was 99 years old and amazing. Janet and I went to see her last week. She is now 100. On her birthday, a national newspaper wrote a story about her and the remarkable life she has led.Inez remembers everything we spoke about months ago including details. Many people half her age wish they had her memory and positive outlook on life.When we hug, she holds on tight and let’s me know how happy she is to see me. Knowing Inez is an honor. Living Pura Vida in Costa Rica can help one have a long lifespan. People don’t over think things, are surrounded by family, eat fresh local food and more…..I’m a lucky guy to be living in San Ramon, Costa Rica for over 7 years and have a friend like Inez to remind me what is important.
More About: Friend

Container Homes in Costa Rica
2008-09-24 22:38:00
With the mortgage crisis in the USA, the collapse of Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers, and a runaway consumer culture…. It is time once again to appreciate that “small is beautiful,” simplicity is a virtue, and living within or below one’s means helps keep life peaceful.Costa Rica ns tend to live in much smaller spaces with many generations together. You don't see baby sitters for kids or senior living for old folks, mostly just families sticking together and taking care of each other. Being alone for long periods of time or living alone is not the ideal.Last month, The New York Times published an article about small homes gaining popularity in the USA. ("The Next Little Thing")The age of the McMansion requires a lot of $$$$ for heat or air conditioning, maintenance, taxes, mortgage etc. They interviewed some people who had achieved this American Dream and now have simpler aspirations. One of the consequences of having a large home is the isolation in a family as people spen...
More About: Homes , Container

Costa Rica Independence Day - September 15
2008-09-16 02:02:00
Today is Costa Rica Independence Day, a festive colorful celebration. San Ramon is rocking with parades, costumes, music and general festivities. On this day in 1821 Costa Rica declared it’s independence from Spain. It is a treat to live in a country that has used it’s independence to create a vibrant democracy with no military, national health care, and education for all. It is neither dominated by a super power nor dominating events in other parts of the world. Pura Vida!The annual celebration began on Sunday night with a children’s parade. The kids dress up in adorable traditional dress and carry homemade candle lanterns throughout the town. This replicates the scene in 1821 of people walking with lanterns from the Central American capitol in Guatemala to spread the word to Costa Rica and beyond of the declared independence from Spain.On Monday, there is a larger parade presented by the students to amplify the celebration. The whole town is in the streets which is a beautif...

My New Home in La Paz
2008-08-18 19:07:00
We just bought our 5th property in San Ramon, Costa Rica. Fortunately, we've sold a few of our properties recently to keep life manageable. We were going to list this property for sale for an 80 year old lady and her son, but one thing led to another and we ended up buying it.Although it is only 20 minutes from San Ramon center life there feels at least 50 years in the past. Our neighbor uses oxen and a cart to transport his sugar cane harvest and there are more horses, birds, and animals than cars. Our neighbors are mostly from one family and 3 generations have welcomed us warmly. For us, La Paz is a perfect complement to our home in the city. There is something about the air and vibe that is magical. It is the beginning of the rain forest without the tourists, buses and activity. Some Costa Ricans in the know have quintas/weekend houses there. Our house has 2 floors, 2 bedrooms and 2 baths which should be good for entertaining and having friends visit. There are avocados, oranges...
More About: Home

Cost of Living
2008-07-06 00:07:00
I’m heading back to San Ramon tomorrow, July 4th after spending some time in my other home, Ithaca, NY. I’m in NYC at the moment, the ultimate contrast to San Ramon.When I was growing up in the 1960’s, the United States and NYC was the land of opportunity for working and middle class people. Now the rich are richer and life is challenging for most. Watching the news leaves you with a bleak scenario for the American Dream moving forward.During this time in the USA, it felt like a scary time economically. The stock market is tanking, gas hit $4+ a gallon, real estate and the banks that made real estate loans seem shaky. Health care is unaffordable and a college education costs 10 times what it did for me in the early ‘70’s. I feel so lucky to have my life in San Ramon, Cost a Rica for many reasons. As energy costs explode, I don’t use heating or air conditioning here and my monthly utility bill is in the $5 range. Virtually all the food I eat is local, excellent quality an...
More About: Living , Cost of living

Renato
2008-05-29 21:00:00
Most people visiting Costa Rica marvel at it's great surfing beaches, volcanos, rainforests, nature etc. Yet, there is another level of beauty. While many people in the USA, or "developed world," are not satisfied though they have SO much; many Ticos exhude a gratefulness for all they have, even those with limited resources. One feels it in the daily life on the streets of San Ramon. People just smile more in San Ramon and move slower through their lives.Renato is a great San Ramon character. He's an older guy who feels content with less than most people. He says easily, " if I have rice and beans, a pack of smokes, C1000/$2 in my pocket, a tin roof over my head and a water spigot ... I'm happy. " Life can be simpler to enjoy with less possessions to manage.Renato is scared of doctors and avoids visits if possible. While waiting in the San Ramon hospital in a 1st floor exam room for the doctor to come in, he climbed out the window before the exam claiming he felt much better. Th...

Bajo Caliente - San Juan de San Ramon - Recreation
2008-04-27 15:11:00
One of my favorite places to spend some leisure time in San Ramon is Bajo Caliente . Locals come for many different reasons and the variety of things to do, make it special.There is a nice swimming pool with a mesh roof for an indoor/outdoor feeling. Weekends and school vacations are busy times. I often go on weekday mornings and it feels like my own private club. There are swimming classes for children and hydro-spinning exercise classes. For people watching and socializing, the grassy hill outside the pool is filled with sexy beautiful people, catching some rays and checking each other out.Bajo Caliente also has a soccer field. Local teams and friends rent the field for weekly games. Their friends and family cheer them on and make a nice scene.The bar / restaurant is one of the largest in San Ramon. It is covered but open air with people of all ages. They serve bocas, small plates of food for about C1000/$2. Their wood fired roast chicken is one of the specialties along with cerv...
More About: Recreation , Juan

ICE - Costa Rica Telephone and Electric Service
2008-04-18 01:35:00
In Costa Rica , the government has a monopoly for providing telephone and electric service. It has pros and cons and there is much debate on this changing in the future. On the pro end, it is very affordable for everyone to have the basic services. My monthly bills are about $6 a month each for telephone and electric in my home. In the USA, my minimum can be 10 times this amount. This is a great thing to have inexpensive access for all. Universal access can also be seen in health care and higher education which is clearly not the case in the USA The other side of government monopoly is it might take a month or even years to get phone service in some areas. The ongoing experience at an ICE office are long lines and not always the best customer service. High speed internet is rolling out very slowly in much of Costa Rica. Also, international calls are much more expensive from Costa Rica than from the USA. Thank God for Skype as a free or very cheap alternative for global communication....
More About: Service , Electric , Telephone

Our Second Coffee Harvest in El Empalme San Ramon
2008-03-28 17:11:00
As someone who has spent most of his life in cities and college towns, it remains an unexpected turn to own an organic coffee and fruit farm. These are THE crops of Costa Rica and before tourism and foreign investment became such a powerful part of the economy, coffee and bananas ruled.My farm in El Empalme has an amazing ocean view and the sunset in the Pacific is an inspiring experience. El Empalme is one of the highest altitudes in the area making it ideal for coffee farming. It is also part of Costa Rican history. During the revolution that formed the modern Costa Rican state, El Empalme was where the rebels gained their strategic advantage over the government troops below due to its long views both towards Puntarenas and the Central Valley. A former Costa Rican President and San Ramon ?s most famous citizen Jose Figueres had a weekend home in El Empalme. Figueres was an intellectual leader and one of the many architects of the modern Costa Rica who considered San Ramon their hom...
More About: Coffee , Harvest

Where the Streets Have No Name ....and the Houses Have No Numbers
2008-03-19 02:55:00
In San Ramon, and most of Costa Rica (except San Jose), the streets have no names and the houses have no numbers. It makes asking directions and finding places comical and a true adventure. Every location is identified as a certain number of meters from a known landmark. In the era of Big Brother, the Costa Rican address system feels protective of your privacy and anonymity but also slow, impractical and difficult.As an answer to my question for directions, a person will come outside and say something like ? go to the big tree and then go 180 meters, make a left and when you see an old man in a chair on his porch go 50 meters and you are there. Also, people use references of store names that have changed years ago and impossible for the novice to know. But of course everyone is really helpful, smiling and friendly.My partners Pablo and Mary were the first and for many years the only Tourist Information spot in San Ramon. They have saved many a lost foreigner and Costa Rican. Our off...
More About: Houses , Numbers , Streets , The Streets

My Vacation in the Snow
2008-03-05 00:46:00
It was time to take a short break out of Costa Rica. We landed at JFK in NYC at 2AM just as a major snowstorm was materializing. We were one of the last flights that landed. Wow! After leaving the 70's and sunny San Ramon. Contrast.There was 9 inches of snow in the NYC area as we drove a rental car to Ithaca at 3AM. The good news was there were few cars on the road; the bad news was that we couldn't see much of the road as the snow was piling up. It all ended well as we arrived in Ithaca after our 9 hour drive that normally takes 5 hours.It's been fun being in Ithaca and we're heading for a few days in NYC. Back to Costa Rica on Friday after 2 weeks vacationing in NYS. I loved reading the NY Times, eating Chinese, Thai and Pizza and seeing friends and family. pero/but it's been very cold and snowy. People are mostly in their houses or cars ... not much street life.We are flying back on Taca (www.taca.com) which feels better than flying with the majors. On our flight here, the...
More About: Vacation , Snow

Puerto Viejo - The Other Side of Costa Rica
2008-02-22 01:29:00
Here in San Ramon, people live by the wisdom of living in the mild weather of the Central Valley and vacationing at the beach. Most locals and tourists visit the Pacific beaches such as Samara, Jaco, Tamarindo or Manuel Antonio but the Caribbean beaches are a whole other experience ? and worth the trip.The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica is not Latin, but rather settled by Black and Indigenous peoples. Much of the Caribbean feels like a different country with a culture and vibe in contrast to the typical Tico lifestyle in the rest of Costa Rica. Even the language is different with many locals speaking a Creole version of English, rather than Spanish. At the mid-point between the large port city of Limon and the Panama border to the south is Puerto Viejo, a laid-back beach town that lacks the megabuck development of the Guanacaste Pacific Coast. The lack of large-scale development, does not necessarily mean inexpensive (for Costa Rica), but the scale remains small and personal.To make ...
More About: Side , The Other Side

Costa Rica Real Estate... San Ramon Style
2008-02-01 20:37:00
While the economy has become more global in nature, real estate tends to reflect more local factors. The news from the U.S. is dominated by foreclosures, the subprime mortgage mess and home values plunging in many areas. Costa Rica on the other hand has a booming real estate market with strong demand as the world discovers this special country. Until recently most of the boom was at the beach, especially the Guanacaste region on the Pacific Ocean and suburbs of San Jose like Escazu. The prices there started to look more like those in the developed world with little local culture to speak of. English and dollars became predominant and the international scene seemed like it could have been in any number of continents or countries. This is my 7th year living in San Ramon and when I got here, I could count the number of English speakers around town on one hand. Having experienced every part of Costa Rica and every country in Central America, this Central Valley town clearly won my heart...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Style , Real