I lived in Costa Rica for eight years,
and in this video I'm going to share with you my top 10 best places to live
in Costa Rica, located in the Sunbelt of Costa Rica.
Atenas is a small town nestled between Costa Rica,
central Valley and the Pacific Coast.
Atenas is known for having one of the best climates in the world,
and due to its location,
it also gets an extra hour of sunshine every day compared to the rest
of the country.
Atenas is a good place for you if you want to be close to the city and the
beach, which are each about an hour away,
but still be away from a lot of the traffic and tourism in a more local
area where you can find a lower cost of living and focus on learning
Spanish and immersing yourself in the local culture.
There are an estimated one or 2000 foreigners living in
Atenas who say that they chose the town for its location,
good weather and friendly community to the west of downtown
San Jose lies the suburb of Escazu
also known as the Beverly Hills of Costa Rica.
Escazu has become a popular place for foreigners and Costa Rica's elite to
live. It's where you'll find the most upscale shops, restaurants, malls,
and luxury condos with some of the best views in the Central Valley.
The farther up the mountain you go,
the cooler and cloudier the climate gets.
But just five minutes down the road,
the neighboring town of Santa Ana offers just as many amenities as Escazu
with a bit more warmth and sunshine.
The benefit of living on the west side of San Jose is so that you're a quick
hop onto the highway that goes straight to the beach. Well,
it's pretty straight, farther to the west from Santa Ana.
You'll find the Town of Ciudad Colon
which isn't talked about very often when you hear lists of the best places to
live in Costa Rica.
But I really like it because it's much quieter than Escazu and
Santa Ana. It has less traffic,
and it's great for living a local lifestyle that's surrounded by
a lot of the nature that Costa Rica is known for.
All the while you're still only a 20 or 30 minute drive
from San Jose,
you can also find much more affordable real estate here compared to
Escazu and Santa Ana. Playas Jaco
and Hermosa are two of the most famous beach towns in
Costa Rica, and for good reason,
this area is only about an hour and a half away from the San Jose
airport where you'll be welcomed with long stretches of beaches,
perfect for surfing or enjoying the sunset with a tropical cocktail.
Jacois for you if you want a beach lifestyle while
still being in the hustle and bustle of a busy town.
You'll be within walking distance to restaurants, supermarkets,
and shopping, so it's very convenient,
although it can have a lot of tourists and be a little bit loud at times.
Playa Hermosa is more your style if you want a quieter neighborhood where you need
a car to get around, and if you're looking for bigger waves.
So if you are drawn to this region of Costa Rica,
also consider the town of Herradura just to the north of Jaco where
the Marriott Los Suenos Resort is located.
If you're looking for a relaxing slower pace of life with more
affordable real estate prices, check out Playas
Esterillos and Bejuco, which are midway between Jaco and Quepos.
This area is for you if you really want to get away from the crowds and
maybe have a few Toucans or Howler monkey for your neighbors.
That being said, you're still close to civilization.
Drive 30 or 40 minutes north and you'll arrive in Jaco, 30 or 40
minutes south and you can visit Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park,
which is next on our list.
Quepos and Manuel Antonio are located about two and a half hours from
San Jose International Airport.
Quepos is known for its world-class fishing and the Marina Pez Vela
while Manuel Antonio is more famous for its white sand
beaches and National Park.
Quepos is a bustling town with more of a local vibe while Manuel
Antonio looks like a postcard.
It's a beautiful and tropical place to live with these curvy
winding roads and panoramic ocean views.
Manuel Antonio has a pretty high price tag, a one bedroom apartment.
If you can find it starts at above $200,000,
but you won't have a problem finding multimillion dollar villas
head even farther south along the coastal highway,
and you'll reach the fun and funky surf town of Dominical.
Dominical has a completely unique vibe compared to the rest of Costa Rica.
It reminds me of a mix between Hawaii, Nosara and Tulum
Mexico, just with black sand. If you love surfing, fishing,
yoga,
or just want to live near the beach surrounded by jungles and waterfalls,
Dominical could be for you. In Dominical,
you really begin to sense that you are in the middle of nature because you're
just to the north of the most ecologically diverse point on the planet,
the OSA Peninsula and Corcovado National Park.
If you like this area, you also might want to check out San Isidro de El General
a friendly mountain town located about an
hour inland from Dominical with a much cooler climate as it's located
at one of the highest altitudes in Costa Rica.
One of my favorite places to live in Costa Rica is the Nacoya Peninsula
where you'll find Mal Pais & Santa Teresa and Montezuma.
A downside to living in this area is that it's gotten so popular over the years
that it's also more crowded and more expensive than some other parts
of the country.
It's also a little bit harder to get to than other places.
You'll need to either fly in, take the ferry from Puntarenas
or drive around the long way through the Nicoya Peninsula. However,
once you arrive in this region,
you'll be rewarded with some of the most stunning beaches and sunsets in
the country, as well as some of the most luxurious villas and resorts.
One of the most popular places for foreigners to live in Costa Rica is the
Nosara Projekto Americano or The American Project
which encompasses the beaches of Playa Guiones
and Playa Pelada, Nosara is a bit different from other beach towns
in Costa Rica and that the beach rent is a protected nature
reserve. Life in this area is very laid back.
The town has a population of about 5,000 people,
although it does double or triple during the high season,
which runs from November to April.
I lived in this area for three years and it's just beautiful.
Even though Nosara is off the beaten path with dirt, roads and rivers,
the price of real estate is still steep there with high demand due
to the beautiful views, the beaches and the wellness centers there.
This area is also in one of the world's Blue zones,
which is known for having the highest concentration of centenarians in the
world. So if you're looking for longevity,
give the Nacoya Peninsula a try.
Now let's head farther north to the Tamarindo area of the
Guanacaste Province
Located just 30 minutes from the Liberia International Airport.
Tamarindo is one of the most developed beach towns in Guanacaste with
great surfing, fishing, boating, and sunsets.
Because of the many amenities and attractions in the area,
it can also get a bit crowded and dusty in the high season though.
So if you'd like to get off the beaten path a little bit,
check out the smaller towns of Playa Grande to the north and Langosta
to the south and even further south
you'll come along the beaches of Avellanas with Hacienda Pinilla
and south of there, Playa Negra
If you're planning on moving to Costa Rica soon,
check out my living in Costa Rica, guide pinned in the comment below.
And for more videos about living in Costa Rica and the best places to live
abroad, check out my playlists here.