|
Chapter 1: Getting Oriented
To see maps of Costa Rica, click here to
go to our maps on our Real Estate
Page.
The inaccurate information out there about Costa Rica is sometimes very
funny. Some people think it is an
island, and almost no one knows that this is a small country in Central
America, with Nicaragua to the north
and Panama to the south.
But Costa Rica isn’t like
most of its neighbors in Central America. It hasn’t had an army for over 50 years, and
has the most developed infrastructure in Central
America in most things, except maybe for Panama.
Costa Rica has a thriving
middle class, something that is almost unheard of in Latin America, and has been
called for years the “Switzerland of the Americas.” It’s long lasting political stability is
also unparalleled in Central or even most places in S. America.
And as far as biodiversity is concerned, because it is
located in the center of the land mass of the American continents, it is a
meeting place for species from both continents, and so has more species than
either of the neighboring continents.
In Costa Rica you can have
it all, if you are willing to accept that this beautiful country isn’t the
same as where you came from. If you
are flexible enough to do that, and if you have patience for the slower pace
instead of the rat race, then I am sure you will agree that this is a great
place to be.
Geography
The Central Valley is the focal
point of activity in Costa Rica for those who
live here, and the capital of the country, San Jose, is
there. It and its surrounding cities
form the greater San Jose metropolitan
area.
This is also where 4 of the country’s provinces
meet. They form the outer perimeter of
this greater metropolitan area, and these surrounding cities are also the
capitals of their respective provinces.
To the east you have Cartago,
the capital of Cartago Province, and the
original capital of Costa Rica before it was
“stolen” by San Jose.
Close to the Juan Santamaria Airport you have the
second largest city in the country, Alejuela, which
is the capital of the province by that name.
San Jose is also the
capital of the province by the same name.
And to the north you have Heredia,
capital of the province by that same name.
All together, most of the population of the country lives
in this area. When you combine the
entire Central Valley, you have
about 2/3 or more of the population of Costa Rica.
There are 3 other provinces in the country. On the Caribbean Coast you have the Province of Limon, with its
capital by the same name. From the
southern border to about the half way point up the Pacific Coast, you have Puntarenas province, whose capital city has the same
name, and is at the point on the Pacific coast where the Nicoya Peninsula ends. A ferry goes between Puntarenas
and the Nicoya Peninsula several times a day, and is
the main way to get to that part of the peninsula from the mainland. The Tempesque Bridge now goes into
the Nicoya Peninsula further north,
while the third way to get there is via the old road way to the north close
to Nicaragua.
One of the main tourist destinations on the southern
coast of the Nicoya Peninsula is Monetzuma, and the ferry is still the best way to get
there.
Finally, to the north, all the way to the Nicaraguan
border is Guanacaste Province, whose capital
city is Liberia. Guanacaste is the
most popular destination for expats who want to
live at the beach, and is the site of lots of tourist growth.
Along the mainland side of Guanacaste,
facing on the Gulf of Nicoya, are the
popular beach towns of Flamingo, Coco Beach, and
others. These are great “hang out”
spots for expats.
On the Pacific side of the Nicoya Peninsula you have Playa
Samara, one of the hottest spots in the country right now, and several other
popular beaches such as Tamarindo.
Costa Rica has two peninsulas jutting out on the Pacific
coast, and of the two, Nicoya is by far the most
popular and a lot more people live there than on the Osa
Peninsula to the south, which for the most part is wild jungle land. If you want to live without electricity,
phone, water, or most anything else to do with civilization, there are some
small settlements in the Osa that might interest
you, the most popular of which seems to be Drake Bay, which only has access
by boat.
A very popular surfer beach close to the Panama border is Pavones, and another popular and secluded beach with
limited access, right along the border, is Zancudo Beach.
And of course at the mouth of the Gulfo
Dulce, formed by the mainland on one side and the Osa Peninsula on the other side, lies the port of Golfito, a former banana center that the government
turned into a profitable free trade zone where Costa Ricans can shop duty
free and thus get bargain prices on appliances and whatever else you care to
name.
Climate
The climate of Costa Rica is a surprise
to those who have never spent time in a tropical climate. Because it is so close to the equator, the
temperature, rainfall, etc., has a lot more to do with the altitude you are
at than with where you are at on a north / south access.
The Central Valley, because of
its altitude and the fact that it is surrounded by mountains, means that it
has many micro climates depending mostly on your elevation. Generally, though, the Central Valley is referred to
as “the land of endless spring,” as the temperature very rarely gets above 85
degrees F and in many spots is cooler.
The warmest spot in the Central Valley, and also one of
the driest, is the western suburb of Santa Ana.
Alajuela is probably a runner up in these
qualities. So if you like it pretty warm, but not too
hot, and don’t like as much rain as you get elsewhere, this is your spot.
If cool and rainy is to your taste, then you should head
to the hills above either Heredia or in Coronado. Both of these areas have a cool climate
year round, but, if you go up too far, you get close to the cloud forest
zone, where clouds touch down to earth almost every day of the year, and it
rains even sometimes in the dry
season.
There are all kinds of micro climates between these two
extremes, so choose your location carefully to make sure the climate fits
your wants and needs.
Outside the Central Valley
Outside the Central Valley, unless you
are on a mountain, the climate is generally hotter and wetter, with the
hottest weather along the southern coasts.
The Caribbean side of the country is the wettest by far,
and there really is no dry season in this area to speak
of. It is instead a Caribbean climate, which
means hot and damp. Along the beaches
a sea breeze helps break the heat a little, but in mid afternoon, unless you
are in the water or indoors in air conditioning, the best place to be is on a
hammock sleeping.
Limon Province is the poorest province in the country,
and sees the least tourists. But, if
you do visit the Caribbean coast, check out especially Cahuita,
which is next to the national park by the same name, and Puerto Viejo, which
is my favorite beach spot in the country away from the madding crowds on the
Pacific side and if you are a surfer, it is one of the best surfing beaches
in the country.
And to the north in Limon province, don’t miss out on Tortugero. This
town in the extreme north east of the country is like a tropical Venice, accessible
only by canals. This means that to get
there you have to go by boat on a beautiful jungle tour. This town is also one of the most famous
nesting areas in the world for the sea turtle, so my suggestion is you visit
this spot during turtle nesting season.
In the south Pacific region, it is often hot and muggy,
with tons of jungle. This is by and
large a wild region, with only spots of civilization.
As you go further north, you get to Playa Dominical,
which has high cliffs that drop off into the ocean. The highlands give you a cooler climate
than at most beaches, as well as breathtaking views of the ocean below.
The central Pacific coast is a little drier and not quite
so hot. This is the home to Manuel Antonio National Park, where the
jungle, animals, and beach meet. This area along with Quepos, a fishing
village, are often referred to as the Costa Rican Riviera.
And in the extreme northwest of the country, we have Guanacaste, which is the driest part of the whole country.
Inland from the coast, in the central part of the north
zone, is Arenal Volcano, the most active volcano in the
world. Most days you can sit in one of
the hot springs that are in
the area, and enjoy the show. At
night, if you are lucky, you may see sparks and some lava.
Near the volcano is the manmade Lake Arenal, which has
some of the best windsurfing in the world.
This is because the area is along the continental divide,
and high winds in some areas around the lake and volcano are very high and
continuous. Wind generator farms are
in the area to take advantage of this natural wind power.
If you buy property in this area, be aware that the micro
climate situation is very extreme in this region, as elevation changes
rapidly, and wind and weather also greatly depend on which direction your
property is facing. Some areas there
are like heaven, while others are like a wind tunnel from hell, so be
careful. Also be aware that this
region of the country has some of the highest rainfall, except maybe for the Caribbean coast or the
extreme south.
History
As the final part in this introductory chapter, we will
give a brief overview of the history of Costa Rica, which is
unique to Central America, if not the
world.
Costa Rica was discovered
by Christopher Columbus on his final voyage in
1502. He anchored near present day
Limon, and sent ashore and expedition to find out what the area was like.
The report that came back was grim. In fact, it is doubtful that Columbus
himself even set foot ashore.
The explorers reported that it was a land of impossible
swamps and hostile natives with little in the way of gold, in contrast to
some of the other areas they had visited.
In short, it was scratched off the list as a top priority for further
exploration and colonization, and the explorers quickly left for better
places elsewhere.
About 30 years later, another explorer by the name of
Fernandez de Cordoba, charted the Pacific coast of Central
America. In his journeys,
he came upon the spectacular beauty that is the Nicoya Peninsula, with its lush
forests, fertile land, and abundant wildlife.
He is most likely the first to name this land Costa Rica, or Rich Coast.
He established a settlement there in 1539, while the Caribbean side of the
country was pretty much ignored for the next 200 years or so.
Even so, Costa Rica grew slower
than many of the other colonies at the time, probably due to the lack of
spectacular gold discoveries as were made both to the north and the
south.
Another reason for this slow growth might also be that,
unlike the Indians of Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, who meekly paid tribute to
their new masters while they toiled in the fields or mines, the Indians of
Costa Rica didn’t take kindly to their new “bosses,” and fought the conquest of
their land. In fact, there is some
evidence to indicate that some of the Indians here were also head
hunters! Thus, Costa Rica grew slowly
for a long time.
In much of the rest of Latin America, the King of Spain granted huge tracts
of land to the conquistadors, and, as mentioned above, the Indians sort of
went along with the land as peasant farmers or serfs in this feudal
arrangement. This allowed the big land
owners to live like lords of the manor.
This situation has caused social problems in Latin American countries
ever since, with the “big families” still attempting to lord it over the
“little people,” who for centuries they have considered to be little more
than cattle.
In fact, even in modern times, the ex
dictator of Nicaragua, Somoza, when
asked if he cared about the welfare of his people said “what care has a
cattle rancher that his cattle be content and happy?”
In Costa Rica, the lack of
gold and silver to plunder plus the hostile nature of the Indians meant that
no such large haciendas could be set up, even if they were granted. Consequently, the settlers were more or
less on an equal footing, and Costa Rica became the
land of the small farmer or campesino.
It is even reported that the “high” government officials
in the territory had to grow their own gardens or starve to death!
Thus, Costa Rica’s culture is
almost unique in Latin America, in that there is not the extreme contrast
between the very rich and the very poor, with almost no one in between.
It also means that Costa Rica has a long
standing democratic tradition and a culture of equality and rights. Also, since there is no organized history
of servitude by the Indians, the Indians of Costa Rica are not
inclined to incite civil wars as they have done in Guatamala,
where there is a long standing history of abuse and oppression.
In its own way, then, during the colonial period, Costa Rica was a small,
almost forgotten province of the Spanish empire. The governors in fact almost forgot that it
existed, as did the Royal Court in Spain. And, when Spain granted
independence to its colonies in 1821, Costa Rica was the last
to be informed and the least affected, because, in a sense, it had already
been free for several hundred years already.
The first president of Costa Rica was thus very
unique in Latin America, and wanted to emphasize development for
everyone, not just the wealthy. He was
convinced that raising coffee for export would help the country on its road
to development, and so emphasized the growing of that crop.
He believed that the profits from this new export crop
would build roads, schools and other infrastructure to benefit all of the
people of the country.
But Costa Rica lacked the
population base to realize the
president’s dreams. So he came up with
yet another innovative and unique idea.
He offered free land to anyone who would settle on it and work the
land to produce coffee!
Thus, Costa Rica developed lots of small, family run
coffee farms instead of the huge plantations elsewhere in Latin America. These small farmers then sold their coffee
to merchants, who then exported it abroad for sale.
Families from all over Europe heard about
the opportunities available in Costa Rica, and many of
them moved here.
This policy led to the development of a strong middle class in Costa Rica, which is
unique to Latin America.
It also means that Costa Ricans themselves are more
European in culture than the surrounding countries, and have an ethic of hard
work, with the campesino, or small farmer, having
formed the back bone of the country for a long time.
In the last half of the 19th century, Europe experienced
very troubled times, which sparked another wave of European
immigration. These new immigrants
moved to the New World seeking peace, freedom, and prosperity,
and Costa Rica’s free land
offer meant that many of them settled here.
This reinforced the already democratic and egalitarian beliefs of the
Costa Rican culture, and made it even more oriented towards European culture
and ideals than it had already become.
It is true that a wealthy merchant class developed over
time. But they developed through
ingenuity and hard work, not because they had connections with the Royal Court in times past. Thus, their attitude was very much
different from the arrogant, aristocratic attitude found elsewhere among the
wealthy families of Latin America, whose
ancestors were privileged and pampered and served by peasant Indians they
dominated and controlled like serfs.
In 1855, Tennessean William Walker was contracted by
Nicaraguan liberals to overthrow the conservative
government. He gathered together a
band of mercenaries to do the job, but instead, Walker tried to
install himself as ruler of Central America, starting with
Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Walker invaded Guanacaste in February of 1856, but in April, the Costa
Ricans attacked the border town of Rivas. A drummer boy by the name of Juan Santamaria set fire to the town, driving out Walker’s forces, and
became Costa Rica’s most famous
national hero, after whom the main international airport is named.
In April of 1857, Costa Rica and other
Central American countries combined to finish the defeat of Walker in the second
battle of Rivas. Shortly after the
defeat of Walker, a border
dispute erupted with the Nicaraguan government, but in 1858 a treaty was
signed ending the dispute. Guanacaste was formally recognized as a part of Costa
Rica, and the Rio San Juan was given to Nicaragua with the understanding that
Costa Rica would retain navigation rights on the river, which forms a great
deal of the border between the 2 countries.
Starting in 1869, Costa Rica established a
free compulsory educational system.
There is thus a long standing respect in Costa Rica for learning,
and it has the highest literacy rate in the Western
Hemisphere, rivaling even that of the United States. In fact, the first university was
established in Costa Rica in 1844,
staffed in large part by intellectuals fleeing persecution in Europe.
This has meant that Costa Rica has a
mentality more similar to that of Europe than to its
neighbors, who harbored the last vestiges of feudalism right into the 20th
century.
With this background, it is no surprise, then, that Costa Rica has had a long
standing democratic tradition of a century and a half, in contrast to its
neighbors. Whereas all around it,
presidents have come from military coups
for a long time, in Costa Rica, its presidents have been civilians put there
by ballot, not by bullet.
Of course, there have been a few blips on this otherwise
peaceful radar screen. In 1889, the
defeated incumbent almost refused to accept the election results, but, at the
last minute, he accepted the will of the people and thus averted a possible
revolution.
The only other major blip on the democratic radar screen
was in 1948, when the ruling party refused to give up power because the
election was close and they claimed it was tainted by corruption. But the people, led by Pepe
Figueres, did not stand for this, and after a very
brief Civil War, democracy was restored.
But, because of this abuse of power, Costa Rica then and there
abolished its army, because they viewed the army as an undemocratic force and
not needed in a free society.
Thereafter, the money that other nations squander on their military
budgets was forever set aside for education and other social programs, with
the result that Costa Rica has continued to be the most advanced, free, and
democratic country in Latin America.
Old army barracks were turned into schools, ex soldiers
were put to work on road construction and other projects to better
society. A system of free medical care
was established that is still one of the finest in this hemisphere, if not
the world. Costa Ricans do not have to
put themselves into poverty and sell their homes because of outrageous
medical bills. And the medical care in
Costa Rica is just as
good, if not better, than that found even in the United States, and most
certainly is much cheaper.
For example, I have one friend who had open heart surgery
here in Costa Rica. If memory serves, the bill was not more
than about $13,000.00 at the best private hospital in the country, compared
with well over $100,000.00 + in the US.
Another friend had a stint put in. At the time, she was able to get the most
advanced stint available in the world, while patients in the US were still
getting the older version because it takes so many years for the FDA to
approve new medical devices and drugs.
In Costa Rica, you can walk
into any pharmacy. Each pharmacy is
required to have a doctor on duty to answer questions and give advice on what
will work for your condition. And this
advice is given free in most cases, and you can pick up most of what you need
without getting a doctor’s prescription!
And at much cheaper prices than the US as well!
People in Costa Rica DO NOT have to make a choice between
taking their medications, going to the hospital, seeing a doctor, or
eating! And in Costa Rica, the custom
is for the doctor to actually spend TIME with you, the patient, to make sure
that they fully understand your situation, and that you are treated like a
human being, not a number on an insurance claim form!
Most ex pats can get along paying cash for most of their
everyday medical and dental needs, at world class hospitals and clinics, because
the prices are only a fraction of what they are back home. But, if they desire, there are several
forms of medical insurance available.
We will get into this in a later chapter, but, in the
meantime, if you want to look at insurance options now, you may do so at the Costa Rica
Page.
To continue listing the social benefits that Costa Rica
derived from abolishing its army, Costa Rica has four public universities
[and LOTS of private ones to boot], 3 symphony orchestras, and 5 autonomous
state publishing houses.
Costa Rica was one of the first countries in Latin
America to be electrified, have telephones, etc., and is one of the only
countries in Latin America to this day with almost universal potable
water! In other words, in most places
in the country, you can drink water right out of the tap without any worries,
and, in fact, it generally tastes better than city water in most US cities!
All of these dividends have come about because of Costa Rica’s unique,
democratic culture and traditions, and because it no longer wastes money on
an army to suppress the poor.
Election day in Costa Rica is one of its
most important national holidays.
There is a festive atmosphere as everyone goes to their assigned
polling place to cast their ballot.
Absenteeism at the polls is very low, as voting is mandatory by law,
although few would miss out anyway.
Cars, banners, and people are decked out in the colors of
their favorite party. Buses and taxis
give people free rides to the polling booths [in fact, all buses are free on
election day!]. In fact, even when
they move, most Costa Rican’s don’t change their official voting address! This gives them the opportunity to go “back
home” on election day, when there are family reunions and fiestas, and people
get a chance to see old friends again.
Once someone has voted, they have to dunk their thumbs in
indelible ink so that they cannot vote again,
which is a simple solution to the election fraud of voting many times that goes on
in some countries. After they vote,
many head for the streets in their cars, honking as they go along, waving
their thumbs to show that they have voted.
It is a national celebration of democracy.
On the surface, workers get paid a very low salary in Costa Rica compared to
industrialized countries. But, when
one looks at the life style that supports, it becomes clear that many Costa
Rican workers are actually ahead of their counterparts in the US and
elsewhere.
All of their medical treatment and necessary medicine is
covered by the Caja, into which all employers must
pay. The Caja
maintains clinics and hospitals throughout the country, where workers can go
for free medical treatment from a simple office visit to a major surgery. Generally, whatever drugs the doctor
prescribes is dispensed at the hospital or clinic pharmacy at no cost. And, if someone is unemployed and out of
work, they can generally get treatment for their needs at their closest Caja hospital, and make modest payments back into the
system on a bill that is a tiny fraction of what it would be elsewhere.
Costa Rican workers also get an entire month’s salary in
December as their Christmas bonus,
generous sick leave and disability benefits, and a good pension when they
retire. They are some of the best
cared for workers in the world, especially when you add in the free education
benefits that go all the way up to the state owned universities!
This is how Costa Rican workers can work for such low
cash salaries, because almost everything else is covered by the system.
Why Are They Called Ticos?
Tico is the nickname
Costa Ricans use when referring to themselves. According to some sources, this derived
from a slightly different way of referring to small things as compared to
other Spanish speaking countries.
Whereas the proper Spanish form of the diminutive is tito, as in momentito, in the past many Costa Ricans would
use tico
instead. Thus, momentito becomes momentico.
While this practice is diminishing, the nickname still
sticks, and Ticos use that word when referring to
themselves and their national identity.
You Can Feel Right at Home
I have lived in Costa Rica now for 10
years, and I can assure you that it is one of the best places I have ever
lived. The climate is comfortable in
most areas, especially the Central Valley, most people
are friendly, crime is relatively low by any
standard, despite the bars on everyone’s windows to stop petty theft.
There aren’t the hordes of beggars and street people that
are almost everywhere in many other countries, there is no need for sub
machine gun wielding security guards everywhere you look, and Costa Rica is
free from the terrorist hysteria that seems to grip certain other countries. Costa Rica doesn’t live
in fear because it is a peaceful, non aggressive nation that leaves everyone
else alone and simply wants to live in peace.
Gringos are not universally hated as they are in some
other countries, so you can pretty much live wherever you want to, without
feeling the need to live huddled together in some “foreigner’s ghetto.” Not everyone will like you, but for the
most part, people are friendly, warm, good natured, and welcoming.
| 
