1. Private Schools

The Santa Teresa area has two private schools, one that teaches according to the Canadian school system and takes pupils through to high school graduation, and another that teaches children up to the age of 8 or 9. The town also has two private kindergartens. Another private school that teaches children to the age of 11 is located in a small village about 20 minutes drive from Malpaís.

Montezuma has a preschool, but not much else, and there is huge demand for a private school in the area. At the time of writing, a local group was putting together a plan to open a private international school in Cóbano, but was still searching for donors to fund the project. The school would serve the entire area from Malpaís and Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Cóbano and Tambor.

Right now, Cóbano has only a single private school.

2. Medical Care

The nearest hospital in the area is in Puntarenas or Nicoya, depending on which one is the quickest to reach at the moment of the emergency. Many emergencies are dealt with by helicopter, which takes the patient to one of the hospitals in the Central Valley.

A lack of hospital is one of the main factors that will put off the older retirees from moving right now, but Clínica Bíblica has been donated land just outside of Tambor. Construction is supposed to start in the near future, when demand justifies its existence in the area. A private hospital would be a great asset for the whole area, not just Tambor, and could help push up prices when it comes, drawing more people to the area.

As for now, the main medical clinics will be found in Cóbano.

3. Dental Care

Cóbano has a few dentists, but if you can always fly the 25 minutes to San José for some of the best treatment around.