The city of Heredia is Costa Rica’s third biggest city, capital of the eponymous province, and located between (and north of) San Josè and Alajuela. The towns around the city – including San Rafael, Santa Barbara, San Isidro and San Joaquín de Flores – have become popular places among both expatriates and upwardly-mobile Ticos looking

San Ramón (pop. ~70,000), is a great place to live given its terrific climate, friendly people, wide array of services, and proximity to both the Pacific coast and to San José.  Home to ex-Presidents and leading literary figures, San Ramón (locals are affectionately called moncheňos) is known as the “City of Poets and Presidents.”  Additionally,

Grecia is a coffee town about 18 km from Alajuela, on the road towards San Ramón and Naranjo. The town itself remains very much Costa Rican, with squat, single-story buildings, signs painted directly on walls, and the church and park dominating the center. Similarly the community also remains very Tico rather than expatriate, though there

A five-minute drive from the city of Alajuela and on the road to Atenas is the small town of La Garita. La Garita has the same famously mild climate and is a popular place for Ticos to own second homes. The town has very little to offer in terms of services and restaurants; nevertheless, it

A number of pretty country towns not far from Alajuela and the international airport have become very popular with expatriates. Located within 20 kilometers of Alajuela – the main city serving the area – the communities of Atenas, La Garita, and Grecia have seen substantial increases in land prices, reflecting the rising demand. Atenas is

Just to the east and north of Curridabat is the community of Tres Ríos. This sprawling and winding town is seeing quite a few gated communities being built and marketed to the Costa Rican middle class. Otherwise, Tres Ríos is basically a bedroom community that reminds one of San Pedro or Sabanilla.  Another 18 kilometers

Just east of central San José are the suburbs of San Pedro and Curridabat. These are also middle class Tico areas, which have been on expatriates’ radars for some time now. San Pedro is where the Universidad de Costa Rica (Costa Rica University, UCR) is located and the surrounding commercial areas cater very much to