Mountains versus Beach
Actually, the subtitle to this post is a tad misleading...
Because in Costa Rica's southern zone real estate market, you can sort of have your cake and eat it too...
That is, you can have both mountains AND beach.
But can you really?
That question really gets at the heart of this post.
You see, we do have a coastal mountain range that hugs our gorgeous Costa Ballena. It's what some old-timers refer to as the "Big Sur" of Costa Rica.
And it's true that many of the best coastal properties are up in those mountains, or hills. There are dramatic ocean views to be had up there, as well as fresh ocean breezes that can help cool things down a bit.
However, truth be told these properties really don't have the elevation required for one of Costa Rica's legitimate "micro- climates."
Most "high elevation" beach properties are no more than a couple to a few hundred meters above sea level.
I always tell my clients that to have a true micro-climate, meaning a significant drop in temperature compared to sea level heat, you need to be in the "Goldilocks zone" of 800 to 1000 meters (or 2,500 to 3,200 feet).
Can you get those elevations in the coastal range?
Well, yes and no...
The coastal mountains, what we old-timers call the "Fila Costeña", do reach altitudes of 1000 - 1500 meters.
However, there are a few problems with those altitudes in the coastal mountains.
For starters, way up there you'll find a high degree of lack of infrastructure...
That means bad roads (and in the rainy season downright impassable ones), no electricity and no legal water. Those mountain tops are largely undeveloped and covered in primary forest, which is highly protected by Costa Rica's government. Developing property up there is challenging for those reasons.
Here's another issue with 1000 plus meter elevations in the coastal mountains...
That's where the cloud canopy sits.
That means clouds and rain pretty much all day and night. You might get some early morning sunshine, but that's about it. And that's true in both the summer (dry) season and the winter (wet) one.
As climate change increases temps along our coast, many expats are looking to move up in elevation to cool off. Many suffer the illusion of having their cake and eat it too. Meaning living close to the beach at elevations of 1000 meters or more.
For reasons I just stated, that's really not feasible unless you're willing to endure bad infrastructure and very wet weather all the time.
But wait there's an answer...
Behind those coastal mountains on the other side of the Valle General rise the highest and greenest mountains in the entire country - the mighty Talamancas.
These mountains rise to heights approaching 4000 meters (around 12,500 feet)! But you don't need to get that high now do you?
Here's the great thing, you can find, or build, your dream home easily between that perfect altitude of 800 to 1000 meters in the big mountains.
And you'll be well under the cloud canopy, which sits above 2000 meters.
And guess what, there's tons of infrastructure in those mountains.
The county of Perez Zeledon is one of the largest in Costa Rica geographically and boasts a population of around 200,000. It's also home to the 2nd largest city outside of the GAM (gran area metropolitano) of the Central Valley, San Isidro de El General.
However, the population of San Isidro is only around 50,000. The vast majority of the citizens of Perez Zeledon live in little scenic mountain pueblos that dot the Talamancas. Those quaint little mountain villages have infrastructure, including decent roads, electricity, legally provided water, and even fiber optic internet!
And you can live in one of them, at almost perfect year-round temperatures, and still be only around an hour from the beach.
For sure that's about double the time to the beach compared to living in the coastal range. However, you might find the conveniences of good infrastructure, perfect weather, and easy access to a thriving and growing city with all its amenities to more than offset that extra 30 minutes?
I don't know, what do you think?
