AE Member available Grecia, Sarchi & Naranjo:

• Go Dutch Realty, Brooke Bishop
  

Grecia, Sarchi & Naranjo: What a fertile area

Grecia

Grecia is the first city you come to on the Pan American after the airport.  Located about 10 minutes off the Pan American highway, it is only 20 minutes from the International Airport.  Grecia is also, only 45 minutes to the southern pacific coast, Jaco, some of the best surfing is one of the first beaches you come to when leaving the Central Valley.  Just off the highway, it is easy to go into the city for lunch, or shopping, and to the beaches in Guanacaste.

Because it is the first city on the highway leaving Alajuela, Grecia is growing rapidly and has the amenities to show for it.

The quality of life is one of the things that make this city special in this area.  Grecia is known as the cleanest city in Latin America, three years in a row, and the people are who live here are famous for their friendliness.  The majority of “Griegos” are farmers.  Sugar is the main crop here, closely followed by coffee, and vegetables.

Grecia covers a huge area, it is one of the largest counties in the central valley, and has many different altitudes ranging from 2800 ft to 5000 ft.  If you sit in the park and gaze at the famous metal church, you will see farmers gathered talking about the price of sugar, or cabbage, and kids playing and eating ice cream. It has a very successful market for fruit and veggies, meat, cheese, and fish.  Shopping is great here.  There is a hospital right in the center of town. Feria day is big too, with everyone coming to get the freshest best deals.  Grecia is also home to lots of recreational areas for camping, hiking, and picnics.

Because of the large foreign population found in Grecia, there is an excellent selection of properties. Renovated “tico” homes, coffee plantations, as well as high end North American built estates are just some of the properties that can be found here.  Great opportunities exist for all budgets, you can still get bargain prices for homes and land in Grecia.  Home to many national parks and green areas, Grecia is clean living in a perfect climate!

Grecia is the most cosmopolitan of all the small towns west of the Central Valley. It features two malls, each with a movie theatre and various restaurants.  A gym, several internet cafes, and an abundance of restaurants ranging from Steak houses, to Chinese food make this an excellent area for socializing.  You can also find lots of live music at the various bars on the weekends.  Artist fairs are found in the park on many weekends.  Many social groups based on ex pats have evolved throughout the last couple of years, so there is a good opportunity to socialize.

As with most of the Central Valley the end of the rainy season, around mid November coincides with the coffee harvest. This is similar to spring in the Northern Hemisphere in that the nights are cool, and the days are sunny and clear.  This is the time when lots of trees and plants have their flowers, and the breathtaking views are even more impressive. With Christmas right around the corner, this is a pretty, and a happy time for many “ticos” and foreigners alike. >>Go up

Sarchi

Sarchí is located about 15 minutes off the Pan American and 35 from the International Airport. It is the gateway to Los Bajos de Toro, a great recreation area which opens up to the great Northern Plains, and San Carlos. Accessible from the highway either by the Grecia exit or the Naranjo exit, Sarchí is soon to boast its own exit from the Pan American highway, which will make it more convenient to visit San Jose, the beaches, and the airport. It is also in the center of the country, which makes both coasts conveniently only a few hours away.

Sarchí is truly the heart of the artist community of Costa Rica. Nestled in the mountains midway between Grecia and Naranjo it is officially known as Sarchí Valverde Vega, and is home to the woodworkers of the country. Nearly all of the souvenirs in Costa Rica originate here.  You can still see the artisans working on the famous Ox cart wheel, or go to the Alfaro’s workshop and see how it was done before electricity; with water wheels!

Along with artisan products, “Sachiseños” also are farmers as is indicative of this fertile area. Coffee is the product of choice, but many are starting tomato and sweet red pepper farms offering more variety to the agriculture.

Small Tico style homes on acreage, coffee farms, tourism opportunities, and a few large homes built to North American standards are some of the real estate opportunities you can find in this area. The excellent volcanic soil makes this the perfect area for coffee, fruit trees, and immaculate gardens. Middle class Tico families and retirees make up the demographics of Sarchí.

With all of the artists in town, it is no surprise that Sarchí is one of the only tourist towns in this area, and has lots of tourist traffic in the dry season months. This offers another opportunity for the residents of Sarchí to make a living, and as a result there are several small hotels, and lots of great restaurants!

If you are thinking that retiring in a small quiet tourist town in the mountains of Costa Rica, Sarchí is for you. There is a minimal foreign population and that helps keep prices down. The climate of 65 to 75 degrees every day and with altitudes ranging from 3000 ft to 5000 ft, there is a climate and view for everyone! With three grocery stores, and the bigger towns of Naranjo and Grecia nearby, everything you need is close. >>Go up

Naranjo

Located just off the Pan American highway, only 25 minutes from the International Airport, Naranjo is conveniently situated in the heart of the country.     

The central location of Naranjo makes it easy from the airport, and convenient for you and your guests regardless of where you are flying in from. Only 5 minutes off of the Pan American highway, Naranjo is easy on easy off when going into the city for lunch or shopping, and to the beaches in Guanacaste. If you want to go north to the plains, or the volcano, Naranjo is the gateway, the principle road north winding up though Naranjo into the mountains offering breathtaking view after view. Only 2 hours from Arenal Volcano, and 1.5 hours from Poas, Naranjo truly is the center of Costa Rica.

The word "Naranjo" means orange grove, and you can still see Orange farms as well as coffee plantations all over this area.  Naranjo is the main coffee producer of the country. With a population of 40 thousand, it boasts a bustling central market and two outdoor agricultural markets, or “ferias”. Naranjo is one of the most Tico experiences available in the Central Valley; it still has the small town feeling yet is only 1 hour to downtown San Jose.

Each of the 13 districts offers different altitudes and views mostly of the Central Valley, and the surrounding towns.  In Naranjo you can live in the real Costa Rica, learn Spanish, and buy your fruits and veggies from the locals. With altitudes of about 3000 ft to 5000 ft, and an average temperature of 67 to 77 degrees, the climate is spring like year round.

Small Tico style homes on acreage, coffee farms, and large homes built to North American standards are some of the properties you can find in Naranjo.  The excellent volcanic soil here makes this the perfect area for coffee, fruit trees, and immaculate gardens.  There are a couple of prestigious gated communities in Naranjo which offer a diverse living community. Middle class Ticos, retirees, as well as relocated working Latinos and European’s are found in Naranjo.

There is a new opportunity in this town for tourism businesses as well.  The Espirto Santo Coffee tour draws in many tourists and nationals to see how coffee is produced, harvested, and packed in the heart of the coffee land of Costa Rica.  The Tour is located in the town of Naranjo, and features coffee grown from the local Co-ops here and sold to Starbucks, and other coffee houses.

If you are looking for the real Costa Rican experience, Naranjo is the town for you.  It is smaller, and more humble than some of its close neighbors such as Grecia and San Ramon.  The size of the town makes it an easy town to maneuver in. The Central Market of Naranjo is however one of the busiest in this area, and is famous for it.  Prices in Naranjo are reflective of the fact that there is not much of a foreign population, and great deals can still be found here! >>Go up