San Jose

Real estate in the San Jose area has not seen a noticeable dip like other parts of Costa Rica due to the influx of several multinational companies and foreign nationals in the area. Suburbs like Escazu, Santa Ana and Ciudad Colon are some of the most sought after areas in Costa Rica.

The part of the center of San Jose most popular with foreigners is the Amon/Otoya neighborhood, where many have bought historic buildings, refurbished them, and turned them into hotels, shops, restaurants, or residences. There are restrictions on what you can do with historic buildings and you should check with the municipality before buying one

San Jose Summary

Perhaps you came to Costa Rica for its pristine beaches, national parks, dense rainforests and volcanoes. If so, you are in for a feast of natural beauty, tropical style.

While you won’t find as much natural beauty in the capital city, you will find a different offering – a real and personal experience of day-to-day Tico living culture. And, happily, some of the country’s gems are only an hour or two from the city.

San Jose History

The Central Valley was the main destination for European settlers in the 18th and 19th centuries. It was there that they started to grow coffee and build communities with the wealth it generated. After independence, the prominent families of San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago began a power struggle over who would become the post-colonial capital. San Jose won, partly because it is in between the ever-feuding power centers of Cartago and Alajuela. These four cities make up the residential and business heart of the Central Valley, and indeed the whole country. In recent years, however, there has been something of a commercial and residential shift from the center of San Jose to the West, making Escazu an ever more prominent center.

San Jose Weather

The weather in the area doesn’t vary much throughout the year but changes a little by altitude. The average year round temperature in the Central Valley and San Jose area is around a pleasant 73-80°F degrees during the day and 60-65°F degrees at nights. However, the higher you live, the colder it is and the lower you go the warmer it will be. Like the whole of Costa Rica, San Jose has only two seasons, summer and rainy season. The summer season generally runs from December to the middle of May, with December being very windy while March and April the hottest months of the year.

The winds in December usually mean the change from the rainy season to summer The rainy season is normally from the end of May to late November. However, there is usually a dry spell in either July, August or September that lasts for a few weeks. It is known as Indian summer or veranillo as the Costa Ricans call it. During the rainy season, it is mostly cloudless in the mornings but thundering in the afternoons and then stops in the early evening. The temperature remains mostly the same during the summer and winter