When you live in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone, the beach and the blue Pacific become a focal point.
Surfers and beach combers hit the shore. Restaurants and beach bars pack them in for sunset happy hour. Homes with views of the Pacific start at $150,000. The 180 degree ocean-view is the most desirable, but you’ll pay extra.
The Southern Zone’s beaches merit the attention. They are some of the most beautiful in the country—wild and deserted.
But that’s just one side of the story. Go inland, into the mountains to 1,000 feet and up—still below the cloud line so you don’t miss out on sunshine—and there’s a whole other type of living, with views rivaling the ocean.
You’ll hear it called “mountain-view.” But it hardly conveys the reality.
Picture steep walls of rock rising out of the jungle—covered in vibrant shades of green that are most pronounced in the rainy season from May to October. The mountains aren’t just covered in wild vegetation. Patchwork cattle ranches and cultivated fields feature too.
The familiar mixes with the exotic here. On the mountain you’ll see sure-footed cows perching seemingly precariously on the steepest grazing land you’re likely to see… but you’ll also see the jungle creatures, like toucans, howler monkeys, and two-toed sloths, that call this area home, too.
Read on…
