The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

There are two categories of either part-time or full-time residents of Costa Rica that come from North America: those that demand on living in the more temperate region of the mountains and upper valleys and those that prefer the romantic and warmer, more tropical settings of the coastal areas. While each has its advantages, we will focus on the Caribbean (east) coast of the country, where the subject development, VIllas at Costa de Limon, is located.

A truely tropical setting, the Caribbean coast offers jungles that caress the edges of the sandy shorelines of deserted beaches. The foliage is home to parrots, macaws, toucans (As well as more than a thousand other species of birds), monkeys, iguanans and an array of butterflies. The year-round temperature ranges between 70 and 85 degrees and it can rain at anytime, though rains generally do not last very long (just long enough to keep everything lush and green).

The east coast attracts fishing enthusiasts, tourists and ecology students. Fishing can yeild record-sized tarpon and snook, jacks, mackerels, snapper, barracuda and other species native to the area. The southern half of the shore imparts the Jamaican, African and Spanish influences on the Costa Rican native personality. Tropical bars with reggae flair of music are available and surfers and snorkelers dot the beaches. Cultural and racial differentiations and tensions are virtually nonexistent along the Caribbean coast. There are no marinas to speak of (yet) and no noisy jet skis racing down the water's edge. One resident of the U.S. summed it up for the 60's generation: If you were a yuppie, go to the west coast; if you were a hippie, you belong on the Caribbean side.

Living in Costa Rica will require North Americans to flip-flop the seasons, as the months of December through February are referred to locally as summer, or the dry season (school children take their "summer vacation" during this period. Winter, on the other hand, is during the months of June, July and August, or the rainy season. Actually, the heaviest rainfall occurs during the months of September and October.

The truest dry season is reserved primarily for the Pacific (west) coast, where very little rain falls from December through April. The grass turns brown and many trees lose their leaves. But the reason for leaf loss is to conserve water, not because of freezing weather, which is nonexistant in Costa Rica.

On the Caribbean (east) coast, there is no dry season as showers are more frequent thoughout the year. However, we are not talking torrential downpours here. Generally, the sun is shining in the morning hours, only to be interrupted by a short shower in the afternoon. Most times, the sunshine returns so a beautiful sunset can be enjoyed at day's end. It is not unline the rain patterns of summer in south Florida. Some sections may enjoy sunshine all day long, with showers occurring at night; a pattern similar to that enjoyed in Bermuda. It rarely rains every day and several consecutive days can be perfectly dry.