![]() ![]() Luckily, there are dozens of new car dealers less than an hour away near San Jose, plus just 30 minutes away you will find the used car capital of Costa Rica: Grecia. ![]() There is also over one-half dozen dentists in the city of Atenas.Ītenas has a car culture and most expats own one, since the town and nearby developments are fairly spread out. There is a private minor emergency facility and a local public CCSS ( Caja) clinic to administer basic medical treatments. In downtown Atenas, you will also find a local branch of the Red Cross for minor emergencies. If you are using the Caja national healthcare system, Hospital Mexico has a very good reputation and is also located in the western side of San Jose in La Uruca. In this area you will also find most of your regularly visited wellness doctors. One of Costa Rica’s three JCI-certified private, full-service medical centers-Hospital CIMA-is located just 30-minutes away in Escazú. You won’t find a late-night party crowd here, but that is exactly the way residents want it.īecause of Atenas’ close proximity to west suburban San Jose, all medical needs are typically treated there. Such as taking classes for water aerobics, Thai chi, and guided meditation, as well as enjoying live music with a local expat bluegrass band or dinner with friends at the popular pizza parlor downtown to a quiet afternoon of bird watching. One of the reasons expats enjoy Atenas so much is there is no shortage of activities. From supermarkets to pharmacies and restaurants to gyms and the Feria del Agricultor de Atenas or farmers market-where you can buy farm-to-market fresh produce, meats, and other sundries and socialize with your neighbors. The staples you need for day-to-day life can be found in Atenas. You will find public elementary schools and high schools in Atenas, as well as several private bilingual Spanish-English schools: Green Valley School (pre-school, elementary, and high school) San Rafael Bilingual High School, and Colina Azul School (pre-school & elementary.) Lifestyle in Atenas With an uptick of younger families moving to Atenas, there is a larger need for schools. The weather, altitude, and volcanic soil make it a perfect coffee growing environment.Ītenas has a strong expat community (estimated 2,500 full or part-time) of mostly retired foreigners, but you will also see some younger families moving into the area. The seasons mirror the rest of the country with the driest months being mid-November through mid-May, with varying amounts of precipitation the other months (September to October being the wettest). Located at a pleasant, mosquito-free altitude ranging from 2,280 to 4,000 feet and with maximum temperatures reaching the low-to-mid-80s F and minimums rarely below 65 F most homes do not require heat or air conditioning. Nearly everything is located within an hour or less. The closest Pacific beaches are an hour away, making its location hard to beat anywhere in the entire country. It is also 30 minutes from the country’s main international airport (SJO), in nearby Alajuela. The trip to trendy, suburban Escazú takes approximately 30 minutes-where expats utilize the best of Costa Rica’s shopping, fine dining, and healthcare. Although you still see working oxcarts, the route has long been replaced with well-maintained paved roads. Surrounded by mountainsides of sugar cane and coffee, the town is located on the old historic oxcart trail, which was the primary transportation route to bring coffee to the ports on the Pacific and Caribbean sides in the 1800s. But even before the new road, Atenas was less than two hours from many beaches. The highway, which runs from Ciudad Colón, south of Alajuela, to Puerto Caldera on the Central Pacific Coast, cuts the travel time between the Central Valley and the coast. Known for its year-round temperate climate, both retirees and locals have found Atenas to be Costa Rica’s temperate “sweet spot.” The city has attracted more residents since the long-awaited Caldera Highway was completed. Fortunately, though, it still retains its small-town charm. When AARP named it one of the best places to retire abroad in 2010, the secret was out. It is less than an hour west of downtown San Jose and just minutes away from the modern toll road leading into the capital or outbound to the beaches. The picturesque town of Atenas, Alajuela has always been a stable gem nestled in the mountains of Costa Rica’s breathtaking Central Valley. ![]()
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