“Secluded Location With Great Views “ Is It Right For You?
I am often amazed driving down rough dirt back roads in Costa Rica miles from the nearest town and find one or more large billboards offering lots or luxury homes for sale with the byline “Lovely secluded location.” I have to chuckle because I’m sure someone will see that listing in the Costa real estate ads or internet and say “Wow, this is for me!”
Seclusion is a great thing if you are planning to be a Buddhist monk, go into a monastery, or plan to write your” Great American Novel “. For most of us though, seclusion here can have some serious drawbacks.To begin with most of us Gringos have never really lived in a secluded place for any extent of time. Even remote mountain towns are usually accessible on paved roads with amenities and health care not too far away. Not many of us have lived in any of those areas in the USA or Canada either. We are used to well stocked grocery stores, home stores and discount stores within easy reach. We expect high speed internet access and Satellite TV reception, and restaurants and gas stations nearby. If there is a leak, a plumber will come out, and we sleep with the knowledge that in the event of an emergency 911 will get help to us in minutes. This is just not the case in many areas of Costa Rica. In addition, your network of other expats who can guide you and socialize with you will be stretched at best or non-existent at worst. You may find yourself frequently in situations where no one speaks English, and services are nonexistent or miles away on barely accessible roads. But there are people who come here and look out at an ocean view miles from anywhere and they let their better judgement slip, not knowing what the implications of what secluded location really means. Think of Jack Nicholson in the Shining, and you start to get the idea.
So before you sign on the dotted line consider how secluded the area is from other people and in particular other expats, how difficult it is to access on the currently available roads (yes, yes, they are planning to pave it soon…..), and how far you’d have to drive on those roads in all kinds of weather to get basic necessities, healthcare, a good meal, or just have a night out with friends. Also consider whether internet or even cell service is available and reliable. If you are planning on building, are you going to even be able to get trucks and workers there reliably? How about water, power and septic? Just remember that it might be nice to have a secluded vacation for a little while, but living there the rest of your life might be biting off more than you can chew.
Seclusion is a great thing if you are planning to be a Buddhist monk, go into a monastery, or plan to write your” Great American Novel “. For most of us though, seclusion here can have some serious drawbacks.To begin with most of us Gringos have never really lived in a secluded place for any extent of time. Even remote mountain towns are usually accessible on paved roads with amenities and health care not too far away. Not many of us have lived in any of those areas in the USA or Canada either. We are used to well stocked grocery stores, home stores and discount stores within easy reach. We expect high speed internet access and Satellite TV reception, and restaurants and gas stations nearby. If there is a leak, a plumber will come out, and we sleep with the knowledge that in the event of an emergency 911 will get help to us in minutes. This is just not the case in many areas of Costa Rica. In addition, your network of other expats who can guide you and socialize with you will be stretched at best or non-existent at worst. You may find yourself frequently in situations where no one speaks English, and services are nonexistent or miles away on barely accessible roads. But there are people who come here and look out at an ocean view miles from anywhere and they let their better judgement slip, not knowing what the implications of what secluded location really means. Think of Jack Nicholson in the Shining, and you start to get the idea.
So before you sign on the dotted line consider how secluded the area is from other people and in particular other expats, how difficult it is to access on the currently available roads (yes, yes, they are planning to pave it soon…..), and how far you’d have to drive on those roads in all kinds of weather to get basic necessities, healthcare, a good meal, or just have a night out with friends. Also consider whether internet or even cell service is available and reliable. If you are planning on building, are you going to even be able to get trucks and workers there reliably? How about water, power and septic? Just remember that it might be nice to have a secluded vacation for a little while, but living there the rest of your life might be biting off more than you can chew.