Feedback on the Atenas area

@patrick2791 That sounds promising. I am wanting to move to Atenas as well. I'm just trying figure out how I can find someone else that wants to live there and share expenses. I don't have enuf income to do this on my own. But, never surrender....

@blu4evrnevr I do not have a car so I am looking to live in the town and rent a house there. Is that possible or do the expats live outside of town?

Regardless where you aim to settle, the likely answer to your question is "yes". The expats live in town and also outside of town.

I'm with cratedivision (above). While Atenas has a good (if undeserved) reputation, there are better places to consider. The town itself is perpetually hot, and the amenities are not that great. Grecia, San Ramon and Palmares all offer more of the conveniences that make life comfortable and equally vibrant expat communities and Grecia (at least) is a bit cooler.

@blu4evrnevr I do not have a car so I am looking to live in the town and rent a house there. Is that possible or do the expats live outside of town?
-@rockylipkowitz

Regardless who else lives where, you should have no additional problem finding a house to rent. The presence or absence of expats won't enter into the equation.

@cratedivision. What other places do you recommend and what are your reasons?  I want high mountain,  good roads to beach and san Jose and a laid back vibe not overly commercial

@cratedivision could you share what towns you like more than Atenas? And a few reasons why.

My husband and I are visiting the central valley later this month. It's our first trip to CR and we're checking out different towns to see if we'd like to live in CR part time...maybe 7 months out of the year eventually...during dry season.

I'm mapping out places to visit within a few hours of San Jose this week and next. It's hard to know where to go. We'll only be there for 2 weeks and we'll spend 4 of our days in LA Fortuna and Monteverde as well, more for vacation.

We like to be within an hour of entertainment such as plays and concerts, and have some good restaurants nearby. We are of retirement age but still working in our own businesses. We aren't into rowdy nightlife but would like to have a good network of friends. I'm already learning Spanish. We want to fit in with natives as well as expats. And of course nearby good hospitals are a plus.

Any insights would be appreciated!

Grecia would meet the characteristics to which you aspire. You can live in town or on one of the five volcanic ridges that extend down from Volcan Poas.

@daveandmarcia I've read about that volcano...one of the largest craters in the world. Didn't know ridges extended down to Grecia. Thanks. Is it still active? 

Volcan Poas is and simultaneously is not active. There is a fumarole (basically a vent) that continuously produces hydrogen sulfide (I think) gas into the atmosphere. That's 24/365. Once exposed to sunlight, the gas becomes acidic and, if the wind is right (wrong, actually) we get a mild sewerlike odor in the air. That acidic gas is also damaging to some metals including the chrome on cars. We're six miles as the bird flies from the crater.

From time to time in the eighteen years we've been here, the Volcan Poas national park has been closed to visitors due to the threat of an actual volcanic eruption.

So far, living this close to the volcano has not been a problem for us. A major eruption might change my mind.