Costa Rica, Guanacaste province
Discussion
Beautiful!
CR is definitely on my bucket list.
It's fabulous, but as expensive as Europe & US, and a lot of third-worldy things, like rusty corrugated sheet metal roofs, unpaved roads, and lots of people with extremely high time preference. But nature is incredible, climate is super pleasant in the highlands, and enormously fertile.
Yeah that's the kind of info you only get from visiting.
I'm surprised by the high cost given it's not super developed. Maybe the foreign visitors are pushing prices up?
I'm in the subtropics now & I think I'd really would struggle with the heat & humidity of the tropics. Having semi mountainous areas close by would be a game changer.
The high cost is mostly for foreign stuff, but the hotels seem to want to offer the guests Coca Cola and french wine instead of the excellent local fruit juices and coffees. For the general population, packages foods (i.e. poison) seem to be highly desirable, so they seem to spend all their money on it, and get fat like hell. They just can't resist the flavored sugar Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
Climate in the central valley is absolutely perfect: 18Β°C at night, 26Β°C daytime. Every day, ear in year out. Enough rain, only excessive during summer afternoons.
Definitely not oppressive. Coast is different. Very hot and quite dry during winter.
The drawback is, the central valley is mostly San JosΓ©, which is a shithole in my eyes. Although there are areas a bit remote from The Big Shittyβ’ which share the same climate, like San Ramon, Grecia and a few others. I'm still discovering here.
BTW most of the cost is due to the "gringo tax", which apparently applies to - more or less - all imports, and is roughly 100% on top. I guess if you just get fruit, herbs, rice, beans and fish, you can create something truly delicious for little money. But seems like tourists don't value that enough.
The valley climate sounds amazing man. Very similar climate to here but a bit milder (less hot in summer & less cold in winter). San Jose looks super populated & not ideal to be even close to.
I find most items in the supermarkets here pretty unappealing anyway. I can't live without beef though which pretty much rules out SE asia for me.
Have you been down to Uvita yet?
I can see why Bitcoin surfers would love it there.
Meat is difficult here. Just had the worst tenderloin of my life in an Argentinian place in SJ. Beef was I mported from Nicaragua, probably fed with cocaine π
No taste, no crisp, no texture, colored like pork. Just awful, at least they gave me a discount and were very glad for the honest criticism.
If you want to look for nice climate, try weatherspark.com. They graph every aspect of climate and you can compare and overlay the graphs. Amazing
Yeah I've heard they like to brine beef for transport & storage. I guess refridgerated trucks aren't too reliable/available.
I'd want to be growing & processing my own long term. The climate looks suitable. Heat & humidity tends to result in a heavy parasite load.
Thanks for that site, I'll bookmark it.
Brining might be the reason, don't know too much about it tho. I *do* know they breed a different type of cow here, a cross with some asian cow. More resistant to heat. Has a hump on the shoulders.
Here's what Grok says:
Costa Rica has a significant **cattle industry**, divided mainly between **beef production** (dominant in hotter, lowland areas like Guanacaste) and **dairy production** (more common in cooler highlands). The country's tropical climate favors heat-tolerant breeds, especially **Zebu** (Bos indicus) types, with extensive crossbreeding for adaptability, productivity, and meat/milk quality.
### Beef Cattle (Primary Focus)
Beef ranching relies heavily on hardy, parasite-resistant breeds suited to heat and humidity.
- **Brahman** (including Gray and Red variants) β The most common and dominant breed, often making up 80% or more of registered Zebu cattle. Known for its hump, loose skin, and large ears; it's a staple in regions like Guanacaste.
- **Other Zebu breeds** β Gyr (Gir), Indubrasil (Indo-Brazilian), and Nelore.
- **Crosses and composites** β Common for improved meat quality:
- Brangus (Brahman Γ Angus)
- Beefmaster
- Brahman crosses with European breeds like Red Angus or Wagyu (for marbling and tenderness).
Many cattle are grass-fed on pastures, contributing to the leaner, flavorful beef.
(That's BS. The cattle may be grass fed, but beef here is definitely NOT tasty LOL)
### Dairy Cattle (Specialized Production)
Dairy farming uses European (Bos taurus) breeds in higher elevations, with some dual-purpose systems.
- **Jersey** β Often the most abundant specialized dairy breed.
- **Holstein** β High milk volume.
- **Brown Swiss** (Pardo Suizo) and Guernsey β Also common.
- **Crosses** β Holstein Γ Jersey are frequent; some dual-purpose like Girolando (Gyr Γ Holstein) or Brahman milkers.
- **Criollo types** β Tropical Dairy Criollo (e.g., Central American Dairy Criollo or Reyna) in smaller or conservation herds.
### General Notes
- Much of the national herd is crossbred for dual-purpose (milk and beef), especially on smaller farms.
- Registered purebreds (via associations like ASOCEBU for Zebu) are a subset; most commercial cattle are mixes.
- Sustainability efforts include grass-fed systems and regenerative practices.
Yeah, a lot of cattle in areas hotter than ours tend to be the red or white brahmin breeds here. They're graded poorly at abbatoirs simply for having a hump. I've not seen beef marked as such though, so I can't tell you how good/bad it is.
I have cooked up the actual hump though & it was quite tasty slow roasted. It's called chuck crest & is similar to brisket although it looks very marbled when raw.
How beef is processed can heavily effect the final beef. A lot of parasites can be avoided by actively managing their grazing rather then just letting them wander freely in the paddock.
I remember people bitching about the quality of beef in el Salvador a few years ago. Apparently it's improved a lot since.
BTW there's really no need to be zapping me. I actually feel a little bad if you do. I like chatting with you and exchanging information, it's a reward in itself :)
As for parasites: I found a (really bad) photo of part of a cow. The interesting part is the white heron-like bird next to it. They are wherever cows are, and eat at least some of their parasites. Some kind of symbiosis.
Going to cross Uvita tomorrow, might go there once, in spite of all the yoga/ayahuasca/spirituality/surf hippies π