Livin' La Vida Local Part 1: San Isidro/Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica

LAS QUEBRADAS, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica- We've been traipsing around Costa Rica for two months now, and we have a pretty good idea of what we do and don't love about this Denmark-sized chunk of Central America.

We started our Costa Rican adventure by renting a nice, cozy room in a huge and beautiful house in the San Jose suburb of Escazu. Don't judge us- we figured it would be a good starting point/home base as we got to know the lay of the land and took shorter trips around the country to experience more interesting locations. We were mostly right- while Escazu is a far cry from the remote jungles and wild rivers that bring most tourists to Costa Rica, it was a decent way to transition into a different way of life. Ultimately, though, Escazu and the other areas near San Jose (the capital) are just not our cup of tea. More about our Escazu experience to come.

So we headed south. It seems there is a bit of a bitter rivalry between Costa Rica's northern and southern zones, and we've cast our votes for the south. In our experience, it is far less touristy, far more affordable, and attracts expats and tourists looking for a more authentic experience, i.e. not fighting to create their own U.S. or European cities in the tropics.

The main city in southern Costa Rica is called San Isidro de el General, although it is also known as Perez Zeledon. Please don't ask us the difference between the two names- we have yet to figure that out! San Isidro is a fraction of the size of San Jose and, therefore, is a whole lot cleaner, quieter, and has a much friendlier feel.

Buses run nearly every hour during the day between the MUSOC bus stations in San Jose and San Isidro. The drive is lovely, winding up mountain roads and through cloud forests around 11,000 feet in elevation. If you can, sit on the driver's side of the bus- the views are spectacular on that side of the bus! It's about a three hour ride, and the bus makes a convenient rest stop at a collection of pulperias (convenience stores)/cafeterias/bathrooms about halfway through. Most gringos  seem to get carsick on every bus ride that lasts over an hour in this country, so you would be well-advised to have a good supply of dramamine, ginger ale, and salty snacks to keep you upright during the journey. Don't mess about, trying to prove you're some badass with a cast-iron stomach....I thought I could mind-over-matter this motion sickness, too...no dice. Also, dramamine takes about half an hour to kick in, so don't wait till the edge of puke to take it, or you might well find yourself staring at it and everything else you ate today as it pours out of you and onto the floor of the bus. Just saying.


Costa Rica travel tip: these tropics are hot and super frickin' humid. Try and do your busing early in the morning, as it's much less sweltering, less crowded, and you're less likely to die or kill someone out of discomfort.  

The church in San Isidro (Perez Zeledon)...it's the only landmark you'll need here.

Anyway, back to San Isidro. It's a great little town, but it's the economic hub of the region, so there's a lot going on in a wee bit of space. It is quite close to the entrance to Chirripó National Park, which features the highest mountain in Costa Rica.

The photo above shows the church at the center of town. Every time we asked for directions, they were based on the location of the church and the park that sits directly in front of it. It makes finding things here relatively easy.

We made several visits to the feria (farmer's market) here- it runs all day on Thursdays and until 1pm or so on Fridays- and there are over a hundred vendors. Prices are better on Friday as vendors try to sell their remaining produce before they run out of chances, but the selection is significantly better on Thursdays. Much of the produce seems to be sold to you directly by the farmers, which is nice- we've been to too many 'Farmer's Markets' where fruits and vegetables were bought in bulk from a distribution center (often, the same distribution center where your local grocery store picks up their stock) and sold to customers for barely-lower-than-grocery prices. The feria in San Isidro seems to offer a true farm-to-fork experience. Much appreciated!

There are also a handful of little cafeteria-style food stalls at the feria. We were hard-pressed to find any that served any meatless dishes, but we eventually discovered one that let us share a tasty meal of platanos, Costa Rican-style corn tortillas, rice, and beans for about $4 US. The stall owners originally quoted me a price lower than that, but upped the price after we ate. Welcome to Costa Rica, you're a foreigner, so you're gonna get ripped off and you'll have to accept that if you want to avoid an aneurism. 

fruits and veggies all up in this place! 

The back corner of the San Isidro Feria is dubbed 'Gringo Corner', and for good reason. We thought we'd avoid this corner in order to experience 'true Costa Rican' life, but the gringo vendors here sell a lot of things we've had a hard time finding in the Tico (Costa Rican) stores- things like Tea Tree oil, cold-pressed virgin Coconut Oil, raw chocolate treats, spirulina, duck eggs, goat's milk, and Feta cheese. Did I mention gluten-free baked goods and raw food treats like cookies and cakes? There was even an Israeli-run booth selling some of the tastiest hummus and falafel we've had in recent times. They run a Sacred Medicine retreat called SolCircle, but we didn't go there, so let us know if you decide to try it...they have Ayahuasca journeys there.

Lots of great things can be found at the feria, just be forewarned you'll pay a premium for it if it's not something easily found in Costa Rica. For your health supplements, herbs, and vitamin needs, check out San Isidro's many Macrobioticas. I saw two in the open-air market attached to the Municipal Bus Terminal. Please do comparison shop, as some things are less costly here than at Gringo Corner!


     Speaking of paying a premium, you can pay top dollar for Blackstrap Molasses at Gringo Corner, but I learned that you can buy it for next to nothing at the animal supply store in San Isidro. I know, I know...you're wondering if you should put anything designed for horses in your own body...'Is it safe? Clean?' you ask. The store's staff told me it is fine for human consumption and, more importantly, it's where the sellers at Gringo Corner buy what they sell to you anyway. They also assured me it was unsulphured...I'm just going to have to take their word for it. I bought about a liter of the stuff for 225 colones...that's about 41 cents. Can't get a deal much better than that, folks! Bring your own container and they'll fill it for you!

Here's a map so you can partake in this great little moneysaver:

click to enlarge this map and find your own sweet, healthy treasure!

The feria is an easy walk from the municipal bus station in San Isidro. It took us forever to find it the first time, so here's a bit of help for you.

All in all, San Isidro is a nice little city for getting things done, running errands, etc. It's still a city, though, so The Farmer and The Yogi were thankful we had a place to stay in Las Quebradas, just 15 minutes up the mountain.

xo. The Farmer.