San Isidro

About San Isidro:

San Isidro covers 34.69 square kilometres on the slope that rises north of Alajuela city toward Poás Volcano. Six national routes cross it, a lot for a district this size. Ruta 718 runs from Tambor through Tacacorí to Itiquís, Ruta 712 climbs through Itiquís and Fraijanes toward Sabanilla and the volcano, and Ruta 130 cuts across to Sabana Redonda in the canton of Poás. Buses leave Alajuela for Calle Loría and Carbonal, and the Sabanilla and El Cerro lines cross the Río Itiquís on their way up. From the lower sectors, central Alajuela is ten to fifteen minutes by car.

The district had 577 inhabitants in 1883 and 2,306 by 1927. The big jump came later, to 7,239 in 1973 and 16,247 by 2000, followed by a much slower rise to 17,294 at the 2011 census. Today the densest housing is around Itiquís, where urbanizaciones such as Las Lomas and Las Azucenas sit close to the EBAIS and the primary school, while Tacacorí has its own supermarket and the hospital, banks and bigger shops are down in Alajuela. Higher up, daily life leans toward the people driving to Poás and the lake park: Restaurante Mirador del Valle has served lunch over the Central Valley from a private lane in Pilas since 1990, and Chubascos sits in Fraijanes, halfway between Alajuela and the volcano. The new municipal water mains in Itiquís and Calle Loría are meant to make supply more reliable in the two sectors closest to the city.

Alajuela’s development plan groups San Isidro with the canton’s northern districts: broken terrain, a good deal of forest, aquifers and farmland. Itiquís lies a little above 1,000 metres. The Laguna de Fraijanes park, which the national sports institute began building in 1982 on 24 manzanas around a lake, sits at 1,650, where fog, cold and damp are ordinary weather. That climb decides what you buy. Near the city a house is a city house with a little more air; up high it needs good ventilation, a roof and walls that cope with constant moisture, and rooms that catch whatever sun there is. Slope matters as much as altitude, because Alajuela’s plan regulador limits building on steep ground, over aquifers and on land prone to landslides, and the municipality has held sessions in San Isidro on the plan’s update.

Buyers split along the same line. In the lower sectors they are mostly Alajuela families buying a first house, or a lot inside a gated condominium, within reach of jobs and schools in the city. Higher up, people from across the Central Valley come for quintas, mountain houses and cool nights, and some open cabins or small eateries for the traffic heading to the volcano and the park. Before you choose, spend a weekday morning in Itiquís and a Sunday afternoon on the road to Fraijanes, because the two halves of the district feel very different.

Houses in San Isidro:

Around Itiquís, Calle Loría and Tacacorí, most homes are family houses in urbanizaciones or in small gated condominiums, among them the two-storey, three-bedroom houses of Condominio Terrazas in Tacacorí. Urbanizaciones such as Las Lomas and Las Azucenas offer family homes on urban-sized lots close to the bus routes. Toward Pilas and Fraijanes the stock changes to mountain houses on larger grounds, built around the view and the cool air. When you compare houses for sale in San Isidro de Alajuela, settle on the altitude first, since it shapes damp, comfort indoors and the daily drive into town more than the floor plan does.

Land and Lots in San Isidro:

Small serviced lots are the most common land here. Gated projects along Ruta 718 sell lots of around 300 square metres, from 302 m² at Hacienda Bariloche Real to between 306 and 426 m² at Terrazas in Tacacorí. Private lanes such as Calle El Rodeo offer flat lots just under 300 m² with water, electricity and underground power lines in place. Higher up, quintas and parcels of several thousand square metres come up around Fraijanes. Watch the name, though: lots for sale in Fraijanes are not always in San Isidro, because the same name is used for land in neighbouring Sabanilla and even in Sabana Redonda, which belongs to the canton of Poás.

Rentals in San Isidro:

Long-term rentals are mostly family houses and condominium homes in the lower sectors, close to the bus routes into Alajuela. Around Fraijanes, family properties let cabins and small houses by the night to people visiting Poás, the lake park and the coffee and strawberry farms further up the road. If you rent high on the hill, ask how the house handles damp before you sign. Where there is a fireplace, find out whether it actually warms the place.

New Developments in San Isidro:

New building in San Isidro has gone mainly into small gated condominiums on the lower slopes, especially along Ruta 718 between Tambor and Itiquís. Some sell bare lots with services and security in place, and each owner builds to the condominium’s rules; others deliver finished houses. For a family that wants a closed street and a short run into Alajuela for school and work, that is the main appeal. Ask for the reglamento and a statement showing the fees are paid up before signing anything.

FAQ:

• Which San Isidro is this?

  This is San Isidro in the canton of Alajuela, postal code 20106, on the slope between Alajuela city and Poás. Alajuela province alone has other districts called San Isidro in Atenas, Grecia and San Ramón, and Heredia has a whole canton of that name. Confirm the canton before you book a viewing.

• Is a lot advertised as “Fraijanes” really in San Isidro?

  Not necessarily. The Laguna de Fraijanes park is in San Isidro, but sellers also use the name for land in Sabanilla and in Sabana Redonda de Poás. The plano catastrado shows the district. Then check in the Registro Nacional (Registro Inmobiliario) that the lot has its own folio real, and ask the municipality that actually governs it for a certificado de uso de suelo. On sloping ground, confirm the gradient and any aquifer restriction before you pay a deposit.

• How do I get to Alajuela and the volcano from here?

  Itiquís, Calle Loría and Tacacorí are ten to fifteen minutes by car from central Alajuela, and buses run to Calle Loría, Carbonal and on toward Sabanilla. Ruta 712 continues through Fraijanes toward Poás, and Ruta 718 connects with Tambor.

• Is water a concern in Itiquís and Calle Loría?

  The municipality has been laying new water mains in both sectors to make supply more reliable, with partial road closures while the works last. For a finished house, ask the seller for recent bills. For a lot, get a written water availability letter, because without it there is no building permit.

• What is it like to live in a house up at Fraijanes?

  Cool and often foggy, which is exactly why people move there. It also means moisture gets into walls and wardrobes if the house is badly built, so look for dry rooms, a sound roof, good ventilation and some sun. Around Itiquís the weather is milder.