La Tigra

About La Tigra:

La Tigra covers about 56 square kilometres on the western side of San Carlos, Costa Rica’s largest canton, where it meets San Ramón. The head village, La Tigra or El Carmen, is about 28 km by road from Ciudad Quesada, and the district also takes in Concepción, Esperanza, El Futuro, San José, San Pedro, San Isidro, San Miguel, San Rafael, La Lucha and San Gerardo. Route 702, the road between San Ramón and La Fortuna, runs straight through, and the buses that work it stop in the centre and along the highway. From San José the usual way is the bus to San Ramón, about two hours, then north on the 702.

The district earns its living from the ground. Ornamental plants grown for export, among them dracaenas, caña india and orchids, became La Tigra’s main crop over the years, and cassava, ñampí, tiquizque and plantain are planted alongside them. Tourism is newer and smaller: a lodge of tent cabins on raised platforms, guided walks and birding, and a four-wheel-drive track that reaches the Pocosol field station of the Children’s Eternal Rainforest in about forty minutes. In the village you will find the CTP La Tigra technical high school, an EBAIS clinic, supermarkets, a petrol station and the bus stop; for the hospital, banks and bigger shops you go to Ciudad Quesada.

This is the wet Caribbean side of the country. The land runs from flat parcels near the road up to hill farms with long views over the San Carlos plains, and the upper edge of the district touches the Children’s Eternal Rainforest, the largest private reserve in Costa Rica. Rivers and creeks cut through most properties, the Río La Tigra among them, and they rise fast: San Gerardo has had flooded streets and water in houses after heavy rain. Before you fall for a river frontage, find out where the water went in the last big storm.

Around nine thousand people live in La Tigra now, up from about 6,400 in 2011, which is quick growth for a rural district. It is still a farming place first. Sellers, though, pitch to three other buyers as well: Central Valley families who want a weekend place a couple of hours from San José, people setting up rental cabins within reach of Arenal, and nature lovers who want forest on the boundary. Each wants something different from the land, so be clear which one you are before you start comparing.

Houses in La Tigra:

In El Carmen, San Pedro, San Isidro and the other villages, homes are family houses within reach of the school, the EBAIS and the buses on Route 702. Outside the centres, a house usually comes with land, sometimes with a second house on the same parcel. At the top end are large country homes of six to eight bedrooms, built for views and often with a pool. If you are looking at homes for sale in La Tigra, ask how the house drains in a downpour as well as how many bedrooms it has.

Land and Lots in La Tigra:

Lots here come large. One recent subdivision sells flat lots of 5,000 square metres with frontage on a paved public road and services within half a kilometre, and other building lots come up around the centre and in La Lucha. Riverside parcels of a hectare or more are also offered, some titled and set between two streams. For land for sale in La Tigra, the questions that matter are water availability, the frontage on a public road and how much of the parcel sits inside a river protection strip.

Farms in La Tigra:

Fincas range from five or six hectares up to cattle farms of more than two hundred, where pasture shares the land with stands of primary forest. The higher farms sell on their views over the San Carlos valley, their own springs and creeks, and internal tracks that let you reach every corner. Lower down, flatter ground suits nurseries and root crops. Among farms for sale in La Tigra, the ones with forest cover come with rules: forest in Costa Rica cannot be cleared for pasture or building, so price the usable area, not the total.

Cabins and Lodges in La Tigra:

Being half an hour from La Fortuna has produced a small stock of properties built to host visitors. Typical examples are a main house with four independent cabins and a pool on about 6,500 square metres, or a larger estate with eight bedrooms sold with its rental income. These sell as businesses as much as homes. Ask for the operating permits and real occupancy, not just the photographs.

Rentals in La Tigra:

Long-term rentals are local family houses, such as a three-bedroom home with a fenced carport in San Pedro de La Tigra. Short stays run through the cabins and lodges that serve visitors heading to Arenal and the rainforest. A rental here is a practical way to try the district before buying. Spend a few days of the rainy season in it, because that is when you learn what the road and the drainage are really like.

FAQ:

• Was La Tigra always part of San Carlos?

  No. It belonged to San Ramón until the 1950 plebiscite, and it was made a district of San Carlos on 5 February 1952. The canton line with San Ramón still runs along the south of the district, so on a parcel near it, check which canton the cadastral plan names: that municipality issues the land-use certificate and collects the property tax.

• What should I check before buying land with a river or spring in La Tigra?

  Costa Rica’s forestry law protects a strip along every riverbank and a wide radius around permanent springs, and you cannot build inside them, so a farm with three streams may have less buildable ground than it seems. Ask neighbours how high the water came in recent storms, especially around San Gerardo. Then search the property at the Registro Nacional (Registro Inmobiliario) for liens and compare the cadastral plan with the boundaries you walked.

• How far is La Tigra from La Fortuna and Arenal?

  About thirty minutes by car on Route 702, and a little longer by the San Ramón–La Fortuna bus. That puts the volcano, the hot springs and La Fortuna’s shops within easy reach while you live somewhere quieter and more agricultural.

• Can I rent a house in La Tigra?

  Yes. Long lets are mostly local family houses in the villages, and short stays are cabins and lodges on the forest side. Ask about the water supply, the internet connection and who maintains the access road before you sign.

• Is daily life workable without going to Ciudad Quesada?

  For most things, yes. The village has a technical high school, an EBAIS clinic, supermarkets, a petrol station and buses in both directions. Hospital visits, banks and larger shopping mean the trip to Ciudad Quesada, which takes under an hour.