Santiago

About Santiago:

Santiago lies at the southern end of San Rafael canton, on the side that faces Heredia city, and covers only about 1.6 square kilometres at 1,220 metres. The Pirro and Bermúdez rivers run through it and mark much of its edge, while national routes 113 and 503 carry most of its traffic. The Heredia–La Suiza–San Rafael bus winds through the district, stopping at the entrance to Flor de Itabos, the Santiago sports ground, Jardines de Roma and Jardines Universitarios before it passes the Universidad Nacional and drops into central Heredia. A second line, Heredia–Monte de la Cruz, runs past the Escuela Laboratorio in Jardines de Roma and continues through San Josecito to San Rafael centre. Central Heredia is a short ride, not a commute.

The district grew out of coffee. The Beneficio El Otoño was its economic and social centre and mattered well beyond Santiago, to growers in San Rafael and in the neighbouring cantons of Heredia and San Pablo. As housing projects replaced the cafetales, the need for the mill went with them, and nothing of it remains. What took its place is a district organised around schools: the Escuela Laboratorio, Escuela Santiago, Escuela Manuel Camacho and the Centro de Enseñanza Especial de Heredia are all here. The Carlos Pascua Zúñiga technical secondary school stands near Parque Campo Suizo and the canton’s CCSS health area, and the district has its own Catholic church.

Very little of Santiago is still open ground. The map is a patchwork of barrios such as Jardines de Roma, Jardines Universitarios and La Suiza, and of residenciales and condominiums: Flor de Itabos, Portón del Valle, Campo Suizo, Cozumel, Karina, Villas Palermo, Altos de Palermo, Barcelona, Mar de Plata and Malinche. At the 2011 census more than 5,000 people lived on each square kilometre. The Plaza de Deportes de Santiago and the Polideportivo La Suiza are the two sports grounds, and La Suiza also hosts community events. Apart from these and the river corridors, the district is houses from one side to the other.

Growth came fast. Santiago had fewer than a thousand residents in 1973, 2,837 by 1984 and 6,878 by 2000, before the 2011 count of 8,409. Most buyers are families who work in Heredia or elsewhere in the metropolitan area and want a house within reach of schools and a bus line. The university adds a second market. Students rent rooms and small apartments here, and owners advertise them by the minutes it takes to walk to the UNA.

Houses in Santiago:

Most houses are family homes built during the housing projects that replaced the coffee, on lots of around 130 to 200 square metres. Some have two floors to get more space out of a small footprint, and a front garage is common. In Jardines de Roma, for example, a four-bedroom house sits on a 132 square metre lot with parking for three cars. When you compare houses for sale in Santiago de San Rafael, check that any extensions were permitted and appear on the registered plan. Judge the street as carefully as the house; here the walk to the bus and the school run matter more than the view.

Condominium Homes in Santiago:

Much of the district’s newer housing sits behind condominium gates, in places such as Altos de Palermo, Barcelona, Mar de Plata, Malinche and Palermo Village. The homes are compact: one Palermo Village house puts 180 square metres of living space on a 150 square metre lot. Owners pay a monthly maintenance fee for the shared areas and the gate. Before you sign, ask for the condominium regulations, the current fee and recent assembly minutes. Confirm too that the unit has its own registered title as a finca filial, separate from the common areas.

Rentals in Santiago:

The rental market has two halves. Near Jardines Universitarios and the campus, owners let one-bedroom apartments and small units with a living area, kitchen and cuarto de pilas, aimed squarely at students. Elsewhere, whole family houses come up for rent, some inside condominiums. If you plan to buy and let to students, ask neighbouring owners how long units stay empty between terms before you count on twelve months of rent. A unit a short walk from the university is easier to fill than one that needs a bus.

Land and Lots in Santiago:

Empty land is scarce. When a lot does come up, it is usually a single infill plot of around 150 square metres between existing houses, big enough for one family home and no more. Ask the Municipalidad de San Rafael for the land-use certificate before you agree a price, since setbacks, coverage and height decide how much house will fit. If the plot backs onto the Pirro or the Bermúdez, find out where the protected riverbank strip ends, because that part cannot be built on.

FAQ:

• How do I know a property is in this Santiago and not another one?

  Several districts in Costa Rica are called Santiago, so check that the cadastral plan and title name San Rafael canton in Heredia. The district’s postal code is 40503, and neighbourhood names such as Jardines de Roma, Jardines Universitarios or La Suiza are a quick sign you are in the right place.

• How close is Santiago to the Universidad Nacional?

  Very close. Jardines Universitarios, on the Heredia side of the district, is a few minutes from the Omar Dengo campus, and the Heredia–La Suiza–San Rafael bus passes the university on its way into central Heredia.

• What should I check on a house near the Pirro or Bermúdez rivers?

  Find out how close the house and any extensions sit to the riverbank, because the protected strip along the river cannot be built on, and ask the municipality whether the lot lies in an area affected by flooding; the Bermúdez has spilled onto the road between San Pablo and Heredia before. Then confirm at the Registro Nacional (Registro Inmobiliario) that the title, the registered plan and the house on the ground all match.

• Which schools are in the district?

  Santiago has the Escuela Laboratorio in Jardines de Roma, Escuela Santiago, Escuela Manuel Camacho and the Centro de Enseñanza Especial de Heredia. Secondary students can attend the Carlos Pascua Zúñiga technical school without leaving the district.

• Is there green space in such a built-up district?

  Some. The Plaza de Deportes de Santiago and the Polideportivo La Suiza are the main open spaces, and Parque Campo Suizo sits near the secondary school. Beyond that, the river corridors are the only unbuilt ground.