San Miguel

About San Miguel:

San Miguel sits in the middle of Desamparados canton. Los Guido, Gravilias and the Desamparados central district lie to the north, Patarrá to the north-east, San Rafael Arriba and the canton of Aserrí to the west and Rosario to the south-west, while the south-eastern edge meets Cartago province. Two national roads do most of the work. Route 209 runs from central Desamparados through El Cruce towards Aserrí, and Route 206 branches off there to Higuito and on to Quebradilla in Cartago. Buses San Miguel Higuito runs route 120 between San José, Desamparados and Higuito, with branches to Sabanilla, El Huazo and Urbanización Santa Bárbara.

The district is divided into eight sectors. San Miguel proper takes in Girasol, Las Américas, Urbanización Emperador, Los Manzanos, Peñascal, San Martín and Damas Israelitas, among other barrios. Higuito groups Valverde, Calle Valverde, Rodillal, Santa Eduviges, Tablazo and the Veracruz and Santa Bárbara urbanizations, and the remaining sectors are Jericó with Alto Leona and Linda Vista, Pacaya, El Llano, Manzano with Alto Alumbre and El Hoyo, Las Lomas and La Capri. In 1841 this area was the cuartel of San Felipe. Higuito takes its name from a large higuerón on the old road to Candelaria, where ox-cart drivers spent the night and around which the first families settled.

Daily life runs on commerce and services. Supermarkets, clothing shops, restaurants, hair salons and appliance stores have filled the centre and the stretch around El Cruce, and the parish church of San Miguel Arcángel stands in the middle of the district, with a filial chapel in Higuito. Public secondary schooling is covered by the Liceo de San Miguel, the Liceo de Higuito and the CTP José María Zeledón Brenes, and there are private options such as the Escuela Bilingüe Llama del Bosque and Satëblök School. Jericó was once called the granary of the district for its fertile, heavily farmed land, and the south still keeps a rural edge.

The ground matters here. The centre stands at about 1,230 metres and the land rises to the south towards Cerro El Tablazo, whose slope holds a landslide, still under watch, about three kilometres south of Valverde. A 2012 study for the national emergency commission found sandy soils that soak up rain easily, and pointed to Higuito centre, Calle Valverde, Calle Rodillal and the Veracruz and Santa Bárbara urbanizations as the most exposed communities along the quebrada Los Reyes. The national weather institute runs an automatic station on the slide. San Miguel suits families who want a house within a bus ride of San José, and buyers looking for land and views on the edge of the city who are willing to check the ground first.

Houses in San Miguel:

Most houses are one or two storeys on narrow urban lots, such as 8 metres of frontage by 20 of depth, in barrios such as Girasol or the residential streets of Higuito. Older properties sometimes sit on much larger plots, like a house with a separate apartment on more than 500 m² in Higuito, or two single-storey homes sharing one lot. In La Capri, houses needing renovation have come up on cash-only terms because they did not qualify for bank credit. If you are comparing houses for sale in San Miguel de Desamparados, ask early whether the property can be financed.

Condominiums in San Miguel:

Condominio Nova, a gated project 400 metres south of the Maxi Palí at El Cruce, is selling its last units. Its two-bedroom, one-bathroom houses start at 73 m² built on lots that average 57 m², with a patio, one parking space and a provision for charging an electric car. Inside the walls there are 24-hour security, an events hall, a synthetic pitch, a half basketball court, a play park and a pet area. Before you commit, read the condominium rules and the monthly fee, and check which layouts are still available.

Rentals in San Miguel:

The rental stock is mostly small apartments. In Higuito, owners often build several units on one property, from one-bedroom flats with an open kitchen and a parking space on Calle Valverde to properties with four two-bedroom units side by side. Whole houses come up too, such as three-bedroom homes in Residencial Girasol, and some Nova houses are let as well. Apartments for rent in Higuito suit tenants who work in Desamparados or San José and want route 120 at the door. Check in writing who pays water and power, and whether parking is included.

Land and Lots in San Miguel:

Land is where San Miguel differs most from the dense districts to the north. In Jericó you will find lots of a few hundred square metres with two terraces ready to build on, parcels of around 2,000 m² sold for their view, and larger fincas of several thousand square metres on the main road. One finca there comes with 75 metres of road frontage and three levelled building pads on its upper part. Treat slope as a cost: retaining walls, drainage and access on a hillside can change the real price of a lot.

FAQ:

• Is the Tablazo landslide a risk for a house in Higuito?

  It depends on where the house is. The slide on Cerro El Tablazo drains towards the quebrada Los Reyes, and the 2012 study for the CNE named Higuito centre, Calle Valverde, Calle Rodillal and the Veracruz and Santa Bárbara urbanizations as the most exposed areas. For any property near that stream, ask the Municipality of Desamparados whether the lot falls in a mapped risk zone and how far it sits from the riverbank before you make an offer.

• What should I check before buying a hillside lot in Jericó?

  Start with the cadastral plan and the title in the Registro Nacional (Registro Inmobiliario), and make sure the lot fronts a public road rather than an informal right of way across a relative’s land. Lots sold with terraces or levelled pads have been cut into the slope, so ask who did the earthworks and whether they were approved. Ask the municipality for a land-use certificate and find out who supplies the water. Higuito has its own rural aqueduct, so the water letter may come from a local board rather than AyA.

• How do I get to San José from San Miguel by bus?

  Route 120 of Buses San Miguel Higuito runs from San José through central Desamparados to Higuito, with branches to Sabanilla, El Huazo and Urbanización Santa Bárbara. Ask which branch passes closest to the property, since the southern sectors are spread out.

• Where are the shops and services?

  Around El Cruce and the centre of San Miguel, where the Maxi Palí and most of the district’s shops and restaurants are. For medical care, the CCSS Clínica Marcial Fallas is in central Desamparados, a short trip north along Route 209.

• Is Higuito a separate district?

  No. Higuito is one of the eight sectors of San Miguel district. Sellers write the address in several ways, such as Higuito de San Miguel, San Miguel de Desamparados or simply El Cruce, so read the district on the cadastral plan rather than relying on the ad.