Colima

About Colima:

Colima became a district on 17 August 1999, when it was split off from Cinco Esquinas. It borders León XIII to the west, San Juan, the head town of Tibás, to the east, Cinco Esquinas to the south, the canton of San José to the southeast and Santo Domingo de Heredia to the north. Ruta 101 runs through it, and the Circunvalación Norte arrives from León XIII as a four-lane road before climbing onto the viaduct, which starts by the Colima school, passes the Walmart in Tibás and comes down at the Triángulo de la Solidaridad on Ruta 32. Side roads under the viaduct keep access to the houses and streets along its path. The interurban train stops here as well: trains towards San José pick up behind the Metalco factory, and trains towards Heredia in front of the Tibás public library, beside the siding where the trains pass each other.

The name most likely comes from the Hacienda de Colima, a coffee estate of more than 375 manzanas in 1884 that took in what are now León XIII, Colima, Cuatro Reinas and part of La Uruca. The coffee is long gone and Colima is now the working end of Tibás. Metalco has its plant by the railway, Parque Condal added 71 warehouse units and container storage, and land in the mixed industrial zone still changes hands for distribution centres and storage. Cuatro Reinas holds the cantonal Cruz Roja post and the national emergency response directorate, DINARE, and the municipality puts on concerts in the Cuatro Reinas park. Families have the Escuela Rafael Vargas Quirós and the Unidad Pedagógica Cuatro Reinas within the district.

Colima sits at 1,130 metres on the Central Valley plateau, and almost every block is built up. Some 15,000 people live here, more than 7,000 per square kilometre. The barrios are Anselmo Alvarado, Balsa, Cuatro Reinas and its eighth stage, González Truque (shared with San Juan), Las Rosas, Manolo Rodríguez, Orquídeas, Rey and San Agustín. Houses, workshops, warehouses and supermarkets sit a few streets apart. The new towers rise out of that mix rather than in a separate enclave.

Most buyers are Costa Rican households and people who work in San José, Heredia or La Uruca and want the ring road or the train close to home. Investors buy studios and small units in the new condominiums to let. Companies look here for warehouse space a short drive from the Circunvalación and Ruta 32. With so little open land, new housing arrives as vertical condominiums, not as subdivisions.

Houses in Colima:

Cuatro Reinas supplies most of the houses for sale in Colima. It was built in numbered stages, and listings still name them, from the fifth stage to the eighth. Three-bedroom homes with 117 to 140 square metres of construction are common, and some have been taken up to three levels and close to 280 square metres. There are also gated house condominiums such as Real de Colima. A three-bedroom house in Cuatro Reinas often costs about the same as a studio in one of the new towers. Most of that extra space was added over the years, so check that each extension was built with a permit.

Apartments in Colima:

The apartment stock comes in two very different kinds. Older condominiums such as Kolimar have small units, some under 40 square metres, a few hundred metres from the Circunvalación, the Walmart and EPA. The new towers have pools, gyms and coworking rooms, and Vive Tibás includes a parking space in the price. Not every new unit does: some apartments at Novatibás are sold without one. Ask for the condominium fee history and the building rules before you sign.

Rentals in Colima:

Tenants here mostly work elsewhere in the metropolitan area and rent in Colima for the short trip out. One-bedroom apartments in small gated buildings with an electric gate and round-the-clock security sit at the lower end of the market. Furnished studios in the new towers ask more than twice as much, in dollars. For apartments for rent in Colima de Tibás, decide whether you need the amenities or just the location, because the price gap between the two is wide.

New Developments in Colima:

Vive Tibás, 75 metres east of the EPA traffic lights, has 197 apartments in three towers with one to three bedrooms, and deliveries began in 2024. Novatibás, near the Palí in Colima, is a six-storey building of 48 one- and two-bedroom apartments. A smaller building in Las Rosas has been in pre-sale with two-bedroom units. If you buy off-plan, ask for the construction permit, the delivery date in writing and how your deposit is held.

Commercial and Industrial Property in Colima:

Colima holds the industrial zone of Tibás, and that shows in what is for sale and rent. Parque Condal offers warehouses from 156 to 1,248 square metres, and units can be joined or given a mezzanine. Large plots in the mixed industrial zone, one of them above 25,000 square metres, are marketed for distribution centres, container yards and storage. Smaller warehouses and street-front shops come up for rent along the main roads. Get the municipal land-use certificate for your activity before you commit.

FAQ:

• Is a listing in Cuatro Reinas or Las Rosas actually in Colima?

  Cuatro Reinas, Las Rosas, Rey, Balsa, Orquídeas, San Agustín, Manolo Rodríguez and Anselmo Alvarado are all Colima. González Truque is split with San Juan, and buildings near that line are often marketed as San Juan de Tibás. The district on the cadastral plan is the one that counts.

• Can I get from Colima to San José or Heredia without a car?

  Yes. Colima has a stop on the San José–Heredia train. Trains towards San José board behind the Metalco factory and trains towards Heredia in front of the Tibás public library. By car, the Circunvalación Norte runs through the district and joins Ruta 32 at the Triángulo de la Solidaridad.

• What should I check before buying next to the industrial zone or the viaduct?

  Residential and industrial uses sit side by side here, so ask the Municipalidad de Tibás for a land-use certificate and find out what may be built on the lots around yours. If the property fronts the Circunvalación or one of the side roads under the viaduct, compare the cadastral plan at the Registro Nacional with the access you see on the ground.

• Do new apartments in Colima come with parking?

  Not always. Vive Tibás includes one space in the price, while some Novatibás units are sold without parking. Ask before you compare prices, and add the monthly condominium fee to your budget.

• Is Colima a good place to buy an apartment to rent out?

  Demand comes from people who work in San José, Heredia and La Uruca and want the ring road or the train nearby. Studios in the new towers rent in dollars, and small units in older buildings rent for much less. Read the condominium rules on rentals before you buy.