Living into clouds?

Home Forums Costa Rica Living Forum Living into clouds?

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 22 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #194434
    micololo
    Member

    There is a property for sale in the Dota Valley.
    This property is about 1750 meters (about 5800 feet) above sea level.
    Here are the questions.
    At this height in this region of the country, are poeple living into clouds?
    If yes how many times and how long?
    What kind of weather year long?
    Is this region propitious to land sliding?

    Thank you answering

    #194435
    DavidCMurray
    Participant

    I’m not familiar with the Dota Valley, but at that altitude you can expect clouds and fog during much of the rainy season (roughly late April to early December) and it will be chilly year ’round. We are at 4,100 feet. Our year ’round temperatures range from the high 50s to the upper 70s. Seventeen hundred feet higher, it will be substantially colder and you will certainly want to make provision to heat the house.

    #194436
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    I had a home in the area [ https://www.welovecostarica.com/public/1635.cfm ] at a slightly higher altitude than that and it was only rarely that we were in the clouds.

    The weather is normally gorgeous during the day but the evenings can be quite cool. We had a fireplace which we enjoyed every evening…

    And no! I don’t believe there have been many landslides in the area.

    Scott Oliver – Founder
    WeLoveCostaRica.com

    #194437
    maravilla
    Member

    I live in the clouds at an altitude of 3400 ft. Our area is pre-montane and we are just below a bona fide cloud forest in another part of CR. You can expect lots of humidity, and we get fog (neblina) so dense that you cannot see your hand in front of your face. But it sure does wonders for the coffee trees and other vegetation, especially the orchids that grow in my trees.

    #194438
    micololo
    Member

    How often do you live in the clouds? and for how long that happened?
    Is there a special time during days that fog appear?
    In Which area do you live?

    #194439
    maravilla
    Member

    November – March is typically our cloud sesason. It sometimes burns off around 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. but not always. I live north of San Ramon. If you are in San Ramon and look north you will see a mountain range that has clouds covering its peaks. That’s where I live. If the clouds aren’t covering my house then they are usually just behind me where the “cloud forest” has been designated. And sometimes the clouds just roll through but during those specific months of the year, they linger more often than not. And it’s WET! Moss grows on everything where I live — my support posts for my terrace, the edges of my roof ad walls on the north side. It requires a lot of upkeep, that’s for sure.

    #194440
    micololo
    Member

    Which are the good reasons to live in these places?
    Edited on Jan 12, 2009 09:35

    Edited on Jan 12, 2009 09:45

    #194441
    Andrew
    Keymaster

    I think you’ll find that the weather in San Ramon and the weather in Santa Maria de Dota is very different.

    Scott Oliver – Founder
    WeLoveCostaRica.com

    #194442
    micololo
    Member

    Error

    Edited on Jan 12, 2009 11:10

    #194443
    micololo
    Member

    Please could you discribe the differences, I’d really like to know.

    Many thanks

    #194444
    *Lotus
    Member

    We recently drove from Arenal by way of San Carlos on our way back to San Jose, I think it was near Naranjo high up in the mountains the fog/clouds were so dense I could barely drive! I almost took a secondary road that would have taken us toward San Ramon, I had no idea the size of the mountain range we had to cross. A good example of how useless a map can be if you don’t have topographical info or previous knowledge. It was a nail biter of a trip! But we had some wonderful tamales in Zarcero!

    #194445
    maravilla
    Member

    HAHAHA I’ve driven that road in the neblina and missed the turn-off to San Ramon and wound up way the hell South in Naranjo someplace. The neblina in that part of the cordillera can be treacherous. What should’ve been a 1.5 hour trip took me nearly 5 hours. You are crossing the major mountain range coming from Q. Quesada to parts south. Living in the clouds has its advantages, but it is also very dangerous, too.

    #194446
    sprite
    Member

    I drove that route from Arenal last March and it is indeed a memorable drive. I was relieved to get into Naranjo at last. If you sneeze at the wrong instant, you might end up driving over a cliff. It gets quite chilly up there and warm jackets are required even during daylight in the mornings.

    I can get a glimpse of that mountain range from near my property and I am glad I decided to stay out of the higher altitudes. Besides the stressfull driving, the cool weather is not nearly as comfortable as the altude where I am at, about 3,000 feet.

    #194447
    postalx
    Member

    Personally, I like being near the coast. Gets your head out of the clouds…Nicoya!

    #194448
    *Lotus
    Member

    From Arenal if you take the “secondary” road towards San Ramon do you still go over the mountains? We took the route through Q.Quesada because the map showed it as paved and the road towards San Ramon as unpaved. Yeah it was a fun ride for sure not quite 5 hours but a lot longer than anticipated! lol. I could not see my hand in front of my face, what a relief when you suddenly emerge from it!

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 22 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.