San Isidro de el General is the largest city in the Southern zone, and the 2nd largest city in Costa Rica, with a metro area of about 90,000 people. It is the main city of the canton of Perez Zeledon. Located about a 3-hour drive south of the capital, San Jose, it is an area of spectacular beauty, ringed on 3 sides with mountain ranges, and to the south by an expansive agricultural valley. San Isidro enjoys a pleasant climate, characterized by sunny days and cooler nights in the summer season, while the winter (green) season features sunny mornings mixed with afternoon or evening showers most days.
Long an agricultural center, the area is renowned for its weekly Farmer’s Market, which attracts hundreds of vendors and thousands of shoppers weekly. The market features a tremendous variety of fruits and vegetables, along with meats, fish, homemade breads and pastries, cheeses, plants, and flowers. The surrounding area features cattle ranches, coffee farms, as well as areas where citrus, cacao, and pineapple are grown.
Every year in February or March, there is a 2-week Tipico fair, much like a county fair in the US, that includes carnival rides, food booths, and livestock judging.
The city also boasts good schools (including bilingual schools), a hospital, private clinics, and a sports park with tennis and basketball courts, and a 6-lane, 25-meter pool. The 4,000-seat stadium just off the center of town hosts a soccer team in the Premier division of the Costa Rican league. Besides soccer, other activities popular with locals include hiking, cycling, and swimming.
To the east of Perez Zeledon is the Talamanca mountain range that includes Cerro Chirripo, Costa Rica’s highest peak. To the north is the Cerro del Muerte, which is on the road to the capital. From San Isidro, it is a dramatic 45km (30-mile) climb that goes from 700 meters elevation (2,200 feet) to over 3000 meters (over 10,000 feet). Cerro de la Muerte means Mountain of Death, and is so named because early settlers sometimes did not survive the sub-freezing temperatures that occur in the early morning hours.
To the west are the beaches. En route, you climb into the cloud forest before descending to the coast. The surf town of Dominical is a 45-minute drive, and another 30 minutes up the coastal highway is Manuel Antonio, with its kilometer-long beach and national park that features monkeys, sloths, toucanes, scarlet macaws, and spectacular flora. Three hours to the south is the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park, with its world-renowned biodiversity
For a mix of rural Tico charm with city conveniences, San Isidro de el General, Perez Zeledon, is a hidden gem in Costa Rica. Please visit my site at mattcasseday.com to see our listings available in the area.
Properties in Perez Zeledon
Villa Chirripo
One of a Kind Retreat Center