Shopping and
Essential Services

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One of the beauties of Refugio de Los Angeles
is that it is off the beaten path:

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which contributes to making it a wonderful place to retreat and live.

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But where do you go for shopping and essential services?

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Some services come right to your door:

  • Fresh fish from the ocean
  • Fruit and vegetable trucks
  • Locals selling produce in season

Quebrada Grande

Photo of the front wall and entrance of a small grocery store.
Quebrada Grande grocery store
  • Walking distance
  • Population about 300
  • Two buses a week to and from Nandayure (*aka Carmona)
  • One small grocery store
  • Two churches
  • A medicinal plants co-op
  • Elementary school
  • Gasoline/Diesel to get you to the nearest gas stations
    in Nandayure (Carmona) or Jicaral
  • Football (soccer) field
  • Part-time health care clinic
Photo looking down the hill at the roofs of two small tin roofed buildings and a dirt frontage road.
Quebrada Grande elementary school and community center

Los Angeles

  • 5km, 10 minutes, gravel road
  • Population about 600
  • Daily buses to and from Nandayure (Carmona),
    Monday through Saturday
  • Two local restaurants (with bars)
  • Two churches
  • High school
  • Farming co-op: hardware store, farming supplies, diesel/gas (in small quantities), photocopying, scanner, general store, and more
  • Part-time health care clinic

Nandayure (Municipal Seat)

*Nandayure is known interchangeably as Carmona

Farmer's market (1)

  • 28km, 50 minutes, scenic gravel road
  • Carmona, Guanacaste
  • Population 1,649
  • Multiple buses daily connecting to Nicoya, Liberia, Puntarenas, and San Jose
  • Supermarkets, clothing stores, pharmacy, hardware, motorcycle dealer, accommodations, restaurants/bars, doctors, clinic, vet, etc.
  • Farmers Market every Friday
  • Bank (Banco Nacional) and Post Office
  • High School and Technical School

Jicaral

Jicaral (1)

  • 32km, 45 minutes, gravel road
  • Population about 1500
  • Multiple buses daily connecting to Nicoya, Liberia, Puntarenas, and San Jose
  • Supermarkets, clothing stores, pharmacy, 2 hardware stores, accommodations, restaurants/bars, doctors, clinic, vet, etc.
  • Farmers Market every Friday
  • 2 Banks (Banco Nacional and Banco Popular)
  • High School
  • Gasoline station

Nicoya

  • 63km, 1 hour, 20 minutes, well-paved roads
  • Nicoya, Guanacaste
  • Population 15,313
  • Maxi Pali (Walmart) and other franchised businesses
  • Car and motorcycle dealerships
  • All essential services and shops
  • Farmers Market every Saturday
  • Hospital and clinics
  • University

Liberia

  • Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport
  • 130km, 2 hours, 20 minutes, well-paved roads
  • Liberia, Guanacaste
  • Population 45,380
  • All essential services and shops
  • Gateway to Nicaragua

San Jose

  • Juan Santamaría International Airport
  • 226km, 3 hours, 45 minutes, well-paved roads
  • San Jose, Costa Rica
  • Population 335,007
  • Capital City of Costa Rica

Beaches

Photo of someone, arms raised, wading waist deep in small ocean waves at sunset.
Playa San Francisco de Coyote at sunset.
  • 21km, 35 minutes, gravel roads
  • Playa Coyote, Costa Rica
  • Closest beach is Playa San Francisco de Coyote, which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Costa Rica with an estuary and lagoons for swimming and fishing.  The beach is very safe and suitable for beach lovers of all ages
  • Other nearby beaches include Caletas, Costa de Oro, San Miguel, and Bejuco
  • Most beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula are an easy, pleasant day trip away in the dry season
Photo of a couple on the beach, a woman wading into the ocean and a man standing at the waves edge.
Playa San Miguel.

A Private Nature Preserve For Sale