Explore the distinct communities of Atenas

Set in the rolling hills between San José and the Pacific Coast, Atenas is widely known as one of Costa Rica’s most desirable small towns — a place where perfect climate, mountain beauty, and warm community spirit come together in a way that feels both timeless and deeply welcoming. Often

Just minutes from downtown, Barrio Mercedes has long been considered the heartland of Atenas. Historically home to expansive farms, cattle ranches, and coffee plantations, the area retains much of that rural character today.

Fifteen minutes northwest of downtown Atenas, Barrio San José Norte straddles the border between Atenas and Palmares in the heart of coffee country. At roughly 3,000 feet elevation, the rolling hillsides are blanketed in dark-green coffee plantations that produce some of the region’s finest beans.

At Atenas’s southwestern edge, where mountains descend toward Route 27, Escobal offers something increasingly rare: authentic rural Costa Rica with modern highway access. Forested hillsides, clear rivers, and large properties where howler monkeys wake you at dawn and your nearest neighbor might be across the valley.

The district grew around

Perched along Atenas’s westernmost ridge, Estanquillos sits higher than nearly anywhere else in the area, often literally above the cloud line. This mountainside enclave is home to a small community of families and expatriates drawn by the solitude, the sweeping views toward the Pacific, and the sense of being pleasantly

Nestled just minutes from downtown Atenas, Hacienda Atenas is one of the area’s most desirable residential communities. It’s a place where convenience meets tranquility, and privacy unfolds against sweeping mountain and valley vistas.

Tucked away just minutes from downtown Atenas, Lomas del Paraíso has quietly become one of the region’s most coveted enclaves — a boutique residential community where architectural elegance meets natural tranquility. Hidden from view yet close to everything, Lomas is known for its collection of high-end homes that command top

Perfectly positioned less than five minutes from downtown Atenas, Roca Verde stands as one of the most sought-after residential developments in the region.

Developed in three carefully planned phases from 2005 through 2020, Roca Verde encompasses 125 estate-style lots, ranging in size from approximately a quarter acre to over

Divided by Highway 3 just west of downtown, Sabana Larga is considered the birthplace of Atenas. In 1833, local residents petitioned to build a chapel here and offered land for settlers arriving in the region — the beginning of what would officially become the town of Atenas.

Over 160 years

Perched along the ridge of Cerro de Atenas, just minutes from the heart of town, Villa Pica Flora offers one of the most architecturally distinctive living experiences in Atenas.