Santa Ana is about 15 minutes from the center of San Jose in Costa Rica and is  a trendy and expensive community with a relaxed atmosphere with all the modern  conveniences.  It is often referred to as  the Valley of the Sun.  Found west of Escazu, Santa Ana is near the modern CIMA Hospital and  Medical Tower, and is also close by to a number of luxury hotels such as the  Intercontinental and the Marriott Courtyard. Costa Rica’s largest mall, the  MultiPlaza is within close proximity, as is Price Smart, Wal-mart and the  modern office complexes of Plaza Roble and the Forum.

Two of the country’s foremost residential estates, the Eco-Residential Villa  Real and Valle del Sol are located here, with two golf courses nearby. If you  enjoy horseback riding, you will like the La Caraiia Riding Academy or the  Centro Equestre Valle Yos-Yo in the area.

The city of Santa Ana still maintains its traditional feel of a typical  Costa Rican town with its small stores, bars, restaurants offering local and  international cuisine and Sunday fresh fruit and vegetable markets. However,  Santa Ana has been recently experiencing real estate and commercial development  unlike any other in entire Central Valley. It has become the place of choice  with upscale grocery stores, gourmet restaurants, banks, gas stations, medical  and dental clinics, beauty salons, coffee houses, hotels, private schools, and  small commercial centers springing up everywhere. The city itself is within a  few minutes of the surging business locale of Lindora, in the Pozos district,  adding to the availability of commercial, lodging and residential areas.

While much of  Santa Ana is modernized and property development is high, there is still a part  of this district that retains its local flavor. Visit the Ceramica Las Palomas  to get some local pottery or check out the colorful road stalls for some  traditional goods.  Exploring the city,  you cannot miss the glamorous bouquets of flowers and stands full of sweet  onions, which are a local crop.

National Highway CR-27 Próspero Fernández connecting San José and Caldera, Puntarenas, passes within a mile of the  city of Santa Ana. This has recently allowed faster travel to the Pacific  coast.  It is now an average of an hour  from Santa Ana to get to the beaches there in the Puntarenas area.

There is a variety of private bilingual schools within short driving  distance serving the international population of the Central Valley. Many are  accredited by U.S.-based associations of colleges and schools and focus on the  American High School Diploma program and offer a wide range of Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses  along with the Costa Rican national curriculum.

The Parque Valle del Sol golf course  is located in Santa Ana. It is the first and the only professional golf  course in Costa Rica open to the public in the Central Valley. The 18-hole  championship golf course was designed by Tracy May in 1994 to be challenging  and fair under most conditions and very tough when the strong winds come down  from the surrounding mountains. Due to its diverse layout, golfers are required  to use all of the clubs in their bag throughout the game.

A short drive  north of Santa Ana will take you to the relaxing Ojo de Agua, which has three swimming  pools and lakes formed by a natural spring.

Santa Ana is a  great modernized community that still has some Costa Rican flare. It is a great  place to live or visit to enjoy all the amenities it offers.  As an added bonus, it is also within an hour  from the beaches when you are ready to get away from the city.