Fun Facts about Costa Rica
Costa Rica has been an expat haven for retirees and others for decades because of its low cost of living, high quality – and cheap – medical care, warm weather climate, bargain real estate, and no-hassle residency.
Jason Holland
When My Wife Tried to Speak Spanish in Costa Rica…
My wife is a very outgoing person. But when we moved to Costa Rica...things changed. I speak Spanish. Her? Well, she took a few semesters in college. She tried her best...but often got flustered when having a real-life conversation. So it was up to me to act as a translator and talk to everybody: the gardener, the maid, bus drivers, people on the street to get directions, our neighbors, the utility company...you get the idea.
Ocean-Views that Won’t Break the Bank in Southern Costa Rica
The southern Pacific coast, officially known as the country’s Southern Zone, is the Costa Rica of postcards and guidebook covers. Palm tree lined, virtually vacant beaches. The wild sea with rocky islands just offshore. Deep, thick jungle surrounds you inland. One of the most biodiverse regions of one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, it’s home to howler monkeys, toucans, and sloths and hundreds of other animals...
Why Expats Choose Costa Rica-The Land of Pura Vida
This video presentation gives an overview of why Costa Rica has been a favorite retirement destination for decades thanks to low cost of living, warm and friendly people, high quality—and cheap—medical care, bargain real estate, tropical climate, and much, much more.
Opportunity’s Knocking in León, Nicaragua
"There was a hole there. There was no place to get good bacon and eggs," says Andrew, who explains that there are many other opportunities in León for quick-thinking entrepreneurs. "There’s still very little here. So anybody who has a big idea— it’ll work." His investment of $5,000 got things off the ground. And although there were some struggles in the beginning—he had no previous restaurant experience and the local bureaucracy proved tough to navigate until he hired a local accountant—his business has taken off.
The Rural Charms of San José, Costa Rica
San José (population: 300,000-plus, with more than a million in the metro area) had traffic, tall buildings, and noise. But after living in Escazú, a suburb just 10 minutes’ drive from downtown, for the past year, I’ve discovered another side to the city. It has the best shopping and dining in the country, including imported items found nowhere else and international cuisine.
Finding Opportunity in León, Nicaragua
Canadian Andrew Blyth first came to León, Nicaragua, seven years ago to look after some properties his parents had purchased. The family had visited back in 2003 and fallen in love with the city. “Their eventual goal is to retire down here and open a bed and breakfast,” explains Andrew.
Nicaragua Welcomes Entrepreneurs with Incentives and Tax Breaks
Nicaragua is not the first place many people think of when planning a vacation…but things are looking up. There were 1.2 million visitors in 2012, a 14% bump over the previous year, according to tourism officials. And the country has garnered glowing mentions in The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and other publications.
Taking Face-to-Face Sales Skills Online in Costa Rica
Despite his many years working as a car-insurance salesman in Portland, Oregon—and making good money— Caelan Huntress always considered it a temporary gig. Today he has thrown out the cubicle, tie, and daily commute…and taken his sales skills online. He lives and works from his home in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone—a region on the southern Pacific coast, near the border with Panama. The beach is 45 minutes away. Shopping and quality medical care is just 15 minutes down the hill. And the verdant green mountains of the interior are an even bigger draw.
A Million-Dollar Dream Home for $300,000 in Costa Rica
It’s a line you hear a lot on Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast. “We thought about Panama—we almost bought in El Valle. Then we came down to Costa Rica’s Southern Zone and fell in love.