I'm sitting in a few inches of water, eagerly anticipating the next big wave. When it comes, it's far stronger than I expected it to be. I'm slapped in the face, knocked off my rear and whipped around by its power
I'm a city boy through and through. When I moved recently to Escazú, a suburb of Costa Rica's capital San José, I figured I'd be enmeshed in urban culture. This is, after all, the biggest city in the country, and the surrounding area is home to three-quarters of the country's citizens.
It’s the friendly and welcoming people, the natural beauty, and the tropical lifestyle that will really steal your heart. “Costa Ricans are a gracious people,” says Rene Aoki, who has lived in the Arenal region for 19 years. “It’s an easy place to live where you can make close friends.” New expats find well-trodden ground and benefit from the experience of those who came before them.
Bruce and Karen Huss’s move to Costa Rica’s Central Pacific coast evolved over time. Their first visit was five years ago, when they spent time in the exclusive Los Sueños resort community in Playa Herradura
When Valerie and Gaylord Townley first visited Tamarindo, it was a simple fishing village. The only visitors were pioneering surfers (Gaylord was one of them) and sport fishermen
About an hour north of Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose, lies a little-known national park: Braulio Carrillo.
Imagine, for a moment, waking up to the sun bursting through a canopy of leaves... the song of tropical birds the only sound piercing the stillness of the morning air....
The "bean-to-bar" production of artisan chocolates is a way to make tastier chocolate in a more sustainable manner—and charge a premium to willing customers (three-ounce bars in the U.S. can go for as much as $8).
"You might wonder why I'm swapping Florida for Costa Rica," Steve says, "and, you know, the answer is really simple. I'm more relaxed when I'm in Costa Rica. I eat better.
I checked out of the traditional career path—the “rat race”—about 10 years ago at the age of 35. On the surface, life in Texas was great for me. I’d graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in journalism and worked in the advertising business as an account executive (a “suit”) for about 10 years.