Jason Holland

Jason Holland

As a “military brat” Jason Holland, IL’s Roving Latin America Editor, had the benefit of growing up in Germany and Spain, before returning to Florida for college and a career as a writer. But life abroad beckoned, so in 2012 he, his wife, four-year-old son, and two dogs made their way to Costa Rica, splitting their time between the mountains of the Central Valley and the Pacific coast. Nearly five years later, they moved to Mexico, first to the white-sand beaches of the Riviera Maya and now they’re enjoying the colonial splendor of the UNESCO World Heritage town, San Miguel de Allende. From this home-base Jason travels across Latin America learning about the expat experience in places like Roatan, Panama, Belize, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. In all that time, he’s never visited a beach bar he didn’t like. Follow Jason on Google

Surf Dude to Restaurateur in Costa Rica

Surf Dude to Restaurateur in Costa Rica

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Sun, sand, and surfing. These are the three main draws enticing visitors to Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast. And these have also created a ready market for businesses that can cater to the massive influx of tourists to the region, as California expat Danny Clark can attest. Danny first came to the central Pacific coast more than 20 years ago for a surf trip, and it changed his life. Today, the 42-yearold owns and manages a pair of successful restaurants in the bustling resort town of Jacó. And he says he lives a better lifestyle than he could in the States. His Side Street Bistro is a gourmet sandwich shop with an on-site microbrewery. And Graffiti is an upscale restaurant and wine bar.

Why I Feel Safe and Secure Living Abroad

Why I Feel Safe and Secure Living Abroad

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When I first started planning my move to Costa Rica years ago, I got some interesting feedback from more than one acquaintance. “Aren’t you worried about safety? They love to rob gringos there, you know.” I guess they pictured “banditos” crouched in the bushes ready for ambush around every bend in the road. It’s worth mentioning this seemed to be their view of all of Latin America, Asia, and most of Europe.

Renting in Costa Rica From $400 a Month

Renting in Costa Rica From $400 a Month

Costa Rica Insider
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Costa Rica is one of the most popular and well-known vacation, second-home, and retirement destinations for North Americans. Though a small country, Costa Rica’s regions offer a wide variety of climate, lifestyle, and landscape. And renting in Costa Rica is a great way to experience day-to-day life while looking for your own place under the tropical sun. Much of Costa Rica’s lush tropical forests and sun-splashed shoreline has been designated as national parkland or reserve. Costa Rica is rapidly approaching carbon-neutral status in energy production and emissions, and its health care system is one of the most affordable and highly rated in the world.

Affordable Caribbean Belize: A Land of Leisure and Opportunity

Affordable Caribbean Belize: A Land of Leisure and Opportunity

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I’ve never seen such blue water as the Caribbean in Belize. I couldn’t keep my eyes off it, whether I was cruising around by boat, watching tiny islets fade into the distance… swinging in a hammock strung between two palms on the beach…or beating that tropical heat with a cold Belikin beer in the shade of a palm frond-roofed beach bar. Belize has a lot to offer those seeking a new life abroad. The low cost of living means a couple can live well on $2,000 to $3,000 or less a month.

Retire in Corozal, Belize for $1,500 a Month

Retire in Corozal, Belize for $1,500 a Month

Belize Insider Articles
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A relatively small town (about 10,000 people) set on a grid, Corozal is mostly a collection of small shops, restaurants, and simple homes. But this is a bustling burg, with walkways and parks lining the vast, turquoise Corozal Bay. The bay gives it that Caribbean feel. Locals lounge in the shade of the town square, and in the small farmers’ market you’ll find oranges, potatoes, carrots, and succulent mangoes. You can walk away with a week’s worth of fruit and vegetables, plus dry goods and any imported must-haves available at local grocery stores, for under $50.

Costa Rica’s Wild and Thriving Pacific Coast

Costa Rica’s Wild and Thriving Pacific Coast

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I’ve never seen so much green...and in so many shades and variations. The tall, jungle-covered mountains of Costa Rica’s Southern Zone dominate the landscape. And many locals and long-time expats say they enjoy these mountain views even more than the ocean, thanks to the lush vegetation that covers them. This region, on the southern Pacific coast, is a land of extremes. Empty beaches, wild Pacific waters, those tall mountains dropping to brief lowlands before turning to a strip of sand, and then blue ocean.

Rescuing a Hotel in Costa Rica’s Rainforest

Rescuing a Hotel in Costa Rica’s Rainforest

Entrepreneur profiles
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Vikki Gold is delighted with her move to Costa Rica. “I love it here. I’m at peace. There’s beautiful scenery, a great climate, and so much wildlife. It’s our little paradise,” she says. She came here just over a year ago after she and her daughter, Hollee, bought and renovated a boutique hotel in the jungle, which they renamed Villas de Oros (Villas of Golds in Spanish—a play on their last name).

A Close-Knit Beach Community on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula

A Close-Knit Beach Community on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula

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I’ve always lived near the coast. But in Florida, where I’m from originally, a trip to the beach wasn’t always fun, thanks to crowds, noise, and looming hotel towers. But during my recent trip to Nosara, a Pacific-beach community on Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula, I found the polar opposite of those overrun Stateside beaches…and a place unlike any other I’ve visited during my two years in this country.