Kathleen Evans

We wanted a country with a stable democracy and an educated population and we wanted to be able to qualify for residency and have the process be reasonably straightforward. Costa Rica has three different, easy pathways to residency and we qualified for one of them, even though we’re not at pension years yet.

The Rosenzweigs began building their Costa Rican home in 2014 and it was finished the following year. They found an architect who spoke English and worked with a tico/American builder couple. “The building process was challenging but, in the end, pretty easy,” says Paul.

Here you will find expats from around the world as well as plenty of locals giving this former fishing village a vibrant international atmosphere. One of the driest locations in the country, Coco offers lots of sunshine and minimal rainfall making it a fantastic destination for exploring the great outdoors.

Suburban Santa Ana is nestled in the hills west of Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. It is conveniently located on the tollway next to the popular upscale suburb of Escazú. Two decades ago Santa Ana was just a small dot on the map in the Central Valley’s mountainous landscape.

Perfectly perched in the mountains of Costa Rica’s Central Valley region, the town of Atenas charms its visitors with an easy-to-get-to location. Just 30 to 40 minutes west of San Jose and just off the modern tollway; eternal spring weather and breathtaking mountain vistas await you in Atenas.

In 2013, when my husband Steve and I made the decision to make an international move, I was longing for a slower pace of life. My sales career in corporate America had beaten me up for two-and-a-half decades. I was longing to slow my life down with a leap from the roller coaster—for my sanity and my health. Costa Rica offered that chance to stop and smell the roses.