Costa Rica’s southern Pacific coast is known for its dramatic coastline of tree-covered mountains dropping suddenly to the ocean, empty beaches, and lush rainforest full of wildlife like toucans, howler monkeys, sloths, and dozens of other species.
Five years ago, Diana and her husband, Lance Turlock, moved to picturesque Atenas—a serene farming village surrounded by mountains in Costa Rica's Central Valley. At about 3,200 feet above sea level, temperatures generally stay in the 70s F year-round.
Pura Vida...it's Costa Rica's slogan, as well as being a way of life. The direct translation is "pure life" but it's so much more than that. It's living the good life...cherishing simple pleasures...spending time with loved ones...and enjoying a slow, relaxed pace of life.
New Jersey retirees David and Cathy Weed say they have found the perfect combination of slower paced, tropical life and convenience in Playa Langosta, the close neighbor of the popular beach town of Tamarindo on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast.
Today was a typical day where we live, in San Ramon de Alajuela in Costa Rica’s western Central Valley. My husband, Paul, who is a morning person, woke to mostly clear skies at 5:30 a.m., fed our two cats, and ate breakfast.
Costa Rica is an incredibly inexpensive place to live—you'll find it hard to get rid of your money! I often hear the same questions regarding handling and accessing money here in Costa Rica, so here are some tips that will help to guide you.
There is a joke in Costa Rica that if you want something to grow, just stick it in the ground. When Jack and Janet Taylor moved their family of five from Lake Tahoe to Costa Rica’s Central Valley, they decided to put that saying to the test.
My friend Marie, from the Washington, DC area, recently emailed me: Could I offer her advice on having dental work done in Costa Rica? She’d already heard a lot about living in Costa Rica from me.
There’s a steady breeze blowing. The sand is black—it’s volcanic—flecked with small crystals that twinkle in the sunlight. The sand is quite hot too in the heat of the day…best to wear flip-flops.
Part of the charm of Costa Rica is the "Pura Vida" lifestyle—that laidback "things will take care of themselves" mentality that usually leads to a stress-free time. But how can you follow this mantra at an airport—a place that seems designed to create stress? Well, with a little bit of insider advice, your trip into and out of Juan Santamaría International Airport (near San José) can be as "Pura Vida" as possible.