• May 13, 2013
• Costa Rica - Relocation, Costa Rica Life
• Jackie

Finding a grocery store to suit your budget and your diet isn’t always easy as an expat in a foreign land. But it all depends on what you’re looking for. Most of us agree that the perfect supermarket will be reasonably priced, well stocked, clean, and not too difficult to get to. If you’re grocery shopping in Tamarindo, then you have a few options to consider.

Within Tamarindo, there are about three supermarkets within walking distance from the beach or perhaps where you’re staying. Though smaller in size, these shops make up for it with convenience. The selection is varied, though limited to the basics, making these more ideal for any last-minute or supplemental shopping.

Super Las Palmeras, for Read more

• May 2, 2013
• Costa Rica Life, Travel Costa Rica
• Jackie

Driving in San Jose is not for the weak of heart. However, after years of driving cars in big Latin American cities, I can tell you that the way they drive down here actually makes some sort of crazy sense. Or maybe it’s me that’s crazy.

While most would say that Tico drivers are not the best in the world, I would say their driving is a different kind of good. While drivers here don’t follow the same rules that we are taught in driving school, they do know how to work their vehicles, something that many oblivious American drivers do not. For example, a Tico will squeeze himself into a lane where the opening is *just* big enough to Read more

• April 18, 2013
• Culture
• Jackie

Learning a bit about Costa Rican culture and customes will not only help you blend in, but it will also help you adapt to your new country. You can show respect for Costa Ricans by trying to put into practice some of their customs, and following their standards of etiquette. Remember, you will always stand out as a foreigner, but you can fit in by learning to act and think like a Costa Rican.

The first way to attempt to fit in it by how you greet someone. The most common way to say hello is with a light kiss on the cheek, or an air kiss with your cheeks touching. Women kiss women and women kiss men, but men Read more

• April 11, 2013
• Adventure, Costa Rica Life, Uncategorized
• Jackie

Costa Rica is one of the most popular places in the world for expats. Why? The country offers one of the highest standards of living in Latin America, a stable democratic government and a 95% literacy rate. In addition, the beautiful tropical climate and amazing natural beauty of the country make it attractive to those wishing to escape harsher northern climates.

Another big reason why people choose Costa Rica is because there is already such a high rate of foreigners here. This means that many locals are used to dealing with expats, and that in many cases the way has already been paved. It also means that expats have a network of other foreigners to turn to and lean on when something Read more

• April 4, 2013
• Costa Rica - Relocation, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Culture
• Jackie

Living in Costa Rica is great, and the expat life is one that so many of us choose because of the benefits, However, being realistic there are a number of cons living in Costa Rica. Here are some of the hardest things for expats to deal with living in Costa Rica.

Gringo Pricing. Many Ticos and expats alike see new foreigners to Costa Rica as an opportunity to make money. New expats and tourists are not used to the normal pricing schematic, and are therefore more likely to pay more for certain services. Once you’ve been here awhile, always having to negotiate fair prices can be pretty annoying.

Tico Time Read more. The same relaxing, carefree feeling that draws so many to Costa

• March 27, 2013
• Costa Rica Life
• Jackie

If you’ve been trying to get anything done in Costa Rica this week, you’ve likely found it quite difficult. Why? It is Semana Santa, one of the biggest holidays in Costa Rica, and perhaps all of Latin America. But just what is Semana Santa?

What is Semana Santa?

Semana Santa translates to Holy Week, and it is a week-long celebration in Latin America. It is celebrated the week leading up to Easter Sunday on the Catholic calendar. The week is set aside to commemorate the last week of Jesus’ life on earth, starting with his arrival in Jerusalem. This is celebrated the Sunday before Easter and is known as Palm Sunday for the palm fronds laid down on the road Read more

• March 21, 2013
• Costa Rica - Relocation, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Costa Rica Life, Gringo Owned Business, Travel Costa Rica
• Jackie

Costa Rica is a major relocation destination. If you are planning to move or visit you have probably done some online research. There are tons of websites that are geared toward vacationers, selling tour packages. There are also many sites designed to attract retirees and expats. What are the best Costa Rica relocation websites?

A word of caution – many popular Costa Rica relocation websites are set up with the goal of selling you real estate. While there is nothing wrong with a website selling you something, if you are trying to gather unbiased information on living in Costa Rica, a site trying to sell you land or a home here is the wrong place to look. While a site Read more

• March 14, 2013
• Business, Costa Rica - Travel Tips
• Jackie

Exchanging money in Costa Rica isn’t difficult. The current exchange rate is 1 U.S. dollar to 500 Costa Rican colones. This rate fluctuates, but only slightly. Over the last several years it has remained fairly stable. This makes doing the math in your head easy.

Costa Rica bills are very beautiful. They are printed on brightly colored paper and feature images of birds, butterflies and other animals.

When you look at a Costa Rica bill you will see the number of the bill (2, 5, 10, 20) followed by the word mil. In Spanish mil means 1000. So, to estimate out how many dollars you are holding in your hand all you need to do is multiply the number amount on Read more

• March 7, 2013
• Business, Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Gringo Favorite, Travel Costa Rica
• Jackie

Renting a car is probably the best way to travel around Costa Rica. We’ve talked about the basics of renting a car in Costa Rica before. But with so many options, what is the best car rental agency in Costa Rica.

Short answer: Vamos 4×4. Time and time again Vamoz 4×4 gets great reviews. Tourists in Costa Rica report they have cheap, good vehicles. What’s their secret? Unlike many of the major rental agencies, they don’t use new cars. Vamos uses cars that are on average between 2 and 4 years old. They keep them well-maintained and clean, with AC. Using older cars means they can charge better prices.

Traveling on a budget is something most travelers are keen Read more

• February 28, 2013
• Costa Rica - Travel Tips, Costa Rica Life, Tourist Trap, Travel Costa Rica
• Jackie

Not sure you want to brave getting behind the wheel in San Jose? No problem, that is what taxis are for. If you are planning on hailing a cab in they city here are some basic Costa Rica taxi tips you should keep in mind.

There are two basic types of taxis in Costa Rica: the legal taxis and the pirate taxis. All the legal taxis are red. The others (piratas in Spanish) are not under the government’s Ministry of Transportation. Let’s start by talking about the legal taxis – the safest and best choice for tourists.

When you get into the legal red taxi, the first Costa Rica taxi tip you’ll need to employ is to make sure Read more