Ahhh! What a headache it can be to just think about buying a car in Costa Rica. Between simply finding a car, a lawyer, rtv, marchamo, and deciding whether to buy from a dealer or an individual you may think bringing your own car may be simpler. The truth is it probably isn’t simpler.
If you don’t have residency yet and you leave Costa Rica every three months then bringing your car may work out for you, for a while. So long as you are on a tourist visa your car will be attached to that visa, meaning when you leave the country that car needs to leave with you. However if you are planning on becoming a resident Read more
You’re off the plane and in your hotel room wondering, How do I get to where I want to go? Take the bus! Buses in Costa Rica are efficient and reliable. You just have to know where to find them.
It all depends on where you’re going. In San Jose you’ll find bus terminals to anywhere in the country. In Barrio Mexico, you can find Pulmitan Liberia, the bus company that will take you to Liberia and anywhere on the way to Liberia. From Liberia you can take a bus to many of the surrounding beaches like Conchal, Playa Naranjo, Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco.
If you want to go to Tamarindo, Samara, Nosara or historic towns like Read more
What is it that draws so many visitors to Costa Rica? Typically, a culinary experience hasn’t been on most people’s list, until now. Two Eco-lodges have tapped into an unexplored yet highly successful venture, Culinary tours. Although Costa Rican food is not classified as fine dinning, most who have tasted it have fallen in love with it. Now you can take those delicious typical dishes home with you and have them as often as you want.
Inn at Coyote Mountain is a four room eco-lodge located in San Ramon. The grounds of the lodge are beautifully adorned by the many fruit trees and organic fruit and vegetable plantations. You may decide to enjoy the orchid garden or a tour Read more
Expotur is the biggest event of the year for the tourism industry in Costa Rica. Vendors and buyers have traveled from all over the country and all over Central America to Expotur for the past 26 years and 2011 is no exception. Hosted at the Herradura Ramada Hotel in San Jose, 248 stands were used for this massive exhibition held May 11-15.
The purpose of Expotur is to bring vendors and buyers together and create alliances in business. Participants come from all aspects of tourism including water sports, adventure tourism, sun and surf , business trips and conventions, cultural tourism, educational tourism and even medical tourism. Airlines, food vendors and hotels amongst others also participate in the trade show. Read more
The first time you laid eyes on it you knew, it was love at first sight. You bought it, built your dream house and lived happily ever after. Sadly, buying property is not as easy as it sounds. You may have found land in the perfect spot but before you buy here’s a few things to consider.
Budget. You might be in love, but can you afford to commit? Prices vary greatly in Costa Rica. In areas like Santa Ana in San Jose the price of land is exorbitant at $300 a square meter. In the mountains of Guanacaste land is much cheaper, at around $1.80 a square meter. Areas close to the beach or with high concentrations of Read more
When a country exports coffee, sometimes all that’s left for the locals is the worst in the crop. That’s not the case in Costa Rica. If you live in Costa Rica you can still get the good stuff and good prices. What’s the best? What are the prices? That’s all up to you but here’s some of the local brands.
Most supermarkets carry the big Costa Rican name brands: Cafe 1820, Cafe Rey, Volio, Cafe Montaña, Yodito and Cafe Maravilloso. Most of these coffees cost around $3 per ½ kilo at the supermarket. Some supermarkets carry the whole bean coffee which can be a better deal. You can buy a 4-kilo bag of Cafe Montaña whole bean for $8. There’s Read more
The land of opportunity. In the past the United States has been synonymous with prosperity and opportunities for all. That is no longer the case. While jobs are scarce in the States, Costa Rica has plenty of work for those with certain skills.
Call Centers. In the central valley, hundreds of people go to work everyday as customer service representatives for large American companies. Native English speakers are usually preferred for high level managerial positions, sometimes even working from home and setting your own schedule. Jobs are available for part-time work and full-time work with pay usually starting at around $900 USD per month, (which is a really high-paying job for the average Costa Rican). If you have experience Read more
Coffee is one of Costa Rica’s main exports. Why? ’cause it’s awesome coffee. Grown in Costa Rica’s highlands, the local coffee is amongst the finest in the world. Coffee plantations around the country offer tours to demonstrate the coffee growing process and the history of coffee in Costa Rica and its effect in the local economy. Want to take a look? Here’s three great tour options.
Espiritu Santo Coffee Plantation is located in Naranjo, Alajuela. The tour, starting at $22 USD starts with a sampling of their coffee, then the tour of the facilities will show you everything from seed to roasting and brewing of the local coffee. Some added highlights are the Casa de Juancho, a replica of Read more
What are the entry/exit requirements in Costa Rica? What should I do if I want to become a Costa Rican citizen? These questions can seem overwhelming and sorting through all the information available is a big job. Fortunately Costa Rica has very clear policies and the government websites have reliable up-to-date information on the subject.
Entry/Exit Requirements vary significantly depending on which country you’re from. The United States, Canada and Great Britain amongst several other countries do not need consular visas to enter the country and are allowed to stay up to 90 days. When entering Costa Rica you need to show proof of a return trip, whether this is your first time coming in,
Why are so many people investing in Costa Rica right now? In recent years, Costa Rica’s economic growth has been largely aided by foreign investors. Due to this Costa Rica is very open to anyone who is willing to invest in a venture that will further the growth of the local economy. Investors remain interested in Costa Rica due to high education standards, political and economic stability. Many are investing in property and tourism which bring in large profits both for Costa Rica and the investor.
Property prices are rising rapidly in Costa Rica, particularly land close to the coast. When considering investing in property consider areas that have potential for tourism or that are currently being developed for that Read more
Facebook
Twitter
Comments