Well, there aren’t that many options. You can either fly into Liberia or San Jose.
Juan Santamaria Aiport (SJO) is commonly known as the San Jose airport even though it’s actually located in Alajuela. Traffic through this airport is not bad and getting from the plane, through immigration, baggage claim and customs hardly ever takes more than a half an hour.
The airport is not small but not large by any means either. There are many duty free shops and restaurants like Burger King, Schotlkys, Papa John’s and Cinnabon. Café Britt also has souvenir shops at the airport which often offer discounts for bulk purchases. If you need to rent a vehicle you can do that too and exchange Read more
Our hearts were filled with fear and excitement all at the same time. We were headed to the Occidental Allegro Papagayo All-inclusive Resort. Our stay there was a gift from our family. As we read the reviews online, our hearts sank. There were horrible horror stories and also stories of lovely vacations. We were so confused we didn’t know what to think.
The truth. The rooms are nice and comfortable. They are large, clean, air conditioned and they have hot water. The view from our third floor room was amazing. We had a great view of the pool, the beach and the forest surrounding the resort. Everything needs a little updating. A nice coat of paint, a couple Read more
Dengue. The word inspires d read in most, and it’s a common worry for those who live in Costa Rica. As of January 18, 2011 the CDC (Center for Disease Control) reports that there has been unusually high dengue activity in Costa Rica and several neighboring countries. This is no reason to panic, but it is reason to take precautions.
Dengue fever was first detected in Costa Rica in 1993, since then The Costa Rican Ministry of Health has reported a total of 203, 313 cases of dengue, 812 hemorrhagic dengue cases and 19 fatalities in the last 18 years. Dengue is carried by the Aedes aegypti, which breeds in water deposits.
Real estate investment in Costa Rica is quite a project, but by keeping a couple of helpful tips in mind you can successfully venture jump through all the hoops and end up purchasing your own little plot of land in paradise.
In recent years more and more fradulent real estate dealings and investment scams. Therefore, it is important to keep your wits about you and don’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Many foreigners come to Costa Rica expecting things to run just as smoothly as they do in the States when it comes to business dealings, and sadly, that’s just not they way it is down here.
So, how can you protect yourself from being subject to a Read more
San Pedro Mall is one of the largest malls in the San Jose area. Though many people feel that this is one of the greatest malls in the area, in my personal opinion I find this not to be true. My feeling is this mall has nothing more to offer than cell phones, video games and clothes. If you are looking for a variety of stores, than this is not the place for you to go. For a four level mall I was surprised that they didn’t have more to offer.
I did find three nice things about the mall first of which is on the fourth floor they have a complete workout center. It has spinning Read more
Often people think it is better to pay everything with a credit card. This is true in many cases because most credit cards have reward systems. So there is a benefit to paying with a credit card and then paying off your statement each month.
In Costa Rica you may find using your credit card to be a little more complicated than using it in your country of origin. When paying for different items in Costa Rica one reason you may not want to use a credit card is because most credit cards charge you a foreign transaction fee. What this is basically is your credit card company is going to charge you a percentage of your Read more
There are a ton of different ways to go about getting information regarding traveling to and living in Costa Rica. But how do you know the information is reliable? Plenty of you have e-mailed asking for information, but as you know… I don’t always find the time to answer, and sometimes I just don’t have the answers! I can, however, connect you with the people who do have the answers!
I, together with all the other Gringo writers (see my blogroll for affiliate sites) have worked to create a database that puts you in contact with the people you need to reach in Panama (and Guatemala, Costa Rica, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and more!)
If you are looking for legal services, real Read more
If you are coming into Costa Rica, you can plan on staying for up to three months. After that, you have to leave for at least 72 hours before you are allowed to legally enter the country again. As a tourist you can own vehicles, property, businesses, and generate income from self-employment. Many spend their winter months here as tourists, owning their own home and everything.
For those who plan on making the move to Costa Rica a permanent one, it is highly recommended that you apply for your residency. As long as you have the correct documents and don’t have any major criminal history your residency is practically guaranteed. The processing of the documents generally takes about Read more
If you are thinking about relocating or retiring in Costa Rica, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration when trying to decide where to live, and I’m talking in addition to finding something that fits into your budget. Sometimes people don’t think enough about what they need out of their surroundings, and what their personal preferences are.
You may automatically think that you want to live on the beach, but the temperatures in costal Costa Rica differ greatly from those in the interior. Also, the farther you get away from the main city of San José, the farther you are from cultural activities, such as museums and the symphony, and entertainment, such as movie Read more
If you are looking to settle down or at least have a nice vacation home in Costa Rica, there are a few things you need to do first. Even though ownership of land is protected by the law for locals and foreigners alike, it is good to contact the Costa Rican Chamber of Realtors, or AMCHA, as they have a great reputation for being honest. The Association of Residents in San Jose and a trust worthy lawyer are also great assets, as they can guide you through the process of obtaining land.
Deciding where to settle is a whole other issue. The province of San Jose is one of the most populated, with the neighborhoods of Santa Ana Read more
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