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Montezuma or Santa Teresa? Choosing Your Corner of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula

Every week someone asks us the same question. Should we be looking at Montezuma or Santa Teresa? It sounds like a choice between two...

US Diesel Export Ban Talk Puts Costa Rica Fuel Prices on Edge

Trump backs a ban on US diesel exports as Costa Rica, which buys much of its diesel from the United States, faces a proposed increase of up to 100 colones per liter in October.

Costa Rica Proposes 15% Tax on Certain Foreign Income

Costa Rica has proposed a 15% tax on certain passive income earned abroad, including interest, dividends, rents and capital gains. The measure is not yet law

A Nostalgic Look Back at Life in Costa Rica

From bankbooks and free bocas to machete-cut grass and Lada Nivas, a longtime resident looks back at the Costa Rica he first encountered and how the country has changed.

Costa Rica Ranks Fifth in the World for Retirees in Global Relocation Index

Costa Rica ranks 20th out of 192 countries and territories in the 2026 Global Relocation Index, and fifth in the world for retirees, according...

Pura Vida: Past the Point of No Return

Growing up on the Lower East Side of New York certainly didn’t prepare me for the culture shock of moving to a sleepy little...

Building in Costa Rica? Understanding Your Construction Contract Options

The final word in legal matters is in the hands of the Supreme Court. In Costa Rica the Supreme Court is composed of four...

What Costa Rica’s Record-Low Dollar Means for Expats and Retirees

The dollar fell to another all-time low on Costa Rica's Foreign Exchange Market (Monex) on Wednesday. The drop extends a slide that is steadily...

What a US Military Presence Could Mean for Costa Rica

Independence Week is here. Drums beat in the distance, schoolkids dress in traditional garb, and Costa Rica celebrates 205 years of freedom and self-determination....

Buying Property in Costa Rica – What Foreign Buyers Need to Know

Foreigners can own land in Costa Rica on the same terms as citizens, with one significant exception, and the country has spent two decades...

Costa Rica Dollar Exchange Rate Falls to Another Record Low

The U.S. dollar has fallen to its lowest level on record against Costa Rica’s colón, extending a decline that is increasing the purchasing power...

Remembering September 11 From Costa Rica 25 Years Later

From a cantina in Quepos to stunned phone calls home, an American expat recalls watching September 11 unfold from Costa Rica and realizing the world had changed.

Tico Time and Why Life in Costa Rica Doesn’t Always Run on Schedule

I don't want to hear about Tico Time. Where did that expression even originate? It has been around for at least the 35 years...

A Night With Costa Rica Soccer Fans in Perez Zeledon

Perez Zeledon is home to a team in the first division of Costa Rica soccer. Known as Los Guerreros del Sur, the club has...
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Montezuma or Santa Teresa? Choosing Your Corner of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula

Every week someone asks us the same question. Should we be looking at Montezuma or Santa Teresa? It sounds like a choice between two...

Costa Rica’s San Jose Airport to Add Eight-Level Parking Garage and New Investments

Juan Santamaría International Airport is moving ahead with a major expansion of its parking facilities, including a new eight-level structure that will add 600...

Fernández Says “I Am the President” Amid Backlash Over Tovar Firing

President Laura Fernández has delivered her strongest defense yet of the sudden firing of Foreign Minister Manuel Tovar, warning her entire Cabinet that major...

Playa Blanca Stays Open for Now as Officials Map the Protected Wetland

Playa Blanca remains open despite a court order suspending access to its marine wetland. What SINAC and MINAE decide this week will set the rules.