Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Do you know what a chilera or chilero is? The first one is the female product and the second one is the male product. But what’s the difference? Costa Rican cuisine offers quite a variety of vegetables. You can purchase those at any farmers’ market or grocery store, as you all…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Our Atenas agent, Marian Veltman, received a complaint, “The mangoes are keeping me awake”. This complaint was from a client who had signed an agreement on an Atenas rental home. Strange, I thought, I never have any heartburn when I eat mangoes. I get it from pineapple but not from…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The nice weather allows us to use the rancho in Costa Rica for all our fiestas. At any time of the day or night. And not to mention, the siestas. Is that what a rancho in Costa Rica is good for? Find out now. In Mexico and most parts of…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes For a smooth closing, the seller should vacate the premises before closing. But is it always possible? Sometimes it’s necessary to negotiate for the seller to stay for a longer period. Are there other solutions? Not long ago, we had buyers who were eager to purchase a house in Atenas…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes You probably can’t imagine how much seller misbehavior occurs during home showings. Homeowners should not attend showings out of respect for the buyers and the real estate agent. There is a protocol to follow, but unfortunately, most real estate agents don’t follow it. I always set a few rules when…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I know a lot of expats who get angry every time things don’t go how they want them to. Even after all these years, I am still happy living in Costa Rica. Of course, I get angry occasionally, but I shouldn’t. Don’t worry, be happy. Life is good! Being happy…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes I’m sure you’ll love these grocery shopping tips, which are just to make grocery shopping in Costa Rica easier for you. Every culture has different ways of doing things, and as soon as you move to Costa Rica, you will find out that many things are different from what they…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes The pulpería and the polaco are two typical purchasing methods for Costa Rica’s working class. It is a pity that so much of the flavor of Costa Rica (and other countries) is disappearing with corporate business. I remember well when we walked to the pulperia to get our fresh bread…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Why should you avoid doing a border run for visa renewal every 3 or 6 months, instead of getting legal residency? When you arrive at Costa Rican passport control at the airport or the border, the immigration officer will stamp your passport with a tourist visa. You probably get your…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes You are here to learn all about tipping in Costa Rica. You assume you must leave a tip when you eat out or have drinks. Be aware that your bill already includes the tip. In most countries, you’re expected to tip, even if you’re unhappy with the service. In others,…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes Did I learn Spanish before moving here? No, I didn’t. And that was stupid. I’d never do that again. Before I moved to Costa Rica, there was so much to do and I had no time to take Spanish classes. I did not realize how important it was to learn at…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Do you know why expat’s Costa Rican retirement dreams get shattered? There are several reasons, so I’ll just have to walk you through them. However, the main reason is that they are unsuccessful because they don’t listen to those with expertise. Every day, I see people asking the same questions…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you know who is responsible for the security of your car when you park it on the street, a hotel, a grocery store, or a mall? Well, you, of course! That’s not the legal truth, but the reason for this article. When moving to Costa Rica, there is a…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Do you need ambulance services to get to the hospital in Costa Rica? Then make sure you know your Tico address. This is important so the ambulance will know where to find you. We don’t have real addresses, you know! If you don’t want the ambulance to get lost, ask your…
Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Are you wondering about private healthcare in Costa Rica? In 45 years of living in Costa Rica, I’ve seen many Costa Rican hospitals on the inside, excluding CAJA hospitals. Here, you don’t need a referral from a general practitioner to go to a specialist. You just go directly to a…
Estimated Reading time: 5 Minutes Because I grew up in Holland, with a more open mindset than others, it is easy to talk about the topic, and often, future expats ask if LGBTQ+ people are moving to Costa Rica. The answer is yes. The LGBTQ crowd is quite large and relatively well-accepted in Paradise. Only…