New members of the Costa Rica forum, introduce yourselves here - 2022

Good Evening, Been in the Jaco Area for almost 5 years just trying to get a few answers to difficult question on policies  and procedures

Hello nchebertjr1957,

Welcome to Expat.com

Feel free to post a topic on the Costa Rica forum for each question. Members will attempt to answer them with as much useful info as possible.

All the best,

Diksha
Expat.com team

Hi I'm Janet and thinking of moving to Costa Rica permanently within the next 2 years.  I'm visiting the Tamarindo area in late March and would like ideas of where to go and what to see. Not the regular tourist stuff. I'll be renting a car and want to spend some time traveling around the area.  Any suggestions?

drjanetrogers....Will this be your first time to Costa Rica,in March ?

Hi everyone,

I am a work from home Accounting Professional/CPA, which means I can live anywhere! As long as it's in the U.S. time zone. I've been looking into moving out of the country and somewhere more relaxed with warm weather and beaches. I will be visiting Costa Rica for the first time in March. I'm planning to stay and work remotely for 2 - 3 weeks. I would like to visit 3 expat friendly communities. I'd love to know which communities I should visit and what I should do while I'm there. Not just tourist activities... I want to live like a Costa Rican, so that I can make a sound decision on my next moving adventure! Please suggest any current threads that  you think I would find helpful.

Thank you all!

sea12thga...........if you want to live like a Costa Rican,that means living in those barrios with barking dogs,crowing chickens and trash burning day.If you want to live with Costa Ricans who are better off,they live next to other North Americans.Get ready to pay North American prices for this arrangement.Costa Rica,is not a bi-lingual country nor is it a tropical disneyland.Bring someone with you !

I understand what you're saying. What I mean is that I don't want my vacation to be touristy. I want to experience what expats experience daily. Where is the local coffee shop, where is the best place to walk my dog and get groceries....etc. What are the things that I don't know to ask? Daily life in Costa Rica for an Expat. Is this not the right forum for that?

I have experienced life homesteading in Idaho, buying acreage,  taming the land, no power, no running water, just living off of the land and building from that. So please don't be so quick to judge us "Disney" visitors.

Hi,
Al & I (Louie) camped around C.R. in '92 for over 5 weeks and loved it. We haven't had much luck traveling the last couple years, so we hoped real hard that we'd be able to come back for a short vacation. Won't be in Costa Rica for long, but thought we'd look around to see if we'd move here for at least part of the year.
That's all for now.
Louie & Al

Do not compare Idaho or anything that has to do with the U.S.with Costa Rica...

Good afternoon all, my wife and I used to live in Costa Rica. We were there for 2 years as missionaries and stayed in a house provided by the church that we helped. During that time we ended up buying property near the church but havent built a home as of yet, though I have planted my very meager fruits/vegitables and of course coffee this is the only things that have been developed thus far. Our property is in the region of Cedral Arriba near San Ignacio de Acosta.  We are looking forward to building a home with in the next couple of years but will continue to live in the states for a while longer until we retire to move back to Costa Rica.

Good evening,

I am hoping to travel to Costa Rica in March for 3 weeks and to see as many parts as I can while I am there. I am from the uk and am exploring moving out of the country for a better life. I currently run my own Bookkeeping company which is online and so I can run it from anywhere.
My question would be where are the best places to run a business online from, I.e. is there good enough internet anywhere.

I think my 1st option is to come on an itinerary holiday with a company having never visited before but any tips would be welcome. I am well travelled and so am not expecting it to be like home etc, my biggest questions are the internet and the safety of a single woman as I am by myself. My elderly dad is coming with me in March (he's itching to get away after cocine) but ultimately I would thereafter be alone in the move.

I am keen to meet with others while I am there that have made the move and drink in your knowledge and thoughts.

If anyone can help in any way i would be very grateful. I know 3 weeks is not very long and of course I would be back for further visits if I think it may be a viable option. I don't expect to learn everything in the short time I am there so as I say any information you can offer will be invaluable.

Many thanks and I look forward to hearing from anyone that may have a few fruits of wisdom to share.

Sandra x

My apologies! That should say my dad is itching to get away after covid!!

Good morning, my name is Gloria Ames. I'm looking for an easier way of life than what is currently available in the US. I am 68 retired and want to be warm again. I have never been to Costa Rica, but have heard of it's beauty. I believe I could be happy there.

Gloria.........It is understood,the weather is truly magnificent here ! Costa Rica is not a country with consumer protection ,the banks are not insured and for many North Americans,their money goes missing.

Thank you for your honesty. These days the US doesn't have much protection from business criminals who violate contracts, either. If you can't afford a lawyer, you just have to take it. Landlords are the worst. Thanks again!

Hi Ed and yes it will be my first time.

drjanetrodgers.......Don't you think,it is a very casual declaration of moving to Costa Rica,permanently and never been here before ?

Putting weather aside, you will find it much harder to live here than in the US. You'll have NO protection and hard time to find an honest lawyer. Good luck.

HI everyone,
I feel a little out of place here.
I am a single 73 year old male Brit, retired for 8 years - last job (one of many) a teacher.
I have spent my winters mostly in SE Asia, but also in Central and South America and New Zealand. Of course, in the last 2 years I've been only in the UK.
I have a limited budget and so have to travel with careful planning.
I visited Costa Rica about 5 years ago and was impressed with the stunning countryside. Locals seem like very pleasant folk.
Except 2 incidents:
1). A policeman who stopped my car (Tamarindo area) and would not accept a copy of my passport (I had been told it was acceptable) and insisted on a $100, which I didn't have so he took a mix of some dollars and local currency - about $65 in all.
2). In San José - a busy tourist pedestrian street, I was questioned by a man who had all the credentials of a policeman - a metal badge and paperwork with id and pic. He accused me of being an American drug dealer and said he was going to cuff me. I said I had never taken drugs. Cutting the story short, he said that I probably had drugs on me and to check my pockets .... well, you can guess, I found a package in my back pocket. I accused him of planting it on me. We talked a little longer. He didn't ask me for money and eventually I just walked away. I told the hotel receptionist the story and we came to the conclusion there must have been a policeman approaching, so he backed off from me.
In-spite of those 2 incidents, I like the idea of returning to Costa Rica and spending some/ all of winter there. But, I'm not sure where.
San Jose is a pleasant city with lots going on, on the other hand, I like to be by the sea. I think ultimately/ importantly, there needs to be a mix of expat (possibly retirees) and locals. I enjoyed Tamarindo - a delightful place, but found it too quiet regarding a social scene for a single old guy. I also enjoyed La Fortuna.
I didn't visit the Caribbean coast, but like the idea of warm waters (similar to SE Asia)!
I think that I should spend a month there and would really be thankful for advice of places to try out - in particular bars/ cafes/ expat retiree groups.
Thank you - hope this wasn't too long-winded!

motoguzzibob wrote:

Except 2 incidents:

Thanks for your stories on corruption from the side of police encounters.

I've visited the country over the past 12 years some 20 times and never had anything like this happen to us. We were there a couple weeks ago and got pulled over for speeding but the transit motorcycle cop let us go without a ticket.

It is a third world country and corrupt cops exist to supplement their poor pay ( I would suspect ). Maybe you stand out as a target (whatever that may be) and hopefully you have already expended your allocation of police shakedown incidents.

Hello

Looking to retire in a warm, friendly place and thinking of Costa Rica.  It is important to me to be in an area of people who can speak English since I speak no Spanish at this point.  I also prefer a larger city and lots of activities. 

Can anyone suggest a great place?

Thank you.

Jbilend.......Costa Rica is not a U.S. territory.Outside the tourism sector,Costa Rica is not a bi-lingual country either.You have your work cut out ! There is a reason why there is a tuck-tailed exodus out of Costa Rica,of North Americans,that is very silent.

jbilend wrote:

Can anyone suggest a great place?

Palm Springs seems to meet your goals.

Hi, I'm french and I'm going to Costa rica from April 29th till May 22nd. I'd like to meet expat people to understand and feel how it is living there. Where can I meet expat people ? Thank you for your answers.

There are Expats all throughout Costa Rica, you will have to be a little more specific on what area of Costa Rica that you are visiting before you can get a definitive answer.

Hi, thank you for you answer. I will come with a friend who lives in Quebec. We plan to discover CR from pacific coast to Caribbean coast, including San Jose and north of of country.

Framzy...........You don't have to surround yourself with expats,to get a make believe essence of what it is like to live in Costa Rica.For those who don't speak Spanish,they walk all over them.At least you speak French,you're half way there.

I will arrive at San José on April 29th, and I'll stay there for 2-3 days. Are there places in San José to meet expats ?

Hola, looking to retire in Costa Rica. Have a property already, and going to build. I'm Canadian of Colombian birth. My brother lives there. I will be his neighbour. Looking to learn from this groups mistakes.

https://www.expat.com/en/housing/centra … juela.html

Hi im David. Your meeting us now.

Not you. CR for me is the best place to live even though things aren't perfect. No jab here either and will never bow down.been here 9 years and seen changes that were not good but seems better than  the U S

Hi. Are you in business in CR now? How can we communicate?

MC if you find such a place I would love to know too! I am also a West Coast Canadian looking to leave. 

Not you. CR for me is the best place to live even though things aren't perfect. No jab here either and will never bow down.been here 9 years and seen changes that were not good but seems better than  the U S

- @MC_Squared ...>

I have the mark of the beast 312 312