My first trip to Costa Rica was as an exchange student with AFS in 1984. We were a group of about 30 students, 15 from the United States and another 15 from Europe. We had a short orientation in Miami, Florida before heading to Club Campestre La Gloria outside of Alajuela. There were kids from … Read more
What do squirrels look like in Costa Rica? And why do they like hanging out at the beach? Here’s what happened when we encountered a coconut-loving squirrel on the shores of Playa Mantas.
My friend Emily and I traveled to Manuel Antonio in March of 2021. Read on to find out how the park was operating during the pandemic, where we stayed, which beaches are the best and if we got to see a sloth!
I discovered cilantro back in 1984 during my first visit to Costa Rica. I had never heard of it and surely had never seen it back home. Strangely, there was an entire mystery surrounding cilantro before I eventually figured out what it was, months after landing. It started when I noticed there was a flavor … Read more
I am truly ashamed to say that in my 35-plus years of traveling to Costa Rica (and specifically Cartago), I had never visited Lankester Botanical Garden. Not only was Lankester located almost literally in the backyard of my Cartago host family’s home, but the first director of Lankester was Dora Emilia Mora Monge (de Retana) … Read more
What’s happening in Costa Rica with the COVID pandemic? Here’s a round-up of the latest developments. This thread has been updated periodically since the onset of the pandemic.
Getting sick anywhere is awful but when you’re on vacation, it’s the worst! If you’re feeling under the weather, here are a few of my favorite Costa Rican remedies available in almost every supermarket, pulperia and even Walmart.
There’s no doubt about it—Costa Rica’s snacks are the best! Read all about the goodies you can find in your local Costa Rican supermarket from cookies to chips to ice cream. Happy snacking!
You thought you knew what a guava was until you heard of guayaba. But then, they threw in Guayabo. And guanabana? Why is this so confusing? Here’s how to tell the difference.
If you’re getting ready to come to Costa Rica, you may want to learn a little a Spanish. Is Costa Rican Spanish any different that the Spanish you learned in high school? What are the differences of Costa Rican Spanish?