FOR YOU, FOR FREE: 17 years' worth of firsthand Costa Rica trip planning and travel advice compiled into hundreds of articles, plus exclusive discounts. Created by a Costa Rican and a four-time published Costa Rica guidebook author. Welcome, amigos, and as we say in Costa Rica, pura vida!
Browse our Costa Rica blogs to discover other things about Costa Rica not included in other categories.
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Here’s the problem with Costa Rica vacation planning these days. Tourism in this country is growing faster than most businesses can keep up with, which has resulted in an influx of businesses scrambling …
No, the word Movember is not misspelt. Although today marks the beginning of November, it also kicks off Movember – a month of abundant facial hair and inescapable bad moustaches (mustaches, for our American readers) aiming to raise awareness of men’s physical and mental health. …
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Work is busy. Almost always. If you’re in your own business (or you work for someone in their own business) you already know this. The growing pile of unreviewed papers and/or unanswered emails are …
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time) One year ago Maroon 5 headlined an incredible show at Costa Rica’s Festival Imperial in La Guacima, Alajuela. And, I missed it. I’ve been listening to the band since before their Maroon-inspired days, …
Fellow blogger sarah (read sarah’s blog), offers readers her life list. Inspired by the Day Zero Project, she has compiled a list of 101 things she aims to accomplish over the next 1001 days, and, after less than 1 month into her challenge, she has already …
For me, there’s nothing better than coming across a group of individuals so utterly dedicated to a cause that they commit their work to it. Don’t get me wrong, everyone who volunteers their time and resources to worthwhile initiatives in addition to the daily demands …
Last updated on May 17th, 2017 at 06:52 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)One way Costa Rica has shaped the way I walk through life… There is a word in the Spanish language – humildad – that brings a smile to my face every time I hear …
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)At Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated, we recognize the many different roles we play: business owners, faithful partners, avid travellers, regular bloggers, friendly costa rican contacts. We strive to enjoy our work every day, to …
Check out what our Green Alliance Partners at Save The Turtles are doing! *photo courtesy of Save the Turtles (Robert Van Damm, 2005) As part of our Reach Out Costa Rica Travel Philanthropy Project we (the Pura Vida! eh? Incorporated team) donate to Save the …
Last updated on May 20th, 2017 at 05:10 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Although miles away, my heart is with Canadians today. Happy birthday Canada! You might not be able to make it out clearly, but Ricky’s shirt in the photo above says “proud to be Canadian”. Ricky …
Last updated on June 25th, 2019 at 08:12 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)On US election night 2008, Ricky and I were away from our home and spent the evening tracking poll results from a Costa Rican hotel room. To our surprise, the hotel’s housekeeping left …
Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 06:52 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)For all the things that money can buy, we are far more rich because of all that it can’t. What can we afford? To work hard and humbly accept whatever success comes our …
Last updated on May 29th, 2017 at 04:39 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)We think Costa Rica is pretty inspiring, however it is great to learn that our peers within the blogosphere think the same about our writing. A huge thanks to The Seven Minds, Writingrenee’s Blog, Lulu and …
Last updated on August 2nd, 2019 at 12:37 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time) Sam Roberts Band The other day I came across my old, scratched, and worn-out copy of Sam Roberts’ 2006 release: Chemical City. It still plays without skipping, which is proof that the …
When Costa Rica hands you rain days, make banana pancakes! Don’t miss our favourite banana pancake recipe for ideal comfort!
A minute to stop and smell the roses… or, when in Costa Rica, the bromeliads! A few perceptions from our doorstep in la fortuna, costa rica: 1. Sunshine! The rainclouds have departed and we are left with the arenal volcano, exposed, with sun beaming on its …
Costa Rica and Canada are more similar than you think! We list 150 examples to show how the two countries are alike. See for yourself!
Ricky y yo hemos pasado más de una década explorando Costa Rica juntos. ¿Quieres saber por qué amo tanto a Costa Rica? ¡Aquí está tu respuesta!
Last updated on November 29th, 2017 at 05:49 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)WHY TRAVEL? Every traveller is different. Some travel to do something, many travel to avoid something, and others travel to become something. Some love it and some hate it. Some even make a …
Last updated on July 4th, 2019 at 06:53 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Whew! Is it just me or did last year seem to fly by? It feels like it was only yesterday when we were discussing our future plans for 2015, and here we are …
Here’s something you don’t read on our blog every day. We love Costa Rica. That’s an obvious statement and a fact you likely gathered for yourself within the first five seconds of visiting our website. But, what you may not know about us—what we don’t …
Last updated on September 29th, 2017 at 05:37 pm GMT-6 (Costa Rica time)Looking for something specific? The following is a list of all of our blog posts (written by Nikki and Ricky) listed alphabetically. Looking for something not already written about below? Ask us here.
✓ We choose not to display ads, sponsored content, or affiliate marketing on our blog. Because we prioritize your privacy, we don't earn money when you visit us, when you sign up for our e-course, or when you click on our links, which means the time and work we put into this blog is entirely voluntary.
✓ Ricky is a born-and-raised Costa Rican and Nikki (married to Ricky) has explored Costa Rica since the mid-2000s.
✓ We've operated our Costa Rica-based business, Pura Vida! eh? Inc., for 16 years (and counting!).
✓ Our Costa Rica guidebooks are published by the prestigious Moon Travel Guides brand.
✓ We only ever write about experiences we know firsthand, and we never stuff our blog with general information about Costa Rica that is widely available elsewhere.
✓ We never copy or plagiarize other writers' content. How we wish other writers would show us the same respect!
✓ Unless stated otherwise, every photo displayed on our blog was taken by us, and with our own two hands. (Unlike some other bloggers, who rely on drones to travel and conduct research for them, we actually visit and explore the places we write about.)👍🏽
✓ We're active in promoting Costa Rica around the world. We've written about Costa Rica for Wanderlust Magazine (UK), presented Costa Rica on Rick Steves' Monday Night Travel Show and podcast/radio show (US), and served as a Costa Rica Destination Editor for Essentialist (Spain).
✓ Our work is backed by hundreds of positive reviews and testimonials (read some here)
✓ We are not overly active on social media. Instead of fixating on our own popularity, we spend the majority of our time exploring and researching Costa Rica, updating our various Costa Rica resources, and working with travelers one-on-one. We're focused on the quality of your travel experience, not the quantity of our followers. ❤️
