Pulling the outrigger into the ocean for Kayak Jaco's night tour When Neil, the owner of Kayak Jaco, shared with me what the sunset/ night kayak tour was all about, I told him he had me at cheese and wine. For those of you who live in Costa Rica, you know it is extremely hard to find good cheese, and if you do it’s incredibly expensive! Looking back on the tour, the cheese and crackers were just...

Canadian Expat, Corey Coates My path crossed with Corey’s when he contacted me about an author interview for my recent release, Becoming an Expat: Costa Rica. The more I found out about Corey Coates the more I wanted to hear his story, and so it goes… “I like the interaction between the brain and the machine, I’m an audio learner”~ Corey Coates Corey is from a small town outside of Toronto wit...

Extreme Adventurer Waterfall Tour Jaco is a town packed with social, adrenaline-filled, and nature-based activities. A walk down main street will lend you to countless tourist operators selling a variety of excursions. Let me help you whittle down your options by sharing the top ten things to do in and around Jaco.  1. Extreme Adventurer This is tour is operated from Jaco or Manuel Antonio. Yo...

The Panamanian / Costa Rican border is in constant flux. The most recent change occurred quietly over the last few weeks. Panamanian border officials are now entering your ticket details into the computer to validate if your flight is a valid outbound flight. Due to perpetual tourism in Costa Rica (a practice where a person without residency lives in Costa Rica by renewing their tourist visa every...

Free Spanish Lesson! Skype has been an incredible asset of mine while living abroad. Everyone knows about Skype’s video conference call capabilities, but not everyone knows all of it’s great services and purposes. I purchase my own phone number through Skype so that my loved ones in the US can call me as if I’m just a few states away! I also have unlimited calling to the states for a couple of b...

The morning spent with Kayak Jaco was a highlight of my month. Guides Wilbur and Jacob taught the group the basics of paddling, with Kayak Jaco’s homemade, bamboo paddles, prior to pushing off for a three-hour journey that exceeded my every expectation! Playa Agujas, the beach of origin, has gorgeous green-blue flat water that begged an invitation. After the guides assisted the five of us into the...

I had zip lined three times before I hiked up the gorgeous trail to the first platform of the fourteen offered by Jaco Canopy. Once in Montezuma, Arenal, and Monteverde. The views from the Jaco Canopy platforms are hard to top. It’s difficult to choose what to focus on. The emerald green offered by the surrounding jungle, the sapphire blue ocean, glowing below, or the metallic blue morpho butte...

More people have drowned along the 17 miles of the Central Pacific Coast, including Esterillos, Playa Hermosa, and Playa Bejuco, than any other stretch of Costa Rica. So why haven’t you heard a warning about it? World Life Expectancy reports Costa Rica as the 101st country out of 192 countries polled with 3.4 reported drownings for every 100,000 people. That’s almost triple the amount of deaths...

Year after year, International Living, Forbes, and hundreds of other publications release a list of the best places to retire. Do you believe that one retirement destination fits all? Where you spend your golden years is extremely personal and variable. One expat-to-be may place a warm climate at the top of their list. Another places cost of healthcare above all.  Ever since I started publishing a...

The abundance of outdoor activities hosted by Jaco never ceases to amaze. Did you know, from Jaco you have access to a gorgeous island filled with jet skis, kayaks, banana boats, volleyball, tropical fish to snorkel with, and loungers? Let me share with you my recent experience at Isla Tortuga. My day started with a gorgeous one and a half hour boat ride from Playa Herradura where I observed ju...

The Central Pacific Coast boasts some of the most gorgeous and most expansive beaches in the country. At one point, there is seventeen miles of uninterrupted beach to jog along, surf or fish in, or lounge by in appreciation of it’s magnificent power and beauty. January 19th was a sad day along the Central Pacific Coast where the ocean displayed it’s power. It was a typical Sunday, the beaches w...

Crocodile Man Tour at the Tarcoles River near Jaco, Costa Rica It was another gorgeous day in Costa Rica when I walked down the dock towards the boat that would take me through the infamous Crocodile Man Tour. The bar was set high. I had seen pictures from friends and heard tall tales about this tour. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Jason, our guide, handed each member of the tour a...

Merrell Manistee: Conquering Costa Rica one step at a timeEver since I authored, Becoming an Expat: Costa Rica, I have received hundreds of questions from those who are planning trips to Costa Rica. Whether they were planning a research trip to potentially become expats themselves, or whether they were simply looking for a vacation in paradise, they all have similar questions. What should they pa...

If you are a single woman traveling to Costa Rica read this previous article about exciting things to do on the Caribbean side of the country. In my travels, I have come across single women around the world who say, “I’d like to travel, but I don’t have anyone to go with.” Having traveled alone, I asked what was stopping them. What I found was a mixture of fears and concerns: Blending In ...

Every Expat traveler in Costa Rica has their own travel survivor kit style and items Moving abroad is in and of itself a huge feat, loaded with adventures and trials around every bend. It takes a unique, flexible individual to make it work. Oftentimes, those individuals are avid travelers, but once settled down into a new culture they stop exploring. Over the last two years living in Costa ...

I have traveled to this bohemian town on three different occasions, three different ways. The first visit was seven years ago. I utilized an Interbus van that choose the Puntarenas / Paquera ferry to reach the town. It was a gorgeous route, one that I highly recommend! The second was in my own rental car when I was on a scouting trip seeking out potential towns to move to. I took the land route th...

The Jaco area can pack the tourists in. Why do thousands of tourists and expats prioritize Jaco as one of their destinations? The most common answer is a combination of the night life and the plethora of adrenalin packed activities. Whether you seek an ATV adventure, horseback expedition, water sport experience, crocodile or monkey encounter, the choice is yours. After living in the area, and ...

Photograph taken by Shannon Enete Most people aren’t huge fans of spiders, but the golden orb, is the exception to the rule. After researching this spider, I can see how they would make a spiderman super hero. The golden orbs produce the largest and strongest webs. During your visit to Costa Rica, be sure to look out for the gorgeous eight-legged creatures.  Not only are they impressive looking...

Tourists posing for a photo at Cavernas el Venado La Fortuna is known for three major natural attractions and a variety of adrenalin packed adventures. It starts with the picture-perfect cone shaped Arenal Volcano, continues with a 26 mile-long sapphire blue lake that contrasts magically with the surrounding vibrant green hills, and finally the volcanic hot springs are found throughout the com...

New requirement for all expats due TuesdayThe Costa Rica Star recently published about US expats giving up their citizenship to avoid taxes in Costa Rica, clarifications for FATCA for US expats, and the new income tax brackets for 2014. This is not the first time Costa Rica has required that expats and citizens update their information with the bank. However, this update seems to correspond wi...

Costa Rica Colones currencyIn the past the Costa Rica Star published about Paypal in Costa Rica, and how it is a good solution for sending money from a bank account anywhere in the world, to Banco Nacional in Costa Rica. One of the numerous things to consider when moving abroad is currency. I’m not trained in finance in any way, nor can I advise you in investments. What I can tell you is, I ha...

Palm tree in Costa Rica decorated for ChristmasWhether your holiday celebration includes menorahs, decorated trees, or kinaras it’s a time when many expats return to their mother-land to be with family. This migratory pattern translates into a huge need for house, pet, garden, and property caregivers! Expats have created a fulfilling life abroad, often including the adoption of one or two furry f...

Receipt for $7 to cross into Nicaragua from Costa RicaThe Costa Rica Star has recently published information about receiving your permanent residency in Costa Rica to avoid border runs, wasting time, and money. I read every article I could get my hands on regarding the new tax required to leave Costa Rica at the Nicaragua pedestrian border. According to news sources, I could pay the fee at any...

Costa Rican Expat, Cammy Enete, touches the smooth outer-layer of the majestic rainbow eucalyptus The giant evergreen displays of artistic color span across Costa Rica. So why hasn’t anyone heard of them? Eucalyptus deglupta, more commonly known as rainbow eucalyptus is a rapid growing tropical tree. Gazing at their trunks would lend you to think an entire kindergarden class equipped with cray...

Teaching English is a popular income source for expats in Costa RicaSo, you’d like to move abroad but don’t want to give up the perpetual habit of eating and maintaining a shelter?  No problem!  With some planning, and loads of patience, you can have it all. The five most common ways to earn a living in Costa Rica are: Telecommute Independent Consultant Property Management/ Real Estate ...

When considering an international move thousands of “to dos” come to mind: selling belongings, packing, selecting an international moving company, setting up a mail service, creating an international banking system, reassessing credit cards, international business, and downloading apps that will assist his/her new life abroad. Well, maybe the latter doesn’t initially enter the mind of a new ex...

Costa Rican Expat, Shannon EneteCuddled in a warm blanket sipping cocoa next to a wood burning fire is amazing, for about 20 minutes. After that, it’s cold, freezing, miserable, and inhumane! Living in a place where the ambient temperature could kill you can be a real drag. Having been raised in sunny Southern California, each winter in Kansas City I asked myself why am I here again? Why did I ch...

The Costa Rica Star has previously reported extensively on Craft Beer culture and local beer businesses in Costa Rica. If you're a beer drinker and have spent any time in Costa Rica than you know the selection is small. That was, at least, prior to the creation of Perrovida Craft Beer. As new kids in the Costa Rican brew scene, this underdog has come to play. Offering six full bodied, explosive...

The Costa Rica Star recently published a similar article called: Learn About the Venomous Snakes of Costa Rica, which you may enjoy reading after this one. The green season could also be called the slithering season due to the increase of snake sightings. The rain brings the snakes closer to residences, because of this fact, you should know a few things about them. Out of 139 species of snakes ...

Shannon Enete, Author of Becoming an Expat: Costa Rica It feels like an entire life ago when I worked as a paramedic. Responding to 9-1-1 calls across the beaches of action-packed San Diego filled my days. That is, until one emergency response created the first link that would soon connect me to my new life in Costa Rica. The patient was not breathing, large, naked, and pure dead weight in a ti...