Living in Costa Rica during the rainy season provides very specific challenges for those who are not prepared. This guide aims to provide some solutions to common problems faced by newcomers in their first rainy season in Costa Rica. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, February 7th 2012 – This may seem a bit out of place; reading an article about the rainy season while we are in the midst of a particula...

Relocating to another country is a significant decision that should be given careful thought. When pondering about such a move, one can easily come up with a million questions about what to expect; something that can be attributed to the many complexities we have assigned to our modern lives. Like many other developing countries around the world, Costa Rica has seen her fair share of change and...

The Costa Rica Star has recently published information about receiving your permanent residency in Costa Rica to avoid border runs, wasting time, and money. A few dear readers recently sent questions regarding a number of immigration affairs that visitors to our country regularly experience.  We have consolidated the relevant questions and answered them in this article for a more convenient rea...

Updated December 2016 If you are a foreigner moving to Costa Rica to seek a residency through business, family, or otherwise, you will eventually be struck with the choice of where to do your personal and business banking. You may have considered just using your bank account from Canada, the US, or Europe. Which is fine, you can withdraw money from the ATM machines here. But if you want to trul...

Be it in the center of San José or around the corner in your neighborhood, you may have come across stores called “Ropa Americana” which offer clothes for as little as ¢1000. If you haven’t explored any of them so far, this article might encourage you to give it a try – especially if you believe that being stylish is a privilege reserved for the well-to-do. It doesn’t have to be! Above all, don...