Unfortunately, both Puerto Viejo and Cahuita have bad reputations, when it comes to petty theft and other drug-related crime. Long-term expatriates of the area say that luckily, so far, their area doesn’t yet have a problem with armed robbery. To prevent it from becoming a problem in the future, the community has been working hard

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the first large-scale resort is supposedly underway in the Caribbean. The success of such a project in the region has the potential to bring more investment. The project is located in the Limón district, about an hour’s drive from Cahuita and Puerto Viejo. Limón already has a tourist industry

1. Private Schools Two private schools and a number of public schools offer classes in the areas. In Puerto Viejo there is a Waldorf school that takes pupils from 3rd grade, with a kindergarten also on the grounds. Waldorf schools are also known as Steiner schools. They use a curriculum created by Rudolf Steiner that is

Even though demand for property in the Caribbean area isn’t as strong as in other coastal parts of Costa Rica, sufficient demand has kept prices rising steadily: About 10% or 20% annually, depending on the location. The long drive and the distance from the nearest domestic airport will always be a factor deterring some of

Some people relocating here buy small plots of land to build their homes, cabins or businesses. Others buy turnkey houses. As far as investment goes, most investors focus on the large tracts of land located in the hills a kilometer or so inland. There you can purchase rainforest, pasture land, or old cacao plantations. Much

In some sense, the cost of living on the beach (rent, eating out, consumer goods) is always higher than in the Central Valley, especially if you insist on paying for the kinds of creature comforts easily accessible in urban areas. Still, in the Caribbean you’re essentially living in the countryside, so fresh, local ingredients are

Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast is the location of what may be the country’s biggest claim to fame: Christopher Columbus made his fourth and final visit to the New World somewhere near present day Limón, in 1502. The earliest recorded peoples of the Talamanca region are the indigenous Bribri and Cabecar, who lived inland and near