10 Reasons to Live in Costa Rica

The top 10 reasons people chose to call Costa Rica their home...

Focusing on environmental preservation and sustainability, Costa Rica inhabitants enjoy a great quality of life. You also sacrifice the fast paced life many are accustomed to in the US and Canada, and naturally reap all the goodness nature has to offer.

1. Weather

With a consistant temperature all year long, Costa Rica doesn’t have four seasons, but two - the rainy season and the dry season.

Costa Rica never gets too cold, and if you are a fan of sunny days, this is where you’ll have a great chance of enjoying it most days in the year. Researchers say with sunny days, you go out more, you walk more, you eat more locally grown food that has ripened under that same sun… you get the pattern, right? Sun is a great source of vitamin D and the goodness and that is felt in several aspects of the life-style in Costa Rica!

Locals welcome the rain is also refreshing and brings cooler temperatures. It allows crops to grow, helps the air to remain clean, and ensures that there is plenty of fresh water to drink.

2. Quality of Air

People probably don't think a lot about this specific fact before moving to a new place, but it is important. While humans tend to seek places where they are likely to find decent job opportunities, good schools for their kids, amenities and health care, the one basic thing we should be taking into consideration is: what we breathe in 24/7, every single day of our lives.

The purity of the air contributes greatly to our well-being and in Costa Rica’s countryside you have one of the best air quality levels of the world (obviously, not accounting for urban concentrations, like San Jose or Alajuela).

3. Potable Water out of the Tap

Apart from air, the other resource that humans can’t get by without is water. In a day and age where people spend ridiculous amounts of money and resources purchasing bottled water, in Costa Rica you don’t need more than a tap to enjoy clean, great tasting water every day. Cheap, environmentally friendly, and available all the time!

4. Food

Produce is always better at the source than after it travels to anywhere else in the world. While in some countries you might get perfectly shaped super shiny apples, those that have great taste aren’t probably going to compete in Miss Apple 2012. Why? Because organic is ugly, but has great inner beauty! Fruits and vegetables in Costa Rica taste amazing! You might order a fruit juice and think they added sugar, because fruits really taste naturally sweet. And it’s not only about the flavor. Being more natural, the veggies are also healthier, without losing 1gr of their yumminess!

5. Nature

The Caribbean on one side, the Pacific on the other. The dry cloud forests in the North, the rain forest in the South. Volcanos, national parks (over 80% of Costa Rica’s land mass in within protected areas and national parks), beaches suited for swimming or with waves that will make Bodhi jealous, lakes, cascades… really, does anything else need to be said in this department?!

Not only has Costa Rica been blessed with astounding natural beauty, the country actually makes an active effort to protect what they know is their strength. Protecting the flora and fauna within national parks is one big inititive the Government is behind, while all people can do their bit by managing their waste and dividing their garbage in the ever-present recycling bins. It’s a pleasure to see a country that cares and protects what they have!

6. Everything the world needs is here

People used to the “luxuries” of so-called 1st World countries, might not include Central America in their minds when considering moving to a different country. One of the reasons is that people tend to think that in countries well-known for their natural landscapes, you won’t necessarily get all the amenities people are used to in the most developed countries.

In Costa Rica, you get pretty much everything! Land in capital city San Jose and you’ll know what I mean: from fast food brands, to brand name clothing stores to iStuff.

You get the best of all worlds! Add to this a world-class public health care system available for all tax payers and people in the national security system and you’ll understand that Costa Rica is a country with so much potential!

7. Easy going People

“Ticos” (how people from Costa Rica are referred to) tend to be nice and easy to deal with. They are very used to welcoming people from abroad (short term tourists and expats) so they understand you might not know their language well at first, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t full of good intentions.

It’s just a matter of time until you mingle with the local people and, if you do want to blend in, like anywhere else in the world, you will!

8. Touristic Country

This might sound a bit weird. Why would you want to live in a touristic place? Well, you might not want to stay in the most touristic spot of them all but the truth is that, if there are tourists around, you have a good chance to always meet new people. Even if those won’t become your best friends (mainly because travelers come and go) it’s always nice to get to know people from different places around the world and exchange tales and experiences with one another.

On the other hand, if the country is a tourist haven, it will always keep up with international levels in terms of making available goods people enjoy around the world (food stuff, gadgets, electrodomestics, entertainment, etc..) and tourism also means work opportunities!

9. Small size

The fact that Costa Rica isn’t too big is a good thing, in my opinion. Mainly because, no matter where you are in the country, you can relatively easily reach the capital, San Jose. You might want to live in the countryside or by the beach – I would! But sometimes these are not the best places when you need to do administrative work of some sort. It shouldn’t be a worry in this case, because this country isn’t Russia and, even though roads are not the highways ACDC like singing about, the fact that distances aren’t that long will help you get around.

10. Sports

If you are a sports enthusiast, Costa Rica has a lot to offer! OK… maybe not if you like cycling on the streets. The holes here and there will not make it a memorable experience for your behind, but if you are into radical sports, this is the place to be!

Zip-lining above the jungle, surfing in the Pacific or Caribbean (less than 200miles/320Kms from each other, in fact), hiking in mountains, natural parks or even around volcanoes, white water rafting, swimming in the sea… Eating fresh and exercising with Nature as your gym, you’ll for sure feel healthy!

LIFE EXPECTANCY IN COSTA RICA IS 79 YEARS!