Five Things to Do In Arenal

It's a dramatically beautiful setting with lots to do... and low-priced properties

Dear Reader,
Arenal's a little hidden corner of Costa Rica, with a dramatically beautiful setting. Lush green hills and mountains curl around a wide,deep-blue lake. The show-stealer sits lakeside. It's a cone-shaped volcano, with smooth purple slopes rising skywards, its peak ringed by clouds. The scale of the views- the huge lake, the high volcano, the impressive mountains- contrasts sharply with the small towns and little farms scattered across the landscape.
It's not just the setting that draws a growing number of expats and property buyers to Arenal. The serene, placid, unhurried pace of life attracts them, too. Factor in low property prices, and Arenal's appeal becomes obvious.
More on the low property prices in a moment. But first, five things you'll enjoy if you visit Arenal...
#1, Water Sports. At 26 miles long, Lake Arenal will win over water sports fans. You can try swimming, water-skiing, sailing, kayaking, wind-surfing or fishing. Close by, you can swim in waterfalls, or try your hand at white-water rafting.
If you prefer dry land, you can explore the cloud forest and national parks that surround the lake...go hiking, horse riding, or bird watching (you can spot hundreds of bird species here).
With warm sunny weather and cooling lake breezes year-round, you can spend a lot of time outdoors in Arenal.
#2, See the Sights. Aside from the obvious lure of the lake and volcano...
You can check out the gigantic ceiba tree, that's around 500 years old and 197 feet high, at Ceiba Tree Lodge. Draped with ferns and orchids, and truly massive, this ceiba was Costa Rica's national tree in 2006.
It's a nature walk that will take some beating, and a must-see in Arenal: The Hanging Bridges. It offers 3 kilometers of walking trails, and six hanging bridges, suspended between towers. You'll see all kinds of wildlife as you walk through this tropical rainforest reserve.
If you prefer cool, dark, and underground, Venado Caves formed 15-20 million years ago. A ninety-minute tour will let you see limestone rock formations and marine fossils.
The Maleku indigenous village (thirty minutes from Arenal) gives you a glimpse of the traditional way of life of Costa Rica's smallest tribe. One tour option takes you into the forest to show you the medicinal plants used by the tribe.
#3, Thermal Springs. If relaxing is more your style, try soaking in thermal springs. La Fortuna, a town in Arenal, boasts a range of resorts and spas that make the most of the area's heated mineral water springs. The best resorts offer a selection of pools, with the water varying from cool to very hot. Some offer pampering massages, swim-up bars and cleansing volcanic mud treatments.
#4, Good Food. In the town of Nuevo Arenal, try fresh-baked bread from the German bakery. Or a recently opened steakhouse, with burgers, barbecue and wings on the menu. Little sodas offer low-cost, local plates...and there's a choice of pizzerias and cafes. Food gourmets should make a beeline for the Gingerbread restaurant. You won't find better food in Costa Rica.
#5, Good Company. Arenal's expat community is small, but friendly and active. They get together regularly, and support each other in a way I haven't seen elsewhere. It's a major factor cited by many of the expats who move to Arenal or buy a vacation home here.
Of course, Arenal's low property prices help make it an attractive location. Here's a sample:

• Half-acre lake-view lots in a private community from $19,000
• A two-bed two-bath riverfront home for $75,000
• An 8.25-acre estate lot with volcano and lake views for $195,000
• 93 acres with forest, pasture and rivers for $93,000
• A new, two-bed, two-bath home with lake views, furnished, for $125,000

If you want to check out Arenal for yourself...contact Terry Moran here. Terry is a real estate agent we work with in Arenal. He'll help you with your travel arrangements and accommodation. And he'll show you a customized selection of properties... based on your budget and requirements. You'll see what you want to see, when you want to see it.
This is the easiest way to get a feel for Costa Rica's lake country, and immerse yourself in its charms for a few days. Contact Terry today...and discover this hidden corner of Costa Rica.
Margaret Summerfield

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Costa Rica Retirement: Lower Costs, Higher Lifestyle



So let’s talk money. Just how much can you save by living as a pensionado here in Costa Rica? For Baby Boomers facing the end of regular earnings, the question of how to stretch retirement income is a very real issue. With limited savings, reduced home equity (if they can sell at all) and an average Social Security benefit of around $1200 per month for an individual and $1750 for a couple [1], most retirees will have to cut expenses one way or another. Even at the maximum benefit amount of $2,346 [2], a mere $28,152 per year before taxes, those of us who have enjoyed the advantages of a moderate income will undoubtedly have to find ways either to increase that income or minimize expenditures.
At first glance, these are not pleasant prospects for most of us. Accustomed to the good things in life, it may be difficult to face up to a lower standard of living. But the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau statistics on Income and Earnings by Age of Householder [3] reveals the stark realities: According to their report entitled “Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008,” measuring all sources of money income, we find that the median income for 45 to 54 year old householders was $64,349; for the next age group, 55 to 64 year olds, the median figure drops slightly to $57,265; but for the over 65 year old group, the slide is precipitous, to $29,744. The message is clear. After retirement, you can expect a negative change in your financial situation.
But here’s the good news! With retirement comes a unique opportunity to make some important changes in your life — to simplify, downsize, reduce the clutter, re-prioritize and finally do some of the things that full-time work has prevented you from doing. Volunteer work, enjoying a hobby, traveling, getting more exercise, experiencing less stress – whatever it is, we all hope our Golden Years offer the time and space to pursue those dreams. And they can if you consider the advantages of retirement in Costa Rica, where your limited income fits nicely with the lower cost of living.
The most obvious ways that expats save money here is in housing costs. In many parts of Costa Rica, you can rent a comfortable Tico-style home for less than $500 per month, including most utilities. In outlying rural areas, it can be even less. You can also find a well appointed, 2500 square foot American-style home for $1200 to $1500 per month, if your budget allows. You can spend considerably more but if you can see the advantages of a somewhat modest home with a lower overhead, you can certainly find such a place. In addition, in the Central Valley where most people live, you will have no need for heating or air conditioning, as the climate is temperate all year round. Even in the higher elevations or at the ocean, where temperatures range lower and higher, the need for climate control is minimal. For most Americans, that would represent another huge savings in monthly expenses.
And if you choose to buy property and build a home, as many expats do, that is also a bargain in most areas. For instance, we know a transplanted Texan contractor in the Orosi Valley, east of Cartago, who can construct a beautifully detailed 900 square foot home for less than $100,000. Since so much of life is lived out of doors here, the interior of a home, which costs the most to build, can be smaller because your living space is supplemented by covered patios and detached ranchos where you will enjoy warm evenings watching a tropical sunset, sipping your favorite cocktail. Who needs a big house? It’s just that much more to clean.
And speaking of cleaning, our housekeeper costs us $10 per week for about four hours of work. And that’s actually on the higher end of such costs, we’re told. She does an excellent job, too, including the windows, floors, patios, shower walls. She even rakes the leaves in the back yard! In fact, all labor costs are lower here, which means services such as gardening, household repairs, remodeling, bicycle repair, haircuts and massage are dirt cheap in comparison to the U.S. To give a couple of examples, I had my hair dryer repaired for only $4; a recent very good haircut cost me $6. When visiting a friend recently near Turrialba, she had a plumber come out to replace her on-demand water heater. Although he had to drive quite a ways over terrible roads to near the top of a mountain, the total tab was $10 for about an hour of work.
Another area of savings for us living in Costa Rica is transportation. The latest U.S. Department of Labor survey [4] indicates that Americans spend more than 15 percent of their income on transportation costs; based on a household income of $63,000, that’s a whopping $7,658! For expats living in Costa Rica, the availability of inexpensive taxis and convenient bus service makes that look extravagant. Based on four round-trips to town by taxi each week at about $4 each (most of the time we walk), and two or three bus trips into San Jose per month, we probably spend no more than $70-$80 per month on transportation, leaving the rest of that money in our bank account. And as we hop on that bus, we smugly think to ourselves just how much we are cutting our carbon footprint!
Here in Atenas on the edge of the Central Valley, we live in a modern apartment with utilities paid, including broadband, surrounded by beautiful jungle with toucans and monkeys as visitors, a swimming pool and a rancho with a gas grill just up the hill, all for about $650 per month. We enjoy good wine and dinners out, buy household supplies as needed and live comfortably here on our two Social Securities. Back in California our overhead still includes some $250 a month for the care of my retired horse, plus the cost of a property manager and any needed maintenance on our leased horse property there. Here, we save money in so many ways — local fruits and vegetables, medical care and health insurance, entertainment. But we also know that if the need arose, we could cut our costs even further. For now, we are grateful we can enjoy the pleasures of Pura Vida. Clearly, for a laid-back lifestyle with a lower cost of living, it’s hard to beat retirement in Costa Rica.

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Direct Flights From London To Liberia Starting Soon

The British travel wholesaler via its Thomson Airlines will begin operations between London's Gatewick Airport and Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia Nov. 2.

The flights on Tuesday will be with a Boeing 767. The direct flight takes 11 hours, and the plane has a capacity of 258 passengers.

The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo said that the flights will generate an increase in British tourists.

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Who Should Not Move To Costa Rica

Who Should Not Move To Costa Rica? By Christopher Howard, Liveincostarica.com After helping thousands of Americans and Canadians move to Costa Rica over the last thirty years through my books and monthly retirement and relocation tours, I have observed who are the best candidates for living successfully in the country. Don’t move to Costa Rica if…. (1) you expect everything to be like the U.S. (2) you think the locals should change and do everything like we do. (3) you don’t like warm weather or rain. (4) you have breathing problems due to high altitudes or have allergies (5) you expect to every product from the United States. (6) you are insensitive to the local culture. (7) you a smart ass, self-righteous and know-it-all “Ugly American.” (8) you are going to refuse to use Spanish and think the locals should speak English. (9) you are running away from the law in the U.S. You will be found sooner or later. (10) you want to get rich overnight. (11) you want to find a Latina woman for a low price tag and exploit her or if you have serious problems with the opposite sex. (12) you want to avoid paying taxes. (13) you want to work illegally under the table here. (14) you don’t want to go through the process of obtaining residency. (14) you want free medical care. (15) you want scam people. (16) you have a serious drug or alcohol problem. (17) you expect all of your emotional baggage and problems to go away just because you move here. (18) you are smarter than the locals and can beat the system. (19) you think you can become an expert on the country overnight. (20) you think it is easy to set up a business. (21) you can’t stand your fellow Americans. We have more and more coming here every day. (22) you think you are the savor of the locals and will civilize them. You should leave the Second Coming of Columbus Syndrome at home. (23) you are type of person who will give foreigners a bad name. (24) you think a younger woman will be attracted for your good looks and not your money. (25) you feel just because you are an American you should be entitled to something. (26) you have no sense of humor. (27) you don’t want to experience the country’s culture and people. (28) you don’t have a sense of adventure. (29) you don’t realize you are guest here. (30) both you and your spouse don’t see eye to eye about moving here. (31) you really don’t have enough money to live here. (32) have no goals. (33) don’t want to affiliate with groups like clubs, church groups, volunteer etc. (34) suffer from the “hammock syndrome” with nothing to do. You’ll end up tipping the bottle and get real bored quickly. (35) are a negative person who likes to complain about everything and everyone. (36) you have never traveled or lived abroad. Moran Real Estate - Over 50 Years Of Tropical Real Estate Excellence Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out.

International Living - Live And Invest In Costa Rica

How crazy was it to move our family with two young daughters from a comfortable home in Colorado Springs to the unknowns of Costa Rica?
Well, I thought it was nuts when my husband suggested we do just that for his five-month sabbatical. Now that we’ve been in Monteverde for six weeks, the only crazy part is that we hesitated at all.

The more we looked at Costa Rica, the more appealing it became—drinkable water, no military, Spanish and English, lots of amazing plants and animals in the rainforest…

When my husband was searching online and stumbled upon the CEC School in Monteverde with its focus on bilingual education and environmental science, we decided to go for it.

We found a comfortable house to rent for $500 a month, and relished the thought of a home without a TV, car, or Internet. We really like making a conscious effort to connect to the world via a walk to one of many nearby Internet cafes (Café Cabure is one of our favorites with its amazing Argentine cuisine and high-speed wireless Internet).

Our fears of the unknown were quickly vanquished by the pleasant realities. We do have hot water; our girls are befriending Tico children; it doesn’t rain all the time. Without the static of modern-day life, we can hear the croaking toucans in the mornings and the chirping crickets at night. We haven’t tired of the howler monkeys bellowing their dominance even when it is at 5.30 in the morning.

With our purposeful pace of life, we take the time to focus on what matters the most to us, and we are laughing and enjoying life more as a family. Instead of turning on “60 Minutes” we talk with our daughters about the capuchin monkeys that swung across their campus or watch our girls proudly twirl their hand-made batons for the upcoming parade.

To see a blue morpho butterfly float drunkenly across your path…or to taste fresh cow’s milk from a spigot on the wall rather than a plastic carton is indescribable. We relish walking two miles to the feria every Saturday morning to purchase our week’s supply of fresh cilantro, tomatoes, mangoes and watermelon.

Our daughters no longer ask when we’re going to get there but rather eagerly pace us with hopes the homemade donuts won’t sell out.

Removing ourselves from the noise of routine is extremely satisfying. How can another gymnastics class compare to spotting a resplendent quetzal with your children in the rainforest? It’s hard to believe it took leaving the familiar to find our family’s pulse.

Americans often pity those living in small houses with tin roofs, but the Costa Ricans and ex-pats we’ve met are some of the happiest and most genuine people we know. In less than two months we’ve met people we plan to connect with for the rest of our lives.

Our concern now is: How will we return to the frenetic pace in America and preserve the simple calm and happiness we discovered here in the green mountains of the cloud forest?

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