The Village Archive.
Explore all our stories, updates, and perspectives from the life at ESM.
Buying a Car in Costa Rica: Our Experience, from Deposit to Delivery
Buying a car in Costa Rica brought a few surprises, including arranging much of the purchase through WhatsApp. Claudia shares her family’s experience, from a March deposit to a May pickup, and how dealership support helped with taxes, registration, and maintenance. Along the way, she highlights useful questions about pricing, warranties, insurance, and the ongoing costs of keeping a car on the road.
Taxes in Costa Rica: A Friendly Guide to the Basics
From foreign pensions to property ownership and renting out a casita, taxes in Costa Rica raise different questions for every household. This friendly guide introduces the basics of income tax, property tax, and IVA, with practical examples for families at Ecovilla San Mateo. Understanding how these pieces fit together can make your next conversation with an accountant clearer and a little less daunting.
Individuality, Vulnerability, and the Meaning of Community
Individual freedom draws many of us to ecovillage life, but what turns a collection of independent people into a community? Drawing on Simone Weil’s ethics of attention, this reflection explores how recognizing our shared vulnerability can deepen belonging without diminishing individuality. At Ecovilla San Mateo, the everyday practice of noticing and responding to one another’s needs may be what allows both freedom and community to flourish.
The Cost of Sharing Our Village
Should owners who rent their homes contribute an additional share of rental income toward maintaining Ecovilla San Mateo? In this article we explore the arguments for rental fees, questions of fairness, and the potential costs for owners and neighbors alike. With the village still taking shape, we make the case for a two-to-four-year pause to gather evidence before introducing new financial obligations.
Making Costa Rica Home: A Visa and Residency Guide for ESM Families
Moving to Costa Rica means understanding the immigration options available to you and your family, alongside planning for a home and a new way of life. This guide explores tourist stays, Pensionado, Rentista, Investor, and Digital Nomad programs, covering eligibility, costs, limitations, and how family members qualify. For families settling at Ecovilla San Mateo, it also offers guidance on when to apply and whether hiring an immigration attorney makes sense.
Health Alert – U.S. Embassy San José, Costa Rica (October 23, 2026)
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health is investigating a Salmonella outbreak affecting employees at Hospital CIMA in Escazú, with 66 suspected cases, two laboratory-confirmed infections, and two hospitalizations reported as of October 21, 2026. The source of contamination remains unknown, and the U.S. Embassy has advised its personnel to consider alternative medical facilities until the outbreak is resolved. Residents are encouraged to practice good hygiene, follow safe food-handling practices, and seek medical attention for severe or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.
Growing a Different Future: Why Our Food Forests Matter
Food forests offer a way to grow food while building a healthier relationship with the land. At Ecovilla San Mateo, we are creating a living ecosystem that supports biodiversity, restores soil health, strengthens food security, and connects our community with nature. By planting and caring for these forests, we are investing in a healthier, more resilient future.
What the Rain Reveals
“Water always wins. Our job is to give it a safe way through.” As the rains return to Ecovilla San Mateo, a practical look at planning for water from the roof to the ground, and why a good drainage plan considers our neighbors downhill too.
The Freedom We Came Here to Find: Building an Economy in Service of Life Without Recreating the Culture We Left Behind
Many of us came to Ecovilla San Mateo seeking more time, deeper relationships, and freedom from the pressure to constantly produce. Yet sustaining that dream can draw us back into the economic demands we hoped to leave behind. As we build an economy in service of life, how do we ensure that it protects our freedom rather than creates new dependencies? The answer begins with defining the life we want—and preserving the freedom to simply live.
When My Vision Went Dark: Emergency Eye Surgery in Costa Rica
When darkness obscured three-quarters of the vision in my right eye, an ordinary Friday became a race to save my sight. Within hours, two specialists coordinated my care and arranged emergency retinal surgery in Costa Rica. Alongside the urgency, I experienced kindness, professionalism, and personal attention at every step. I’m still healing, but I can now see light and movement where there was once only darkness.
Puntarenas: The Port That Opened Costa Rica to the World
"Before it became a place to spend a Sunday, Puntarenas was a place where the country's future passed through, one shipment, one cart, and eventually one train at a time." From coffee carts and dockworkers to the Pacific railway and today's marine park, this look at El Puerto invites us to notice the history beneath the sea breeze on our next family outing.
Crime in Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s reputation for peace faces growing pressure from organized crime and drug trafficking.
Dollar Nears ₡450: What It Means for Residents
The dollar has slipped back toward ₡450, reducing how many colones residents receive when exchanging dollars.
Machuca Valley: Building an Economy in Service of Life
Reprinted with the authors' permission, this essay opens a valley-wide conversation about how families in Machuca can build livelihoods here without choosing between purpose and stability. "Our economy, then, is not the end goal. It is infrastructure in service of a fulfilling life." Drawing on lessons from Mondragón and Preston, it asks what becomes possible when a territory organizes its economy around the life it wants to sustain.
Here Is How I Can Help
“The next time we find ourselves saying, ‘The board should do something about that,’ perhaps we can add, ‘Here is how I can help.’” A reflection on how good ideas become real projects in a growing village, and the many ways neighbors can pitch in, from wherever they are.
A Few Suitcases and a New Definition of Enough
"There is something wonderfully clarifying about discovering how little you need to get through a good day." Moving to Ecovilla San Mateo with only a few suitcases turns minimalism into a practical exercise. This piece offers questions to ask before packing, a three-trip approach to building a starter household, and a checklist of what may need clearance at Costa Rican customs.
When the Construction Quieted, We Heard the Birds
When the tools went quiet one weekend, a toucan, a slaty-tailed trogon, and a pair of likely ospreys turned out to have been our neighbors all along. "I suspect much of this activity had been happening all along, while we were listening to saws and watching deliveries."
After the Cut: What Should We Do With All Those Branches?
A pile of branches doesn't have to be a problem waiting to happen. In the next installment of our tree-care series, Claudia explains how to turn pruning debris into mulch, garden material, habitat, and seasoned firewood while keeping snakes and scorpions away from the house. "The goal is not simply to make the branches disappear. It is to use them wisely while protecting our homes, neighbors, wildlife, and community."
Before You Cut: Helping Our Trees Grow Safely
“With the right advice, tree trimming does not have to mean losing the trees we value.” When branches began scraping her brand-new roof, Claudia set out to learn the difference between pruning, pollarding, coppicing, and topping, and why the right cut matters. Her practical guide covers what to ask before you start, when to call a professional, and why a quick chat with Warner should come first.
From the Vivero to the Front Door: Landscaping That Makes Our Homes Less Welcoming to Critters
Before you head to the Vivero looking for the one plant that keeps scorpions, snakes, and mosquitoes away, Here is some practical advice. "The best defense is rarely one special plant." It is a thoughtful landscape around the house: less standing water, fewer hiding places, and a clear view of what's close to your door.