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.

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.

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.

"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.

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."

“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.

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.

If you're building on a slope in ESM (and most of us are), your retaining wall might be the single most important structure on your lot — and water, not the material, is what usually takes one down. We dug into wall types, drainage, and what to check before signing a contractor.

Step outside almost anywhere in San Mateo and within a few minutes you'll spot one — hanging from a belt loop, catching sunlight mid-swing through roadside grass. In this week's feature, we dig into why the machete became Costa Rica's one indispensable tool, plus a neighbor's guide to choosing the right blade, keeping it sharp and rust-free in our humid climate, and handling it safely. Pura vida, and swing safely out there.

The roof isn't a detail you finish the house with — it's the decision the whole house depends on — we just made ours. We ranked seven roofing options from cheapest to priciest and rated each one for how well it actually holds up here, from bargain zinc lámina to premium insulated panels, ending with one clear recommendation for most builds.

Thinking about a chainsaw for the property? Before you buy, it's worth knowing the real trade-offs between gas and battery, what size actually belongs in your shed — and the permit question Costa Rica's forest law raises that most newcomers never see coming. Our latest deep dive walks through all of it, plus the safety habits and sharpening routine that keep you (and your trees) in one piece.