The Village Archive.
Explore all our stories, updates, and perspectives from the life at ESM.
Still a Place to Rest: San Mateo at the Crossroads
Long before motorcycles lined up along the old Ruta 3, oxcarts hauling coffee to Puntarenas stopped in San Mateo to rest for the night. "Hospitality isn't new to San Mateo. It's the town's founding business." A look at our town's history as a crossroads, and how it can stay a place worth stopping in as it grows.
Small Skin Infection, Big Community Concern: What Parents Should Know About Impetigo, Staph, and Strep
"We never imagined that what looked like ordinary bug bites on our son were actually impetigo." This article shares how a family missed the early signs of this common, highly contagious skin infection, and offers practical guidance to help parents spot it early, get the right care, and keep it from spreading through homes and classrooms.
Former Simón Bolívar Zoo Opens for a Free International Coffee Day
Costa Rica’s Former Simón Bolívar Zoo Opens for Coffee Day.
Look Up, Not Just Down: Living With the Eyelash Viper
San Mateo knows to watch its feet for the terciopelo — but the eyelash viper plays by opposite rules. This small, strikingly colorful pit viper lives almost entirely off the ground, in vines, palm fronds, and low branches, which means the safety habits that matter here are about hands and eye height, not footwear. Shy, rarely dangerous with treatment, and easy to coexist with once you know where it likes to rest.
Hepatitis A in Costa Rica: Awareness, Not Alarm
With hepatitis A cases in Costa Rica more than doubling this year, this article offers a calm, practical look at how the virus spreads, what symptoms to watch for, and the simple habits that help us protect our families and neighbors. "Natural comfort measures and medical care do not have to be opposing choices."
Holding the Hill: Why Your Retaining Wall Matters as Much as Your House
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.
In Good Company: Costa Rica's Artists and Our New Art Workshop
Our new weekly art workshop has kids and parents alike rediscovering the joy of making something with no rules and no grade. To celebrate, we're meeting the Costa Rican artists who came before us, from the painters of the campo to the oxcart makers of Sarchí and the mask carvers of Boruca. Their stories, plus a few ideas to borrow for our own tables, remind us we're in good company.
Three Kinds of Truth & the Common Ground Between Us
"We do not have to believe the same things to care for the same place." In the latest installment of our ongoing conversation about life in a village of many perspectives, In this article, Claudia breaks down personal, political and objective truth, and makes the case for why telling them apart matters more than ever.
Border Runs from Costa Rica: What You Need to Know
"Crossing the border does not automatically 'renew' a tourist stay.” This latest guide walks through what a border run actually requires: the right documents, the right crossing, and enough buffer time before your stay runs out.
When the Pacific Turns Rainy, Head to the Caribbean
October may be Costa Rica's wettest month on the Pacific side, but the Caribbean coast is often having one of its best stretches of the year. This week's piece breaks down the country's two rainfall patterns and makes the case for a quick trip to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, from the Cahuita coastal trail to a cacao tour, next time the rain settles in over San Mateo.
Where Wood Becomes Art: Exploring the Furniture Makers of Grecia and Sarchí
In the hills of Alajuela, generations of craftspeople have turned local wood into furniture, art, and a lasting expression of Costa Rican identity. Around Grecia and Sarchí, small workshops carry on techniques passed down through families — turning out dining tables, rocking chairs, and cabinets rather than mass-produced pieces. For Ecovilla San Mateo residents furnishing a new home, it's a chance to meet the hands behind the craft, not just shop for it.
Curiosity With a Compass: The Art of Critical Thinking
When a hundred different perspectives share one village, information travels fast — and so do misunderstandings. In this piece, Claudia offers ten simple habits for pausing, questioning, and tracing a story back to its source before passing it along. It's a gentle reminder that staying curious is kinder, and more useful, than being certain.
Homeopathy: A Small Remedy with a Place in My Family’s Story
From a German pharmacy to a Rancho potluck gone wrong with ants, one neighbor's journey with homeopathy has become a quiet fixture of family life at Ecovilla San Mateo. In this personal reflection, Staff Writer Claudia shares what led her from skepticism to keeping arnica and other remedies close at hand—and offers a clear-eyed look at what homeopathy can and can't do.
The Machete: One Blade, a Hundred Jobs
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.
Atenas: Is the Weather Really Perfect?
Everyone repeats the claim that National Geographic once named Atenas the town with the best climate in the world — but tracking down the actual source proves surprisingly hard. This week's feature digs into the legend, the coffee-route history behind La Y Griega's ox-cart monument, and why so many San Mateo neighbors still make the 30-45 minute trip up the hill.
Salt, Sun, and a Little Pool Chemistry
Saltwater pools may feel gentler, but they still rely on chlorine. Learn how salt, electricity, pH and regular testing work together to keep community pool water clean, comfortable and safe.
September 15: Honoring the Country We Call Home
English:
Each September, a flame carrying the story of Central American independence passes hand to hand through San Mateo and Orotina, and this year Real World School students are joining the relay. Part of our ongoing coverage of local traditions and the community's place within them.
En Español:
Cada septiembre, una llama que lleva consigo la historia de la independencia centroamericana pasa de mano en mano por San Mateo y Orotina, y este año los estudiantes de Real World School se unen al recorrido. Parte de nuestra cobertura continua de las tradiciones locales y el lugar de la comunidad dentro de ellas.
Living With the Terciopelo: What Keeps Us Safe
Costa Rica's most common venomous snake isn't looking for us — but our long grass, our rat problem, and a few daily habits decide how often we cross paths. This week's feature covers what actually keeps the terciopelo away from the house (hint: it's not the plants you think), and the calm, no-nonsense steps to take if the worst happens.
San Mateo: The Saint Behind Our Town's Name
Every September, the name San Mateo takes on special meaning here. It connects our corner of Costa Rica to a story nearly two thousand years old, about someone who walked away from a familiar life to build a different one. A look at the saint behind our town's name, and why the story might feel more familiar to those of us in the ecovilla than we'd expect.
Dengue Alert in Costa Rica: A Small Mosquito Deserves Our Attention
A recent CDC health alert has flagged higher-than-expected dengue activity in Costa Rica — not a reason for alarm, but a good nudge to check our own lots. At Ecovilla San Mateo, where gardens and construction sites collect plenty of stray puddles, the fix starts with a ten-minute weekly walk around the property to empty anything holding standing water.