Costa Rica, the land of rice and beans, capuchin monkeys and where everyone says pura vida.
We fell in love with the Tico way of life after travelling and house sitting in Costa Rica. From the misty volcanoes of Poas and the deep jungle of Manuel Antonio, to the beach vibes of Puerto Viejo and the thousands of turtles nesting on Ostional, Costa Rica is a land of natural wonder.
A woman was running wildly down the beach beating a big plastic bottle with a driftwood stick. We stared at her in dismay. The fierce yet slender woman swung the stick around her head like a lasso, and in a frenzy, the…
All we had experienced of Costa Rica’s capital city was dark streets lined with junkies inside cardboard boxes, barbed wire and broken glass, lentejas and rice dinners in the local supermarket canteen, and a hostel to lay our heads in. Suffice…
We had an inkling that Quepos would be an ideal house sitting location for travellers, and it turns out we were right. During our first house sit in Costa Rica, we were living well for less up in a small…
I have quite an affinity with spice. Ginger, turmeric, chilli, pepper, cinnamon, vanilla, I love them all. When it comes to food, people often say that I over spice, but I just can’t get enough of the distinct flavours and the…
Costa Rica’s wildlife is undeniably incredible. The country has one of the highest densities of biodiversity on the planet, which means that you can see all kinds of monkeys, lizards, parrots and even jaguars if you know where to look. One of…
With the rising popularity of eco-travel, it’s hard not to question what accommodation is truly an environmentally-friendly eco-lodge as opposed to those who label themselves as ‘eco’ because it’s fashionable. When we were researching our travels in Costa Rica, our…
![How Much Does It Cost to Travel Costa Rica on a Budget? [Infographic]](https://charlieontravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Manuel-Antonio-backpackers-costa-rica-travel-budget-Charlie-on-Travel.jpg)
Costa Rica is not a cheap country to travel, although it is possible to travel Costa Rica on a budget. We’ve kept our travel budget really low here in Costa Rica thanks to house sitting, but during our travel breaks we have to…
We stood on the edge of the Sierpe River. A small motorboat appeared in the distance. It pulled into a rickety wooden dock.
We’ve been living well for less in Costa Rica, house sitting in the mountains surrounding San Jose. One of the best things about this house sit has been the animals: 10 dogs and a cat. It sure is a lot of…
When we walked into Hacienda Baru, we didn’t know that we would soon be climbing to the treetops of the Costa Rican rainforest.