As you walk through Zarcero’s central park, Don Evangelista Blanco Brenes looks like any ordinary gardener trimming the hedges. That is, until you get a glimpse of his striking blue eyes. Then you know he’s special. This must be the man behind the jardín. Situated in the mountains roughly 80km from San Jose, the town…

When you see a flurry of workers setting up a transportable bullring, you know the fiestas are rolling into town – and with them, come the street food vendors. Here are some of the finger-licking street food options you can expect to find people selling out of carts; usually somewhere in between the bullring and…

Horseback ride on the beach – Book a relaxing horseback ride down Conchal beach with your amor. If horseback riding isn’t your thing, a beach stroll with both feet on the ground is just as romantic. Fancy Dinner – Take your sweetheart out for a fancy dinner at a beachside restaurant, like Pangas or Langosta…

The protected waters surrounding Cocos Island, located 340 miles off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, are home to more than nine shark species — of which zero want to eat you. Sharks here are completely uninterested in snacking on scuba divers with big clunky tanks. Instead, they much prefer to eat fish, rays, turtles,…

HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain Hunt show to feature Playa Junquillal by Becky Clower Beachfront Bargain Hunt has finally gone international and has set its sights on Costa Rica and the story of our clients, Dan and Kara, who are looking to escape their fast-paced lives in Denver, Colorado, for permanent relaxation in Guanacaste. As one of…

Writing about where to specifically celebrate New Year’s Eve in Costa Rica is a bit of a challenge – because on December 31st the entire country basically turns into one giant party. You can pretty much just walk outside and go anywhere to find something fun to do – street vendors, music and crowds of…

White foam flakes blast out of the power planer in all directions, coating everything in the workshop in artificial snow. It’s just a few weeks before Christmas, and celebrity board shaper Robert August is like a skinny Santa – but cranking out surfboards instead of toys. At 68 years young, this prolific board shaper has…

Historically turkeys have been obscenely expensive in Costa Rica (we’re talking up to $70-150 USD or more for a single bird), but the past few years prices seem to have gone down a bit (to about $50-60 a bird). This year, Automercado is selling 6.5-7 kilo turkeys for 3,795 colones per kilo (starting at about…

A Warm Greeting from our family to yours:   During 2015 Mar Vista blossomed into a vibrant and growing community. We now have twenty homes with five additional homes currently under construction and several more scheduled to break ground within the year. The excitement and positive energy is palpable. We are very pleased to welcome…