A local publication matters because it gives a community a voice, a memory and a place to see itself reflected. In a small country, that role becomes even more important. Stories can easily be overlooked when the world only sees the beaches, the tourism brochures and...
There’s a quiet migration happening—and it doesn’t involve refugees, digital nomads, or retirees chasing sunsets. It’s patients. Thousands of them. They’re boarding planes not for vacations, but for surgeries, dental work, and life-altering procedures. And...
Costa Rica has long presented itself to the world as a country defined by civilian democracy, diplomacy and peace. That identity is not just branding. Article 12 of the Constitution outlawed the permanent army, and the country has spent decades building an...
Moving abroad is supposed to be a reset button, not a remote-control extension cord for yesterday’s arguments. And yet, plenty of people who’ve chosen a new life keep pumping political contempt back to their home country — or importing the same “us vs them” energy...
By Terry Carlile Driving in Costa Rica is an adventure worthy of its own chapter in the "Travel and Adventures" section of Howler. The conditions are as unpredictable as a soap opera plot twist, varying with your location, the time of day, and whether or not a herd...
If you’ve lived in or visited Costa Rica for more than a week, you’ve probably heard someone mutter, “El dólar está flojo.” For years, the greenback felt like a super-currency here. Now, with the colón hovering around ₡500 per US$1 and having been much stronger than...
A Citizen of the USA can land in a new country, thinking the hard part is over. Passport stamped. Bag collected. Plans made. Then something changes. The questions get colder. The tone gets sharper. “Why are you here?” stops sounding like a formality and starts...
By John Quam, Editor in Chief Let’s put a positive attitude back where it belongs, in real life, where appointments, lab results, fatigue, and normal routines all collide. A positive attitude is not a cure, and it is not a substitute for treatment. It does not replace...
By John Quam, Editor in Chief When I first moved to Costa Rica almost twelve years ago, I was stopped mid-sentence by something small but world-shifting. I’d casually said I was “American.” A Tico friend smiled and, with no hint of sarcasm, replied, “So am I.” It was...
The year taught me to count blessings the way a surfer counts sets—eyes on the horizon, patient, ready for whatever rolls in. I began in a hospital room listening to rain bead down the window like a slow marimba, measuring progress in hallway laps and spoonfuls of...
Costa Rica’s magic sells itself—adventures in the surf, culture in the plaza, entertainment after sunset, wildlife at every turn, real estate dreams by the beach, business deals over casados, and food that tastes of the tropics. But even the best location can’t...
Costa Rica’s Momentum—and a Clear Plan for Women and Men October’s pink ribbon matters because early detection saves lives. When breast cancer is found at a localised stage, five-year survival is around 100%. Costa Rica offers a practical path from worry to action:...