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...
Costa Rica is one of those places where a five-star sunset can feel guaranteed—but a five-star rating absolutely is not. For hotels, tours, restaurants, shuttles, and experiences, online reviews aren’t a “nice extra”. They’re often the deciding factor between a full...
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...
(and Now Buzzing with Bees, Beans, and Global Bragging Rights) Let’s rewind to 1897, when a man named Jacinto Avila Araya decided to climb a hill in Palmares so steep even the local goats looked up and said, “Hard pass.” After dragging himself up from the...
Rohrmoser: from coffee rows to city streets, and the family name that never left Rohrmoser feels like a neighbourhood that decided—quietly, stubbornly—to keep its cool while the rest of San José got louder. You notice it in the shade first. Mature trees make their own...
The #1 appeal of Costa Rica is the diversity of the regions, home opportunities, and adventures to experience. You can find a variety of resources, like Howler Media, to inform yourself of the vast array of choices. I planned my first vacation in 12 years and I was...
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 Terry Carlile Sometimes lost in the midst of the beauty of Costa Rica… overlooked by some due to denial… and brushed over because they do not fit our “paradise” narrative… the children of Costa Rica. The condition of the child population in Costa Rica reveals a mix...
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...
Expat Traditional Holiday Meals Go Tico? Expats can beautifully combine traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas foods with Costa Rican influences by blending familiar holiday dishes with local ingredients and flavors. For Thanksgiving, incorporating Costa Rican staples...
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...