Up Front Featured Articles
Wow…how do we decide what to feature from a country with so much to offer? You can review all our cover stories by the photos on the front covers of Howler Magazine. You’ll soon see the diversity as we highlight1 one particular story to be “up front.”
Editorials
We are thrilled to share our thoughts in editorials about Costa Rica! This enchanting country, brimming with biodiversity and natural wonders, never fails to captivate our imagination. Our own personal experiences create our editorials. Daily we immerse ourselves in what is going on in our beautiful country. Sometimes it’s about shedding light on some of the most pressing issues faced by the nation, these editorials serve as a rallying cry for all who wish to protect and preserve the unparalleled beauty of
Costa Rica. As we delve into each editorial, you’ll discover a variety of topics. At Howler, we pursue to share the positive attributes, but we do not ignore some of the not-so-positive attitudes and trends we experience. – John Quam, Owner, Editor in Chief
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My First Vacation in 12 Years
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...
Pay in Dollars, Colones or Plastic? The Currency Trap Tourists Are Walking Into in Costa Rica
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...
When Enforcement Turns Into Blowback: Why Citizens of the USA Abroad Can Get Hit First
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...
The Children of Costa Rica
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...
Dear USA: You Don’t Own the Word ‘America
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...
Celebrating the Dining Culture of Costa Rica
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...
Circles that Clarify: Friends, Small Mercies and the Courage to Be Grateful
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 Economic Engine: The 10 Industries Driving Growth
Costa Rica wears many hats beautifully—adventure playground, cultural crossroads, wildlife sanctuary, foodie haven, real-estate hotspot and a serious place to do business. From Pacific surf towns to San José's tech corridors, the country blends conservation with...
Why Standing Out Is Everything When You Invest in Costa Rica
Costa Rica blends jungle adventures, soulful culture, laid-back entertainment, world-class wildlife, dynamic real estate, fast-growing business hubs, and foodie scenes from sodas to chef-led tasting menus. In a market this lively, being different is not a...
Five Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Expat Customers in Costa Rica (And How to Win Them Back)
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...
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Global Momentum, Costa Rican Leadership, and Your Next Step
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:...
Beyondsoft: Why Costa Rica
Costa Rica has a strong talent pool in many areas of Technology, who are effectively bilingual, which matters when you're supporting U.S. clients who need help across different time zones. As a global consulting company, this is very important for Beyondsoft. People...
Bayer: Why Costa Rica?
Bayer’s Footprint in Costa Rica Since launching operations in Costa Rica on July 1, 1978, Bayer has expanded its presence across multiple sectors. Today, the company operates through three core divisions—Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health, and Crop Science—bringing...
Why We Invested Our Business In Costa Rica
Here are three businesses that chose Costa Rica Costa Rica isn’t just beautiful—it’s a smart place to build. In these three founder stories, Bill and Nancy Ripley explain how Horizon Pacific in Tamarindo grew into a values-led property management company employing...
What makes Your business Different
How to Differentiate Your Business in Costa Rica's Competitive Market Why is Making Your Business Different a Major Consideration? Making a business different than all others is a major consideration when investing in Costa Rica because of the competitive market...
Why We Keep Publishing Howler Magazine After 29 Years
Costa Rica is a land where jungle mountains meet rolling surf, where scarlet macaws glide across the sky, and where "Pura Vida" is more than a phrase—it's a way of life. Adventures abound, from white-water rafting to volcano hiking; culture thrives in music,...
Tropical Brews: Costa Rica’s Craft Beer Infusion with Passionfruit, Guava, and Pineapple
In Costa Rica, the craft beer revolution isn’t just about hops and barley—it’s about bottling the country’s vibrant landscapes into every pour. While classic IPAs, pale ales, and wheat beers are gaining loyal followings, local brewers are taking things a step further...
Came for the Sloths, Stayed for the Chaos: When Costa Rica Becomes Home and Your Hometown Doesn’t Feel Like Yours
Why do so many people dream of Costa Rica? People come to Costa Rica chasing beauty, wildlife, and the mythical ease of “Pura Vida.” Before I ever boarded a plane to Costa Rica, the country existed in my imagination as a place of endless green. It was sloths in trees,...
Why Costa Rica Is a Global Hotspot for Sportfishing and Sustainability
When most people picture Costa Rica, they think of misty volcanoes, chirping toucans, and sloths in the treetops. But if you ask any angler worth their salt, they’ll tell you the real Costa Rica magic happens offshore, where the ocean boils with life, and the thrill...
The F Word’s Rise from Taboo to Triumph: How the Most Notorious Word in English Took Over Our Daily Lives
There was a time—not too far in the past—when uttering the F word would’ve gotten you kicked out of class, scolded at the dinner table, or labeled a degenerate. It was the linguistic equivalent of chewing with your mouth open in church. Now? It’s in bestselling books,...
Erupting Earth – 2025’s Fiery Wake-Up Call: Costa Rica and the World’s Most Active Volcanoes
🌍 A Planet Built on Fire Beneath our feet, the Earth never sleeps. From the steaming jungles of Central America to the icy plains of Kamchatka, volcanoes are constantly shifting, groaning, and—when they’ve had enough—exploding in spectacular displays of raw energy....