Hey, I am michael alan from Travel Costa Rica NOW. I have lived in La Fortuna Costa Rica for 17 years. Travel Costa Rica NOW is a travel agency. We make videos about living and traveling in Costa Rica. As of 2023 we have made almost 800 videos. We try to share our experiences and perspective so folks can make good decisions when they either vacation in Costa Rica or decide to actually live in Costa Rica. Over the years, we have made videos about- travel tips, expat interview videos, medical/dental tourism in Costa Rica videos, restaurant and hotel review videos and a lot of adventure type videos like, rafting, waterfall rappelling, trekking, ziplining, horseback riding, ATV's and many many more. We hope folks find our videos helpful and informative.
Where is pablo getting those numbers?, i am dominican married to a tica,i shipped 4 cars on different times to CR, just to ship the car to CR from florida i haven't pay no more than $1,500 + costa rica taxes,it varies on the car,is true,is a pain in the neck,but is not that difficult, just talk to an agencia aduanal,they will tell you,once you get the car to the shipper it will take like 30 to 45 days for you to be driving, recommendation, just ship japanese cars
We stayed in El Castillo for a week in december 2021. We loved it. We ate at Ventanita Cafe and it was very good. Do they still have all the motorcycles in the dining room? We also had great breakfasts at La Mesa de Mama and a great dinner at Fusion Grill. We loved walking around as there are great vistas because of the hills.
Sorry, but this company said it cared and was the best way to go do avoid all the added fees of named rentaL COMPANIES. Said I would cost $1000. for 10 days. I got a car for 10 days with Budget, though Expedia. No added fees, except the manditory insurance I knew about. Quick in and Out. 7 Passenger Toyota Rush, $729.
Great video. Perfect pad. Did your videos bring in all the tourism to La Fortuna? Inflation creep will likely make CR out of mu budget when i retire in 12 yrs.
I was actually considering El Castillo, Nuevo Arenal and other areas around the lake until I realized that it far from the hospital. My mom will be retiring soon and as she has some pre-existing conditions, I have to consider access to medical care. For that reason, we decided to go the opposite direction to get closer to Ciudad Quesada. We can still be close to La Fortuna, which is a place that we love, but we don't have to deal with all the tourists and can have peace of mind near the major medical facilities.
Great short video sir! Fantastic seeing these "less-traveled" locations. Good food and great scenery sounds like a pretty magical combination. As always thank you for the great content. I hope your back pain improves soon, it's never fun to deal with!
Hi Mike, last year I watched your video of La Ventanita, in November I was there, I loved the food and even more so the prices, thank you for making videos like that. I would be interested in knowing the Airbnb prices, thank you. I will be there in October.
I love seeing videos of El Castillo . My little slice of heaven is just up the road from where you are. I watched them build that air bnb and they did a suburb job. It’s beautiful and you can hear the river from that back deck. And all the restaurants in El Castillo are delicious. Thanks for the video. I can’t wait to get back to Rl Castillo this winter. I hope your back feels better soon.
I love how thorough this video is! Annika really knows her stuff, and it's clear that she's passionate about helping travelers make the most of their time in Costa Rica.
Great video! As a Tico, it's wonderful to see someone as knowledgeable as Annika sharing such useful tips about my beautiful Costa Rica. This kind of content really helps travelers make the most of their visit. Pura vida!
Thanks for another practical and helpful video! Where we live in Heredia/Central Valley, we are blessed with easy bus access to Heredia, San Jose, Sarapiqui, Volcan Poas and other locations. Uber is convenient and inexpensive, too. We are glad to not need a car in Costa Rica.
Good stuff. 2 thoughts...Do they still waive car import fees if you own property over a certain dollar amount applying for residency and if you ship a new car with warranties, does CR comply or lets say Toyota allow/comply?
Good information to know Michael, Allie. I witnessed a car and a motorcycle crash in San Jose at a very busy time of day. The police did absolutely nothing to clear the accident or help, they stopped briefly and kept moving. I asked the employee at the dentist's office, why did the police do nothing and how is this handled through insurance, and he told me it's not their responsibility and most people carry no car insurance. This to me is a losing situation for any vehicle owner. What would car insurance cost there and is it worth buying? Thanks.
Great video Micheal! I went to Manuel Antonio last year for 2 days. I was visiting CR for 3 1/2 months, but Manuel Antonio isn't what it used to be, it was over crowded, the beach looked dirty, the water. I don't know what happened, it's not what it used to be. We kept driving to play ballena and stayed there for several days
I contacted Jairo for a quote about a car rental gave him my details he replied once and then no contact idk what happened so I went with another company and now I’m here in Costa Rica pura vida!!!😂
As an African American male, I find it insulting to be living black anywhere in the world. There are no such people as black people because the term is a misnomer. Believing there are such people on earth is a result of the effectiveness of brainwashing and stupidity. Being black is whack! There is a difference between black people and African Americans, they are not the same.
Great video. People are so easily taken advantage of. Not just in Costa Rica, but everywhere. You have to do you due diligence when making a purchase. Investigate and ask questions.!
Purdy Motors is the only dealership in CR that is authorized to sell new Toyotas. Anybody else claiming to sell new Toyota is reseller. Purdy's prices are set by Toyota. On average, they are 10-20% higher than in US. Indeed, used cars are about twice as expensive than in US because in CR they don't depreciate as rapidly.