Get me out of here
-
Widowed a year ago February. Liberal, non-religious Yankee in the conservative Bible Belt of Northern Georgia (long story). Love my log home on a creek, but I fear America has taken the road to no return. I have a solid retirement income, own my home outright, and have a moderate savings. I'm interested in either Mexico or Costa Rica at present. I'm hesitant to consider Europe or Asia as it would be a tougher return to visit aging siblings and a handful of friends in the U.S.
-
Hello.
I suggest spending a month and staying in each of the places to really get a feel for them and check out the vibe for yourself. I recently visited Atenas and Grecia in the Central Valley and you might want to check them out if being close to health is necessary.
The best healthcare is in the Central Valley, so keep that in mind. The best equipped hostpitals and most specialists are there. Often times, a specialist will visit a clinic in Guanacaste once a month. So it isn't as conveninet.
An important factor to consider is the weather. What temperatures do you prefer? It rains everywhere, yet some places have more rain than others.
The beaches
Hot and humid, and I love them!
Guanacaste is the driest part of Costa Rica. The Central Pacific receives more rain.Lake Arenal
Cooler (temperature) than the beach.
-Nuevo Arenal gets about 50% more rain than Tronadora, located just across the lake.
-Tronadora is much windier.
-La Fortuna and the surrounding towns like Chachagua are drier and warmer.The Central Valley
Cooler temperatures - especially from the variety of elevations available.
I always recommmend reaching out to FB groups and asking questions. I use those groups to learn about differnt areas and connect with new people all of the time. FB groups are very active here and worth using as a resource.These FB pages might be a good start:
Arenal
https://www.facebook.com/groups/712758082803982
https://www.facebook.com/groups/270122543035935
Guanacaste
https://www.facebook.com/groups/297720547030161
https://www.facebook.com/groups/3442610169117243
Jaco
https://www.facebook.com/groups/290260966853843
https://www.facebook.com/groups/711552235579574There are lots of expat groups too:
search 'Expats in... '
You can find expat meetups in FB groups. For example, this group posts about a women's meetup that would be a great place to get insider info. https://www.facebook.com/groups/663758784658197Many people find staying in an Airbnb a good way to check out a community, more so than a hotel.
I talked with Nick when in Nuevo Arenal and he rent out an Airbnb.
https://internationalliving.com/from-deaths-door-to-thriving-in-lake-arenal-costa-rica/ (https://www.airbnb.ie/rooms/40036748?source_impression_id=p3_1719933875_P3ic3CyJiPWB-oYF)Are you coming to Costa Rica in May for the IL conference? It's a great time to get info and learn more.
Good luck on your travels. Let me know if you have any more questions.
-Bekah, IL Costa Rica Correspondent
-
Hola from Mexico,
Do you have an idea of where in Mexico you would prefer? It's a very large country with over 40 places we recommend so there is a perfect place, climate, community for everyone.
If you scroll to the bottom of the Mexico page on the site - https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/
you will see them all listed. Each location has it's own report so you can easily compare top destinations you have in mind.
If you like beaches - Baja California Sur, Cabo San Lucas, and Puerto Vallarta on the west coast are popular. One the east coast the whole Riviera Maya region is popular - Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum.
If you like mountains and cooler temperatures, then the central highlands - San Miguel de Allende, Lake Chapala, Gueretaro, or Guanajuato are also popular.
All of these locations have cheap flights back to the US with most major airlines so you can use your points. I've seen flights from Dallas to Merida for as low as $39 with Viva Aerobus so be sure to use SkyScanner when looking at flights and they will give you the best deals.
Cost of living is about a half to a third depending on your lifestyle, and in every location there are Facebook group so as Bekah suggested with Costa Rica, just search for Expats in ... and you'll find a few groups.
I'm a single lady and have lived in the Riviera Maya for eight years, I love it and always feel safe. If you are interested in my little corner of Mexico please feel free to reach out and email me with specific questions - bwoodhouse@internationalliving.com.
Hope this all. helps,
Warmest Regards,
Bel. -
I have recently spent time in both Costa Rica and Mexico looking for my Not-in-America home. I love them both, but they are different, and there are so many variables. I am landing in Mexico, but Costa Rica is fine as well. I agree with the other comments, that it would be good to take a long vacation in both before you decide.
Happy hunting
Annabella