BEST LIFE
DIGITAL NOMADS OF COSTA RICA
Digital nomads are turning a dream holiday into their dream life.
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
BEST LIFE
DIGITAL NOMADS OF COSTA RICA
Digital nomads are turning a dream holiday into their dream life.
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
Costa Rica's ethos is living simply.
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The life coach
After spending an entire holiday in her bikini, hanging out in pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean, Mimi Boyer was smitten with Costa Rica. So smitten in fact, that only days into her second visit she knew she had to stay, providing the catalyst for her to leave her Canadian home, and husband.
“I swear, the moment I landed in San José I could already feel like this was going to be a transformational trip. I drove to Nosara. It was the rainy season, but it was so lush and green and just gorgeous there and, after the first week of the two-week vacation, I was like, ‘I don't think I'm going back’.”
Life coach Mimi Boyer.
Manuel Antonio beach.
Costa Rica can have that impact on people. Wedged between Nicaragua and Panama, with the Caribbean Sea to its east and the Pacific Ocean to its west, this Central American country fits a lot into its comparatively small area, including about five per cent of the planet’s biodiversity. With more than a quarter of the country protected by conservation areas, it’s a nature-lover’s dream. Think beaches, volcanos, rainforests and jungles, plus one the world’s Blue Zones — areas noted for being home to the longest lived people on Earth. Costa Rica’s unofficial motto is Pura Vida, which roughly translate to pure or simple life, and with the country recently joining the ranks of those offering digital nomad visas, it’s now much easier for those who fall in love with its beauty and chilled vibe, to make it more than a holiday destination.
Nature and adventure lovers are spoilt for choice.
Eighteen months on, Mimi is engaged to a local, has an apartment in the capital, San José, and uses a coworking space as the office base for her online life coaching business. “That’s where I go to work and meet the community, and host and attend events. I also have another beach home in Nosara. So, for half of the week I'll be more in play mode … I’ll rent a quad bike and go on a crazy quad adventure and go swimming in the ocean.”
Costa Rican's are brought up with the motto Pura Vida, meaning 'pure life'.
Crystal clear waters are found off both coasts.
The online marketers
Others have been similarly smitten by Costa Rica. Kacy Singh and her husband Cam O’Brien have no plans to return to their old life in Canada either. The couple have created an online marketing business, among other ventures, to enable them to enjoy a digital nomad lifestyle in the Central American country. After an initial three-month stint on its Caribbean coast, they have now made the jungle their home in the mountains on the outskirts of San José. Kacy and Cam felt Costa Rica aligned with their values and enabled them to be surrounded by nature whilst having great amenities. “We are essentially in the middle of nowhere, but we have fibre optic internet, and Uber and Uber Eats come to our doorstep, so it’s like we can have it all.”
Online marketers Cam O'Brien and Kacy Singh.
Ziplining through Monteverde Cloud Forest.
Colourful toucans.
Fresh produce is everywhere in Costa Rica.
Kacy says she can already feel the benefits of eating fresh, local food on her health. “My body just feels so much happier. We literally picked fruit off the trees at the farm the other day. I love how good I feel.”
The film consultant
Caroline Galipeau was working at the UN in Germany before moving to Samara, a coastal town on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, where she now runs an online consulting business that assists emerging film producers. Caroline works mainly from home but can book a spot at a coworking space in town when she needs to. It offers a fast internet connection and reliable power – something that’s not always available in the area.
Online consultant, Caroline Galipeau.
“I feel it's easier here to have a healthy balance between living and working. I don't have regrets.”
— Caroline Galipeau
Arenal volcano is one of Costa Rica’s drawcards.
Not that her life revolves around work — she loves waking to the sound of a howler monkey throwing a mango pip on her roof and schedules her meetings according to the tides to ensure she doesn’t miss out on surfing the best waves. “I wanted to live on the beach. I wanted to surf every day. I wanted to kind of get this out of my system; you know, stop saying it and just do it.”
Monkeys can be your neighbours in Costa Rica.
Surfing at Avellanas beach.
Initially, Caroline thought she’d head back to Europe after a year but, given the success of her digital career, and the passion she has developed for her life, she now plans to stay. “I feel it's easier here to have a healthy balance between living and working. I don't have regrets.”
Arenal volcano hotsprings.
Costa Rica digital nomad tips:
- Ensure you have financially sustainable remote work.
- Stay away from tourist areas if you want to keep your costs low.
- Check the local internet coverage as it varies widely.
- Coworking spaces can provide a community as well as facilities.
- Learn Spanish so you can engage with locals.