How to be a Digital Nomad in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

About Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Found in southeastern Puerto Rico, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (or merely Puerto Viejo) is a seaside paradise ideal for the digital nomad trying to find a relaxing way of life. Many individuals flock to the coasts to benefit from the unbelievable browsing chances.

The beaches in the location are merely unrivaled and draw in web surfers from all over the world. A few of the most popular beaches are Punta Uva, Playa Negra, and Playa Chiquita. In addition to browsing, many outside enthusiasts take pleasure in kayaking here, especially in neighboring Manzanillo.

Animal fans delight in Puerto Viejo. The popular Jaguar Rescue Centre is a significant destination, assisting in rescuing and fixing up regional animals. If you head to the borders of town or into the mountains, you might even identify the native howler monkey.

Puerto Viejo is a little seaside town in the Caribbean, Costa Rica, in the province of Limón, and has a mix of Afro-Caribbean descendants, ex-pat Europeans, and native Costa Ricans.

It includes six villages that run along a long flat roadway beside the Caribbean sea, surrounded by lavish green forests.

Puerto Viejo is popular with web surfers, drawn to the popular Salsa Brava waves, and has made Puerto Viejo a hotspot on the browsing circuit. The clear water brings in other tourists, coconut palms, buzzing nightlife, excellent browse, and an easygoing Caribbean environment.

Rastafari culture has a company grip in the town, and lots of Rastas offer precious handcrafted jewelry and other products along the town’s dynamic roadside.

Ladies, digital nomads need to take the normal travel safety measure in Puerto Viejo. Prevent strolling down the main road after dark – there are long stretches of total darkness, and you end up being rather susceptible. Rather, have a regional company call you a taxi during the night.

Likewise, it would help to prevent the beaches after dark unless you are with a big group. The beaches are surrounded by rich jungles, which keep it extremely dark, and the waves muffle all noises.

Burglaries do occur, so keep your prized possessions in the safety offered by your hotel/guesthouse.

As jungles surround Puerto Viejo, you would wish to take preventative measures versus the mosquitoes, tarantulas, and all sorts of bugs and wild animals.

The most regularly dry months are February to May and September to October.

There’s a moderate possibility of cyclones or hurricanes making landfall along the town’s coast. To lessen your threat of remaining in Puerto Viejo throughout a typhoon, prevent taking a trip between June to November.

 

Digital Nomad Visa for Costa Rica

Considering that August 2021, Costa Rica remains in the procedure to release a digital nomad visa. It is not yet offered; however, it will quickly as the Costa Rican President currently signed a law that is indicated to enable immigrants to come to the nation to remain one year, without being taxed on their earnings, to open a checking account in Costa Rica.

The Tourism Minister, Gustavo Segura, pointed out that this law was essential to reviving travelers to the nation in this post-pandemic time.

Many Digital Nomads are going into the nation with a basic 90-day traveler Visa. However, keep in mind that you will require evidence of the nation’s exit to cross the borders.

Costa Rica’s federal government is still dealing with Visa treatments for remote employees. However, to draw digital nomads to the nation, the federal government is dealing with some terrific advantages for all visa holders. To request a digital nomad visa, you will require:

Evidence of stable earnings of a minimum of $3,000 each month.

If you’re taking a trip with your spouse/family, the earnings limit can be integrated into $5,000 monthly.

Medical insurance coverage to cover you throughout your remain in Costa Rica.

Pay a one-time application and processing charge, which has not yet been identified.

Those qualified to get a visa will be enabled to remain in the nation for as much as one year. Among the best advantages is that you will be exempt from paying regional earnings taxes. However, this is still a grey location, and you would most likely be accountable for paying taxes in whichever nation you are a legal citizen of.

The expense of living in Puerto Viejo for Digital Nomads

Regular monthly expenses

In general, a great way to approximate the expense of living in a nation, thinking about the reality that all of us have various ways of life, is to inspect the least expensive lodging rates and increase them by 3. This will offer you the minimum budget plan to be prepared to pay.

Here in Puerto Viejo, for a basic personal space, you can anticipate paying about $1,000 for 30 nights. From that, you can approximate that to live a comfy life, you must be prepared to invest about $3,000 monthly.

The 2,000 distinctions will cover food, beverages, activities, trips, nightlife, and so on.

From that, if you do not desire to get a basic space. You merely include the $2,000 we at first determined, and you get a concept of the spending plan you need to be prepared for.

Normal meal expense

You can anticipate paying about $5 for breakfast. Somewhat more for lunch or restaurant, about $7. Drink expenses should be between 3 to 5 dollars depending on what you order.

How to Find Housing as a Digital Nomad in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca

Discovering the ideal lodging in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca as a brand-new digital nomad can be demanding, and even as a veteran nomad, lengthy and tiresome.

It’s important for any digital nomad, though, as the location you briefly call house will be something to provide you a sense of convenience and an opportunity to unwind and loosen up after a long day.

Thankfully, it does not require to be made complex– you simply require to understand where to look.

You can search listings for Puerto Viejo de Talamanca on websites like Craigslist or Apartments.com, although it may take a great deal of time (and e-mails sent out to random individuals) to discover what you’re searching for. Platforms like Airbnb can be adequate; however, they’re preferable for much shorter holiday stays and do not always provide lodging constructed for digital nomads and remote employees.

We recommend beginning with a digital nomad real estate platform, like Anyplace.

Just about anywhere is a real estate market for digital nomads, remote employees, and anybody trying to find a more daring and satisfying life. Digital nomads developed it and had the most crucial elements, such as quick wifi, area, and coworking areas, in mind.

And due to the fact that it’s a platform constructed for digital nomads, we understand how important flexibility is for the way of life. That’s why our homes in Puerto Viejo de Talamanca are readily available on flexible terms, so you can remain on a month-to-month basis without needing to sign a long lease.

Web Speed in Puerto Viejo

Cosa Rica’s Network Infrastructure is comparable to most Central American nations. In cities, you ought to not experience any significant concerns to get a good web speed, while in more remote locations, things might get a little more unsteady. The nation ranks at the 72nd position on Speedtest.com international index, right behind Mexico.

Wifi

Puerto Viejo is rather a remote location; however, it is likewise an extremely popular location for Digital Nomads. You will discover apartments or condos on Airbnb using fiber lines, and you will be able to remain in hotels that provide steady connections. Before scheduling your lodging, validate with the proprietor or hotel personnel what speed you can anticipate getting.

There are many evaluations composed on Facebook groups, Reddit, and other sites that validate this in case you still have doubts.

4G

If you want to work from another location from various locations in Puerto Viejo, and if you wish to ensure that you can attend your conference when there is a power failure, you will require a regional sim with an information strategy.

Kolbi appears to be the finest viewpoint for travelers and digital nomads as they have the largest protection in the entire nation. For $20, you must be able to get about 5GB.

The protection in Puerto Viejo is not fantastic. The town is completely covered with standard 4G protection.

This is not one of the greatest functions of Costa Rica. Although the web center in Costa Rica is enhancing, it is rather challenging to get excellent web connections.

Being a digital nomad, the web connection is of utmost significance, so remaining in the cities would be perfect as you have more powerful web connections there. The typical web speed has to do 4.52 Mbps, and you may likewise discover a couple of areas with 10 Mbps.

Public wifi centers in Costa Rica are rather difficult as many dining establishments are rather behind on offering free wifi. Therefore, if you’re leasing a long-term apartment or condo, you will most likely require to set up the web connection on your own!

Coworking areas in Puerto Viejo

Remarkably, if we think about how remote Puerto Viejo is, a couple of locations are completely enhanced for digital nomads. If you want to work from another location with other tourists, you must certainly inspect these locations:

Puerto & Co

That is not all, as one of the primary appeals of Puerto & Co is likewise a coffee shop where you can discover succulent vegan meals and beverages.

Locoworking.

Found close to Samara beach, Locoworking is a coworking neighborhood from which you can get your work done and browse throughout your break. You can purchase a pass to access the area for one day, one week, or for one month, or you can schedule an area for 3, 6, or 12 months.

Digital Nomads Hotels & Coliving.

Selina.

The one and only. If you do not understand Selina currently, it is essentially a hotel group that specializes in inviting remote employees and digital nomads. They have hotels in numerous cities throughout South America and some in Europe.

It is not the most inexpensive choice; nevertheless, you will have access to a coworking area and an excellent swimming pool if you schedule there. So if you want to fulfill individuals, that’s the very best choice for sure.

Yummy Dayz Hostel.

If you choose more affordable lodging, not enhanced for digital nomads, you might examine this hostel. Ensure to request a space where the wifi connection is good enough for you to work.

Transport.

Costa Rica’s public transport system can take you all around the nation from San Jose or Liberia. Paths are long. The advantage is that it’s low-cost!

As a digital nomad, you’re most likely just preparing to remain in one location. So you can believe about getting a bike or leasing a lorry for some days.

When it comes to riding shares, Uber remains in San Jose, Jaco, Quepos, La Fortuna, and Guanacaste (Liberia, Tamarindo). Not lots of them in Guanacaste.

Costa Rica’s mass transit is not too costly, and you can quickly walk around the nation, beginning with San Jose to Liberia.

As a digital nomad, you would probably require to settle in a location as it varies from going to as a traveler. Preferably, you handle arranging yourself and work around your schedule to prepare some enjoyable excursions and experiences.

The finest method to check out brand-new locations is by strolling as you get to see and soak up the regional culture. However, if you would like to take a trip longer ranges, getting a bike or leasing an automobile for a couple of days will not cost you a lot in Costa Rica.

You can attempt the regional bus system as there are substantial paths throughout the nation, beginning outside of the capital of San Jose. This mode of transport needs some perseverance as it can be a bit sluggish; however, if you’re not in a hurry, it’s an excellent way to take a trip from one location to another.

Tickets are fairly low-cost, and you can book your seat by purchasing a ticket online. This is extremely suggested to guarantee you have a seat, particularly for paths through popular traveler towns.

Food.

Food isn’t the most affordable; however, you can consume low-cost in Costa Rica. Your finest alternatives are sodas (conventional Costa Rican dining establishments) or pastry shops to consume inexpensively. For example, a common lunch of rice, beans, salad, and meat usually is $6 USD at a soda in a non-touristic location.

Vegan/ Vegetarian Restaurants.

If you’re vegetarian or would like to have some plant-based food actually, you will not have any trouble in Costa Rica. On the other hand, if you’re vegan, you may require to describe precisely what you consume and do not consume, as many dining establishment personnel are not conscious of veganism.

Home entertainment.

One of the factors why digital nomads select Costa Rica as a short-term house base is the myriad of enjoyable activities to do. Invest your weekends treking in the nationwide park or going after waterfalls, and end your day with a pleasant hour on the beach.

Bars.

In touristic towns, especially the beach locations, bars are all over, so benefit the pleased hour. Craft beer likewise begins at around $5.

Beach.

Numerous digital nomads choose to live by the beach because there are numerous things to do; plus, who does not wish to experience beach life in Costa Rica? Depending upon which beach you’re at, you can fish, browse, SUP, swim, or snorkel.

Tamarindo, Jaco, and Dominical are surfing beaches, whereas Coco is fishing. Puerto Viejo has lovely beaches close by with great snorkeling and browsing at Cocles. Samara is terrific for browsing, kayaking, and swimming.

Health.

This is something extremely crucial numerous digital nomads gloss over. As much as we’d like to believe absolutely nothing will occur, which we will not ever require, it’s essential to ensure you are covered for your health in case of mishaps, death, illness, hospitalization, and so on. And now, in 2020, pandemics.

In Costa Rica, their healthcare system is universal. Suppose you go to any public medical facility or center. In that case, the medical professionals need to see you whether you have insurance coverage or not and whether you are a citizen/resident or not. Costa Rica has three levels of care anybody can go to:

Ellis: Public center with a medical professional and drug store for all standard requirements.

Centers: Has laboratory services, ER, ambulances, medical professionals, and drug stores. Public and personal.

Health center: Fully geared up with 24-hour ER, surgical treatment spaces, drug stores, maternity ward, and all the services of a health center. Public and personal.

Depending upon your necessary treatment and which kind of center you checked out, you will need to pay; however, the expense of health care in Costa Rica is extremely low compared to the USA. You can find out more about the Costa Rica medical system here.

Web.

Costa Rica does not have the very best web; however, it is not so bad that you can’t work utilizing it.

The typical web speed in the cities is 4.2 Mbps, and you can quickly get connections as much as 10 Mbps in all significant cities.

Public wifi and coffee shop or dining establishment web scenarios are not great, so you’ll need to depend on your mobile information connection when you run out of your lodging.

Unlike in industrialized nations, a web connection does not usually occur when you lease a house.

You’ll need to get one independently. Regional web suppliers will provide you with a connection of 50mbps for $50.

Weather condition. If you wish to leave the severe winter season, Costa Rica is the ideal place.

The environment is mainly tropical without any genuine winter seasons. Instead, there are two seasons, the dry and the rainy season.

If you take place to be in Costa Rica in the rainy season, make certain you have battery backup and mobile web to get your work done, as electrical power can be bothersome throughout this duration.

Anticipate having a great deal of dynamic, bright days when you remain in Costa Rica.

As the nation is near the equator, it gets 12 hours of sun almost all year.

When is the very best time to go to Costa Rica?

If you wish to get lots of sunlight, the best time to check out Costa Rica is between December and April. However, considering that it’s the peak of the traveler season, costs might be a bit higher than the remainder of the year, much like any other nation.

In December, the forests stay lavish as the rainy season stops before the brand-new year, while hot, warm weather condition dominates beside the beaches. This duration is among the very best times for wildlife, and you can anticipate seeing sea turtles nesting on shore.

Between July and August, you can anticipate having rainy days; however, if the rain does not frighten you, you can gain from somewhat lower costs and less congested locations. Considering That Costa Rica has a tropical environment, there’s truly no hard time to go, so it primarily depends on your travel objectives and top priorities.

Things to see and do.

Costa Rica is sensational, and there are many things to do; it’s difficult to see whatever in one journey. The natural landscape and biodiversity will leave you speechless, so make certain to prepare some journeys to make the most out of your stay. There’s constantly something brand-new to see and check out, like national forests, waterfalls, warm springs, volcanoes, animal sanctuaries, and numerous beaches.

5 Things you need to do when in Costa Rica:

Arenal Volcano: this volcano is more than 5,000 feet high, and it’s one of the most active volcanoes. The most convenient method to access the volcano in La Fortuna, a little neighboring town. You can go on a trip departing from La Fortuna, which can be reached by car and truck or bus from San José.

Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s “Gold Coast”-– You can discover many remote sandy beaches and misty rain forests. If you go even more in, you’ll discover yourself in a flourishing cowboy culture that has broadened following the Spanish colonial guideline.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca- If you desire to check out a paradise beach, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca is a need to check out. As anticipated, this location is a traveler hot area as numerous come to check out to find unique plants and animals.

La Paz Waterfall Gardens- A spectacular tranquil waterfall in a growing rainforest with lots of wildlife to see in this paradise. You can take a one-hour bus or taxi from San Jose to reach La Paz or schedule transport through the site. Admission for grownups costs $44 and $28 for kids, and you will have access to all the routes and destinations.

Tabacón Hot Springs- Bathing in Tabacón’s glamorous thermal springs is a MUST if you go to Costa Rica! We recommend taking water shoes with you as you would be strolling from one swimming pool to another.

Physical fitness.

With many amazing activities to do, it’s simple to remain in shape in Costa Rica. You can attempt different outdoor activities that you can take pleasure in and include in your weekly regular, making exercising more enjoyable. Let’s see what you can do in Costa Rica to remain fit.

Cycling- Biking is extremely typical in Costa Rica, and apart from exercise, it’s likewise a hassle-free mode of transport. If you’re into biking, there are likewise numerous races throughout the year which bring in a substantial variety of individuals.

CrossFit- CrossFit has ended up being rather popular in Costa Rica, and CrossFit health clubs are increasing all over the nation. You can discover numerous CrossFit health clubs in San Jose, along with the coast in Playa Tamarindo and Playas del Coco.

Beach walking/running- Running or strolling on the lovely beaches of Costa Rica is a good method to burn some calories. Opt for a run when the tide is low throughout sunset or dawn for a euphoric view. If you’re not a fan of running, feel confident that you will find yourself anticipating the next one!

Beach physical fitness classes- You can likewise discover a choice of beach physical fitness classes on the Pacific coast. Again, the classes differ depending on the group and trainer; however, you can anticipate discovering a mix of yoga, cardio, and strong structure.

Yoga- Costa Rica’s beaches and jungles are ideal for zen-inspiring yoga shalas and retreats. You can discover indoor and outside yoga areas, and whether you are a newbie or a professional, you will certainly discover a yoga class that will match you.

 

References:

1. https://digitalitinerant.com/central-america/how-is-puerto-viejo-de-talamanca-for-digital-nomads/
2. https://mytanfeet.com/expat-life/digital-nomad-in-costa-rica/
3. https://wifitribe.co/blog/living-in-costa-rica/
4. https://www.anyplace.com/digital-nomad-housing/costa-rica/puerto-viejo-de-talamanca