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"It's a crazed, high-energy life in the U.S.," David Bohn says, from the comfort of his Spanish Colonial-styled living room in the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. That's not the case where David now resides. If Costa Rica is one of the world's most relaxed countries, the Southern Zone is its version of Hawaii—the calm, unspoiled region that even Costa Ricans consider...
The couple's home is a six-bedroom, three-bathroom townhome in Old Town Albufeira, in the central Algarve. It features double kitchens, two terraces, and is less than 100 yards from the beach. They paid $333,775. With a home so big, they have room to spare. In fact, the house features an upstairs apartment that they rent out on Airbnb...
A winding road trip through the mountains and over the scenic river crossings and waterfalls to Cerro Punta provides just such a therapeutic adventure. On this particular Saturday morning in April, we began our adventure just as the rainy season was beginning to hint that it was rolling in. The overcast morning with mist gently falling provided the perfect mood...
Portugal is a country rich in fruits and vegetables grown locally in the fertile farmland throughout the country. Orchards, vineyards, and crops of healthy delights like kale, cabbage, and chard are abundant and make it easy to eat healthily. Local markets offer a platform for farmers to sell their wares at discounted prices, putting a smile on the faces of those who buy them.
"I just got sick of living for vacations, you know?" says Connecticut native Rebekah Bottone. "Counting down the days to those two weeks where you get to be who you really are? Here, I get to be me all the time." Rebekah doesn't have to live for vacations anymore. Not since moving to Tamarindo—a surf town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica.
I recently spent some time in the charming seaside city of Durrës, quite by accident. With the COVID-19 restrictions still lingering into 2022, I was denied entry to Malta traveling from a “dark red” country. Malta has a rotating stoplight chart (green-amber-red-dark red) based on infection numbers and other factors. Therefore, I was required to find a red country...
Affordable healthcare, a slower pace of life, reduced stress—there is a long shopping list of factors to consider when you make the decision to move abroad. For many, finances might top that list. For others, perhaps it’s a longing for adventure, or an urge to live in a more pleasant climate. These are the big things; the non-negotiables.
Most of the time, countries cut off the family tree at grandparent. A tiny few go back to great-grandparent. Italy goes so far as great-great-grandfather. And then there’s Hungary. The country quietly passed a citizenship law in 2011 that might just be the most generous citizenship-by-ancestry plan ever. If you can prove that anyone in your family tree was Hungarian...
The Costa del Sol is aptly named. This stretch of Mediterranean shoreline promises 320 days of sunshine a year, making it popular with expats escaping northern Europe’s frigid winters. International communities thrive in small cities strung like pearls along the coast. This geology, flora, coastline, and bright winter sun remind me...
Whenever I mention I live in Greece, people get a faraway look in their eyes and often share with me that they had a really amazing Greek holiday at some point in their past. They tell me about island hopping after college, a Santorini hotel they stayed at for their honeymoon...