Costa Rica Your Way
Hi, I’m Christa!
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First Trip to Costa Rica
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Years of CR Experience
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Founded Pura Vida Moms
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Families Helped Per Year
Costa Rica Chose Me First
I got the travel bug early; my parents took us on family trips growing up, and when my mom told me to see as much of the world as I could, I signed up for a study abroad program in San Ramón, Costa Rica. I landed there in January 2001, barely speaking a word of Spanish and not knowing a single person in the program.
That didn’t matter for long. Costa Rica became my home away from home almost immediately. I studied at the Universidad de Costa Rica, immersed myself in the language, and made friendships that are still intact today. I got good enough at Costa Rican Spanish that people on the phone still assume they’re talking to a local.
I spent those years exploring the entire country, tip to tip. From La Fortuna and Monteverde to Guanacaste and the Caribbean. That firsthand experience with the landscapes, the culture, and the food is what made me want to see every corner of the country, and twenty-five years later I’ve gotten close.
The Family Behind This Blog
I met my husband Ricardo during my study abroad years, the man who'd become my husband. We connected on the dance floor and were soon performing traditional Costa Rican folklore dances together. We're closing in on our twentieth wedding anniversary now, and we're raising two bilingual daughters who love Costa Rican food as much as we do. I’ve recently become a Costa Rican citizen, cementing my relationship to Costa Rica forever.
This blog started as a way to document my journeys to and from Costa Rica after our kids were born. I already had a successful career teaching high school Spanish and wasn't thinking of making a change.
But once I realized how hungry people were both to take their kids to Costa Rica and (pardon the pun) to learn to make Costa Rican food at home, I put down my Expo marker and dedicated myself to Pura Vida Moms full time.
Still Obsessed, Still Here
Today, Pura Vida Moms reaches 100,000-plus readers a month, has over 10,000 email subscribers, and a Facebook group of nearly 10,000 parents planning Costa Rica trips. I’ve published a cookbook, written for Lonely Planet, and I still have time to work one-on-one with any family that needs help planning their Costa Rica getaway. Thank you for visiting this site and supporting my business. I hope to meet you soon. Pura Vida!
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Insider tips from a mom who's done this trip 50+ times. No fluff, just what actually works.
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Frequently Asked Questions
By marriage and by heart. My husband is Costa Rican, our kids are half Tico, and their grandparents are there waiting every time we land. I’m the American mom in a Costa Rican family, which is exactly why I can translate the country for American families.
Constantly. Fifty-plus trips over two decades, from quick family visits to long stays, in every season and every region. I plan trips from the US the same way you do, then test everything on the ground with my own kids.
I wrote the Arenal chapter of Lonely Planet Costa Rica 2026, more on that above.
Because I’m a mom first. I won’t send your kids anywhere I wouldn’t send mine, and I tell you when something isn’t worth the money. Read what families say after working with me.
With recipes. In 2016 I was writing down my husband’s family dishes for myself, and it grew into the travel resource I wish I’d had on my own first trips. Food’s still where my heart is, which is why the recipes never left.
Yes. That’s the best part of my week. I do one-on-one consults where we build or fix your itinerary together.
$75 for thirty minutes, $150 for an hour. Most families start with the hour since there’s a lot to cover, and if you want a written recap afterward, that’s a $50 add-on. No upsells, no packages, you pay for the time you need.
