Galleries, Villas & Homes on Wheels: What Business Expats Build in Costa Rica

Diego came to Costa Rica in 1973 on his honeymoon — and stayed for 50 years. Today he runs an art gallery and a construction company in Nosara. I sat down with him to understand why Nosara never went the way of other beach towns, and what "pura vida" really means once you treat it as a business model rather than a postcard slogan. This one is about living in Costa Rica without the gloss: how $3 a day and a tent once helped Diego get to know the real Costa Ricans, what makes Nosara different from Santa Teresa and Tamarindo, why foreign investment keeps pushing housing prices up, and where homes on wheels come into it. And above all, why the best way to sell paradise is to not sell all of it off. In this episode: Costa Rica, Nosara, moving to and living in Costa Rica, real estate investment, and pura vida as a way of life. 📌 Thinking about moving abroad, residency, or investing overseas? Book a free consultation: https://migronis.com/consultation-en?... 00:00 "That's the whole essence of Costa Rica" 00:22 Diego: 50 years in Costa Rica 00:47 How he first arrived — and why he stayed 01:38 $3 a day, a tent, hitchhiking: the real Costa Ricans 02:16 Why Nosara specifically 03:05 Organic farms and nature 03:28 How Nosara differs from Santa Teresa and Tamarindo 04:29 Will this atmosphere survive 05:55 An ordinary day in Nosara 07:19 Art and his own surfboard designs 08:15 Indigenous masks and collectible art 09:32 Building and tiny homes: why housing is getting pricey 10:38 How expats help the local community 11:41 Surfing in Nosara 12:57 The pura vida formula 14:14 How to sell paradise without selling it out #CostaRica #Nosara #PuraVida #LivingInCostaRica #CostaRicaRealEstate #MoveToCostaRica #Migronis