« Work From Home is dead, long live Work From Anywhere! ». More than just a title of a TechCrunch story, this sentence is now the heart cry of a whole generation of workers who now, more than ever, refuse to lock themselves into a traditional way of working.
According to the last FlexJobs’ annual survey, fully remote work is the most desired flexible work option, with 76% of survey respondents claiming it as their first choice. With flexibility as a watchword, more and more people no longer want their work to be localized. Instead, they want to have the freedom to work from wherever they want.
Driving millions of people to work from home, the Coronavirus crisis has accelerated the trend toward remote working. Companies unexpectedly had to take part in a massive experiment of this distributed way of working. By spurring the rise of remote working, the pandemic has opened the door to a wider range of possibilities.
So why choose to work from home, in an environment not always conducive to productivity and personal fulfillment, when you can work surrounded by nature, just a stone’s throw from a paradise beach in Costa Rica? Well, look no further, because this small Central American country, is the ideal destination for anyone pursuing a blissful work-life balance.
The surrounding nature
Contact with nature immediately allows us to feel more relaxed and in tune with the others. Nature enhances work productivity and creative functions, improves short term memory, sparks inspiration, decreases stress levels, increases concentration skills and mindfulness. Between jungle, volcanoes, rainforest and postcard beaches, Costa Rica is home to 6% of the world’s biodiversity. There is definitely no better place in the world to reconnect with nature.
Coworking spaces & fiber optic networks
In the last decade, big improvements in infrastructure and communications have been made. Costa Rica has the second highest internet penetration for Latin America after Chile. A fiber-optic network has been deployed through the country, including some rural areas. Most hotels are offering an average internet speed of 10 Mbps but if you are looking for the fastest and most reliable internet connection, you should take a look at the coworking spaces around the country. For sure, they will ensure you receive the best internet services in Costa Rica.
On the Caribbean coast, Puerto & Co – coworking space and vegan cafe – is conveniently located in the center of Puerto Viejo and offers an high speed and reliable internet connection. On the Pacific coast, Locoworking in Playa Samara has a fiber-optic internet of 100 Mbps. In rare cases of electricity blackouts, Locoworking has a power-supply plugged into their router to keep it running. Furthermore, they have a back-up modem connected to another Internet service provider, in cases where the principal ISP shutdowns temporarily.
A wellness lifestyle
According to the last report from the Happy Planet Index (HPI), Costa Rica is the happiest country in the world. Whether you come for a week, a month or more, you will inevitably embrace the so-called “Pura Vida”. This expression used to say “Hi!”, “I am fine” or “Thank you”, turns out to be a way of life : cherishing simple pleasures, spending time with loved ones and enjoying a slow, relaxed pace of life.
Costa Rica is also a surf and yoga heaven. The Nicoya Peninsula is renowned for its consistent surf and famous yoga institutes. For anyone who is interested in surfing, Costa Rica is considered surfer’s paradise with over 700 miles of coastline in both Pacific and Caribbean oceans where you will encounter world class waves apt for Surfers with any level of experience.
Besides this, food is a fundamental pillar of well-being in Costa Rica. A diet based on fresh products such as vegetables and tropical fruits is the perfect recipe for a long life of well-being as demonstrated by countless research, including the plant-based diet recommended by Blue Zones.
A political and economic stability
It’s important to feel safe in a country. Costa Rica is considered the most stable country in Central America, even in all Latin America. It’s a democratic republic that abolished its army 70 years ago and allocated this defense budget to education, health-care and environment protection. Impressively, Costa Rica aims to be the first carbon neutral country in 2021.
A strong health-care system
The United Nations has ranked Costa Rica’s public health system in the top 20 in the world. Costa Rica provides universal health care to its citizens and permanent residents and has well earned its fantastic reputation in healthcare, thanks to its clean hospitals, highly trained doctors, and affordable care.
Many flight connections
With two international airports – one located in the capital, San José, and the other one in Liberia, on the northwest pacific Coast, – Costa Rica offers many non-stop flights from Europe and North America. There is a lot of direct flights from Europe to San José and it will take you only three hours from Miami to reach Liberia, five hours from New-York, Los Angeles or Vancouver. To get the best airfare prices, it helps to have flexible travel dates. Additionally, you may want to consider traveling in the green season (May – December) when ticket prices decrease. The months of September and October have some of the lowest ticket prices.
