A Founder’s Note
Before I moved from Northern California to Costa Rica, I spent months trying to understand the country from a screen.
Endless Google searches, YouTube videos, and Facebook threads — all full of opinions, but none that captured what a town felt like.
Each community looked beautiful in its own way, yet somehow, the real differences — the pace, the people, the energy — were invisible.
When I finally arrived, I realized how much those missing details mattered.
A town can look perfect online and still not feel right when you’re standing in it.
It’s not about beauty — it’s about fit.
That’s why I built ZIVO.
I wanted to give people what I had needed most: a way to understand not just the map, but the mood.
A way to match people with the lifestyle that truly aligns with who they are.
And yes, sometimes we only live somewhere for a few years — a season, a chapter, a layover before life’s next move.
But where you spend that time still shapes you.
It influences the choices you make, the pace you keep, and the kind of person you become next.
At ZIVO, we believe that where you live defines your reality.
It forms who you are in this chapter — and who you’re becoming in the next.
The ZIVO Approach
We map towns the way people live in them — through mood, routine, and real experience.
Each community on ZIVO is written and photographed by people who know it: expats, locals, and travelers who’ve stayed long enough to understand the tempo.
Every guide highlights:
• Vibe: how the town feels day-to-day — its pace, people, and culture.
• Practicality: internet reliability, schools, access roads, cost of living.
• Lifestyle fit: whether it suits surfers, families, digital nomads, or retirees.
From Uvita’s balance of nature and community to Atenas’ mountain calm, we translate places into possibilities.
What “Community” Really Means
In Costa Rica, community isn’t a checkbox — it’s a heartbeat.
It’s the surf coach who becomes your friend, the neighbor who shares fruit from their tree, the café where someone always waves.
Our goal at ZIVO is to make those human threads visible long before you arrive.
That’s why every town page and guide comes with local stories, updated insights, and connections to verified agents and businesses who actually live there.
Matching People, Not Leads
ZIVO’s matching isn’t algorithmic — it’s intuitive.
We don’t believe in endless filters or pressure tactics.
Instead, we help you narrow by fit:
• Do you crave quiet or community?
• Do you prefer mountain mornings or ocean sunsets?
• How much infrastructure do you need to feel comfortable?
Our guides and partnerships are built to answer those questions naturally, connecting you to towns (and professionals) that align with your real life, not your search history.
Sophia’s note: The best match isn’t the place that looks perfect — it’s the one that feels easy to belong to.
Why This Matters
Because moving abroad isn’t just a change of address — it’s a change of pace, purpose, and daily rhythm.
When you find the right community, everything else follows:
friends, routines, even the kind of home that makes sense.
And when you don’t, even paradise can feel like a layover.
ZIVO helps make sure you land in the right place the first time — not by guessing, but by listening.
Finding a home in Costa Rica isn’t about the house itself — it’s about where your mornings start and how your evenings end.
ZIVO was built for that search — one that begins with feeling, not filters.
Because when place and vibe align, you don’t just live somewhere new — you live like you were meant to.
Explore ZIVO Towns and Communities →
