About Two Weeks in Costa Rica

Our Story

We are Jennifer Turnbull-Houde and Matthew Houde, a couple from Boston who left it all behind to try out life in paradise.

Our first experience with Costa Rica was about 15 years ago. We came for vacation to visit a Costa Rican friend who Matt worked with in Boston. We quickly fell in love with the country’s friendly culture and beautiful environment and returned for visits every year.

On one of those trips, we started journaling. We thought that in some way, our notes could help others experience this amazing place the way we do. Inspired to share our story, we expanded the journal into a book called Two Weeks in Costa Rica and launched this website.

Costa Rica remained constantly on our minds. In 2013, after years of planning, we took a leap of faith and sold our condo in the city, left our jobs (Matt in the landscape construction industry and Jenn as an attorney), and moved to Costa Rica.

For the first two years, we were house sitting and jumped all around the country. We lived in nine different towns and explored countless beaches, parks, and waterfalls. We wrote about it all on our website, from the best destinations and activities to moving tips.

In 2014, we published a second book called Top 10 Costa Rica Itineraries and began offering trip planning services through our travel agency.

After a couple of years living out of suitcases, we settled down and now live on the central Pacific coast. But that didn’t slow us down. We still travel in Costa Rica all the time to discover new places and keep our existing articles current.

Our two sons, Sam and Evan, were both born here and are part of our team too. They add a new element of traveling with kids to our site.

A lot has changed in our lives through this journey, but one thing has remained the same. Just like that first journal entry, we hope that our articles, books, and services help you enjoy this amazing country as much as we do.

Pura Vida from Costa Rica,

Matt & Jenn

About Our Blog

On our blog, you’ll find current travel information about Costa Rica. Everything is based on our own personal experiences, visiting the destination, attraction, or even restaurant we’re writing about. Since we have lived in Costa Rica for more than 10 years and travel extensively, we have a lot of knowledge to share with you!

Our blog covers two main topics. The largest is traveling in Costa Rica. We have many detailed articles on itineraries, the best destinations, things to do, and practical information like what it’s like to drive in Costa Rica.

The second topic we cover is moving to Costa Rica. Our many articles explain about our experience buying a house, buying a car, getting residency, having a baby, and lots more.

You’ll also find some useful discounts on our site for hotels and other travel expenses, like our popular Rental Car Discount.

Services

We offer a variety of services, including:

Video Consultations (travel or moving)
Tour/Activity Consultations and Booking Assistance
Online Tour Bookings
Online Shuttle Transfer Bookings

Customer reviews for our services.

Customer reviews for tours and shuttles.

About Two Weeks in Costa Rica, Inc.

We live in Costa Rica but our company, Two Weeks in Costa Rica, Inc., is registered in the United States. We have had a Florida corporation since 2016.

Our travel agency is a licensed seller of travel in Florida (Fla. ST41024) and fully insured for errors and omissions. Learn more about our travel agency.

Featured Publications & Accomplishments

Lonely Planet

We are grateful to have been featured in the Lonely Planet three times!

Lonely Planet Costa Rica (2022)

Lonely Planet Best of Costa Rica 3 (2021)

Our website was listed as a Useful Resource in the Family Travel section of each book.

Lonely Planet Experience Costa Rica (2023)

Includes our photos of the Mal Pais tidepools and bioluminescent kayaking. Lists our website as an “[e]xcursions resource, especially for families.”

Other Publications

Hudson, Simon. International Case Studies on Tourism Destination Management and COVID-19, 2022.

Our article, Covid-19 in Costa Rica: Living Here Through the Pandemic, was included in this book as a Reference for how Costa Rica was affected by the pandemic.

“Maine Couple’s Travel Guide for Costa Rica a Hot Winter Read.” The Portland Daily Sun, October 23, 2012.