Welcome to another episode of the Nosara Podcast, where Rich Burnam sits down with longtime Costa Rica insurance expert Phil Eitman!
Phil has lived in Costa Rica for around 18 years and has spent more than 15 of those years helping people navigate insurance here.
We start with Phil’s story of moving to Costa Rica, figuring out how to make a life here, and eventually getting into international health insurance after looking for coverage for his daughter.
From there we get into the stuff people really need to know: international health insurance, the difference between public and private healthcare in Costa Rica, medical emergencies, air ambulances, home insurance, cars, roadside assistance, construction and commercial insurance, and even wills and estates.
Of course we get sidetracked along the way talking about old Costa Rica, dusty roads, New Jersey, stand-up comedy, Coconut Harry’s, Nosara vs. Tamarindo, how much Nosara has changed, development, community, and why people who come here should find a way to chip in.
If you live in Costa Rica, are thinking about moving here, or just want a better idea of how insurance and healthcare actually work here, I hope you enjoy this conversation with Insurance Phil.
In this episode of the Nosara Podcast, Charlotte, the founder of Donitas, shares her journey of building a unique business in Nosara, Costa Rica. Moving from Switzerland, she talks about how she unexpectedly fell in love with the area and decided to open a donut shop without prior experience. Her story is a testament to the power of community, resilience, and the willingness to learn through challenges… but Rich just cares about one thing: “What is your favorite donut”, so they go into that as well!
Go get some super fresh donuts right now at Donitas in North Guiones, opposite to Mini Super las Delicias del Mundo where the food trucks are. (Editors’ favorite are the salted honey latte & cinnamon sugar donut)
• The challenges and rewards of starting a business in Nosara
• How the local community acts as a support system
• Embracing the “Nosara” lifestyle despite extreme weather
• Turning failures into opportunities for growth
• The importance of gratitude in entrepreneurship
• Building meaningful connections with neighbors and customers
• Balancing professional goals with personal well-being
• Her favorite local ingredients and, of course, the best treats to order
Full Transcript
Rich: Welcome to the podcast. It’s a long time coming. I’m excited to have the first doughnut shop ever on the podcast.
Charlotte: Thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate the opportunity.
Rich: I love donuts. And when you opened, do you remember I was like the first person who smiled and frowned in the same moment? I love donuts. So, tell us who you are and what is going on. Thank you so much for not bringing donuts, because I would be eating them all right now.
Charlotte: I actually feel really bad for not bringing some, but it was a rushed morning, so I will bring you some tomorrow. I am Charlotte, 31, turning 32 on Monday. I have been here since 2021. Originally from Switzerland, I was born in Geneva and grew up between Geneva and the mountains. As soon as I graduated high school, I started traveling as much as I could. I think I’ve been to 36 countries now.
Rich: Was it because it was so cold, or did you just need to get out of there?
Charlotte: I love the cold, surprisingly, even though I live here. It is customary in Switzerland to take a gap year after high school before you start university. I took a year and a half. I started law school and hated every second of it. I am not a very book-smart person. Then I started hospitality school and graduated in 2020 from EHL, a fancy hospitality school in Switzerland.
Rich: Okay.
Charlotte: I originally had no interest in this industry, but I kind of fell in love with it. I love the hands-on part and the creative side. I just love being around people all day. That school also gave me a lot of opportunities to travel. I spent eight months in the Maldives and eight months in Singapore. It really opened up my mind in terms of food and what I wanted to do for the rest of my life, which I thought would be more corporate than what I am doing now.
Rich: You went the opposite of that. You seem like you have an artist’s angle, but you’re also very matter-of-fact. I’ve known you for years now and see you daily. You seem very pragmatic and calculated. And then when you opened the doughnut shop in Nosara, it fits you, but it also doesn’t at the same time.
Charlotte: I realized when I got to Costa Rica, which was completely random—I was working in Washington D.C. for the Swiss embassy—that I just stayed here when the pandemic started. I fell in love with the place. I love extreme places. I’ve always loved remote places and environments that are a bit rough. I like that every day is an adventure. Sometimes you want to bang your head against the wall because nothing is working, but it’s part of why I love this place. I think life is pretty short, and I want to make the most out of every second. This place hands you stories.
Rich: Let’s go straight into the donut shop. Tell me a few stories.
Charlotte: I was going to open a street seafood place and I started making donuts to put something sweet on the menu. I went down the rabbit hole because I get obsessive. I started handing them out to friends and people said, “Can you please open a doughnut shop?” We changed our minds two weeks before we were supposed to open, and I had never done donuts before. My first two weeks of opening in high season, my coffee machine broke. I have so many people that have contributed to this project. My friends at Sunrise lent me their coffee machine for a week. They don’t have to do those things, but this place is special.
Rich: Community is the number one bonding factor. When things go wrong, it comes together.
Charlotte: It amazes me. People ask why I stayed here, because there are pretty beaches and cool places to surf all around the world. But the people make the space special. My friend Tati from Scarpetta let me use her coffee machine. My friend Juan helped me fix mine. We are all in the same boat, and there is space for everyone.
Rich: You’ve learned to take a punch in business.
Charlotte: Growth comes out of discomfort. In the moment, it doesn’t feel great, but when you have a second to think about it, you realize you learned something new. I’m an impatient person, and I can be demanding, but I have learned to work on that.
Rich: I appreciate you being open about the negatives. Do you have any messages for the community?
Charlotte: I’m really grateful. We opened May 17th last year. People in this community have supported the project from day one. They have been patient because our product has evolved. I’ve gotten a lot of honest feedback, which made us who we are now. We focused on new equipment, then on drinks, and finally on hiring a team. I wanted to know the work myself before I asked a team to do it.
Rich: What is your favorite donut?
Charlotte: I’m a classics girl, so I really love the cinnamon sugar. When it comes out warm and has that crunch, it’s my favorite. The OG classic glaze is a best-seller, as is the chocolate sea salt and passion fruit. For drinks, our honey salt latte is the bestseller. I use so much local honey. All my money goes into honey!
Rich: Where do people find you?
Charlotte: We are located right behind Mini Super Las Delicias. We’re here every day from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except for Tuesday.
Rich: Any final words for the surfers?
Charlotte: I don’t feel like I’m good enough to criticize anyone in the lineup, but for etiquette: don’t be a jerk.
Dr. Leo has been part of the Nosara community for years as a private physician and now as a volunteer for the Red Cross. In this episode, he explains why that volunteer work matters so much right now: the Red Cross in Nosara is an NGO, and it’s facing a real shortage that could leave the community down to a single ambulance. Many people don’t realize this or that if you can’t afford private medical care, the Red Cross is who you call in an emergency. Dr. Leo breaks down the different ways to help, whether that is a monetary donation or donating supplies directly, and makes the case that a true paradise means services that work for everyone, not just those who can afford private care. He also shares his history in Nosara, his favorite surfers to watch in the water, and his least favorite traffic intersections in town.
For more information email Nosara’s Red Cross directly: nosara@cruzroja.or.cr or
Thanks to Luis & Marco from Nosara Civic Association for coming onto the Nosara Podcast for a high season 2026 update. We cover all kinds of topics in this episode from the court decision about park lands in Nosara, the Pelada evictions & other Nosara Gossip Machine stuff to the Nosara Corridor & all kinds of other positives & everything in between. It’s a super candid conversation & I appreciate them for coming on camera.
Nosara is a small, protective type of town & there are all kinds of opinions. I appreciate those who will come on camera and speak much more than the gossip minded or social media warriors who stir up controversy but are not solution oriented.
Welcome to a special episode of the Nosara Podcast with Longboard Andy! A surfer whose story begins in the fishing town of Garza, growing up around the ocean, learning to fish with his parents and hitching rides into Nosara just to surf.
We start with what Andy’s up to now competing in tournaments and working in his surf company then we get into the surf rules he lives by and we should all follow in the water, his favorite spots to surf in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and how the so-called “secret spots” aren’t really secret anymore.
From there, Andy shares how he got into longboarding, who pulled him toward logging, and how longboard culture continues to evolve in Nosara. We talk boards, shapes, style, and the rhythm that makes long boarding cool now.
And of course, one of the best parts of the episode: Andy’s favorite philosophy of “being weird in the water.” It’s honestly one of the most memorable quotes ever said on the show a great reminder to stay playful and fully yourself in every session and in life.
I hope you enjoy this conversation how a local sees Nosara’s line up, hopes for more opportunities to compete, the challenges and the joys of living a surf life and the joy of longboarding with Andy.
Episode 76 is special because it is filled with stunning imagery from the air, water & land. TWIN episodes recap the surf, lifestyle & community happenings in & around Nosara. You can see what Nosara looks like each month of the year & get a glimpse of what real life in Nosara is like via these episodes. Hope you enjoy episode 76!
Welcome to a very special episode of the Nosara Podcast with Matt & Joellen from El Chivo. In case you didn’t already know, El Chivo is kind of the ‘Cheers’ for Nosara… Reality is Matt & Joellen have been staples in Nosara’s community for over 2 decades.
We’re going back in time to discuss their journey, operating several restaurants way back in day before making the big move to Pelada to create today’s El Chivo.
After we reminisce about Nosara of the past we discuss pros & cons of today’s Nosara & their plan to invite the community to help secure El Chivo’s future.
We celebrate the lives & memories of our friends who have passed away, plus all kinds of subjects from Nosara likes & dislikes, their 3 favorite restaurants besides their own, opinions about dogs on the beach & much much more.
I hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane & glimpse into the future with Matt & Joellen.
It’s been super interesting watching Nadav Attar grow up in Nosara, Costa Rica. It’s even more interesting to hear his take on life as he enters adulthood with highly ambition goals and how his combination of family, friends, and downright determination is making huge advancements in his life quickly. We discuss training, mediation & practices of Joe Dispenza, his travels & traveling crew, his goals of making the upper echelon of the WSL, his friends & local surfers around Nosara, his 3 favorite restaurants & much, much more.
Nadav Attar is 19 years old, grew up in Nosara, Costa Rica, and is chasing the WSL Challenger Series with the goal of making the Championship Tour. In this episode we talk about the real side of pro surfing — the heats you lose, the meditation routine his brother got him into, manifesting results in El Salvador, and why the level of homegrown talent in Nosara is blowing up right now.
We also get into who Nadav thinks is the best carver, the best aerialist, and where you have to go in Costa Rica to find a real barrel.
