While Christopher Columbus is remembered in the USA in the upcoming October holiday, many other countries take a much broader perspective for their celebrations. The USA observes Oct. 12 (or the Monday closest to it) as Columbus Day for the date that explorer Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492. Spain commemorates Oct. 12...Read More
Like many beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Playa Guiones doesn’t have much shade. The coastline is lined with long grasses, shrubbery, very-low-to-the-ground stubby trees and some tall palm trees here and there. A nonprofit NGO in Costa Rica is working to change that. The Green Coasts Conservation Association (La Asociación Conservacionista Costas Verdes) is dedicated...Read More
The Festival of Whales & Dolphins is once again making a splash at Uvita Beach in Southern Costa Rica at the beginning of September. You definitely don’t want to miss the 6th annual festival marking the peak of the annual migration of Pacific Humpback Whales to the Ballena National Marine Park in Costa Rica. This...Read More
The peaceful and shy Manatee has been declared a national marine mammal in Costa Rica. Costa Rica lawmakers this week passed the bill making the endangered Caribbean mammal a national symbol; the honor had been proposed by two school children from the region of Limón after they learned about Manatees in school. Also known as...Read More
The thrilling Rincón de la Vieja Challenge 2014 100-mile mountain bike race is again on track for August in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Set for Aug. 23, 2014, the competition is a unique adventure race – the only 100-mile mountain bike race in Latin America, and the only race in the world to circumnavigate an active...Read More
While all eyes are on Costa Rica’s national football team in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the country of Costa Rica also is getting attention from the United Nations. At the end of June 2014, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added four pre-Colombian historic sites located in the southern region...Read More
The slow-moving sloths of Costa Rica are streaking into the limelight with their own weeklong online special program. Starting June 20, 2014, Animal Planet and Animalist will stream daily footage from the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. Cute and cuddly sloths of the Caribbean Costa Rica have been in the spotlight since last year’s program...Read More
The massive Rincon de la Vieja in northern Costa Rica is known for its imposing outline on the horizon, its steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pits, and impressive tropical dry forest. The highly-popular adventure tourism location also is becoming known for spectacular bird-watching. This weekend, birders from all over Costa Rica will gather at the...Read More
May and June – the beginning of Costa Rica’s low season – are one of the best times for travel deals. The crowds have gone home. Refreshing afternoon rains (though not every day) have transformed the landscape into a vivid tapestry of green and brightly-colored tropical flowers. And many hotels and tours are offering great...Read More
Whitewater rafting teams from all over Costa Rica will compete for the prestigious Teva Rafting Cup 2014 the last weekend of May at the Naranjo River near the Manuel Antonio National Park. Known as the “Copa Teva” in Spanish, the exciting rafting competition is organized by the Quepos Whitewater and Adventure Association. Starting on Friday,...Read More
There are many activities and adventures you can do on vacation in Costa Rica, but more and more visitors are traveling to the renowned Central American country for international sports competitions like running, swimming, cycling, mountain biking and triathlons. Open water swimming in Costa Rica is popular, with frequent swimming competitions held in the warm...Read More
Santa Teresa’s awesome waves will be in the limelight once again as top Costa Rica surfers roll into the Pacific Coast town at the end of April for the fifth 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit competition. The COPA Unit tournament will be held April 26 and 27 at the spectacular beach of Santa Teresa, Costa...Read More
Big-game anglers from around the world are in Costa Rica for the annual World Offshore Fishing Championship in Quepos, from April 6 to 11, 2014. Teams from more than 60 countries – who had to qualify to receive an invitation to the event – will compete for the largest number of record-setting game fish caught...Read More
“Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life.” — Art Blakey The clear tones of Miles Davis to the eclectic mix of Herbie Hancock can be heard weekly emanating from the Balinese-style Buddha Eyes Restaurant at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat on Santa Teresa Beach. If you think a remote tropical beach in Costa...Read More
New beginnings are old hat at upscale Hotel Le Caméléon in Costa Rica, where their motto is “Every day is a new day”. The Costa Rica boutique hotel on the southern Caribbean Coast, that changes the color of its decor daily like a chameleon, is marking its fifth anniversary year with the opening of its...Read More
Costa Rica’s fourth 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit competition is coming March 15 and 16 to the beautiful south Pacific beach of Dominical. The Marley Cup will be held in front of the well-known Tortilla Flats beachfront restaurant and bar at Dominical. The competition is named for principal sponsor House of Marley, which sells earth-friendly...Read More
The waves were big, and so were the national surfers who came to Playa Guiones at Nosara Costa Rica for the third competition in the 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit. Costa Rican pros like Gilberth Brown, Jair Perez, Lisbeth Vindas and Nataly Bernold descended on the top Costa Rica surfing beach for the tournament, held...Read More
Returning for its fourth year to Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast at Uvita, the Envision Festival will transform the rainforest into a global village of art, music, yoga and spirituality. Envision 2014 will be held Feb. 20–23 at Rancho La Merced in Uvita, Costa Rica, home of the renowned Ballena Marine National Park, an important...Read More
Two top U.S. biology research scientists are coming to Costa Rica in early March to lead a study trip deep in the Costa Rican rainforest on the south Pacific Coast of the Golfo Dulce. The scientific tour will be held March 1-7, 2014, at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, a member of Enchanting Hotels & Resorts...Read More
One of the biggest dreams for retirees is moving to a warm, sunny place where you can relax and enjoy the “golden years” of life with no stress. Lower costs to stretch your savings and having good quality health care available are also top considerations. In the Americas, Costa Rica continues to be one of...Read More
2014 is the year of World Cup fever. Costa Rica will host its own World Cup in March 2014 – the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup. Sixteen international teams will gather in this spectacular Central American country to compete for title of world champions. The prestigious tournament will be played in Costa Rica from March 15...Read More
Puerto Viejo and the Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica will host the second big surf competition in the 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit later this month. The Lime Coral Caribbean Classic II will be held January 25 and 26 at Playa Cocles just south of Puerto Viejo. Top surfers from all over Costa Rica will...Read More
For more than 100 years, every year at Christmastime, rather than searching for the perfect present, tens of thousands of active passionate folks explore the great outdoors looking for the most splendid birds. Outfitted with binoculars, bird guides and checklists, birding devotees throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, rain, or maybe even tropical sun, to...Read More
I’ve been reading about ocean pollution, and the facts are really quite shocking. Apparently, it was once a common practice to “get rid of trash” by dumping it into the ocean, and there was even a positive catchphrase: “The solution to pollution is dilution.” People assumed that the oceans were so vast and deep that...Read More
