Costa Rica is celebrating International Surfing Day on June 20 big this year. Costa Rica’s surfing “dream team” made national history on June 7 when they were crowned 2015 World Surfing Champions. Costa Rica’s team won the overall gold medal in the International Surfing Association (ISA) 2015 World Surfing Games held at Playa Popoyo, Nicaragua, competing...Read More
When I travel I prefer staying in smaller hotels rather than large franchise chains. Small hotels in Costa Rica offer unforgettable travel experiences. They enrich your journey with something different – history, culture, remarkable architecture, outstanding surroundings, new friends or unusual charm. If you’ve ever stayed at a small boutique or family-run hotel, you understand...Read More
Eco-friendly travel and sustainable tourism are some of the top buzzwords today in the travel and tourism industry worldwide. “Go Green” is the slogan you hear most often nowadays. Planet-conscientious travelers are more frequently seeking out eco-friendly lodging wherever they travel. In ecotourism hotspot Costa Rica, L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa is a leading eco-friendly...Read More
I slipped from the rocks into the cool placid water, refreshing even at 7:00 a.m. compared to the heat and humidity beginning to rise from the beach and rainforest. I couldn’t believe how clear and still the water was, especially when big, frothing waves pounded only a dozen or so yards away. I was swimming...Read More
If you love the idea of roaming through a rainforest looking for monkeys, snakes, exotic birds and wild cats, then this Costa Rica nature adventure tour is for you. On your next Costa Rica vacation, you definitely need to take the Bushmaster Adventures rainforest wildlife tour. This is one of your best bets in the...Read More
Out on the calm, clear, jade green-blue water of the Golfo Dulce (“Sweet Gulf”) in southern Costa Rica, it is easy to think this must be one of the most pristine, beautiful places on Earth. And it is. This inner sea is a critical habitat for endangered migrating southern Pacific humpback whales, dolphins and sharks,...Read More
Living, working and traveling sustainably have become big topics of conversation it seems everywhere. This week on June 5, the United Nations Environment Program celebrates World Environment Day 2015 (WED) and focuses this year on how we live and how it impacts the planet. This year’s theme is “Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with...Read More
If you’re coming to Costa Rica on vacation, chances are you are going to visit at least one or two of the country’s beautiful tropical beaches, possibly a volcano, and probably one or more of the proud nation’s national parks. The destination you may or may not have in your travel itinerary is the capital...Read More
When I first visited Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge at the end of 2004, what struck me most was how in heaven did this amazing high-end Costa Rica eco-lodge come to exist in the middle of a jungle on the sea, with nothing else around? The question is a valid one given Nicuesa Lodge’s completely isolated...Read More
People in other countries pay big money for audio programs like this, while here at Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living eco-community it’s real. The sounds of the Costa Rica rainforest: crickets chirping, big bullfrogs burping and booming, Common Tink Frogs “tinking”, myriads of other insects whirring, and the Portalón River bubbling over stones and...Read More
The thing that amazed me most standing on Playa Hermosa in Jaco Costa Rica on a recent Saturday morning was not the beautiful deep blue and turquoise barrel waves, or the warm sunlight glinting off the black sand. It was the nearly complete absence of people. There were maybe 30 surfers in the water, but so...Read More
The relaxed Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica not only has some of the prettiest beaches in Costa Rica, along with upscale Costa Rica boutique hotels, Puerto Viejo also is the gastronomic capital of the Costa Rica Southern Caribbean Coast. Puerto Viejo’s dining scene reflects its widely-varied international population – Caribbean, Italian, Argentinean,...Read More
Heard about Atenas, Costa Rica – a favorite place for international retirement – and want to know more information? The charming country town, strategically located between the capital city of San Jose and beautiful Pacific Coast beaches, has several sources of information to let you know what’s happening in Atenas, Costa Rica. All are available...Read More
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Walk down the Pacific beaches of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica and you’re likely to see long, empty stretches of white sand, beautiful blue rolling waves, multicolored crushed seashells and interesting rocks...Read More
The famous international adventure race, The North Face Endurance Challenge, is once again coming to Rincón de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The 3rd edition of The North Face Endurance Challenge Costa Rica – four trail-running endurance races – will be held on May 30, 2015 from the headquarters at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin....Read More
Costa Rica welcomes rainy season (also called the “green season”) like a parched traveler reaching an oasis after a long, dry desert-crossing. Dry season dust is gone and Costa Rica’s landscape springs back to life with lush green vegetation, carpets of blooming flowers, and new animal life. Costa Rica in general has two major seasons...Read More
Tucked between the Osa Peninsula and the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica, the “Sweet Gulf” of Golfo Dulce is the perfect destination for nature lovers and adventure-seekers. Circling the warm blue waters of Golfo Dulce is a tropical rainforest with secluded beaches and an amazing biodiversity. Here you can encounter all four species of...Read More
For tourism companies interested in Latin America’s hottest destination, the Costa Rica travel trade-mart – Expotur 2015 – is an opportunity to build business relationships with Costa Rica’s hotels, tour companies and travel agencies. Costa Rica’s biggest tourism fair will be held May 7 to 10, 2015 at the Wyndham Herradura Hotel in San José,...Read More
If you are a Pack Light traveler, you probably often find yourself with extra room in your luggage when you go on vacation. Have you ever thought about using that available luggage space to provide supplies to communities you visit? The desire to give back or contribute to the place people visit as tourists is...Read More
The trash problem of the world’s oceans has reached epic proportions. However, in the small Central American nation of Costa Rica, 108 beach communities have taken a stand against litter and pollution and are working to make a difference in the world predicament. The record number of Costa Rica beaches received Ecological Blue Flag Awards...Read More
It’s no wonder that Jacó Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica. There is so much to do on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica – beaches, surfing, outdoor adventure sports, the Carara National Park, Manuel Antonio National Park, and the Tarcoles River with its famous huge crocodiles. The thing...Read More
In celebration of Earth Day 2015 – celebrating its 45th anniversary on April 22, 2015 – Horizontes Nature Tours in Costa Rica asked one of their long-time naturalist guides what was his favorite element of Costa Rica nature. Costa Rica’s national parks were his answer. From a country that was nearly devastated by deforestation by...Read More
Ever wonder who is Juan Santamaria, for whom the San Jose international airport in Costa Rica is named? This week is a good time to find out. Costa Rica will celebrate its national holiday Juan Santamaria Day on April 11. On this day, Costa Rica celebrates this drummer boy in its national army who heroically...Read More
The way Omar Arce sees it, the Costa Rica tradition of the oxcart driver and his oxen is an important cultural heritage that must be kept alive. Nowadays in his country town of Atenas, Costa Rica most roads are paved and cars zoom everywhere. But when Arce, 73, was a boy, the only way to...Read More
