Educational tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of travel and tourism. Not just for students, educational travel is about learning and being involved in community action projects while traveling and relaxing on vacation. Costa Rica offers a wide variety of educational travel and volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. An excellent destination...Read More
So, you’ve done a guided rappel down a 150-foot gushing waterfall. Ho-hum. Now you’re ready for the next extreme adventure adrenaline fix. How about waterfall jumping? Waterfall jumping is Costa Rica’s version of cliff diving, but next to a waterfall. Also called “tombstoning” in Europe, waterfall jumping is the newest most extreme adventure tour in...Read More
Travel can be stressful, there’s no doubt about it. Standing in line, airport security, incessant waiting, lugging bags and suitcases, crowds … and the sitting! Sitting on a plane, or in a car or taxi, or on a bus, or on a train – it plays havoc with your back, butt, hips, legs, and well,...Read More
Kayaking (or boating) through the Tamarindo Wildlife Refuge in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is an exciting experience. You never know what animal or bird you’ll suddenly come upon next. Maybe a snowy white egret. Maybe a giant, toothy American Crocodile. Maybe a curious howler monkey lazily lounging in a tree. The refuge spans 953 acres and...Read More
Like stand-up paddle boarding? Come to Manuel Antonio and Quepos, Costa Rica, this December for the exciting Manuel Antonio Stand-Up Paddle Games 2014. At the Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, Costa Rica on Dec. 13 and 14, 2014, athletes will compete in four events in the popular sport of stand-up paddle boarding. There will be...Read More
Celebrate the sea turtles of Costa Rica this weekend at the Matapalo Sea Turtle Festival. The annual sea turtle festival on Nov. 15 and 16 at Matapalo Costa Rica, halfway between Manuel Antonio National Park and Dominical on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, celebrates the Matapalo Sea Turtle Conservation Project and hatching of baby sea...Read More
One of the top places to go in Costa Rica, in the Central Valley, is the spectacular Else Kientzler Botanical Garden in Sarchi, Costa Rica. The flourishing Costa Rica botanical garden showcases more than 2,000 species of exotic tropical plants from around the globe in its 11 gardens on seven hectares (17.3 acres). The popular...Read More
Called by pro mountain bikers the “most extreme 100-miler in the world,” the Rincon de la Vieja Challenge 100-mile mountain bike race at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica recently upped its status to become the first international chapter of the National Ultra Endurance Series (NUE). The NUE is a series of...Read More
Learning how to surf can change your life. Maybe it’s the powerful rush of catching a wave and the feeling of flying on water as you race across the wave’s face. Or that it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, whether you are a beginner or a pro, the thrill of being out in...Read More
This year, why not spend the Thanksgiving holidays giving thanks for all that is good in life on a revitalizing yoga retreat in Costa Rica. Imagine taking a break from the busyness of everyday life to relax and restore your energy in the rainforest, with 80-degree warm gulf waters at your doorstep and monkeys, Scarlet...Read More
The transition from rainy season to summer season in Costa Rica is a time of abundant wildlife. Rivers, streams, lakes and ponds are full of water, vegetation is lush, and settings are ideal for capturing Costa Rica’s exotic wildlife on camera. This is especially true on a river trip. In the Nosara Costa Rica area...Read More
Whether you are thinking to live in Atenas, Costa Rica, are visiting Atenas in one of the many vacation homes, or have already moved to Costa Rica, you can find many things to do. Within an hour’s drive of Atenas, you can enjoy a round of nine or 18 holes of golf in Costa Rica...Read More
Stretching like a long finger pointing at the Arenal Volcano, Lake Arenal in Costa Rica is one of the country’s most scenic points of interest. Green rolling hills of forest and pastureland surround the deep blue lake, with the near-perfect conical symmetry of Arenal Volcano framing the skyline to the east. It is the country’s...Read More
This time of year, the crisp fall weather of the north sends birds packing south to warm tropical climates. Bird migration season in Costa Rica is here. According to the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, approximately 350 bird species from the United States and Canada migrate south to winter in the Neotropics of the Caribbean,...Read More
There is so much to do and see in Costa Rica that families with kids can go nearly anywhere and be happy. What child, teen or adult wouldn’t appreciate rainforest exploring, canopy zip-lines, surfing, snorkeling, nesting sea turtles, endless beaches, and plenty of wild animals and cool bugs, plants and trees? One of the best...Read More
Part mountaineering and part rock climbing, but in reverse, with the added challenge of pounding water, the waterfall rappelling extreme sport of canyoneering is the latest top popular adventure tour in Costa Rica. One of the best places for canyoneering, also called canyoning, is by the Arenal Volcano in Costa Rica. The rugged, mountainous rainforest...Read More
It is a Friday morning in my little mountain coffee town of Atenas, Costa Rica. The traditional Friday Farmers’ Market, called a “feria” in Spanish, is abuzz with shoppers and vendors. Mounds of mangoes, melons, watermelon, pineapples and a myriad of other fruits juicily beckon buyers. Crisp lettuces, spinach, cilantro and other greens glisten with...Read More
Practicing yoga outdoors has many benefits, especially at the beach. In addition to beautiful scenery and fresh air, it takes balance, concentration and strength to hold yoga poses in the sand, so you get more of a workout. Here are six reasons why yoga is fun on the beach, from Nancy Goodfellow, resident yoga instructor...Read More
Parades, lantern ceremonies, traditional music and dancing will take place all over Costa Rica this weekend to mark the day that Costa Rica and four other Central American nations gained their independence from Spain. Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are all celebrating 193 years of independence from Spain on Sept. 15. On this...Read More
Calm seas and abundant marine life in the spectacular Pacific Ocean at Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica create an ideal environment for fun activities. For instance, now through the end of December is humpback whale-watching season in Costa Rica; and you can nearly always see large pods of dolphins while out sailing, boating or...Read More
Green season in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is when the waterfalls at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano really show off. Near Rincon de la Vieja hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, four waterfalls flow, and all of them have pools where you can swim. Getting to the waterfalls is an adventure on its own – either by hiking or...Read More
It is amazing how many national parks, conservation areas, wildlife refuges and private reserves there are in the tiny country of Costa Rica. In the mountains of the Pacific Nicoya Peninsula, one little-known private reserve is the Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve. A wildlife refuge and reforestation project, the Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve serves as an...Read More
Can you keep a secret? While the rest of Costa Rica will soon be covered under a gray umbrella of rain, the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast is about to shine under a beaming Caribbean summer sun. Curiously, the Caribbean Coast does not follow the standard weather patterns of Costa Rica. Savvy travelers know that Caribbean...Read More
There are women-only professional clubs, women-only gyms, women’s athletic events, and girls also rule at Pura Vida Adventures surf retreats in Costa Rica. Founded 10 years ago by surfer Tierza Eichner, Pura Vida Adventures brings women from the U.S. and other countries to the pristine beaches and rocking waves of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica for...Read More
