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Where to Stay
Hotel Laguna Azul, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Visiting a private tropical Caribbean island at Hotel Laguna Azul, Bocas del Toro Panama

It is always interesting to me to get the story behind a destination boutique hotel. These aren’t large franchise chains owned by a mega-corporation. Small boutique hotels have style and flair, with usually one or a few owners, and often in creative places. Take for instance, Hotel Laguna Azul in the southern Caribbean Bocas del...
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Playa Guiones at Nosara, Costa Rica

Pro surfers come to top Costa Rica surfing beach Playa Guiones for June national tournament

Long-favored as a site for Costa Rica national surfing competitions, the white sandy beach of Playa Guiones at Nosara will host the sixth tournament of the Costa Rica National Surfing Circuit kölbi 2015 in June. Presented by Adrenaline Rush, the Beach Club Tournament will be held June 13-14 at Playa Guiones. The important competition is...
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Santa Teresa Beach at Pranamar Villas

Santa Teresa Costa Rica beach communities win Ecological Blue Flag

“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...
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Bioluminescence-on-shore

A liquid sky of blue stars – bioluminescence in Costa Rica

One of my absolute favorite scenes in the 2012 movie “Life of Pi” is when a huge glittering whale jumps out of a sparkling night sea behind Pi’s raft, everything around them glowing from amazing bioluminescence. Another favorite is the illuminated neon forest in the movie “Avatar.” Bioluminescence is most common in the tropics. Walking...
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Costa Rica National SUP Team member Rolando Herrera, photo by Carlos Arias

Costa Rica SUP, Masters & Longboard Surfing competition in Malpais

The Costa Rica National Circuit of Stand-up Paddleboarding (SUP), Masters and Longboard Surfing will come to Malpaís for the third competition in the 2015 season on May 23 and 24. On Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula, the beaches of Malpaís and Santa Teresa attract visitors from all over the world who come to surf, do...
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Rainforest-multisport-escapade-on-the-golfo-dulce

5 Tropical beaches you want to visit in southern Costa Rica

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...
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Yoga in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica, photo by Daniel Chavarria

Enjoy yoga on vacation in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

“Find moments in your day to be grateful, to hold peace for a moment, appreciate beauty in the world, and remember to smile.” Even if you don’t come to Costa Rica for a yoga retreat, you can still practice yoga on your vacation. Yoga has become so popular in Costa Rica that you can find...
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Pack light

Santa Teresa Costa Rica hotel asks guests to pack with a purpose

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...
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Blue Flag Ecological Award Costa Rica

Costa Rica eco-lodge named cleanest beach in the country

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...
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Hotel Tramonto pool, Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

New Costa Rica beach hotel opens in Playa Hermosa Costa Rica

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...
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cazuela waterfall park

Try your own #AirBrady jump at these Costa Rica waterfalls

You don’t have to be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback like Tom Brady to enjoy Costa Rica’s waterfalls. Sure, Brady was trying to impress the girl – his wife, Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen – when he shocked the world with his #AirBrady leap off Montezuma Falls near his vacation home of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. And...
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Laguna Azul eco-hotel, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Bocas del Toro Panama is the perfect Caribbean vacation

As I am flipping through the website for Laguna Azul eco-boutique hotel in Bocas del Toro, Panamá, I am more and more captivated by the images of turquoise Caribbean Sea, water that is impossibly clear, coral reef, dolphins, Caribbean beaches … and the beauty goes on and on. I want to go there. Now. Forget...
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Surfer Leilani McGonagle of Costa Rica, image by FB

Costa Rica National Surfing Cup in Santa Teresa, April 18-19

Surfing hotspot of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica will be in the spotlight again next weekend, April 18 and 19, for the season’s fourth 2015 Costa Rica National Surfing Cup competition. Sponsored by ISAW Action Cameras of Australia, the ISAW Cup will be held on the spectacular beach of Santa Teresa in front of the Banana...
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Juan Santamaria of Costa Rica

Who is Costa Rica’s national hero Juan Santamaria?

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...
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Dine on fresh Latino-style cuisine at Nicuesa Lodge

What’s cooking at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica?

Let’s face it; we all care about what we eat. So if visiting a remote jungle eco-lodge is in your plans, you might be wondering if mealtime will resemble a Mission Survive episode with creepy-crawlies and vermin. In fact, remote  Costa Rica eco lodge   Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge gets regular rave reviews from guests...
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Yoga on the beach at Santa Teresa Hotel Tropico Latino

After the Costa Rica national yoga festival, escape to yoga hotspot Santa Teresa Beach

Yoga lovers will definitely not want to miss the National Yoga Festival in Costa Rica in April. The capital city of San Jose, Costa Rica will host the 7th annual National Festival of Yoga from April 16 to 19, 2015 at the National Culture Center (CENAC). The festival is promoted by the Costa Rican Association...
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Playa Cocles, South Caribbean, Costa Rica

10 Things not to expect on Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean Coast

The two coastlines of Costa Rica – Caribbean and Pacific – are about as opposite as you can get in landscape and lifestyle – kind of like New York and California. Most tourists to Costa Rica head west to the Pacific Coast beaches. It is the adventurer looking for the unique Costa Rica who chooses...
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Casa de Paz vacation rental Portasol Costa Rica

Getting away: Private paradise at this new Costa Rica vacation home

Time to get away from it all, but you want something different than the usual packed beaches and crowded hotels? What if I told you there was a tropical paradise of rainforest and beach with bright sunny days and warm balmy nights, and you could have it all to yourself? No crowds. You’d probably think:...
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Beach at Nosara Costa Rica

5 travel tips you need for your stay in Nosara Costa Rica

Like all travelers, when you plan a vacation to an unfamiliar location, you want to have an idea of what to expect. TripAdvisor is a great resource for getting insider information about a place from guests who have been there. Here are 5 great travel tips for your stay in Nosara Costa Rica. from guests...
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5-reasons-to-visit-the-golfo-dulce-in-the-green-season

Dreaming about Costa Rica? Get packing!

I’m sitting at my desk, meant to be working. What I’m really doing is daydreaming about snorkeling in Costa Rica. I’m plotting how I can get back to Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge on Golfo Dulce. I’m remembering swimming in that calm sea and the feel of delicious water – not bath-water warm, but not cold...
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Hot volcanic springs at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin

Liking it hot at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin in Costa Rica

After a big day of hiking, zip-lining, horseback riding or other adventure tours in Costa Rica, there is nearly nothing better than soaking in steamy thermal springs so hot they make you tingle all over. Your tired muscles are soon relaxed into spaghetti-like existence and the cares of the world melt away. Mineral-rich hot springs...
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Shhh, don’t tell … hidden paradise on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast

I’ve been to a lot of beaches in Costa Rica. Most of them I like, some of them I don’t. Then there are others that are so off the charts in fabulousness that I nearly don’t want to tell anyone about them. All right, I’ll tell you. I’ve discovered a hidden gem. A place I...
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Pranamar family - service with smiles

What’s the secret to Costa Rica hotel Pranamar Villas’ success?

When world traveler Susan Money chooses where to stay on vacation, she prefers smaller family-run hotels. Not as small as a B&B, but preferably not a corporate establishment. “I feel taken care of at a well-run corporate hotel or resort, but I like the friendships you create at smaller family-run hotels,” said Money. “This is...
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Dolphins in Golfo Dulce

A dolphin tale: See wild dolphins in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

The last time I was at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, I was down at the beach cooling off from the hot sun in waist-deep tranquil waters of the Golfo Dulce, when suddenly there was a splash very close behind me. I turned quickly to look out toward the Gulf and was greeted by three Bottlenose...
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