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

Newlywed couples from Europe to North America are flocking to the tropical paradise of Costa Rica for the ultimate romantic wedding and honeymoon destination. The Wall Street Journal recently named Costa Rica as the “Best Destination to Say ‘I Do’ in Latin America”. Costa Rica has become a leader in destination weddings and honeymoons, receiving...Read More

As we drove up into the clouds, it began to look not like Costa Rica anymore. Mist swirled around us. Large-leafed Prehistoric-looking vegetation lurked in the gloom. All windows were up; I was wearing a big fleece jacket, and I was contemplating turning on my car’s heater for the first time ever. When I told...Read More

The end of the year in southern Costa Rica is time for one of the country’s biggest indigenous cultural events. This is when the native Boruca community celebrates their traditional “Fiesta de los Diablitos”, or the Festival of Little Devils. The four-day annual event happens from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2 in the village of...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

Costa Rica’s summer season is beginning, just in time to beat the winter blues with affordable winter vacation destinations. Find your winter sun in Costa Rica, an easy and fun tropical getaway. Miles of beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts make for great beach vacations. Rainforests, cloud forests and active volcanoes provide exciting...Read More

Guanacaste is known as the “sunny side” of Costa Rica. The northwestern province is named after Costa Rica’s national tree, the Guanacaste. The nearly-always sunny climate is dry and hot, which creates its unique dry tropical forest habitat. Vast rolling plains, foothills, low coastal mountains and the towering Cordillera de Guanacaste mountain range create an...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

I drove through the city of San Jose last weekend. Everywhere the streets were clogged with traffic and shoppers, rushing around to cash in on Christmas deals and sales. Besides making a mental note to avoid the traffic until after Christmas, the scene made me adamantly think how much I do not want that chaos...Read More

  The southern Pacific Ocean off the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is an amazing natural wonder of marine biodiversity, home to more than 25 species of dolphins and whales, four of the world’s eight different sea turtles, along with manta rays, sailfish, marlin, tuna and sharks. The southern Pacific, and especially Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf)...Read More

It is said in Costa Rica that the best “all-terrain vehicle” for navigating the country is a horse. Costa Ricans love horses and their riding traditions – their equestrian roots coming from the Spanish who brought horses with them to Central America in the 16th century. The northwestern province of Guanacaste is the heart and...Read More

Whether you are planning your annual employee or shareholder meeting, want to motivate your sales forces, or reward your staff or clients for a great year, Costa Rica is a travel destination that offers limitless possibilities. With many regular and direct flights, Costa Rica is easy to get to from Canada and the United States....Read More

In the case of butterflies, it pays to look like your neighbor. New information about long-winged butterflies in Costa Rica is showing how the importance of “mimicry” and the butterflies’ natural promiscuity has led to interbreeding and the creation of new species that look very much alike, according to a study led by University of...Read More

We all love things that make us feel young (or remember our youth), feel free and be happy. Traveling is almost always in the top 10 – even if only to an old neighborhood where we once lived. Why? 1. Traveling opens up our world. In today’s world, where emails and smart phones often replace...Read More

Thatched-roof pavilions in jungle gardens, hidden courtyards reflecting pools and temple carvings, covered open-air walkways, wide verandas and smooth wooden decks, living spaces that invite the landscape inside … these are all elements of the world-wide architectural phenomenon known as “Bali Style.” The mere mention of Bali evokes thoughts of tropical paradise. Bali is more...Read More

Meet sloths, kinkajous, tayras, ocelots, peccaries and anteaters. Stand next to Scarlet Macaws feeding on almond trees. Watch white-faced monkeys swing and play next to you, and have your heart melt when a spider monkey comes to hold your hand. This isn’t some exotic zoo, but rather the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary on Golfo Dulce in...Read More