The Tortuguero coast in Costa Rica is a 22-mile-long, desolate, volcanic black sand beach littered with driftwood and tree logs tossed up on shore from the untamed ocean. It is a wild place – like the imaginary jungle coast in Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” There is nothing but beach and low, swampy...Read More
I think Jimmy Buffet said it best: “With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same.” There is a definite change in attitude traveling to Costa Rica on vacation. A slow in the pace, relax of the heartbeat, and a desire to kick back and soak in the sun on a...Read More
From the concrete jungle of Johannesburg, South Africa, to the wilds of the Costa Rican rainforest is quite a change. Two months ago, South African couple Gary Kritzinger and Shayne Mrazek left behind electric fences and heavy security, hour-long 6 km commutes, and a metropolitan beehive of 12 million people, for a different kind of...Read More
Talk about Nosara, Costa Rica, and you actually mean a stretch of several beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula – from Playa Ostional to Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. This remote area of Guanacaste, just north of Samara in the country’s north Pacific, is known for long wide beaches, fantastic surfing, peace and quiet,...Read More
Most visitors to Costa Rica start out in the capital city of San José. However, many might not know that San José is an ideal gateway to some of the best one-day tours that Costa Rica has to offer. Starting right from the Central Valley, you have dozens of exciting adventure, nature and cultural tours...Read More
Yoga and meditation are all about breathing deeply, relaxing, and reconnecting with your inner nature. What better setting for this practice than the pure oxygen-rich rainforest of Costa Rica. Be in harmony with nature around you at a yoga and meditation retreat at Portasol Rainforest & Oceanview Living. The sustainable community on Costa Rica’s Central...Read More
Evidence shows that Costa Rica’s 17-year-old deforestation ban on cutting “mature” forests may actually be working, according to a study published recently in the journal Environmental Research Letters. In Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean lowlands, in an area where pineapple production tripled over the past decade, a study led by Matthew Fagan of Columbia University found...Read More
Although it is one of Costa Rica’s most spectacular destinations – for its gold and white sand beaches, world-class surfing, warm blue Pacific Ocean, and lush rainforest – the southern Nicoya Peninsula stays off the beaten tourist path. The reason is the region’s remote location. Going by ferry is the traditional way to get to...Read More
Imagine this Costa Rica vacation: Traverse the entire country from coast to coast and north to south, but only using mountain bikes, kayaks, rafts, zipline cables, and your feet. Sleep under the stars wherever you may be – mud, sand, grass field, rocky stream bed – but only for a few hours at a time....Read More
I met a woman and her husband in the airport recently, while we were waiting to board our flight out of Costa Rica. They were tanned and relaxed, and had been enjoying the country’s beaches and rainforest … all for free! They had won a work contest to sell the most furniture for their company...Read More
Knowing a little something about a country’s cultural and social nuances before you travel there could mean the difference between having a fun or a frustrating vacation. You’d want the same for a visitor in your own country, so why not make cultural awareness just as important as what you pack when planning an international...Read More
As healthcare costs skyrocket in top nations around the globe, many people are going on sick leave and vacation at the same time. The world medical tourism industry has become a $10.5 billion business based on the availability of high-quality medical services at reasonable rates in many developing countries. Patients are traveling abroad not only...Read More
What if keeping a doctor’s visit at bay is solved simply by what we eat? Even more, what if herbs grown right in our backyard and foods we can pick up at any corner store can heal what ails us, including the pesky common cold? Humans have relied on foods and herbs for medicine for...Read More
October and November means autumn school breaks, and Thanksgiving Week in the USA. It’s time for your fall family vacation. This year, be ahead of the learning curve and visit one of the world’s largest “outdoor classrooms” in the sun and tropics of Costa Rica. Imagine discovering animals and plants that you have never seen...Read More
New Zealand is about as far from Costa Rica as you can get. That’s where 21 Costa Rican men and women are headed at the beginning of November to compete in the World Rafting Championships. Set for November 13-24 in Rotorua, New Zealand, the biennial World Rafting Championships (WRC) will draw 69 teams from 27...Read More
What makes a sustainable business “sustainable” and why should we care? Here’s a news flash for you – we all live on the same planet Earth. In many ways we humans, and all of the living and non-living things and elements that exist on our planet, are connected. The dust storms in Africa that cause...Read More
Costa Rica – home of ecotourism and thrilling adventure tours – is not usually the first vacation destination people think of for travelers with disabilities. However, the country’s tourism industry is working to change that image and make Costa Rica’s famous attractions more accessible. So far, reports are positive from tourists who have enjoyed accessible...Read More
Santa Teresa is one of those iconic Costa Rica tourism spots. Paradise found for so many international and Costa Rican tourists who “discovered” Santa Teresa’s pristine beaches, world-class surf breaks and lushly forested coastline. Yet as more and more travelers flock to experience these beautiful treasures, the isolation bubble stretches to the max, bringing with...Read More
You don’t need a well-manicured grass pitch. You don’t even need all 22 players, or fancy uniforms … or even shoes, for that matter. All you need is a ball and people willing to play. The most popular sport in the world – football (known as soccer in the USA) – can be played anywhere...Read More
Travelers who are looking for a tropical destination on their next vacation might want to consider a cruise. There are so many benefits to cruising. You get to visit multiple countries, islands or points of interest all on the same trip without hassling with transportation, border crossings or logistics. On a cruise, you unpack once...Read More
Costa Rica has become a popular, easy and fun destination for Friends’ Trips for travelers from North America. This hot travel destination usually appeals to the adventurous, and certainly Costa Rica is foremost for adventure travel. Whether a bachelor or bachelorette party group, guys’ trip, girlfriend getaway, or simply a group of friends looking for...Read More
Jungle, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, canyons and gravel roads come together in Turrialba, making this region Central America’s adventure-sport capital. Turrialba is the perfect destination for those who wish to enjoy adventure amid lush nature, so it’s no coincidence that Turrialba is the cradle adventure tourism in Costa Rica. You will find a wide range of...Read More
What are the best places to visit in Costa Rica? What are the best things to do in Costa Rica? I get these questions a lot. Having lived in Costa Rica for 12 years, working in the tourism industry, I field questions from extended family, friends, friends of friends, and even complete strangers if I...Read More
Normally, you don’t see tough, radical conservationists attending lectures by land developers. But there they were, 100 strong, from the Nature Conservancy, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and from all over Latin America – all raptly listening to how land development can actually preserve forests. Nervous before his formidable audience, Guillermo...Read More
