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
Planning your next vacation? You might be used to staying in hotels and resorts, but maybe you should consider vacation rentals. More independent travelers are choosing to rent private homes and apartments these days instead of hotels, using websites like Airbnb and VRBO. Vacation rentals are often the most economic travel option for families and...Read More
Going through my mind as I took my first bite of steaming, fresh pupusa – after, “oh my god, this is good!” – was, “why don’t I eat pupusas more often?” There is a pupusa restaurant in my little country town of Atenas, Costa Rica. I’ve eaten there a few times, but now plan to...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
You want to visit Santa Teresa, Costa Rica – named one of the most beautiful beaches in the world with some of the best surfing in Costa Rica. But where is it and how do you get there? Santa Teresa Beach is located on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica on the southern Nicoya Peninsula....Read More
Right behind Sweden and Norway as the top Green Countries in the World, is the little Central American nation of Costa Rica. According to the recently released 2014 Global Green Economy Index™ (GGEI), Costa Rica is the third best Green Country in the World. The Global Green Economy Index™ (GGEI) measures the green economic performance...Read More
The incredibly biodiverse area of Tortuguero should definitely be on your “bucket list” of places to see in Costa Rica. Called the “Little Amazon” of Costa Rica, Tortuguero on the northern Caribbean Coast is an untamed stretch of wild jungle and desolate beaches. You have swamp, lagoons, canals, marshy islands, dense rainforest, black sand beaches,...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
Cute, clever, playful and tiny, the Grey Crowned Central American Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri oerstedii citrinellus) known as the Mono Titi in Spanish, is the smallest primate in Costa Rica. Measuring only 9.8 to 14 inches in height and weighing 1.7 to 2.4 pounds, these little monkeys are sadly threatened with extinction due to loss of...Read More
Ever dream of escaping every so often, even if it’s just for a few hours? With so many things competing for our attention in today’s fast-paced world, it’s common to want to get away. Visiting a day spa helps you switch off and relax, disconnect from the world, and restore your mind, body and spirit....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
Four U.S.-based international airlines have confirmed new routes and increased flights to Costa Rica, making travel to Central America now easier than ever. The flight increases coincide with the approaching 2014-15 high tourist season (December to April) and holiday season in Costa Rica. Nonstop flights on United Airlines to Costa Rica will increase from the...Read More
Looking to get away for a quick fall break or Thanksgiving vacation? Maybe a romantic adventure holiday? If you are into nature and wildlife, Costa Rica is the place to go. A good Costa Rica vacation deal for the fall is the Romance and Natural Adventure Costa Rica Vacation Package at Maquenque Eco-Lodge in the...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
While Christopher Columbus is remembered in the USA in the upcoming October holiday, many other countries take a much broader perspective for their celebrations. The USA observes Oct. 12 (or the Monday closest to it) as Columbus Day for the date that explorer Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas in 1492. Spain commemorates Oct. 12...Read More
The northwestern province of Guanacaste in Costa Rica has one of the largest dry tropical forest areas in the Americas. Dry tropical forests are unique with many deciduous broad-leaf trees and vegetation that survive with much less water than a tropical rainforest. It endures a dry season lasting approximately eight months, yet is still home...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
It may surprise you, given that the Central Valley, Central Mountain Range and Pacific Coast of Costa Rica are swimming under a rain cloud, that today on the Costa Rica Southern Caribbean Coast it was hot and sunny, with blue skies and calm seas. Costa Rica Caribbean Summer is in full radiant glory. While most...Read More
A torrential thunderstorm provided the dramatic background for a small group gathered last Friday night at Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living in Costa Rica for a charity dinner to benefit their local Portalon Elementary School. A 5-star gourmet 4-course dinner, created by visiting award-winning chef Randy Siles of Hotel Tropico Latino in Santa Teresa...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
