Besides amazing looks, tropical architecture is all about working with the elements of nature to achieve thermal comfort in hot and humid climates. Tropical architecture, whether traditional, ultramodern or high-tech, uses passive design elements like sunshades, cavity walls, light shelves, overhangs, roof and wall insulation, and shading from large trees to block the intense tropical...Read More
They bring life to rainforests, both with their brilliant colors and with the magnificent flowers they help to pollinate. Everyone loves butterflies – these delicate creatures flit and fly gracefully, brightening our gardens and wild spaces. Their beauty and allure has given butterflies a special place in both ancient and modern cultures. Many societies, including...Read More
Travelers to Costa Rica’s northern province of Guanacaste – home to outstanding tropical beaches, world-class all-inclusive resorts, volcanoes and beautiful tropical forest – can rest easy knowing that Guanacaste is also home to premium medical care services. Costa Rica is an exceptionally healthy place to live, according to official information about the country. In fact,...Read More
Paradise and social responsibility – in recent years, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a buzzword in mainstream tourism all over the world. Travelers are seeking destinations that uphold sustainable environmental and community values, and hotels, resorts, tour companies and the like are doing their best to create programs and keep up with societies’ demands....Read More
For Costa Rica Tourism Minister Allan Flores, the news of more and more international airlines announcing new routes or more flights to Costa Rica shows the huge success of efforts by the Costa Rican National Tourism Board to attract more airlines and flights to the country from Costa Rica’s key international tourism markets. “This news...Read More
Teen athletes need a strong dietary foundation and lots of energy. Anyone who knows a young athlete knows they can get hungry … and often! It is important that young athletes eat healthy well-balanced meals and remain hydrated in order to achieve optimal health and performance. A young athlete needs to be fueled by eating...Read More
Visitors to Costa Rica’s northwest Guanacaste region probably don’t realize the area was once a thriving community for the indigenous Chorotega tribe. Indigenous history and traditions maintain a low profile in the Central American country, yet if you look closely they are all around you. Spreading across Costa Rica’s entire northern Pacific zone, Guanacaste, for...Read More
Most surfers are probably already aware that the practice of Yoga results in great benefits for the physical body and beyond. Yoga increases mental clarity and our ability to concentrate with intention on specific goals and desires. The breathing techniques used in this ancient science are amazing for increasing lung capacity, while helping to lengthen...Read More
Get married in a church or a hotel ballroom … or on a tropical beach at sunset, or in the rainforest, or by a mighty volcano? Adventure and romance await you at a Costa Rica destination wedding. Why not combine your wedding, your honeymoon, and a vacation all in one trip? More and more, couples...Read More
Costa Rica surfer Carlos Muñoz has made it to the top 10 in the Junior Men’s World Ranking of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP). The 20-year-old rising star surfer is currently tied at ninth place in the world in the Junior Men’s Division with eight other surfers from Australia, Hawaii, Brazil, USA and Japan....Read More
Jaco surfers dominated Costa Rica’s Third Olympus National Surfing Competition for 2013, the MAUI Cup, last week at Jaco Beach. Top Jaco surfers Jair Pérez and Lisbeth Vindas respectively won the Men’s and Women’s Open Titles in the third Costa Rica Surf Federation national circuit competition, sponsored by energy drink company Adrenaline Rush. The surf...Read More
Writer and poet Henry David Thoreau said it best, “I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least … sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” I agree wholeheartedly. I always feel renewed, refreshed, and more...Read More
I met Nemo the other day. Well, actually it was his cousin. Instead of a cute bright orange and white striped Clownfish, this little guy was a vibrant yellow and turquoise with dark stripes. It swam right up to my snorkel mask, in my mind to say, “Hi!” Really, what it was probably thinking was...Read More
Looking for ideas on where to go and what to do on vacation in Costa Rica? Here’s an interesting and fabulously varied trip to 6 of Costa Rica’s top tourist destinations, and all while staying in charming and luxurious boutique hotels. The unique architecture, personalized service and enchanting intimacy that you find at boutique hotels...Read More
Dazzling white sandy beaches backed by tropical rainforest, shimmering tropical-warm blue-green water, fresh ocean breezes, and a diverse array of wildlife – Manuel Antonio is one of Costa Rica’s most popular beach destinations. Conveniently located on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, here you can experience nearly all of the country’s enchanting attractions in one place....Read More
One of the joys of traveling is picking up that little something special to bring back home. A unique gift from a unique place that will remind you months and years later of the fun trip you enjoyed. In the case of world traveler Susan Money, owner of Costa Rica’s Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga...Read More
Sarapiquí is one of my favorite places in Costa Rica. Rust red-orange earth meets up with jade green water of the Sarapiqui River, next to fluorescent green grass and darker emerald-green, thick rainforest. Jewel-toned birds and butterflies swoop here and there, and this time of year, the cicadas bring a tumultuous cacophony to the sunshine....Read More
Suspended on cables gliding through the tops of giant tropical trees, amid hidden, dripping, hanging gardens full of plants and animals in the rainforest, is a pretty cool experience. Rainforest trees are tall, really tall, even towering up to more than 100 feet high. The microcosm of life happening at this level is abundant and...Read More
Costa Rica’s amazing natural attractions make it an incomparable vacation destination. You’re in paradise here in the tropics with lush rainforest, active volcanoes, spectacular mountain ranges and valleys, and endless beaches on both Pacific and Caribbean coasts. Domestic flights are the perfect option for travelers who want to visit as many places in Costa Rica...Read More
Tantric Yoga is kind of touchy. The ancient Hindu practice gets a lot of press for its sexual image. However, if you delve deeper than the popular hype, you find that the 1,600-year-old ritual is not concerned with sexuality, but rather the goal of Tantric Yoga is to awaken and harmonize the male and female...Read More
Headlines this week reported most of North America, Europe and even China locked in winter’s icy grip. A mix of sleet and snow, accompanied by lightning, made travel a mess in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area. A swath of snowfall from portions of Mississippi and northern Alabama/Georgia spreads through the Central Appalachians. Trees snap in...Read More
There’s nothing better than a day at the beach. The sun, the surf … what could be more fun? Especially in Costa Rica, where the sun, sand and sea are warm all the time! Long beaches of gold, rich black, pearly white, beige and even pink sand, fringed with palm trees and other greenery –...Read More
Once, Santa Teresa was a small fishing village, home to a handful of families who lived off the sea, along with small-scale agriculture and cattle ranching. Like many of Costa Rica’s top beach destinations along the Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa’s isolation from poor or non-existing roads kept this tropical paradise off the beaten track for...Read More
Traveling to the Central American isthmus of Nicaragua–Costa Rica-Panama presents travelers with a unique panorama of diversity. This narrow bridge between North and South America may be small in size but is packed with an exotic mix of steamy jungles, rugged volcanoes and mountain ranges, fabulous tropical coastlines, charming colonial towns and growing tourism destinations....Read More
