Continuing to be a favorite with world travelers, beaches and hotels in Costa Rica were named among the best in the world according to the latest TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. The popular global travel site announced on Feb. 18 its 2015 Travelers’ Choice Awards for the best beaches and hotels in the world. The annual...Read More
Article by Shannon Farley In the easy-going surf and yoga town of Playa Guiones, Costa Rica, there is a very strange smell in the air this time of year. Besides the fresh scent of the ocean, from January to April, it smells like a giant stack of maple syrup covered pancakes. What is that gingerbread...Read More
The exciting, adrenaline-charged whitewater rafting and kayaking competition of the Chorro River Race 2015 comes again to Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast on Feb. 21 to 22. The second annual event is organized by the Quepos Whitewater and Adventure Association and sponsored by TEVA. The competition in the Chorro Canyon of the Naranjo River, by...Read More
Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.– Leo Tolstoy Every February 14, around the world, people exchange cards, flowers, candy and gifts with their loved ones on this day of romance we call Valentine’s Day. But who is this mysterious...Read More
People around the world have their eye on Costa Rican football star Keylor Navas. Not only is Navas a national hero for helping lead his team as goalkeeper to the quarterfinals in the 2014 World Cup, he also is a rising star as goalkeeper for the prestigious Real Madrid football team. Now, Navas has been...Read More
Transportation in Costa Rica, unless you’ve booked a Costa Rica vacation package that includes transfers, can sometimes be complicated and expensive. Now there is a Costa Rica transportation solution that also makes your travel days fun. Desafio Adventure Company offers Adventure Connections that take care of your transportation between vacation destinations in Costa Rica and...Read More
Three of the prettiest beaches on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica are Playa Cocles, Playa Chiquita and Punta Uva. That is if you like long stretches of gorgeous picture postcard Caribbean coastline with warm turquoise ocean and graceful tall palm trees. When you are on the beach on the Costa Rica Southern Caribbean...Read More
Just in time for Christmas, travelers to Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, can enjoy charming new guest rooms at award-winning eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. At the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is one of the best places to stay in Guanacaste. The eco-tourism hotel is a...Read More
Mountain bikers, take note. Now there are Costa Rica vacations dedicated solely to mountain biking. If you are a mountain biking enthusiast looking for a training trip or a fun and challenging cycling vacation, now Cycling Trails Costa Rica has partnered with Horizontes Nature Tours to offer exceptional Costa Rica Cycling Tours. Known for its...Read More
Sunsets in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica are some of the most spectacular I’ve seen, especially if it is low tide. When the Pacific Ocean recedes from the long coastline of this stretch of the Nicoya Peninsula – Playa Carmen, Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa – the setting sun reflects its fiery colors in millions...Read More
Always wanted to live in the rainforest by a tropical beach? Or are you looking for a vacation home in a warm climate? The special eco-community of Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living in Costa Rica is an excellent option. Strategically located on the Costa Rica Central Pacific Coast between Manuel Antonio National Park and...Read More
What do a little black mare and the Virgin of Guadalupe have to do with Christmas traditions in Costa Rica? One of the more interesting Christmastime festivals held in Costa Rica is the Festival of “La Yeguita” (the little mare) on December 12. Held annually on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, the celebration combines...Read More
In southern Costa Rica, the end of the year is celebrated very uniquely at the country’s biggest indigenous cultural event, the “ Fiesta de los Diablitos Costa Rica ” The four-day annual “Festival of Little Devils” takes place over the New Year’s holiday from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2 in the village of the Boruca...Read More
To your holiday decorations this year, add some pretty Christmas plants for a living touch of good cheer. Surprisingly, many holiday plants are tropical in origin, which means that you care for them like a houseplant if you live in a cold climate. The Else Kientzler Botanical Garden in Sarchi, Costa Rica, has several fun...Read More
Some of the most elaborate traditional Christmas celebrations take place in the seven countries of Central America. Read on for more about each country’s unique festivity. Christmas Celebrations in Central America Panama The Panama City Christmas Parade is the big festivity here. Decorated floats, marching bands and dancers in traditional costumes parade through Panama City...Read More
Looking to shop for unique Christmas gifts this year? Combine Christmas shopping with a holiday in Costa Rica and go to the Holiday Art Fair in Playa Guiones by Nosara on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014. More than 35 talented international and national artists will be selling handmade art and products at the third annual Holiday...Read More
Is it a good time to buy real estate in Costa Rica? According to real estate experts, it is. Costa Rica – one of the hottest real estate markets in the Americas in the early 2000s – is coming back stronger than ever after the economic slump throughout the United States and Latin America. “Costa...Read More
Whenever I travel anywhere that serves delicious meals, I always think, “How can I recreate this at home and enjoy it again?” In the case of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica, now I can. The Costa Rica rainforest lodge by the Osa Peninsula has released a free PDF downloadable Edible Landscape Garden Cookbook...Read More
The fascinating fact about plants and trees in Costa Rica is that each one has a story, or a folk tradition or a specific use. There is much more than meets the eye in this tropical paradise. Ovido Esquivel, director of the Else Kientzler Botanical Garden in Sarchi, Costa Rica, uncovered the mystique of some...Read More
Educational tourism is one of the fastest growing areas of travel and tourism. Not just for students, educational travel is about learning and being involved in community action projects while traveling and relaxing on vacation. Costa Rica offers a wide variety of educational travel and volunteer opportunities for people of all ages. An excellent destination...Read More
This Christmas, give your family the gift of a holiday together in Costa Rica. What better present for your entire family than to share fun and adventure in the sun, and the rainforest, beaches and volcanoes of Costa Rica. It is easy and affordable to travel to the peaceful country of Costa Rica. There is...Read More
One of the most magnificent birds in Costa Rica is the Great Green Macaw. This time of year, from October through December, Great Green Macaws (Ara ambiguus) return to the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge in northern Costa Rica from the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve in Nicaragua. Following their main food source of mountain almond tree...Read More
Now getting to the South Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica will be easier than ever with a new 30-minute flight between San Jose and Limon on Nature Air . Starting Dec. 1, travelers to Costa Rica can fly from San Jose and the Central Valley to the Caribbean port city of Limon on daily flights with...Read More
So, you’ve done a guided rappel down a 150-foot gushing waterfall. Ho-hum. Now you’re ready for the next extreme adventure adrenaline fix. How about waterfall jumping? Waterfall jumping is Costa Rica’s version of cliff diving, but next to a waterfall. Also called “tombstoning” in Europe, waterfall jumping is the newest most extreme adventure tour in...Read More