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

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

Once a place largely to be avoided for war and political upheaval, Central America in recent years is the darling of travel in the Americas. Led strongly by Costa Rica and Belize, the seven nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama are becoming immensely popular for family travel, luxury travel,...Read More

There is so much to do and see in Costa Rica that families with kids can go nearly anywhere and be happy. What child, teen or adult wouldn’t appreciate rainforest exploring, canopy zip-lines, surfing, snorkeling, nesting sea turtles, endless beaches, and plenty of wild animals and cool bugs, plants and trees? One of the best...Read More

Each neighborhood in San Jose, Costa Rica has its own personality and character. The culturally-rich neighborhood of Barrio Amon in the capital city’s downtown center is urban, eclectic and funky. There are lots of art galleries, restaurants, cafés, bars, museums and cultural attractions. The Caribbean bus station is close. So is the Costa Rica Center...Read More

Like many beaches in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Playa Guiones doesn’t have much shade. The coastline is lined with long grasses, shrubbery, very-low-to-the-ground stubby trees and some tall palm trees here and there. A nonprofit NGO in Costa Rica is working to change that. The Green Coasts Conservation Association (La Asociación Conservacionista Costas Verdes) is dedicated...Read More

It is a Friday morning in my little mountain coffee town of Atenas, Costa Rica. The traditional Friday Farmers’ Market, called a “feria” in Spanish, is abuzz with shoppers and vendors. Mounds of mangoes, melons, watermelon, pineapples and a myriad of other fruits juicily beckon buyers. Crisp lettuces, spinach, cilantro and other greens glisten with...Read More

Practicing yoga outdoors has many benefits, especially at the beach. In addition to beautiful scenery and fresh air, it takes balance, concentration and strength to hold yoga poses in the sand, so you get more of a workout. Here are six reasons why yoga is fun on the beach, from Nancy Goodfellow, resident yoga instructor...Read More

There is a lot of talk in travel about eco-tourism and being sustainable. But what does that really mean? Is that simply turning off a few lights, not wasting water and recycling the trash? According to the United Nations, sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to...Read More

Calm seas and abundant marine life in the spectacular Pacific Ocean at Quepos and Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica create an ideal environment for fun activities. For instance, now through the end of December is humpback whale-watching season in Costa Rica; and you can nearly always see large pods of dolphins while out sailing, boating or...Read More

Green season in Guanacaste, Costa Rica is when the waterfalls at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano really show off. Near Rincon de la Vieja hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, four waterfalls flow, and all of them have pools where you can swim. Getting to the waterfalls is an adventure on its own – either by hiking or...Read More

It is amazing how many national parks, conservation areas, wildlife refuges and private reserves there are in the tiny country of Costa Rica. In the mountains of the Pacific Nicoya Peninsula, one little-known private reserve is the Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve. A wildlife refuge and reforestation project, the Karen Mogensen Nature Reserve serves as an...Read More

Can you keep a secret? While the rest of Costa Rica will soon be covered under a gray umbrella of rain, the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast is about to shine under a beaming Caribbean summer sun. Curiously, the Caribbean Coast does not follow the standard weather patterns of Costa Rica. Savvy travelers know that Caribbean...Read More

There are women-only professional clubs, women-only gyms, women’s athletic events, and girls also rule at Pura Vida Adventures surf retreats in Costa Rica. Founded 10 years ago by surfer Tierza Eichner, Pura Vida Adventures brings women from the U.S. and other countries to the pristine beaches and rocking waves of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica for...Read More