The neat thing about river rafting is that you get to see parts of the country that otherwise go unnoticed. The Peñas Blancas River in north central Costa Rica is a good example. The clear tropical river runs through the Tilaran Mountain Range, fed by pristine waters of the Monteverde cloud forest, and converges with...Read More
It’s been a good year so far for Nataly Bernold. The 19-year-old from Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, was just crowned Costa Rica’s National Surfing Champion in the Women’s division in August (2012), making it her third national surfing title. In May, she won the Quicksilver Cup on the Olympus National Surfing Circuit in Dominical, placing...Read More
A friend of mine is a consummate travel fanatic. She’s traveled all over the world and knows the ins and outs of internet travel websites like nobody’s business. Nevertheless, she still uses a local travel agent whenever she plans her family’s holidays. Going to Ecuador? She contacts a travel expert in Ecuador. Going to the...Read More
Starting this weekend the port city of Limón kicks off its annual Carnival festivities, a 12-day Caribbean street party celebrating the kaleidoscope of cultures on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. The famous party commemorates Christopher Columbus’ historic arrival to Costa Rica’s coconut-fringed Caribbean coast in 1502. Visitors will come from all over for the 2012 “Carnaval...Read More
Tortuguero is like the imaginary jungle coast in Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are.” It is a wild place. You can just imagine what was going through Christopher Columbus’ mind when he anchored off the palm-fringed beach in 1502 … “I have come to the end of the earth,” he must have mused. The...Read More
While the rest of the northern surfing world is gearing up for snowboarding for the winter, Costa Rica is heating up for the 2012-2013 summer season. Sunny days, blue skies and dry trade winds are soon headed our way … ideal for surf vacations! Look your best and get the most stoke with the latest...Read More
I want to be part of a Blue Zone. What is a “Blue Zone,” you ask? It is a place where people live happily and healthily for a very long time. The term was popularized by author-educator-explorer Dan Buettner in his 2008 book, “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from People Who’ve Lived the...Read More
Ecotourism and Costa Rica are practically synonymous, especially since Costa Rica essentially pioneered the flourishing ecotourism trend. In April of this year, Costa Rica was named the most popular eco-friendly destination in the world by TripAdvisor members. The country has been on the forefront of the eco-friendly travel movement ever since it developed its Certification...Read More
The buzz is true – Costa Rica is a surfer’s paradise. There are hundreds and hundreds of beach towns, from little villages to bustling cosmopolitan centers, and just as many surf breaks. The country counts more than 700 miles of coastline between both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts. With warm tropical water, long rolling waves,...Read More
Most tourists to Costa Rica never see San Jose. They are whisked off from the Juan Santamaria International Airport outside the city to the “pretty” sights of the country; or they fly into the northern Guanacaste international airport at Liberia and don’t go anywhere near the Central Valley. That’s too bad. San Jose has a...Read More
It is a gigantic journey. A one-way trip can last upwards of 5,000 miles. Imagine walking from a bit north of Anchorage, Alaska, all the way to San Jose, Costa Rica, and that’s the distance we’re talking about. Or, think of swimming from Antarctica to Costa Rica. Now imagine not resting nearly at all, and...Read More
Earthquakes in Costa Rica, like the rest of the Americas and Asia along the “Ring of Fire,” happen all the time. Of course, most usually aren’t as strong as yesterday’s 7.6-magnitude earthquake that occurred at 8:42 a.m. along the Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula. The quake’s epicenter was 6.3 kilometers (almost four miles) south...Read More
The year was 1998. There was a very small flow of visitors coming to Costa Rica, about 100,000 according to the official numbers. A decade later, that number has increased up to 2 million tourists per year. This $1.9 billion industry is mainly based on Eco-tourism and has been driven by the green buzzword. As...Read More
Think about the best holiday destination. Have you considered Costa Rica? Have you ever wondered why it is one of the most popular choices by travelers? Looking at vacation reviews is a pretty good place to start for choosing a holiday destination. That is the way most travelers have found first-hand information about this place....Read More
The Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica counts many superb sights and attractions. You have the canals and sea turtle nesting beaches of the Tortuguero National Park, the marvelous beaches of Cahuita and Puerto Viejo, the Afro-Caribbean port town of Limon, the wild beauty of the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife and Marine Refuge, and the impressive Talamanca Mountains,...Read More
Did you know that kids have an actual right to play? Article 31 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child states that “… the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural...Read More
A quick Google search on “the importance of relaxing” yields 49,100,000 results in 0.30 seconds. Apparently, a lot of people, everywhere, think it really is important. I know what you’re thinking, “I already know this.” The thing is we all do. And yet, most of us don’t heed the wisdom. We work, do, be in...Read More
This year’s Costa Rica National Surfing Championship Finals promises to be one of the hottest surfing events of the year. For the first time ever, seven of Costa Rica’s top male surfers – all of whom are very close in points so far for the season – are vying board to board for the national...Read More
Costa Rica has a long-standing tradition of attracting holidaymakers around the world. Most of them have a craving for green, relaxing and adventure. However, people have recently discovered the undeniable fact that it has also become much more than an ecotourism destination. This country is nowadays a location where you can find proficient consultants than...Read More
When most people think about Costa Rica they imagine wonderful beaches. However, visitors should also discover the mysterious cloud forest. If you love scenic locations and wish to enjoy spending your time out in the wild, then you must certainly visit this little paradise of Monteverde and Santa Elena. Many locals in the region can trace...Read More
Surfer girls are cool. They’ve got that fit, sunkissed, water-tousled hair, smiling, laid back style that makes them so irresistible. Who wouldn’t want to be a surfer girl? Surfing is outrageously fun. You’ve got the challenge and freedom of riding the incredible power of the ocean; the feeling of dancing with sunshine sparkling on the...Read More
Santa Teresa Beach is located on the southwestern tip of Nicoya Peninsula and it has been gaining many awards and recognition lately, being named one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world. Even though is not easy or fast to get to this beach destination, once you get there, you won´t want...Read More
At Pranamar Oceanfront Villas on Costa Rica’s Playa Santa Teresa, it’s all about the adventure. To start with, it’s an adventure getting there! Santa Teresa is on the outer edge on the Pacific just above the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The roads are not paved here, and you must either come by way of...Read More
Sometimes called the “Hawaii of Latin American surfing,” Costa Rica is positively one of the world’s top surfing destinations. Add up warm water, consistent surf year-round, over 700 miles of coastline between both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, literally thousands of beach breaks with easy access, and friendly people, and you get paradise! Costa Rica’s...Read More
