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

There are many attractions on the southern Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, but few visitors explore the tiny fishing village and mysterious island of Cabuya. Cabuya is known as the gateway to the Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, Costa Rica’s first privately protected reserve at the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. Seven kilometers after...Read More

One of the best places in Costa Rica for Stand-Up Paddle Boarding is in Santa Teresa Costa Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula. SUP (Stand-up paddling) is a great all-body workout, is relatively easy to learn, and is lots of fun. Surfers started using Hawaiian-style stand-up paddle boarding as a way to keep fit when there...Read More

Why is Costa Rica one of the most popular places in the world to have a destination wedding? According to the experts, it’s due to affordability, great weather, natural scenic beauty, ease of travel, and first-class services. Approximately two million people in the United States get married each year, according to The Huffington Post, and...Read More

“Jazz washes away the dust of everyday life.” — Art Blakey The clear tones of Miles Davis to the eclectic mix of Herbie Hancock can be heard weekly emanating from the Balinese-style Buddha Eyes Restaurant at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat on Santa Teresa Beach. If you think a remote tropical beach in Costa...Read More

In today’s busy world, being centered, balanced and at peace are much sought-after elements. People in seriously busy places are turning to the timeless Eastern practices of meditation and yoga to help them get there. People have different reasons for wanting to meditate, but those who do so regularly say it greatly enriches their lives....Read More

I’ve been reading about ocean pollution, and the facts are really quite shocking. Apparently, it was once a common practice to “get rid of trash” by dumping it into the ocean, and there was even a positive catchphrase: “The solution to pollution is dilution.” People assumed that the oceans were so vast and deep that...Read More

I drove through the city of San Jose last weekend. Everywhere the streets were clogged with traffic and shoppers, rushing around to cash in on Christmas deals and sales. Besides making a mental note to avoid the traffic until after Christmas, the scene made me adamantly think how much I do not want that chaos...Read More

Although it is one of Costa Rica’s most spectacular destinations – for its gold and white sand beaches, world-class surfing, warm blue Pacific Ocean, and lush rainforest – the southern Nicoya Peninsula stays off the beaten tourist path. The reason is the region’s remote location. Going by ferry is the traditional way to get to...Read More

Santa Teresa is one of those iconic Costa Rica tourism spots. Paradise found for so many international and Costa Rican tourists who “discovered” Santa Teresa’s pristine beaches, world-class surf breaks and lushly forested coastline. Yet as more and more travelers flock to experience these beautiful treasures, the isolation bubble stretches to the max, bringing with...Read More

About 50 million years or so ago, Costa Rica was a series of underwater volcanoes. Over thousands and thousands of years, layers built up until eventually they surfaced and continued to grow, just as the Hawaiian Islands do today. The Cocos Plate shoving its way underneath the Caribbean Plate also helped things along, pushing Central...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

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

Walking in a winter wonderland is just a tad different on Costa Rica’s Santa Teresa Beach. Rather than the traditional “white Christmas” and “snow glistening in the lane” scene, it is closer to Frosty the Snowman’s situation … “The sun was hot that day. So he said, let’s run and we’ll have some fun now...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

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