Nosara, Costa Rica, is a fascinating, eclectic beach community. Remotely located on the Pacific Coast of the Nicoya Peninsula, Nosara has become a haven for local and international residents who sought to “get away from it all.” Many came to surf the wild side-by-side beaches of Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones, two of Costa Rica’s...Read More
Costa Rica’s summer season is beginning, just in time to beat the winter blues with affordable winter vacation destinations. Find your winter sun in Costa Rica, an easy and fun tropical getaway. Miles of beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts make for great beach vacations. Rainforests, cloud forests and active volcanoes provide exciting...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
When you finally arrive to your destination on vacation, there is no better way to slip into full relax mode than with a massage. It really is amazing what a professional therapist can do in 60 or 90 minutes to make your muscles and body loosen up and bring you bliss and well-being. Massage therapy...Read More
We all love things that make us feel young (or remember our youth), feel free and be happy. Traveling is almost always in the top 10 – even if only to an old neighborhood where we once lived. Why? 1. Traveling opens up our world. In today’s world, where emails and smart phones often replace...Read More
Hotel Punta Islita on the Nicoya Peninsula, one of Costa Rica‘s most awarded hotels, recently gained yet another feather in its cap by being inducted into the travel world’s prestigious “Autograph Collection” by Marriott International. The Costa Rica boutique hotel is the 50th luxury hotel in the world, and the first in Central America, to...Read More
Thatched-roof pavilions in jungle gardens, hidden courtyards reflecting pools and temple carvings, covered open-air walkways, wide verandas and smooth wooden decks, living spaces that invite the landscape inside … these are all elements of the world-wide architectural phenomenon known as “Bali Style.” The mere mention of Bali evokes thoughts of tropical paradise. Bali is more...Read More
I think Jimmy Buffet said it best: “With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same.” There is a definite change in attitude traveling to Costa Rica on vacation. A slow in the pace, relax of the heartbeat, and a desire to kick back and soak in the sun on a...Read More
Talk about Nosara, Costa Rica, and you actually mean a stretch of several beaches on the Nicoya Peninsula – from Playa Ostional to Playa Nosara, Playa Pelada and Playa Guiones. This remote area of Guanacaste, just north of Samara in the country’s north Pacific, is known for long wide beaches, fantastic surfing, peace and quiet,...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
I love traveling in off-season. High season travelers and summer vacationers are gone. Back to school and back to work, which means better travel opportunities for me and you. Off-season is when crowds disappear and prices drop, as hotels, tour operators and airlines look to attract travelers with deep discounts. Granted, it’s not the low...Read More
What do a tomato, blueberry, onion and dark chocolate have in common? They are “superfoods,” so-called by doctors and nutrition and health experts for their amazing beneficial properties that can help you keep the right weight, fight off heart disease and cancer, live longer, and even put you in a better mood. You don’t need...Read More
I had a pair of friends visit me in Costa Rica not long ago who were vegetarian and vegan. My first reaction was, “Oh, no, what are they going to eat?” I know how much Costa Ricans love their chicken, beef, chicharrones (fried pork), fish, etc. They said, not to worry. Rice and beans are...Read More
What’s the latest vacation craze? Surfing and yoga retreats in the balmy tropics are the hot fashion. But what if you don’t know how to surf or live far from the nearest ocean? Is it still an adventure worth taking? Try it and you’ll see. Here’s what a few surf retreat fans had to say:...Read More
You definitely have to be up for an adventure to go kayaking in the ocean at night. At first, the experience can be a little unnerving. The slightest splash makes you jump. What was that? Shark? Fish? Whale? It was probably your own kayak paddle hitting the water, but the fact that you can’t see...Read More
If Costa Rica’s professional surf scene had an A-team, it would look something like this: Carlos Muñoz, Jair Pérez, Noe Mar McGonagle, Gilbert Brown, Anthony Fillingim, Luis Vindas, Leilani McGonagle, Lisbeth Vindas, and Nataly Bernold. The nine top surfers seem to shuffle places between being national champions and taking the top five slots at any...Read More
While massage may have developed a reputation as an indulgence for people who love pampering, studies reveal that it has wide-reaching, evident health benefits, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Research over the past few years has found that massage therapy boosts immune function in women with breast cancer, improves symptoms in...Read More
If it was 25 years ago, you wouldn’t want to go to San Lucas Island. The small, forested island in the middle of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Gulf was the roughest jail in the country. Being sent to San Lucas Island was a terrible prospect; prisoners’ lives were short and often spent in torture. Thankfully, today,...Read More
Looking for a relaxing, restoring and uplifting vacation? Try a yoga retreat. A yoga retreat is not only yoga – add in getting away from it all to a beautiful and sunny place, exercise that makes you feel good, healthy and delicious cuisine prepared for you (as in, you didn’t have to cook it!), nature or...Read More
Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula is full of natural beauty and rich in biodiversity. Jagged and mountainous from its volcanic origins, with pockets of shimmering beaches, the landscape is a diverse transition zone between tropical dry forest and wet tropical forest. The Gulf of Nicoya’s placid waters stretch between the Peninsula and mainland. The tops...Read More
Las guías Moon hacen que los viajes independientes y que la exploración de exteriores sea divertida y accesible. Su elaboración es llevada a cabo por turistas expertos quienes reseñan de manera sincera los pormenores de cada lugar, consejos estratégicos de primera; además de datos locales útiles y una buena dosis de buen humor. Por estas...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
