Hidden Costa Rica Eco Lodge is treasure of rainforest & wildlife

One of the things that continue to amaze me about Costa Rica is how many different places there are to go and hidden treasures to find. Just when you think you know most of the best places to visit in Costa Rica, some unknown region pops up, luring you with new adventures, beautiful scenery, fascinating nature and incredible wildlife.

Maquenque Eco Lodge in northern Costa Rica is one of those hidden treasures. The five-year-old Costa Rica Eco Lodge is located in Boca Tapada. Heard of it? Neither had I.

The region is in the hinterlands of northern Costa Rica, only 15 kilometers from the Nicaraguan border and that country’s vast Indio Maiz Biological Reserve. Just to the east is the Barra Colorado National Wildlife Refuge on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. A bit farther to the northwest is the Cano Negro Wildlife Refuge. The San Carlos River runs right by the Costa Rica eco-lodge. In fact, to arrive at Maquenque, you have to cross the river on the lodge’s private ferry, leaving your vehicle parked in a secure area at the river’s edge.

It is a very remote, wild area of lowland tropical rainforest and wetlands. The recently formed Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge (2005) protects 150,000 acres (60,702 hectares) of virgin forest and pastureland in the process of being reforested.

If you love wild nature, Maquenque Eco-Lodge is the place to go. The Costa Rica rainforest lodge has simple, comfortable accommodations in 14 bungalows, each equipped with solar-heated hot water, private bathrooms, and balconies overlooking a beautiful lagoon. Dining is in the lodge’s restaurant. Eight kilometers of trails wind through their 68-acre property, leading you through the forest past ponds and streams and along the river.

Maquenque is a place for bird-watching. Lodge information cites more than 410 identified species of birds in the area, including endangered Great Green Macaws (Ara ambiguus) and Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao). With only a few thousand Great Green Macaws left in the world, it is an exceptional treat to see these spectacular green and turquoise parrots with their distinctive fiery red band across their foreheads.

Besides bird-watching, you can canoe on the lagoon, hike in the rainforest, ride horses, go boating on the San Carlos River, and float river rafting on the Tres Amigos River. The climate is very rainy, so be prepared.

Maquenque Eco-Lodge supports sustainable tourism and reforestation. Every guest who stays has the chance to plant a tree in the reserve and visit the local school to see their environmental education program in action.

Article by Shannon Farley

Hacienda Guachipelin has best Guanacaste, Costa Rica Adventure Tours

Some of the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica are found at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. The dilemma actually is trying to decide what to do, since there is so much from which to choose.

That’s why the One Day Adventure Pass and One Day Nature Pass really are your best bet. If you stay at this Rincon de la Vieja hotel for several days, you can go for both! You don’t necessarily have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the One Day Pass either – you can be a day tour visitor. An extravagant buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included in both passes.

One Day Adventure Pass You can do all of these top Costa Rica adventure tours or just a few. It is completely feasible to do everything if you start by 8:00 a.m.

• Canyon Canopy Tour
• Rio Negro Tubing Adventure
• Horseback Rides – choose one of many tours, or simply ride horses to get to Rio Negro.
• Volcanic mud bath and thermal hot springs at Rio Negro

The Waterfalls Canyoning Tour may be included in the One Day Adventure Pass for an extra charge of $20 per person.

One Day Nature Pass

The Nature Pass is a softer day that focuses on wildlife and the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano’s natural beauty. This tour package is easily realized in a little over a half-day.

• Butterfly Garden, Serpentarium and Frog Habitats
• Walk to Look-out Point
• Visit the waterfalls and mineral hot springs at Rio Negro (transport by vehicle)

Hacienda Guachipelin’s Adventure Center organizes all activities. They are open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. You should note that tours in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park do not include the park admission fee ($10/person), and that the park is closed on Mondays.

Resting in the rolling plains at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Hacienda Guachipelin is a working horse and cattle ranch in addition to being an eco-tourism hotel. Three rivers crisscross the 3,400-acre ranch, with waterfalls and natural thermal springs, creating an idyllic setting in the distinctive dry tropical forest.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín is located 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia, by the Pailas section of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano.

Article by Shannon Farley

Fascinating Puerto Viejo Chocolate Tour reveals ancient secrets

If you have not seen the film Chocolat, stop now and go rent / buy / download it so you know what I am talking about. If you have seen it, you know the expressions of ecstasy on the faces of the townspeople as they are transformed by Vianne’s exotic chocolate creations.

In the film – which is perfect for Easter Week – Vianne livens up the inhibited French town with ancient Maya secrets of chocolate preparation from Central America.

Prized by the Mayas, Aztecs and Inkas, and formerly reserved only for royalty in Europe, chocolate was once considered so valuable that cacao beans were used for currency.

In Costa Rica, cacao beans were used as currency by the indigenous tribes for thousands of years up until near modern times of the 1930s. You can learn about cacao’s long history in Costa Rica and its importance in the Bribri indigenous culture on the Bribri Chocolate Tour near Puerto Viejo, on Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Coast. The tour, easily booked through Le Caméléon Hotel, takes you to the fascinating Bribri Indigenous Reserve in the foothills of the Talamanca Mountains.

The Bribri are one of Costa Rica’s few remaining indigenous tribes that are alive and thriving. For generations, the Bribri have cultivated cacao trees and their precious fruit, using cacao seeds and chocolate for rituals, food and also medicinal remedies. The Bribri consider the cacao bean sacred, and on the tour you will hear many stories about the tribe’s relationship with cacao.

Cacao originated in the Americas; growing and harvesting cacao was a major industry in Costa Rica before the introduction of coffee in the late 1700s. Unfortunately, fungus blight swept through Costa Rica’s cacao plantations in 1979, killing production by 95%. Cacao and organic chocolate production are now making a big comeback in the country.

On the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Tour, you will visit “the Chocolate House”, where the Bribri women will teach you about how they produce their organic chocolate using the tribe’s ancient methods. You'll get to try things like fresh dried cacao beans and homemade chocolate. Then, browse their selection of chocolate for sale – infused with nutmeg, cinnamon, spicy chili pepper, black pepper, mint, coffee, vanilla and more – to savor and remember your visit.

Puerto Viejo hotels

The place to stay when visiting Puerto Viejo, on the southern Caribbean Coast, is Hotel Le Caméléon. The vibrant Costa Rica boutique hotel fronts the dazzling, turquoise Caribbean Sea and golden sand of Playa Cocles – one of the area’s most beautiful beaches. Hip, modern and upscale, Le Caméléon features ultra-chic rooms, beautiful tropical architecture, and lush jungle gardens that create an ambience of intimate privacy. The elegant Le Numu Restaurant & Bar is one of the area’s top restaurants, and the newly remodeled La Sula Sea Lounge beach club is the place to hang out by the shore, meet friends for a cool drink or a light meal.

Article by Shannon Farley

Santa Teresa is top place for Costa Rica destination weddings

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 of those about 25% opt for a destination wedding in another country. As costs for traditional weddings in North America continue to rise, happy couples are combining their wedding and honeymoon in one romantic destination.

Most visiting couples choose a beach destination for a Costa Rica destination weddings

Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on the Pacific’s Nicoya Peninsula is an ideal setting for a romantic destination wedding.

 The wide, light sand beaches, lush tropical jungle and dazzling sunsets set an amazing stage for your big moment. Imagine a cerulean sea illuminated by a fiery pink and orange sunset sky, soft sand glowing in the light, palm leaves fluttering in the breeze, and you, your beloved and family and friends.

Everyone wants their wedding to be special. Hotel Tropico Latino, a beachfront hotel in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, uses their superb personalized service to help you arrange your wedding in paradise at the unique setting of their bountiful tropical gardens on beautiful Santa Teresa Beach.

 Tropico Latino can arrange the officiator and lawyer for your ceremony, photographer, decorations and tropical flowers, dinner reception, and live music with a band or guitar player; or, you can choose to hire your own wedding planner.

Hotel Tropico Latino offers 21 rooms, in 11 Bungalows and two beachfront houses that have five rooms each, to sleep 50 guests comfortably. The Santa Teresa hotel offers a 15% discount on accommodation for five or more rooms reserved. They have special wedding spa services at their exquisite Spa Natural, and you can take yoga classes on one of two beachfront yoga decks.

Article by Shannon Farley

Five fun things to do in Nosara Costa Rica

Nosara, Costa Rica is renowned for some of the best surfing in Costa Rica, and for being a yoga paradise. But there are plenty of other exciting adventure and nature tours to do as well on this string of beautiful beaches along the Nicoya Peninsula.

Here are five fun tours to try during your visit to Nosara and Playa Guiones:

1. Miss Sky Canopy Tour / 8:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. daily.

You have to try a canopy zip-line tour when you vacation in Costa Rica. The Miss Sky Canopy Tour by Nosara is one of the best. You’ll fly like a superhero on 13 double-wired cables ranging from 300m to 750m long over mountain ridges and valleys, with dramatic views of rivers, waterfalls, and the Pacific Ocean coastline. The last cable crosses high above the beautiful Nosara River. Platforms are all built on solid ground, not in trees.

2. Nosara River Safari / Early morning and afternoon, for 2 hours, daily.

See the area’s abundant animal and plant life while cruising in a quiet electric-motor boat on the Nosara and Montana rivers. Things to see: colorful tropical birds, monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas, giant tropical trees, and more.

3. Horseback Riding / Tours last from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, daily.

Have you ever dreamed of galloping down a tropical beach? Or riding through the jungle? If yes, this adventure tour by Boca Nosara Tours is for you. Ride well-trained, well-cared-for, beautiful horses on jungle trails, up into the hills for stunning views of the ocean and coastline, and along soft sand beaches. Sunset rides are the most popular.

4. Howling Monkey Off-road Adventure / Several tour options available, daily.

On the Howling Monkey Adventure, you will drive (with up to 3 passengers) in a safe military-grade Tomcar off-road vehicle to secluded beaches, waterfalls, rivers and forest by Nosara. Guided trips can take you through remote jungle terrain, snorkeling, surfing, or out for a sunset drive … and hopefully to see those howling monkeys!

5. Turtle Nesting Tour on Ostional Beach / Tour times vary based on time of year and nesting turtles.

The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge is the second largest nesting site in the world for Olive Ridley, Leatherback and Pacific Green sea turtles to lay their eggs.  

Turtles nest at Ostional all year round, but come in mass arrivals by the thousands from July to December. Depending on the time of year, naturalist guided tours take you either during the day or night to see turtles arriving to nest or hatching baby turtles return to the sea.

 

Nosara, Costa Rica, Hotels

The place to stay at Playa Guiones by Nosara is L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa. The 4-star luxury hotel in Costa Rica is tucked between the coastal foothills and the beach in Nosara, named one of the best places to go worldwide in 2014 by CNN and National Geographic.

Article by Shannon Farley

Santa Teresa waves star in Costa Rica surf competition

Santa Teresa’s awesome waves will be in the limelight once again as top Costa Rica surfers roll into the Pacific Coast town at the end of April for the fifth 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit competition.

The COPA Unit tournament will be held April 26 and 27 at the spectacular beach of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on the southwestern Nicoya Peninsula.

Famous for year-round surf and a friendly, relaxed vibe, Santa Teresa and neighboring Mal Pais attract visitors from all over the world who come to surf, relax, do yoga and enjoy one of Costa Rica’s most stunning tropical beaches. Walking down the nearly white sand beaches, you see no high rises, only jungle, sand, surf and sensational sunsets. Up-to-date surf conditions for Santa Teresa are reported daily by Magic Seaweed.

Costa Rica surfing is in the news with the Costa Rica National Juniors Surf Team, trained by three-time Costa Rica national surf champion, Gilbert Brown, currently competing in the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Ecuador from April 5-13. See the surfers compete live on the official ISA website.

Hotels in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

Coming to the Santa Teresa surfing competition? Stay in luxury at one of the finest Costa Rica beach resorts at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga Retreat. The holistic boutique hotel presents surfing and yoga holidays on the beach at Santa Teresa. They give surf lessons, and have daily yoga classes and yoga retreats. See their weekly yoga class schedule on Facebook.

Upcoming events at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas include a celebration for Costa Rica’s national holiday of Juan Santamaria Day on April 11, with traditional Costa Rican dishes and live typical music in the Buddha Eyes Restaurant. You can hear live jazz by local musicians every Wednesday from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Pranamar’s Jazz Nights.

Article by Shannon Farley

End of Costa Rica summer is great time for travel deals!

As the summer season in Costa Rica winds down, it is time to grab great Costa Rica travel deals.

One such bargain is a hot Costa Rica vacation package of a romantic getaway for two to Cala Luna boutique hotel at Tamarindo Beach.

The Cala Luna Romantic Beach Package includes: three nights’ accommodation in a deluxe room with a romantic welcome of sparkling wine and strawberries upon arrival. You also will receive daily breakfast, a romantic candlelight dinner for two, a fun sunset catamaran cruise, and a private one-hour surf lesson for two persons on Tamarindo’s famous waves.

Fly into the Liberia International Airport (LIR), and get a special rate on a private van transfer to Tamarindo (31 mi / 50k drive).

On the northern Pacific Guanacaste Coast of Costa Rica, you will enjoy year-round warm tropical weather. Leading Costa Rica boutique hotel Cala Luna straddles a picturesque bluff between the bustling surf town of Tamarindo Beach and the shell-covered white sand Langosta Beach. Cala Luna is one of the top scenic places to enjoy a spectacular Guanacaste sunset.

People I know who have been to Cala Luna Hotel rave about the Cala Moresca Restaurant, which features international fusion cuisine using local and organic ingredients. The hotel promotes “being responsible with the environment and savoring local produce with your dining experience,” and serves freshly-caught fish and organic, biodynamic wine. Deluxe rooms are elegant eco-chic and the hotel offers daily yoga classes, private lessons and yoga retreats, along with spa services.

Besides Tamarindo Beach’s popular 24/7 party vibe, fine restaurants, shops and tours, nearby Cala Luna is the Tamarindo National Wildlife Refuge mangrove estuary and the Las Baulas Marine National Park, where the giant Leatherback sea turtles come ashore to nest and lay their eggs.

Check out online travel agency Costa Rica Special Deals for your Costa Rica vacation.

Article by Shannon Farley

A favorite place to visit in Costa Rica: the Osa Peninsula

“In a remote and lush corner of Costa Rica, lies a realm of giant trees, roaring monkeys, jaguars on the prowl, and breaching whales. This is one of the last places on Earth where virgin rainforest grows right to the high tide line, and a visitor might walk for hours – or days – along its isolated coast without meeting a single person. This is the Osa Peninsula and there is no other place in the world like it.” Osa: Where the Rainforest Meets the Sea by ecologist Dr. Trond Larsen and photographer Roy Toft.

For me, the Osa Peninsula is one of the most worthwhile places to visit in Costa Rica.

The small stretch of remote rugged jungle in the southwestern corner of the country, bounded by the deep blue Pacific Ocean to the west and the placid Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf) to the east, is renowned as an astounding paradise by scientists, explorers and nature lovers.

This last remaining stretch of tropical humid lowland rainforest in Costa Rica, covering an area of 700 square miles, is estimated to hold 2.5% of the world’s biodiversity. With more than 700 species of trees, the largest population of wild Scarlet Macaws in the country, exotic tapirs and jaguars, and more than 25 kinds of dolphins and whales, the Osa’s natural report card is impressive.

The southern Pacific Ocean and Golfo Dulce are vital breeding and reproducing areas for endangered hammerhead sharks and the world’s migrating Pacific Humpback Whales. Activists have begun a campaign to create a protected area for the waters along the entire coast of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, to safeguard the abundant yet threatened marine life.

The Osa Peninsula protects more than 366,000 acres of land and sea in at least 13 national parks, wildlife refuges and private reserves – including the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, Corcovado National Park and Piedras Blancas National Park.

This is the spot that spawned Costa Rica’s eco-lodges and gave rise to the burgeoning industry of sustainable travel in Costa Rica.

What to do on the Osa Peninsula:

• Hike in one of the national parks and wildlife refuges
• Go dolphin and whale watching in Golfo Dulce
• Go snorkeling at the Caño Island Biological Reserve
• Surfing at Matapalo Beach
• Kayaking on Golfo Dulce
• Fishing in Golfo Dulce, or deep sea fishing

Where to stay by the Osa Peninsula

For a real jungle experience, you want to stay at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, an award-winning sustainable eco-lodge by the Osa Peninsula. Accommodations and facilities are very comfortable, well done, and best of all you don’t miss out on the beach because the Costa Rica lodge is located on the beautiful coast of the Golfo Dulce. Its 165-acre private preserve joins with the Piedras Blancas National Park and Osa Conservation Area.

The area is very remote and well worth it to experience real Costa Rica nature. Go for family vacations, honeymoon trips, nature and adventure vacations, and yoga classes and retreats.

Article by Shannon Farley

World Offshore Fishing Championship comes to Quepos 6-11 April

Big-game anglers from around the world are in Costa Rica for the annual World Offshore Fishing Championship in Quepos, from April 6 to 11, 2014.

Teams from more than 60 countries – who had to qualify to receive an invitation to the event – will compete for the largest number of record-setting game fish caught and released. This is the second year in a row that the Marina Pez Vela in Quepos has hosted the prestigious international deep sea fishing competition, put on by the Bonnier Corporation of Florida.

The fishing offshore of Quepos in April is known to be a prime month for blue, black and striped marlin, Pacific sailfish and swordfish. Big schools of Dorado (Mahi Mahi) are also common, and fishing boats frequently catch Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo, Roosterfish, Snapper and giant Snook. Catch-and-release and other sportfishing regulations are in place to protect the fragile marine ecosystem in Costa Rica.

Earlier this year, Costa Rica hosted the Horseshoe Tournament, in which over 2,000 sailfish were reportedly caught; and 200 people attended the Billfish Quepos Cup in February at Marina Pez Vela.

Quepos is one of the most important sites for world-class sportfishing in Costa Rica. The newly revamped Marina Pez Vela offers fishing enthusiasts and tourists state-of-the-art facilities, waterfront restaurants, shops and galleries. 

The experience of fishing in Quepos is enhanced by the beautiful scenery of the adjacent Manuel Antonio National Park, one of the most popular beach vacation destinations in Costa Rica. Manuel Antonio is a top draw in Costa Rica with its powdery white-sand shores, abundant tropical wildlife, and thrilling nature and adventure tours.

Deep-sea fishing is one of the most popular tours in Quepos, long renowned as one of Costa Rica’s prize fishing destinations, where anglers have luck just about any month of the year – though December through April mark the peak season for landing marlin and sailfish.

Not surprisingly, fishing enthusiasts who have tasted the bountiful fruits of Manuel Antonio and Quepos, spend at least a few months each year fishing these tropical waters. You can get in on the action with your own Manuel Antonio area vacation rental or Costa Rica vacation home.

Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living has affordable Costa Rica property for sale and homes for rent. The Costa Rica sustainable community is a quick drive from Quepos and Manuel Antonio, and also the top surfing beaches of Dominical. On their 1,300 acres, there are private trails in the jungle, rivers and waterfalls with natural pools, and comfortable lodging.

Article by Shannon Farley