sábado, 31 de enero de 2015

Live your dream wedding at the beach in Santa Teresa Costa Rica

Surely you've thought how your wedding would be like. We can all dream and delude ourselves with the future, and who knows, maybe just becoming a reality.



The perfect weddings for many couples is the one by the sea, there is nothing more romantic than getting married on the beach, barefoot on the sand, surrounded by your loved ones. Imagine a unique and magical experience on the Pacific Coast of heavenly Costa Rica, enjoying a passionate honeymoon that will make you think you are living a dream; a unique and very romantic experience.




Doesn’t it sound like your dream wedding? It easily can be.
In Costa Rica you can make it happen. Santa Teresa Beach on the Pacific’s Nicoya Peninsula is the perfect setting for a romantic wedding. The wide, light sand beaches, abundant vegetation and dazzling sunsets set an amazing stage for your magical moment.

At Hotel Tropico Latino  you can arrange your perfect wedding in Costa Rica , using the exclusive surroundings of lush tropical gardens and the greatness of Santa Teresa Beach.



Hotel Tropico Latino arranges the lawyer for legal proceedings, photographer, decorations and tropical flowers, dinner of your choice and live music with a band or guitar player.

Article by Maria Laura Charles

Costa Rica eco-lodge ready for reforesting 20 million hectares of Latin America

Great news for our country and Latin American forests: Costa Rica joins six countries in pledging to reforest 20 million hectares of Latin America.

Costa Rica continues to make news around the world. What a best way to start the year with such great news, not only for our beautiful country but for all of Latin America.

It turns out that Costa Rica among other 6 Latin American countries  (Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile) have commited themselves, and according to AFP reports, in pledging to reforest 20 million hectares – about the size of Uruguay – of degraded land by the year 2020. This statement was made during the 12-day talks amongst the world’s nations taking place in Peru under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC).

It is of great importance for all of these nations to commit themselves into such a responsibility that will make the whole world become even more aware of the actual climate changes and damage it has been resulting due mainly because of deforestation.

This group, now known as the “20×20 Initiative, has come to the following hectare amounts each:
Costa Rica and Chile: 50.000 hectares each.
Mexico 8.5 million hectares
Peru 3 .2 million hectares
Guatemala 1.2 million hectares
Colombia 1 million hectares


The Ecuadorian Minister of Environment, Lorena Tapia, expressed that  "with funding and support from the national government we will succeed in restoring 500,000 hectares by 2017" during the meeting in Lima, Peru.

As for Costa Rica interests, according to Mr. José Joaquín Campos director of the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (Catie), its main priority is  to reestablish the lands of Puriscal, Turrialba and some of Guanacaste´s zones.  In order to achieve this, Mr. Campos mentions that it will be necessary to have a joined work with the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae).

It is hoped that all this effort doesn´t stay only on paper and that the people involved will accept the challenge and assume their responsibility. In this way, not only our most important natural resources will benefit but also our next generations for years to come.

Green tourism, also called eco-tourism and sustainable travel, is what Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica is all about. The Costa Rica eco-lodge by the Osa Peninsula is one of only three dozen hotels in Costa Rica that have received the highest rating in the Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program (CST). Created by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT), the CST program rates and certifies tourism businesses based on their compliance with natural, cultural and social resource management.

Playa Nicuesa sustainability highlights:
  • Lodge buildings are located on less than 2% of property – 98% is a private protected area.
  • Used recycled construction materials, such as: roof tiles on the lodge and cabins made from recycled plastics, including banana bags.
  • Wood came from naturally fallen trees, permitted by the government to be pulled out of the forest by oxen, or from farmed trees.
  • Electricity is provided by solar energy. Panels are located on main lodge structure. Back-up generator runs on recycled vegetable oil.
  • Solar drying room used to dry all of the lodge wash.
  • Hot water is provided by on-demand propane which means that the propane is used only when the hot water faucet is turned on.
  • Received the Ecological Blue Flag Award for clean beaches.
Article by Gabriela Serrano.

jueves, 29 de enero de 2015

5 different types of Yoga for you to try this year

The year has just started. You are probably not so stressed right now, but sooner or later you will. As all of you may know, the practice of Yoga is and has been for years, one of the most recommended exercises in order to not let stress consume you and take all over you. For others, yoga is more than plain just relaxing exercises; it´s a lifestyle and a whole new world of ways of living and being simply you.

yoga in costa rica

We will give a little bit more of 5 different types of Yoga for you to know more and, why not, explore.

Hatha Yoga

Being one of the simplest and probably the starting point for yoga beginnersHatha yoga opens the door to a new world  by letting go and finding yourself through very slow pace movements and breathing exercises, that will maintain your mind and soul physically connected with your inner emotions and the world of opposites. The negative and the positive get together as the sun (ha) and moon (tha) flows in the sanskrit word of Hatha.  With the help of a set of postures called Asanas, the yogi or a yogini, a man or a woman who practices Yoga, will be able to create a well balance between its masculine and feminine aspects all in a self transformation path developing as well a set of scales in strength and flexibility creating only benefits for its body.

Vinyasa Yoga

Synchronizing your breath with movement is what this type of yoga is all about. Also known as flow yoga, Vinyasa yoga will take you smoothly from one pose to another through inhaling and exhaling in a very much like a dance coordination. Vinyasa in Sanskrit means connection, and many yogis describe it simple as the connection between movement and breath.  One of the most famous sequences in this yoga are the sun salutation and the cat-cow stretch, one more simple than the other. Each movement done on these sequences are during inhalation and exhalation.


Bikram Yoga

26 postures Sequence are the ones you have to follow in order to practice Bikram Yoga. Developed by Bikram Choudhury from Hatha Yoga. Born in India in 1946, he started his yoga practice since the age of four and in 1976 opened his own institute for implementing this unique practice. In order to perform Bikram yoga you need to be in a room with a special temperature of one hundred and five diploma Fahrenheit and forty percentage of humidity. The main reason for this is that which such temperature the body becomes flexible in ways you couldn´t imagine it could, and will let you perform the poses without any problem. It also increases your internal organs development as well as their normal functions. This is why Bikram yoga is also commonly known as the hot yoga. All parts of your body are being worked out through the practice of this yoga. It is so beneficial to your body, but remember it must be only practiced under the supervision of a certified Bikram Yoga teacher only.
   
   
Iyengar Yoga

This type of yoga practice is named after its mentor B. K. S. Iyengar. By focusing on the precision and the alignment of postures and breath control is how the yogi can perform the different asanas that complete Iyengar Yoga. Experts describe this practice as the best one for you for releasing the stress after a long day.  With the use of specific and useful props, which make the practice of Iyengar Yoga more confortable, B.K.S. Iyengar has systematised over 200 classical yoga poses and 14 different types of Pranayama (with variations of many of them) ranging from the basic to advanced. Moving from simple to more complex poses, yogis can experience a whole new self being uniting body, mind and spirit for a healthy new you.


Ashtanga Yoga

Developed by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois it engages breath, a series of postures, heat and finally sweat that will detoxify your muscles and organs improving your circulation, in order to bring and provide you with a more stronger body and a calm new you.
Ashtanga, which means eight limbs, must be practiced in a set of pre-organized poses that will take the yogi to obtain his fullest potential of human consciousness through the whole practice. As well as in every of the other practices, Ashtanga yoga requires from the practitioner a correct breathing in order to achieve the desired postures, while gaining control of all its senses and absolute awareness of themselves.

Santa Teresa Costa Rica, near the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula , has been named one of the top 10 yoga destinations in Costa Rica. As your host, Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat welcomes you with elaborate oceanfront villas and bungalows in lush tropical gardens and gourmet organic cuisine in the Buddha Eyes Restaurant. Designed in exotic Bali-style, our luxury beachfront hotel gives daily in-house yoga classes and spa treatments.

See our selection of yoga retreats briefly described below, and visit our website for more information. We’re sure you’ll find a perfect fit just for you, and we’ll see you soon in our Yoga Shala!


Article by Gabriela Serrano

Nearby National Parks

Manuel antonio national parkPortasol Sustainable Community is located in the coastal mountains of the Central Pacific of Costa Rica, minutes away from some of the most visited national parks  in the country.

About 100 miles away you can find Carara National Park to the northwest, and Corcovado National Park to the southeast. Corcovado is, according to National Geographic, “the most biologically intense place on earth”.

It has been said that Corcovado has more biodiversity than Canada & United States combined. This park has miles of deserted beaches, natural waterfalls, arousing the curiosity of visitors throughout the world.

Then, one of the most popular travelling destinations in Costa Rica is Manuel Antonio National Park . Home to an amazing variety of birds and wildlife, also has some of the best beaches in Costa Rica ; not only offers wonderful water sports activities, but also stunning lush vegetation.

Marino Ballena National ParkBallena Marine National Park was created to protect critical habitats of many marine species such as whales and dolphins, as well as preserve the productivity of biological communities that inhabit the coastal zone.

There are also beautiful beaches of sand and stone like Playa Ballena, Playa Uvita and Playa Piñuelas . There are several mangrove forests along the rivers that flow to the sea.

Its name explains clearly the importance not only scientific but also cultural and environmental, it lies mainly in the visit of humpback whales during late December to late April and July to September when they migrate north to tropical waters of Central America.

Stay at Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living , it’s located between Manuel Antonio National Park and the Marino Ballena National Park, in Portalón Village, Province of Puntarenas in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific area. The sustainable community of Portasol has vacation rentals in Manuel Antonio available in rainforest bungalows and Costa Rica luxury vacation homes for you to enjoy.

By Maria Laura Charles

miércoles, 28 de enero de 2015

Bocas del Toro in Panamá

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica  is a must stop for tourists travelling on the border at Sixaola heading Panama, it’s popular for people going to and from Bocas del Toro.

Bocas del Toro  is a group of islands, about three hours south of the town of Puerto Viejo in Panamá, accessible only by boat or plane.

This area is known for its great cultural and biological diversity, for the many islands and inlets and for the great expanse of coral reef that surrounds them. Snorkeling here is a fantastic experience. Sailing through the islands, many different species of coastal birds may be seen.



There you will find everything you need like supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, bars, crafts, hiking, snorkeling and beautiful beaches.

Bocas del Toro is full of life and joy, there are few vehicles so most locals and tourists travel by foot or bicycle; or you can also travel by boat with the “taxis marinos” which can take you to beautiful beaches and snorkeling sites for only a few dollars.

What are you waiting for? Come stay at Le Cameleon Boutique Hotel and book  a tour to, close by and stunning, Bocas del Toro!

Article by Maria Laura Charles

lunes, 26 de enero de 2015

The symphony of our frogs

On the banks of the lagoon Mother of God in North Pacuare Limón, I heard the most perfect concert without paying high prices for a spot, VIP area or wrestle with the crowds. Just 4 hours from San José took me to be a witness, with a boat transportation included you can enjoy the concert; a phenomenon under study, some biological process for others, but music for me. In this short story, I am going to try to describe a truly wonderful event: the sonic perfection produced by anurans at Lirio Lodge and its natural harmony around there.


Solitary and poisonous tenors, baritones of sticky feet, rhythmic duets with huge eyes, choirs of sopranos and countertenor horny colors with impressive power make their presentation every night. Music in the lagoon, on the ground and above the trees. The human mind is not capable of processing too much wild data at the same time, many species manifesting such impressive  sounds and adaptations to hide these frog species transmit information to their peers. It is known by researchers that these sounds, mainly emitted by males, provide information about the identity (species, sex), quality (fitness, body size), motivation (announcement, threat) or location of the individual,
Also, we know from science that its vocalizations are often used to attract mates, reject the coupling or defend territory. But we do not know yet how to enjoy its sounds and transfer them to our musical readings. Frogs and toads sing naked through the virgin forest of Boca Pacuare: no feathers like birds, hairless like monkeys, no scales like alligator or snakes ... naked singers of the jungle. Singers that are activated at night and camouflage during the day. Coordinated in sound show, envy of any national band and irresistible to any lover of the animal surprise.

These ecological interactions that I call, natural music, have the advantage that they are quickly transferred over considerable distances without visual contact between sender and receiver, so communication can be performed even in the dense forest and darkness. In the area you will find:  red-eyed leaf frog (Agalychnis callidryas), Bufo toad (Bufo haematiticus), common tink frog (Elatherobctylus haylaeformis), swamp frog (Tlalocohyla loquax), Caribbean striped poison dart frog (Phyllobatus vittatus), spaufferi frog (Scinax spaufferi), hourglass tree frog (Dendropsophus
ebraccata).

Hosted at the Lirio Lodge you can enjoy this magnificent concert, it's easy to get yourself insignificant as a human compared with the Nature’s perfection, the immensity of its lush green landscape, located in a strategic position, surrounded by natural canals, lagoons, beaches and rainforest, the lodge boasts activity naturally at every moment: the area is breathtaking, rich in biodiversity, both aquatic and terrestrial, hundreds of species can be seen (and heard) without any effort. The frogs sing free without being interrupted by an always annoying man's voice.

Boca del Rio Pacuare offers a wide variety of educational travel programs and volunteer opportunities for people of all ages.

An excellent destination for sustainable travel in Costa Rica is Lirio Lodge by Boca del Rio Pacuare in Limon,Costa Rica.

The environmentally-friendly Costa Rica Eco Tend Camp offers two-day-one-night, with boat and hiking tours, lodging, all meals and roundtrip transport from San Jose.
Article by Jorge Duarte



Costa Rica was named 2014 Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100

Costa Rica was named 2014 Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100

If you are an eco-adventurer looking for up-close contact with pure nature and fun wild adventures, Costa Rica might be the perfect destination for you. Reaching the five top regions selected for best ecotourism countries by Independent Traveler ; and also chosen in the top 100 most sustainable global destinations involving 30 international experts by The Sustainable Destinations Global Top 100.

five top regions selected for best ecotourism countries  by Independent Traveler

Since around 1980 Costa Rica has become a popular ecotourism destination, mainly because of its National Parks, which cover 23.4% of the country’s land. Habitat for a big variety of flora and fauna, containing 5% of the world’s biodiversity.

Its thick rainforests, heavenly beaches, and rushing river rapids offer outdoor activities for adventure travelers of all kinds. With Horizontes Nature Tours you can design your own Costa Rica dream trip; just fill out the easy questionnaire on the Horizontes website  sking your preferences for travel interests and you can go live the famous Costa Rica eco experience that everyone is talking about.



Environmentally conscious travelers have the choice of eco-friendly staying; Horizontes Costa Rica offers a variety of beautiful Costa Rica house rentals through the entire Pacific coast.

So now we know Costa Rica is globally known to be one of the most rich ecotourism destination, and it’s not just according to studies that we know this; everyone that has visited this country can’t help falling love with it, you have to come live it yourself!

Article by Maria Laura Charles

jueves, 22 de enero de 2015

Get to know El Salvador

travel to el salvadorEl Salvador is a small, independent and free country placed between Honduras and Guatemala in Central America, it has a tropical climate with marked wet and dry seasons. Spanish is the official language spoken by all inhabitants.

The capital is San Salvador, a modern city with large boulevards, many monuments, outdoor markets, museums, fun nightlife and other cultural buildings to visit. The only international airport is Comalapa, which is about 25 miles southeast of San Salvador.

Its tourism scenery is kind of different from other Central American countries, because of its geographic size and urbanization; there are specific destinations to enjoy with this Central America travel package like ecotourism, or archaeological locations.

el salvador travel packagesHowever, most tourists seek out for El Salvador's beaches and nightlife. Surfing for example, is a natural tourism sector that has become popular; surfers visit many beaches on the coast of La Libertad and the east end of the country, with surfing spots in El Salvador that are not really crowded.

 In El Salvador there is a variety of tourist activities to enjoy such as beach hotels, nightlife clubs and delicious restaurants, kayaking, diving centers, surf schools and many attractions that invite you to enjoy the Salvadoran coast.


Road between Sonsonate and Ahuachapan is one of the top experiences in El Salvador, called “Ruta de las Flores” because of the natural beauty, bursting flowers and cool climate among the path. However the area is more than flowers, its home to friendly locals and tiny colonial houses painted in bright colors with beautiful murals; in this area a lot of coffee is cultivated. You can also enjoy a bit of adventure tourism like hiking. The best time to go is during dry seasons between October and February.
visit el salvadorOne of El Salvador's notable dishes is the delicious pupusas, thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans and pork.

The country isn't particularly known for having big tourism, however this is one of the reasons why it’s more attractive for most tourists. It gets half as many visitors that Costa Rica does annually, which is appealing for most travelers, because even the frequently visited places in El Salvador, are never really overcrowded.

Visit El Salvador with Central America Experience, a Costa Rica travel agency specializing in family trips, adventure travel, honeymoons and vacation packages in Central America, Costa RicaNicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize.

 Article by María Laura Charles

The excitement of flying to Nosara Costa Rica

I have always enjoyed flying, I guess like a vast majority of people in the world, so after I found a good rate with Nature Air, for a flight to Nosara, I decided to use it to get to L’Acqua Viva Hotel during my last visit to this prestigious hotel. The experience of taking local flights while visiting Costa Ricais enhanced during the dry season thanks to the clear blue skies and the magnificent aerial views from the air.

I have always enjoyed flying, I guess like a vast majority of people in the world, so after I found a good rate with Nature Air, for a flight to Nosara, I decided to use it to get to L’Acqua Viva Hotel  during my last visit to this prestigious hotel. The experience of taking local flights while visiting Costa Ricais enhanced during the dry season thanks to the clear blue skies and the magnificent aerial views from the air.


The colorful small Twin Otter airplanes from Nature Air, with a maximum capacity of 18 passengers, are intelligently designed with big panoramic Windows, which are adequate for the tourists’ enjoyment while flying throughout the country.  We departed on time from the international airport Juan Santamaria overflying part of the city of San José, where we could appreciate its great location surrounded by beautiful blue mountains, some of which are imposant active volcanos: Poas and Irazú.

The Captain announced that due to the prevailing weather conditions during this time of the year we might encounter strong winds, which happened, and made the whole experience just more thrilling.



Our adventure continued overflying the mountain range, mostly covered with green dense vegetation of our tropical forests and wide rivers flowing towards the Pacific Coast, until all of a sudden the coastline and the ocean made their majestic appearence.  I was excited taking pictures and many of the other tourists on the plane did the same, even attempting selfies with that unique background.  On the ground you could see pristine, virgin extense beaches with dramatic reefs and sandy beaches, some white, some gray or brown, some champagne, but all beautiful and inviting, with lush green vegetation reaching out into the water.

 Last ones to appear were the two white sand beaches next to L’Acqua Viva Hotel, Playa Guiones, renown for its good conditions for surfers, both professionals and beginners and Playa Pelada, a more family oriented beach.


After landing I took a tuc-tuc motorcycle taxi which complimented my exciting experience, and took me to L’Acqua Viva Resort, considered the best hotel in this region.  I was glad I could check in into a comfortable suite and enjoy this relaxing oasis and nature sanctuary.

Article by Daniel Chavarría

miércoles, 21 de enero de 2015

Flowers for export in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is indeed a gifted place! Not only has a lot to offer tourists in terms of places of interest for they to visit and enjoy, but also because it has one of the most outrageous variety of diverse agricultural, and ornamental products. One of the reasons this takes place on this natured covered part of the world is because of its rich soils and plentiful bodies of water combined with the ideal environmental conditions of weather and climate which has converted Costa Rica into an agricultural country with many options for export, retail and wholesale of organic flowers that has made them so popular and, so far, a world demand.




Agricultures and people involved in the flower export business have become very serious on this process that once a flower is being exported, during the whole process, it will retain its own and unique essence.  Costa Rica’s flowers come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Let us show you a little bit more by describing some of our most endearing treasures from our very own nature’s catalogue:

Heliconia

Found in rainforests, Heliconias are widely cultivated as ornamental flowers. It is a herbaceous plant with a simple but unique picturesque leave in different shades of yellow, red and deep orange tones growing opposite one another on non-woody petioles often longer than the leaf.

Anthurium

This bright spathed statement flower comes in a variety of shades which might include green, white, dark pink, pale pink and red . They quite extravagant and will look very elegant in a bouquet and arrangements.

Orchids

Costa Rica’s national flower comes in many colors including The most popular flower for most brides is the orchid.  Orchids come in many colors, including red, purple, fuchsia, white with yellow, white with purple, orange, green yellow, just to mention some. People have the tendency to think that due to its exuberant elegance and beauty, they may be quite expensive. Let me tell you they can be moderately too high priced, depending on season and availability.

As you can see Costa Rica keeps surprising their tourists among its own natural gardens gifted with all its wonderful creations. Visit Costa Rica and see for yourself what we are here talking about!
All of these flowers are growing in the Else Kientzler Botanical Garden in Costa Rica, and are grown for export by their business, Innovaplant.

The beautiful Costa Rica botanical garden of Else Kientzler features more than 2,000 species of exotic tropical plants from around the globe. The Else Kientzler Botanical Garden is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guided walks are available in English, Spanish and German with advance reservations, or you can go on a self-guided tour.

By: Gabriela Serrano

viernes, 16 de enero de 2015

Costa Rica is trying to save Americans & Canadians

Costa Rica is trying to save Americans & CanadiansEssential Costa Rica’s new campaign wants to help save overworked Americans and Canadians from stressful environments and long working hours by drawing them to come visit its natural paradise.
According to its website 59% of Americans feel vacation deprived, and also leave over 500,000,000 vacation days unused. The campaign shows these workers as animals in danger that need to be saved.
Save the American’s website offers traveling ideas and tips to learn when visiting Costa Rica, it displays a map with habitat divisions by region, culture, nature and adventure in case they don’t know where to start and Save americanswhat to visit. These activities and adventures can be done with Horizonte Nature Tours  from visiting national parks to adventure tours all around the country.
Costa Rica is one of the world's most unique tourist destinations. Its natural beauty, pleasant climate, beautiful beaches and easy going people make the country an attractive, must see part of the world.
If you know you are an American or Canadian endangered, what are you waiting for? Act now and book your next vacation, come live paradise in Costa Rica and leave all your troubles at work.
You can watch the campaign’s video here:


By Maria Laura Charles

jueves, 15 de enero de 2015

A little more about Atenas town´s history: Mules, Oxcarts and the train, how were they related?

Costa Rica has a lot to share and you, a lot to discover from this small country. Its history contains many important facts, lots of which are not so well known. This is the case of how mules, oxcarts, and trains, through time helped to create an important route for the future development and growth of the country, all happening here in Atenas, Costa Rica.

Oxcarts Let´s go back in time to give you a little stroke of what was the situation in Costa Rica in colonial times.

It was the year 1640 and the only way to get around the countries in Central America, was through a well known road, if you can call it a road, named “Camino Real” the Royal Road. These paths and trails left San José and continued its way down to a narrow bridge that crossed the Rio Grande River in Atenas, making all the way to Guatemala.  During the XIX century, the coffee export expansion started to increase and became Costa Rica´s most important export product, which led coffee growers to put a lot more interest in the building of a new road uniting the Central Valley with the port of Puntarenas, where coffee was sent to Europe through the Cabo de Hornos in South America. The road was then built in 1843, replacing mules for oxcarts and oxen giving it the commonly name of “Camino de Carretas” (Oxcart Road). 

Atenas train costa ricaThis road became very important for Atenas since it was the reason for its development and growth as many “sesteos” or boarding houses sprang up along the way to accommodate the boyeros (ox cart drivers) as well as stables where the oxen and horses could rest. Nights filled with music from guitars, accordions, and the typical marimbas surrounded the environment either serenading lovers or setting up the stage for an unforgettable “bailongo” (tradicional dancing party) , while the smell of fresh poured coffee and other typical foods such as tamales and tortillas captivated  the oxcart drivers or “boyeros”, who sometimes traveled along with their families, to spend the night in town.


The road grew very much in traffic but remained narrow in many sections causing accidents and fights and it was necessary to start setting up a set rules and fines in order to organize the oxcart movement.  Some of them restarted travelling right after the “bailongo”, where they had drunk more “Guaro de Caña” (sugar cane moonshine) than they could handle and jumped in their oxcarts and let, literally, that their good old friends, the oxen, drive them since they knew the way home by heart. This gave birth to the Costa Rican saying “montarse en la carreta” (jump on the wagon) referring to somebody who is drunk.

The road lost its importance on July 1910 when a new railway service started, loosing against progress and new technology. The camino de carretas made some of the towns along the way, including our lovely town of Atenas, become a distant memory in the heart of the people of Costa Rica.

But Atenas did not want to disappear. It  continued its way to grow back and be recognized for its importance as a coffee growing region filled with majestic landscapes and one of the best climates in the world, and since the railroad passed through the heart of the town it allowed visitors from the capital city to continue enjoying this lovely town.

 Atenas Railway MuseumNowadays, the train doesn´t work anymore and the only thing remaining which stays intact is a vast group of sweet memories from those good old railroad times, which are carefully and perfectly stored at the Atenas Railway Museum located at the same old railway station. This museum has been opened to the public since September of 2001 and receives visitors on Sundays and holidays from 9am to 6pm.

The museum shows samples of photographs, tools, and objects used during those old railroad times. It is a very nice way to come close with this piece of Costa Rica´s history and for the visitor a unique opportunity to go back in time and understand how everything combined to build what is today your very own Atenas!

Looking to move to Atenas Costa Rica? Try Atenas Real Estate. Reliable realtors Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez-Porras of Pure Life Development of Atenas offer the best Atenas homes for sale and Atenas real estate.
Article by Gabriela Serrano

miércoles, 14 de enero de 2015

Tell a Tale of a Tail of a Whale Seen in Costa Rica!

Something unique you can’t miss when you visit Dominical Beach.

Ballena Marine National ParkBahía Ballena (Whale Bay) is located in the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, within the canton of Osa. It’s only 15 minutes south of the town that is very well known for surfers: Dominical. Surrounded by a majestic natural splendor of the southern Pacific region, Dominical town offers its visitors this God’s breathtaking and exclusive nature’s spot.

The main reason for this given name comes from the giant sandbar whale- like tail pattern, when seen from above, formed during low tide at the north end of the Ballena Marine National Park beach.
Ballena Marine National ParkSharing a length of about 2296 feet and a width of 820 feet, it is the world’s third largest sandbank. People easily walk to the end of this sand formation without any trouble during any time of the year. You just have to be sure it’s low tide time so you can make your walk back without any mayor difficulties.

Due to its perfect location on the Pacific Ocean, whales from the north and south come to give birth here. Bahía Ballena offers then, not one but two whale watching seasons throughout the year. The Southern Humpback whales come to the national park between mid-July to October late, and then from mid-December through late March it’s the turn of the Northern Humpback Whales.


Ballena Marine National ParkSo what do you say? Put Whale Bay on your future visiting spots for this New Year’s next getaway, and have a tale of a tail to tell your friends back home, you hear?

Central America Travel Experience spcializes in leisure travel, honeymoon programas, family travel , adventure travel and much more, all around Central America. Let us join you along your Central America travel experience.

We don’t have a team of sales people, we have advisors that will make your dream of visiting Costa Rica, a reality and so much more. Relax in the hands of our experts and get ready to enjoy!

By Gabriela Serrano

"Fiestas Bravas" in Costa Rica

fiestas bravasGuanacaste’s celebrations are coming up, exciting dates for this side of the country; full of traditional activities, typical music and folklore dancing.
Up coming for the week of January 15th we have lots of festivities in Santa Cruz, typical Costa Rican rural town, where people gather to celebrate with typical music, folkloric dancing and bullfighting to honor the Black Christ of Esquipulas.

Since 1926 it’s celebrated in commemoration of their catholic religion when Christ suffered before being crucified.

festivities in Santa CruzIn the corners of the main streets of Santa Cruz marimbas are located to brighten the atmosphere; while the bullfights are held where many people come to a roundabout on the main square to challenge the bulls.

During the week they also celebrate the famous horsemen activity “tope” where hundreds of people from all over the country come with their horses and typical costumes to the main streets of the city and parade. During this activity many tourists rent horses and participate in the festival.

Dancing in the park to the sound of marimba music is another traditional activity, among local meals prepared as part of the celebration including the “rosquillas”, sweet “tamal” and coyol wine.

Santa Cruz is a beautiful town filled with friendly and openhearted people who are always open to help tourists when needed. The town is also close to some of the most popular beaches in Costa Rica, which they have buses travelling back and forth almost each hour.

Between the last week of February and early March the Fiestas Cívicas of Liberia are held where folklore and traditions are celebrated with music, rides and concerts throughout Liberia.

The city of Liberia is located on the plains of the province of Guanacaste. It has a warm but dry climate characteristic of the area. Its name comes from the Latin "liber" meaning free and independent.

Hotel Hacienda Guachipelín.At just 13 miles away from Liberia and 72 from Santa Cruz, in the surroundings of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin is one of the best places to stay in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Now for these celebration dates, you can also enjoy great Costa Rica travel deals at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin and enjoy Guanacaste’s festivities.

Costa Rica's love for “fiesta” is contagious; taste the food, make friends, enjoy traditions and party with the ticos are musts you can’t miss during these dates in Guanacaste, activities you can enjoy at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin.

By Maria Laura Charles

2015 Envision Festival is Coming

Envison  Festival 2015

For its fifth year Envision Festival returns to Costa Rica, where thousands of socially conscious people from all over the world gather together to share a magical experience of culture, art, music, yoga, meditation and pure nature.
Marino Ballena National ParkThe 2015 Envision Festival  will be held from February 26th to March 1st at Rancho La Merced in Uvita, Costa Rica, next to the Marino Ballena National Park, famous for its beautiful Whale’s Tail sandbar formation.
 The festival is known for its great music performances with an excellent lineup of amazing artists. The building, lighting, sound and ambiance make it a wonderful experience. You can check out the lineup here.
 It’s also full of art and educational workshops  for spiritual activities like yoga and meditation. There are new healthy organic dishes to try and unique handmade products to purchase. There is also a small camp for kids and families.
 The whole location is surrounded by stunning natural settings to visit and enjoy.
Envison  Festival 2015 Envison  Festival 2015

“Our focus on sustainability, art, sacred movement, culture, education and world music along with the natural majestic beauty of Costa Rica ensures that Envision is nothing like anyone has ever seen. This is why we live by the phrase 'Vive La Experiencia' or 'Live the Experience'. You just need to experience Envision… there's no other way to put it," says founder Justin Brothers.
Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living is just a short Manuel Antonio Vacation Rentaldrive up the coast to the north. It is located between Uvita and the Manuel Antonio National Park, just 10 minutes from the turtle-nesting beach of Matapalo. It has luxury vacation home rentals and tropical bungalows, and also offers Costa Rican property for sale.
The Costa Rican sustainable community has private trails in the jungle, rivers and waterfalls with natural pools, comfortable lodging, and spa services. If you would like to attend the Envision Festival, but prefer a more comfortable, calmer stay, this might be the place for you.
By Maria Laura Charles