St. Valentine’s Day history, traditions and romantic getaways

 

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.-- Leo Tolstoy

Every February 14, around the world, people exchange cards, flowers, candy and gifts with their loved ones on this day of romance we call Valentine’s Day. But who is this mysterious St. Valentine, and where did these traditions come from?

February has been celebrated as a month of romance dating all the way back to ancient Rome. The Roman fertility festival, Lupercalia, was celebrated in the middle of February from Feb. 13 to 15. In the 5^th century, two martyred saints named Valentine became the origin for the Christian celebration of St. Valentine’s Day.

One St. Valentine performed marriages for young lovers in secret before he was killed; another St. Valentine, sentenced to death, wrote his love a last letter from prison signed “From your Valentine” – an expression still used today. So when Christian and ancient Roman traditions merged, they created the February 14 celebration known now as St. Valentine’s Day.

No record exists of romantic celebrations on Valentine’s Day prior to a poem by medieval English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, written around 1375. The popular poem, written to honor the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England to Anne of Bohemia, refers to February 14 as the day birds come together to find a mate. During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in Europe that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which sparked the idea that Valentine’s Day should be a day for romance.

The first mass-produced valentines, with lace, ribbons and colorful pictures, began in the 1840s, created by Esther A. Howland in Massachusetts, USA. Today an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, according to the U.S. Greeting Card Association, making Valentine’s Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, after Christmas. Valentine's Day traditional gifts include cards, red roses and other flowers, chocolate and other sweets, jewelry, cute stuffed animals, and going out for a romantic dinner and evening.

How about a romantic vacation? In Central America, St. Valentine’s Day is known as “Día del Amor y la Amistad”, or Day of Love and Friendship. You can plan your romantic getaway to Central America and Central America Vacations with Central America Experience, a Costa Rica-based travel agency specializing in honeymoons, luxury vacations, family trips and adventure travel in Central America. Central America Experience offers vacation packages in Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.  

Article by Shannon Farley

Fascinating Christmas Celebrations in Central America

Some of the most elaborate traditional Christmas celebrations take place in the seven countries of Central America. Read on for more about each country’s unique festivity.

Christmas Celebrations in Central America
 


Panama

The Panama City Christmas Parade is the big festivity here. Decorated floats, marching bands and dancers in traditional costumes parade through Panama City to the beach where there is a tree lighting ceremony. At nightfall, there is also a parade of boats decorated with Christmas lights. On Christmas Eve at midnight, Panamanians shoot off fabulous fireworks. Traditional foods include chicken tamales and rice with chicken.



Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, roads, shops and houses are beautifully decorated at least a month before Christmas. Lavish dinners accompany Christmas Eve celebrations, traditionally with roasted pork leg and tamales. In Costa Rica it's not Santa Claus who brings the Christmas gifts; they are instead brought by Baby Jesus on the night before Christmas called “La Noche Buena” (the Good Night).

Nicaragua

The Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, called “La Purísima”, starts off the Christmas season in Nicaragua. On Dec. 8, young people go caroling from house to house in celebration of the Immaculate Conception, and there are processions with statues of the Virgin Mary.



El Salvador

Christmas in El Salvador focuses on family. Most families go to midnight mass together and then return home to begin an all-night party with a large dinner, serving roasted turkey, rice and chicken, and potato salad. As they wait for the arrival of Santa Claus, children play with sparklers, and fireworks are set off.



Guatemala
 
In Guatemala, Christmas blends the Mayan culture with Roman Catholicism. Antigua, Guatemala, one of the oldest and most beautiful colonial cities in Central America, stages impressive traditional Catholic Christmas processions and festivals. In the nearby Mayan market town of Chichicastenango, vividly costumed indigenous dancers act out plays and musicals that blend modern Christianity with ancient Mayan beliefs. Most churches and public areas display Nativity scenes, and everyone always goes to Midnight Mass on Dec. 24, known as “La Misa del Gallo,” or the “Mass of the Rooster”.



Honduras
 
People in Honduras also go to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, followed by a special dinner with tamales, roasted pork, chicken with rice, and torrejas – bread fried with honey and cinnamon – for dessert with eggnog. Las Posadas is a common tradition in Honduras, held from Dec. 16 to 24 when participants reenact the journey Mary and Joseph took to Bethlehem searching for a place to stay. The ritual involves statues of saints traveling to different designated homes each night as a way to symbolize the historic journey.



Belize
 
Having been colonized by the British, Belize is mainly a Christian nation, so you will see Christmas traditions like Christmas trees, decorated homes and midnight mass celebrations. However, indigenous and West African cultures also influenced local traditions like the Garifuna Wanaragua celebration, which happens on Christmas Day in towns like Dangriga where the West African culture is strong. Wanaragua is a masked Christmas procession where locals dress up in costumes meant to mimic the dress of their original European captors.

Travel to Central America with Central America Experience, a Costa Rica-based travel agency specializing vacation packages to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize.

Article by Shannon Farley

New flights make Costa Rica travel easy for holiday season

Four U.S.-based international airlines have confirmed new routes and increased flights to Costa Rica, making travel to Central America now easier than ever.

The flight increases coincide with the approaching 2014-15 high tourist season (December to April) and holiday season in Costa Rica.

Nonstop flights on United Airlines to Costa Rica will increase from the airline’s U.S. hubs at George Bush International Airport in Houston and Newark Liberty in New York, arriving to the Juan Santamaría International Airport by San José. In response to the high demand for travel to Costa Rica from U.S., European and Asian tourists during the Christmas holidays, United will add flights from Dec. 19 to Jan. 4 – four more flights from Houston to San José on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, and two additional flights from Newark to San José on Saturdays and Sundays.

Delta Air Lines also will increase its flights between the U.S. and Costa Rica, starting Nov. 7. To be added are three flights between Los Angeles, California, and the Liberia International Airport in Guanacaste; and one more seasonal flight between Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Juan Santamaría International Airport by San José. Presently, Delta is the only airline to operate a completely nonstop flight between Los Angeles and San José, Costa Rica.

JetBlue Airways is adding a new route from Boston, Massachusetts, to Liberia in Guanacaste, Costa Rica starting Nov. 1. Earlier in 2014, JetBlue opened new nonstop flights from New York’s JFK International Airport to Liberia International Airport; from Orlando to San José International Airport; and from Ft. Lauderdale to San José, Costa Rica.

U.S. carrier Southwest Airlines is jumping into the Costa Rica market for the first time with plans to open a new route from Baltimore, Maryland, to San José beginning on Mar. 7, 2015. The airline entered the international market earlier in 2014 with flights to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Aruba, Bahamas and Jamaica.

Visit Costa Rica and Central America with IC Travel Group, a Costa Rica-based travel agency specializing in family trips, honeymoons, luxury adventures, kosher clients, golfers, and tailor-made packages. Book your vacation package by calling toll free in the USA to 1-877-683 3724, or emailing traveldirector@icglobalgroup.com.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica offers endless incentive travel possibilities.

Whether you are planning your annual employee or shareholder meeting, want to motivate your sales forces, or reward your staff or clients for a great year, Costa Rica is a travel destination that offers limitless possibilities.

With many regular and direct flights, Costa Rica is easy to get to from Canada and the United States. The country offers good value and a large range of hotels, services and activities for group, meeting and incentive travel. Many different climates, destinations, places to stay and things to do, give you plenty of choices to create perfect trips.

 

One of Costa Rica's most talked about and visited destinations are the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal. Rising above the lush green rainforest that skirts its base, the active Arenal Volcano frames the skyline with near perfect conical symmetry. There is a certain mystique about being next to the primal force of an active volcano that people love. Not to mention there are added benefits like natural volcanic hot springs, and healing volcanic mineral clay that is a featured ingredient in Arenal’s famed spas.

Lake Arenal is a gorgeous, long manmade reservoir stretching 33 square miles (85 sq.km.) at the base of Volcano Arenal. Its hydroelectric plant produces nearly 12% of Costa Rica’s electric energy. Lake Arenal enjoys a world-class reputation among windsurfers and sailboarders for its steady supply of strong winds. Fishing is equally popular on the lake for rainbow bass.

 

The Arenal region features numerous luxurious hotels with stunning views of the colossal Arenal Volcano. Many hotels offer their own natural thermal springs and pools.

For your next corporate meeting, convention, sales team motivational meeting, or staff celebration, think Costa Rica. U.S. companies get a special U.S. tax break when holding an incentive trip, meeting or conference in Costa Rica.

A creative incentive travel operator with extensive experience is Best of Costa Rica Destination Management Company. With more than 20 years of experience in tourism, Best of Costa Rica organizes original and creative programs that are unique and professional for business meetings, conventions, conferences, incentives and special events.

Article by Shannon Farley

Visit Santa Teresa on a 7-day Costa Rica beach vacation.

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 beautiful tropical beach.

Like Margaritaville, cocktails and dreams take the stage in a seven-day spectacular Costa Rica beach vacation package by 2Costa Rica Travel agency. The "Cocktails & Dreams" package vacation gives you one night in luxury in the capital city of San Jose, and five nights of bliss at Central America's "number one beach" Santa Teresa.

The day you arrive to Costa Rica, you'll stay close by the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) at the stylish luxury boutique hotel Grano de Oro, housed in a restored Victorian mansion. Set just off the main boulevard of Paseo Colon in San Jose, it is an ideal location for exploring the cultural diversity of the vibrant capital.

In the morning, you'll jet right to the Nicoya Peninsula, saving precious time on a 35-minute domestic flight to Tambor, due west on the Pacific Coast from San Jose. A scenic one hour drive later, and you'll be in paradise at Santa Teresa Beach. Your oasis on gleaming white sands by the bright blue Pacific Ocean is the luxury boutique hotel Flor Blanca. In this remote area of the southern Nicoya Peninsula, the exotically beautiful beachfront hotel rests on seven acres of thick jungle by the sea. With only 11 villas, each with an ocean view and private deck, Flor Blanca Hotel is one of the most romantic and private hotels in Costa Rica.

 During your five days and nights, enjoy world-class surfing, yoga, massage, gourmet cuisine, nature walks and other fun adventure tours ... and plenty of cocktails and dreaming.

On your last day of your week-long Costa Rica beach vacation, you will hop a quick flight back to the San Jose international airport to meet your flight home.

2Costa Rica Travel agency uses their 20+ years of experience to create amazing vacation packages to Costa Rica. Find out all the best travel information on hotels, tours and transportation in Costa Rica from 2Costa Rica Travel.

Article by Shannon Farley

MICE tourism is growing segment of Costa Rica tourism.

I met a woman and her husband in the airport recently, while we were waiting to board our flight out of Costa Rica. They were tanned and relaxed, and had been enjoying the country's beaches and rainforest … all for free! They had won a work contest to sell the most furniture for their company and earned the free incentive trip. This was actually the couple's second year in a row to win – last year they went on a cruise to Mexico.

This is pretty ingenious – sell a lot of products for your company, make a lot of money doing so, and then get to go on vacation for free. Not a bad deal!

Incentive travel has long been used as a motivational tool for improving employees' productivity and strengthening relationships with customers and partners. According to business reports, incentive travel generates expectations which gives employees a clear goal and keeps them focused for a longer period than the motivation of monetary bonuses.

"Motivating employees is always one of management's biggest concerns. During an economic downturn, the retention of excellent employees becomes even more important. Organizations that develop cultures based on employee recognition and rewards programs will be better positioned to survive, and even thrive, because their employees remain motivated and engaged," reports the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) in the study "Anatomy of an Incentive Travel Program."

Like the couple on their incentive vacation, Costa Rica has become a popular destination for MICE tourism (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events). Congresses, conventions, fairs, exhibitions, festivals, concerts and special events are developing into important elements of Costa Rica's prosperous tourism industry, notes the Costa Rica Convention Bureau.

"Costa Rica is a destination that offers many vacation options; it is a leader in adventure travel and ecotourism, a favorite destination for health and wellness tourism, educational tourism and youth tourism," remarked Allan Flores, Costa Rica Tourism Minister.

Costa Rica offers good value and an excellent range of services and infrastructure, from five-star resorts to one-of-a-kind boutique hotels, creative incentive travel operators (DMC's) with extensive experience, luxury transportation, multilingual guides, venues for themed events, and gourmet cuisine. As a destination, Costa Rica offers plenty of exciting activities – national parks, volcanoes, beaches, whitewater rafting, surfing, world-class sportfishing, golf, and rainforest exploration. Cultural and nature tours feature coffee production, butterfly and botanical gardens, rural tourism, artisan crafts, and tours of cities and towns.

For U.S. companies, holding an incentive trip, meeting or conference in Costa Rica is tax deductible. Under section 274 (h) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States, individuals attending conventions, seminars or conferences in Costa Rica can claim tax deductions for expenses incurred at those events, just like if the event were held in the United States.

Whether coming from the United States, Canada or Europe, flying to Costa Rica is easy. Visitors can arrive in less than three hours from Miami, in five hours from Toronto, and there are direct flights from Madrid. Costa Rica's two international airports serve 15 foreign airlines and an estimated 378 flights per week at San Jose's Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) and 53 at Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia (LIR).

"Best of Costa Rica" Destination Management Company specializes in tailor-made travel for individuals, groups, business and incentive trips. With more than 20 years of experience in tourism and a 24-hour assistance center, their bilingual staff can organize congresses, conventions, conferences, meetings and special events with an extensive selection of custom tours and adventures.

Article by Shannon Farley

Best fall family vacation in Costa Rica

October and November means autumn school breaks, and Thanksgiving Week in the USA. It's time for your fall family vacation.

This year, be ahead of the learning curve and visit one of the world's largest "outdoor classrooms" in the sun and tropics of Costa Rica. Imagine discovering animals and plants that you have never seen before with your family... a terrific bonding experience and good school report material too! Costa Rica is one of the safest countries in Central America, and a main reason the nation is a top international travel destination.

Time is precious, so don't waste it on endless searches of hotels and tours on the internet. Save time for your family by choosing a 2Costa Rica Travel family vacation package to Costa Rica. The top travel agency uses their 20+ years of experience to give you comprehensive information on the best hotels, tours, transportation, and safety and travel tips to Costa Rica. One notable itinerary is the Two Mountains Family Vacation Package.

The week-long vacation (8-days/7-nights) gives you and your family an adventure with two days each at the most popular mountain destinations in Costa Rica – Arenal Volcano and the Monteverde Cloud Forest. Hotels are luxurious and family-friendly. Activities are endless – hiking in the Arenal Volcano National Park and Monteverde Cloud Forest reserves, suspension bridges, canopy ziplines, horseback riding, whitewater rafting, cave exploring, mountain biking, boat rides, and indigenous cultural tours, to name a few.

Don't worry, there's also Costa Rica beach time – three days at magnificent Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific Coast. The area is known for the Manuel Antonio National Park, white sand beaches, easy-to-see wildlife and plentiful adventure tours.

2Costa Rica Travel can tailor vacation itineraries to any budget and family size. They offer detailed itinerary planning and personalized in-country support service. Hop a flight to the San José international airport (SJO and get ready for paradise.

Article by Shannon Farley

See Costa Rica's top destinations on a 7-day vacation.

What are the best places to visit in Costa Rica? What are the best things to do in Costa Rica?

I get these questions a lot. Having lived in Costa Rica for 12 years, working in the tourism industry, I field questions from extended family, friends, friends of friends, and even complete strangers if I happen to mention that's where I live. They all ask the same thing, "If I were to visit Costa Rica, where should I go and what should I do?"

Start small, I always recommend. Choose two or three destinations for a week-long trip. Costa Rica overall is not a large country, but because of its rugged, mountainous topography, if you flattened it out, it would probably double in size. There are hundreds of beaches between the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, plenty of rivers and volcanoes, and 161 national parks, private reserves and wildlife refuges each with a unique ecosystem.

If I were to design a seven-day first-time Costa Rica vacation for someone, I would choose something like the Best of Costa Rica itinerary by 2Costa Rica Travel. On this Costa Rica vacation package, you get adventure, rainforest, beaches, national parks, and the country's most famous volcano – all in a week.

Best of Costa Rica 7-day vacation:

Two nights in Costa Rica's capital city, San Jose, staying at the luxury boutique Hotel Grano de Oro in a converted Victorian mansion.

Go for an adventure whitewater rafting tour on the Pacuare River (class 3-4), one of the world's best for scenery and rapids. The drive there takes you through the cloud forest of Braulio Carrillo National Park.

Next is two nights at the posh Tabacón Grand Spa Thermal Resort at Volcano Arenal. Car rental is included. The Tabacon Hot Springs, with their views of the famous Arenal Volcano, are world-renowned.

Then, it's off to the beach for two nights at luxury eco-hotel Si Como No at one of Costa Rica's most beautiful Pacific beaches, Manuel Antonio. Two adventure tours are included – Jungle Canopy tour and hiking in one of the country's most visited national parks, Manuel Antonio.

You finish in San José for a last night in the capital city.

By Shannon Farley

Veragua Rainforest is best day tour near Limon, Costa Rica.

One of the top day tours on Costa Rica's Caribbean Coast, Veragua Rainforest Research & Adventure, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.

The highly popular nature and adventure attraction, and important scientific research center, was four years in the making and now five years open. In that time, the tour destination has achieved a long list of successes.

"Everyone is very proud of the work and effort we have given during these years," said Federico Quirós, Administrative Financial Manager for Veragua, in an official announcement. "The staff has always had a good attitude to offer the best service and quality care to our visitors. This has made us a very united and consistent team."

"I am very proud to have a top team that is dedicated, hardworking, loyal through thick and thin, and committed to facing challenges. We have had many successes in our relatively short history and I am sure that we will continue into the future," added Veragua owner Martí Jiménez.

Just one hour inland from the Caribbean port of Limón, the 1,300-hectare (3,212-acre) park is located in an area of breathtaking tropical rainforest bordering the immense La Amistad International Park. Veragua Rainforest gives visitors the most complete rainforest experience possible in a one-day tour on the Caribbean in Costa Rica.

Additionally, ongoing salient research is conducted by Veragua's team of on-site biologists, who partner with the University of Costa Rica (UCR), Costa Rica's National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio), and the National Museum of Natural History to conserve the area's abundant population of amphibians, reptiles, insects, birds, and mammals. International and national student groups come to study and learn about the Neotropical ecosystem.

Since opening on July 4, 2008, more than 70,000 visitors have experienced Veragua Rainforest. They are a main one-day tour destination for cruise line passengers docking in Limón.

Veragua attractions include a canopy zipline tour, an aerial tram, hiking trails through rainforest and by a river with waterfalls, wildlife exhibits and science labs. "We have all of the top activities that people enjoy in Costa Rica all in one location," explained Jiménez. Nearly all of the park is wheelchair accessible and is designed to be safe for all ages.

Rather than being like a zoo, each sensational wildlife exhibit is an interactive live biology lab. Learn about the fascinating lifecycle of butterflies in the giant butterfly garden.

See iguanas, lizards and snakes up close in the reptile habitat. Be informed about Costa Rica's more than 300,000 species of insects in the insectarium. Enjoy the dynamic Frog Paradise habitat, which has a daytime area for diurnal amphibians, and a nocturnal frog habitat where day turns into night so you can see and hear nighttime frogs in action.

It is Veragua Rainforest's plentiful wildlife that is attracting international scientific recognition. "We've had scientific experts come from around the world to study our wildlife – bats, crabs, lizards, frogs, butterflies, birds," noted Jiménez. "Specialists from Harvard University have called us the 'anole mecca' for the wealth of anole lizards in our forest."

Veragua biologists have made key discoveries of new species of butterflies, beetles and frogs in the area. Last year's Christmas bird count at Veragua found a record-breaking 417 different bird species sighted in a 24-hour period – the highest number registered in Central America.

Jiménez revealed that they are in the process of formalizing a Veragua Foundation for rainforest research with the Costa Rican government. "This will allow us to expand and strengthen our resources for further research," he explained.

Veragua's success extends to their neighboring community. The business is supporting two nearby schools – contributing to the children's education, raising awareness about the importance of biodiversity for conservation, and improving quality of life with infrastructure. "We're located in a poor area that traditionally was involved in logging, mono-agriculture and hunting," said Jiménez. "We're turning the region into a conservation-focused area, giving locals jobs and teaching them to protect their resources."

Veragua Rainforest is endorsed by Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.

By Shannon Farley