Fiesta de los Diablitos celebrates Boruca indigenous history in Costa Rica

The end of the year in southern Costa Rica is time for one of the country’s biggest indigenous cultural events. This is when the native Boruca community celebrates their traditional “Fiesta de los Diablitos”, or the Festival of Little Devils. The four-day annual event happens from Dec. 30 to Jan. 2 in the village of Boruca on the tribe’s indigenous reservation in the Talamanca Mountains, 25 km inland from Palmar Norte near the town of Buenos Aires.

The people of Boruca keep their rich ancestral traditions alive, expressed through their language, legends, dance and crafts. The Borucas are particularly famous for their colorful, hand-carved masks made from lightweight balsa wood. These masks play an important part in the Fiesta de los Diablitos, which celebrates the Borucas’ victory over the Spanish conquistadors.

Using the traditional balsa wood masks of devil faces, and elaborate costumes made from cloth sacks and banana leaves, the village men dress up as ancestral spirits. One man takes the role of a mock bull, representing the evil Spanish intruders. Only Boruca men who have carved their own mask may participate. Women have an important yet less visible part in the festival's organization making food and drink to sustain the male participants.

During the four-day festival, the bull and the diablitos perform a long, ritual dance with pretend fighting around a bonfire, known as the Dance of the Diablitos. The participants drink lots of home-made “chicha”, an alcoholic beverage made from fermented corn that is drunk from a hollowed-out gourd. On the last day, the diablitos triumph over the Spanish – just as they did historically. The bull is “killed” – the costume is burned on the large bonfire in the middle of the village and much celebration follows.

A fantastic collection of images from the Fiesta de los Diablitos can be found on this Facebook page by travel writer and photographer, James Kaiser.

Attending the Fiesta de los Diablitos in Boruca is an easy day trip from Portasol Rainforest & Oceanview Living. The sustainable residential and vacation lodging community is located between Manuel Antonio and Dominical on the Central Pacific Coast. The indigenous village of Boruca is a little over 90 minutes away.

Rent a luxury vacation home or tropical bungalow at Portasol Rainforest and Oceanview Living. The sustainable residential community has vacation rentals and properties for sale. Its 1,300 acres offer private trails in the jungle, rivers and waterfalls with natural pools, comfortable lodging, and spa services.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica is pure mountain paradise

As we drove up into the clouds, it began to look not like Costa Rica anymore. Mist swirled around us. Large-leafed Prehistoric-looking vegetation lurked in the gloom. All windows were up; I was wearing a big fleece jacket, and I was contemplating turning on my car’s heater for the first time ever.

When I told friends and family we were going to the “Cerro de la Muerte” (Mountain of Death) for Thanksgiving at the end of November, the overwhelming response was: “Sounds like fun. Not.” The Mountain of Death doesn’t exactly sound like a place for fun and relaxation … unless we’re talking eternal sleep. Maybe that’s why places like San Gerardo de Dota and Santa Maria de Dota (the Los Santos region of Costa Rica), the Tapantí National Park and the newly formed Los Quetzales National Park are some of the least visited destinations in Costa Rica.

These high mountain valleys in the Talamanca Mountain Range are most popular with die-hard eco-tourists – especially from Europe. Just 55 miles (89km) south of San José, the region is renowned for its bird watching. Visitors enjoy early morning nature walks searching for the magnificently-plumed Resplendent Quetzal and the other 200 or so bird species identified in these misty tropical cloud forests.

From the chilling damp of Cerro de la Muerte, we twisted down a narrow mountain road into the sun-kissed hidden valley of San Gerardo. Cerro de la Muerte is Costa Rica’s fourth highest mountain at 11,322 feet (3,451m); blessedly, we had dropped to a more pleasant 7,200 feet (2,200m) in San Gerardo.

Pure mountain air filled our lungs. The scent of cypress trees carried on crisp breezes, and the warm sunshine seemed to intensify all colors. San Gerardo is both charming and gorgeous. Little houses dot the countryside and numerous mountain lodges supply appealing accommodations. Apple, plum and peach orchards line the steep green hillsides. Rushing down the valley center is the wild Savegre River, tumbling headlong toward the Pacific Ocean just south of the Manuel Antonio National Park. On the Central Pacific Coast, the Savegre is known for its excellent whitewater rafting. Here, high in the mountains, its crystal clear spring waters provide sustenance to some of Costa Rica’s best trout fishing and trout farms.

We stayed at the Savegre Hotel, near the bottom of the valley settlement. The owners, the Chacón family, were the first pioneers to settle in the San Gerardo de Dota region, starting the community nearly 60 years ago. The family-operated lodge sits on a private reserve of 988 acres (400 hectares) with an extensive network of trails through the forest and to impressive waterfalls. Hiking and birding is fantastic, and it is also lovely to sit on the lodge’s sun deck watching countless jewel-toned hummingbirds zip around flowers, feeders and tree branches. Travel tip: Definitely go for the Junior Suite cabin with a wood-burning fireplace, and the all-inclusive meal plan. Constantly changing weather means bring warm clothes and rain gear.

The Trogón Lodge is another lovely mountain hotel in San Gerardo. Located a little higher up in the valley, it lines a bend in the river and offers comfortable cabins, hiking trails and a canopy zipline tour.

Make your travel arrangements for San Gerardo de Dota with Best of Costa Rica Destination Management Company, a Costa Rica travel agency with extensive experience. Best of Costa Rica arranges hotels, tours, transportation, custom travel packages, and travel for meetings and special events in Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua. The expert travel company provides a bilingual staff and a 24-hour assistance center.

Article by Shannon Farley

Birders in the Americas join in 114th Christmas Bird Count.

For more than 100 years, every year at Christmastime, rather than searching for the perfect present, tens of thousands of active passionate folks explore the great outdoors looking for the most splendid birds.

Outfitted with binoculars, bird guides and checklists, birding devotees throughout the Americas brave snow, wind, rain, or maybe even tropical sun, to take part in the Christmas Bird Count. The National Audubon Society of the USA and other organizations use data collected in the annual Christmas Bird Count to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action.

This year, the 114^th annual Christmas Bird Count in the United States is from Dec. 14 through Jan. 5. Down in the tropics, Costa Rica also participates in the Christmas Bird Count. This year, the count began Dec. 1 at Selva Verde Lodge in Sarapiqui, and ends Jan. 5 near San Carlos, with nine other counts in between at locations around the country.

Last year, the highest number of birds counted in Central America was in Costa Rica. A record number of 417 different bird species, and 12,665 individual birds, were identified in a 24-hour period on Dec. 5 in the Central Caribbean by Veragua Rainforest.

According to avid Costa Rica birder and blogger, Patrick O’Donnell, local birders rave about the excellent birding at Veragua Rainforest. O’Donnell’s Costa Rica Living and Birding blog provides a wealth of information about bird watching in Costa Rica.

Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure is a 1,300 hectare (3,212 acre) biology research and rainforest adventure park located in the Talamanca Mountain Range about an hour inland from Costa Rica’s Caribbean port of Limón. It is an area of breathtaking tropical rainforest bordering the La Amistad (“Friendship”) International Park, the largest nature reserve in Central America. Veragua Rainforest is an excellent one-day tour in the Costa Rica rainforest to enjoy wildlife exhibits, science labs, and adventure tours.

Travel Tip: Download the Costa Rica Birds Field Guide, a full-featured birding field guide for Costa Rica, available on iTunes.

Article by Shannon Farley

Visit the sunny side of Costa Rica in Guanacaste.

http://enchanting-costarica.com/destinations/visit-the-sunny-side-of-costa-rica-in-guanacaste/

Nosara, Costa Rica is an artsy, eclectic community

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 top surfing beaches. Others came seeking a healthier lifestyle of yoga, sunshine, clean air and organic markets.

Art groups in Nosara are now promoting the Costa Rica beach community as a cultural center. The Nosara Artisans group, which was founded by resident ceramic artists Kristen Brousseau and Emma Kinsey, hold Saturday afternoon art fairs once a month. Upcoming 2014 art fairs will be held on Jan. 25, Feb. 22 and Mar. 29 at the Gilded Iguana Hotel and Restaurant in Guiones. The group recently held their second annual Holiday Art Fair that benefited the Nosara Animal Care shelter.

A new art group, called Arte Nosara, is currently being organized by Nosara resident Paul Da Costa, to host art and photography exhibitions, musical concerts and dances. The first expo is planned for January 2014.

Visit Nosara, Costa Rica

One of the finest Nosara hotels is L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa, a luxury boutique hotel by Playa Guiones. The hotel’s name means “live water,” which is a key element in the hotel’s exotic Bali-style architecture. Art is a central theme at L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa; all around the hotel are art masterpieces from around the world that belong to a private collection. The best way to reach Nosara and Playa Guiones is to take a domestic flight from San Jose or Liberia to the Nosara domestic airport.

Article by Shannon Farley

Nosara, Costa Rica is an artsy, eclectic community

http://enchanting-costarica.com/destinations/nosara-costa-rica-is-an-artsy-eclectic-community/

Costa Rica joins in the Christmas Bird Count

http://enchanting-costarica.com/hot-news/costa-rica-joins-in-the-christmas-bird-count/

Activists seek to protect Costa Rica’s rich marine life.

The southern Pacific Ocean off the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica is an amazing natural wonder of marine biodiversity, home to more than 25 species of dolphins and whales, four of the world’s eight different sea turtles, along with manta rays, sailfish, marlin, tuna and sharks. The southern Pacific, and especially Golfo Dulce (Sweet Gulf) on the eastern side of the Osa Peninsula, are vital breeding and reproducing areas for endangered hammerhead sharks and migrating endangered Humpback Whales.

All of this extraordinary marine life, however, is almost entirely unprotected, except for small areas around a few national parks – the Ballena Marine National Park off the coast of Uvita, the Caño Island Biological Reserve, and off the coast of the Corcovado National Park.

Activists say the waters along the entire coast of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, need to be protected, and have begun a campaign to create a “Multiple Use Marine Protected Area.” The MPA for OSA group (Marine Protected Area for Osa Peninsula) states that Costa Rica’s marine life is threatened by commercial shrimp trawlers, long line fishing, over fishing, tuna nets, and ocean pollution.

“Commercial fishing techniques such as long lining, shrimping, gill netting and tuna fishing are wreaking havoc on this delicate and biologically diverse area and its marine inhabitants, and if urgent and drastic actions are not taken immediately, the world will lose this treasure forever. Costa Rica's dolphins, whales, sea turtles and other marine flora and fauna are being decimated at alarming rates,” declares the MPA for OSA website.

By declaring the southern Pacific Coastal waters, from the Ballena Marine National Park out to Caño Island and down the Osa Peninsula, a “Multiple Use Marine Protected Area,” the MPA for OSA group hopes that that private, commercial and sport fishing, as well as scientific research, tourism and marine transportation can all work together sustainably.

The MPA for OSA has created a petition on Avaaz to ask the Costa Rican government to fast track the establishment of the marine protected area. The group is calling for an immediate moratorium on commercial fishing in the area while details are worked out. The group also has a crowd funding campaign to source funds to continue their research and get local communities and the government to work together.

Costa Rica’s South Pacific is one of the “most biologically diverse ocean ecosystems in the world,” according to the MPA for OSA. Off the coast of Costa Rica is an immense habitat called the Costa Rican Thermal Convection Dome, where shallow warm waters lie on top of low-oxygen cold water creating a perfect ecosystem for diverse marine life. This dome is the only one in the world that is constant year-round, producing extraordinary ecologically-rich waters.

At Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, an environmentally sustainable eco-lodge on the inner coast of the Golfo Dulce, you can see and experience Costa Rica’s amazing marine life. The award-winning eco-lodge offers boat tours of the Gulf to see marine life such as dolphins, sea turtles and whales.

Located on a 165-acre private preserve backing up to the Piedras Blancas National Park, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is a unique adventure travel destination for its remote, pristine wilderness location. They offer family vacations, honeymoon trips, nature and adventure vacations, and yoga classes and retreats.

Article by Shannon Farley

Santa Teresa businesses work together for Blue Flag.

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 the trash would simply be swallowed up and we’d never see it again. How very wrong. All of that trash – pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastic bottles, plastic bags, and other solids – dumped into the ocean from land or by ships is consumed by or ensnares marine mammals, birds or fish with often fatal results, endangering the entire ocean ecosystem.

 It swirls around in thousand-mile-wide swaths of decomposing plastic and garbage. One in the North Pacific, known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, or North Pacific Garbage Patch, is estimated to be the size of Texas and thought to contain 100 million tons of plastic. A new, massive patch was discovered in the Atlantic Ocean in early 2010. So far, five trash gyres have been found in the world.

Walk down the beaches of Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, however, and what you won’t see along the white sand is trash. The Pacific beaches of Santa Teresa – Mal Pais, Playa Carmen, Playa Santa Teresa and Playa Hermosa – on Costa Rica’s southern Nicoya Peninsula hold the honored Ecological Blue Flag status for having near-perfect ocean water quality, potable water quality, coastal sanitation areas, treated waste and run-off water, garbage containers and very little litter.

Businesses on these four beaches have taken it upon themselves to keep the beaches clean. Since 2011, they have worked together to pay for two workers to clean each beach every week, all year long. They pick up trash brought in on the Pacific tides, or washed out from nearby rivers or that is left behind by beach-goers. The rubbish is collected in extra-large garden-size trash bags, separated between garbage and recycling, and brought to a municipal trash collection spot.

The business owners take turns in rotation to pay for the two workers and the cleanup costs. “We started in 2011 with only five or six sponsors, and now we are up to 50-60 sponsors,” said program coordinator Roberto de la Ossa. “The more business owners there are, the easier it is for everyone to maintain the program.”

De la Ossa, who is general manager at sponsor Hotel Tropico Latino, said he works with a small team of business owners to run the program. In turn, they work with the Environmental Committee of Santa Teresa, which coordinates the Blue Flag program.

“We’re trying to promote consciousness in the area,” de la Ossa explained. “We are blessed that we have very clean water here – 75% of the criteria of the Blue Flag Program is that we have clean water. We’re still in time to conserve the environment here. If we tackle these issues now and put programs in place, the new generations coming up will be better equipped to handle these issues and we can grow sustainably.”

In 2011, beach cleanup efforts collected approximately 5,200 kilos of trash, and that was starting mid-year, de la Ossa said. In 2012, they cleaned up an incredible 10,515 kilos of garbage during the year. The program hopes to grow with more business sponsors in 2014.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has" - Margaret Mead

Hotel Tropico Latino

Hotel Tropico Latino is a small, intimate and welcoming beachfront hotel in Costa Rica in the Playa Carmen-Playa Santa Teresa area of the southern Nicoya Peninsula. The charming hotel offers a variety of accommodations spread throughout natural organic gardens. Hotel Tropico Latino is an ideal Costa Rica beach vacation destination for couples, families, surfers, yoga retreats, and well-being and health retreats.

Article by Shannon Farley

Winter vacation destinations Costa Rica.

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 jungle adventures. Two international airports allow for numerous daily flights to Costa Rica.

Get your Costa Rica Guide and pack your suitcase. Costa Rica is calling your name.

5 Off-the-beaten-path Winter Getaways in Costa Rica

Montezuma Beach

On the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula on the Costa Rica Pacific Coast, Montezuma offers pristine, untrammeled beaches, spectacular waterfalls in the rainforest, and wildlife encounters at the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve, the Curú Wildlife Refuge and nearby Tortuga Island. See where to stay in Montezuma. Get there by either ferry from Puntarenas or by taxi boat out of Herradura Beach by Jacó.

Rincon de la Vieja Volcano

Costa Rica is part of the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire and is blessed with a wealth of volcanoes. The active Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, in the northern Pacific province of Guanacaste, sports bubbling mud pits, volcanic hot springs, rivers and waterfalls. See where to stay at Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. The Liberia International Airport is less than an hour away; or it is a four-hour-plus drive from San Jose

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Sarapiqui

Sarapiqui in the northern Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica is paradise for adventure travelers, eco-tourists and bird watchers. Exciting day tours include whitewater rafting on the Sarapiqui River, hiking on trails and hanging bridges in the rainforest, and a night walk into the forest to see exotic nocturnal wildlife. See where to stay in Sarapiqui. The area is a short two-hour drive from the capital city of San Jose.

Puerto Viejo

Known for its laid-back attitude and Afro-Caribbean lifestyle, Puerto Viejo on the Southern Caribbean Coast is less crowded than the Pacific beaches. Nearby Cahuita National Park and Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge let you observe the area’s incredible wildlife on land and in the sea. See where to stay in Puerto Viejo. It’s an easy four-hour drive from San Jose to the Caribbean Coast.

Osa Peninsula

The Osa Peninsula is renowned for its amazing biodiversity. The area on the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica stays off the beaten path because it is so remote. This also means the Osa is one of the most pristine wilderness areas left in Costa Rica – explore marine life in the Golfo Dulce and dense jungle in the wild Corcovado National Park. See where to stay on the Osa Peninsula. The best way to get to the Osa is by domestic flight from San Jose to Puerto Jimenez.

Costa Rica Guides helps you plan your Costa Rica vacation. Operated by Expediciones Tropicales, a Costa Rica travel agency with more than 18 years of experience, Costa Rica Guides assists with hotel reservations, Costa Rica tours, Costa Rica vacation packages, private transportation, rental cars, shuttle services and local flights in Costa Rica.

Article by Shannon Farley

Osa Peninsula marine protected area sought in Costa Rica

http://enchanting-costarica.com/hot-news/osa-peninsula-marine-protected-area-sought-in-costa-rica/

Ocean pollution kept at bay on Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

http://enchanting-costarica.com/hot-news/ocean-pollution-kept-at-bay-on-santa-teresa-costa-rica/

5 Places for a Costa Rica winter getaway

http://enchanting-costarica.com/destinations/5-places-for-a-costa-rica-winter-getaway/

Enjoy a Latin American Christmas holiday in Costa Rica.

Have you heard the one about the visiting tourist enjoying Costa Rican tamales? He says, “They’re really delicious, but the lettuce is little tough!” (Costa Rican tamales are wrapped in green banana tree leaves.) Ho, ho, ho!

Tamales are one of the most time-honored Christmas traditions in Costa Rica. Like the rest of Latin America, tamales are a principal part of Christmas dinner.

 In Costa Rica, tamales are made from corn flour and are filled with many different ingredients, such as potato puree, rice, vegetables, garlic and onions, and shredded pork or chicken or beef, all wrapped in banana leaves and tied with string into squares, and boiled.

Costa Rica’s Christmas celebration begins on Christmas Eve, or “Noche Bueno,” when people visit family and friends for elaborate dinners of roast pork leg, tamales, pastries and other desserts. Eggnog (“rompope”), heavy with rum, is drunk while family members exchange presents before midnight. Catholics then head to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass (a two-hour marathon). As you can imagine, Christmas Day is a day for relaxing and enjoying family and presents.

Costa Rica’s houses and public buildings are decked out in elaborate Christmas decorations and lights – the more flashing patterns the better! It’s fun to drive around at night to see all of the displays. Christmas trees – either fresh-scented real cypress trees or artificial trees – are put up with bright lights and ornaments, often swathed in colorful gauze and ribbons, with a gold star on top.

Costa Rica Christmas traditionally centers on the Christ child and Holy Family, and the “Portal” or Nativity scene is an essential element in families’ celebrations. A family’s “portal” often occupies a large space in the living room or a patio. On Christmas Eve, Baby Jesus is placed in the manger just before the family goes to Christmas Midnight Mass. The Three Kings join the Nativity Scene on January 6.

Students are out of school in December, starting their long “summer vacation” until February. Rainy season has ended, replaced with dry cool winds, sunny days, clear and starry nights, and cooler temperatures in the Central Valley. It’s time to celebrate!

Traveling in Costa Rica during December is a culture-rich experience full of holiday traditions and grand fiestas and festivals. Get the best travel information on where to go, hotels, tours and transportation in Costa Rica from 2Costa Rica Travel. They offer customized Costa Rica vacation packages, and can help with all of your travel plans.

Article by Shannon Farley

Christmas traditions in Costa Rica

http://enchanting-costarica.com/travel-tips/christmas-traditions-in-costa-rica/

San Jose lights up with holiday festivities 2013

Spending your Christmas holidays in Costa Rica and wondering what to do? The capital city of San José has a lot going on. So get your Santa hat and festive cheer ready, and let the rhythm of Christmas in Latin America dash you away!

Christmas in San José, Costa Rica, is a lively, fun time. The city is ablaze with huge lighted Christmas trees adorning the front of the Children’s Hospital on Paseo Colon Boulevard, in front of the Children’s Museum, by the National Gymnasium in the Sabana Park and in front of the National Museum, among many other locations.

Holiday season in San José really livens up with the 18^th annual Parade of Lights (Festival de la Luz) on Saturday, December 14. Starting at 6:00 p.m. at the Sabana Park, marching bands from all over the country, horse-mounted groups, entertainers and brilliantly-lit floats will perform their way down the Paseo Colon Boulevard to Second Avenue, ending at the Cultural Plaza.

Costa Rica’s National Theatre and the national youth ballet troupe will present the traditional Christmas ballet of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” on December 13 and 15.

The annual Fiestas of San José steal the scene starting Christmas Day through Jan. 5. This huge funfair, held in the neighborhood of Zapote, is famous for its bull riding and Costa Rican bull fights (the bull is not harmed; the humans, however, are another story). There will be carnival rides, games, food, shopping and live music concerts and other entertainment. Parking is usually a nightmare, so it’s best to go by taxi.

On the day after Christmas, or Boxing Day, thousands of horses and riders from all parts of Costa Rica will converge on San José for the famous Horse Parade, or “Tope.” From 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Dec. 26, the parade will prance down Second Avenue and Paseo Colon Boulevard to Sabana Park.

Don’t miss these holiday attractions in San José, Costa Rica. You can arrange your San José hotel, tours, transportation, etc. with Valle Dorado Tours. Using their 20+ years of local experience in Costa Rica travel, Valle Dorado Tours offers customized Costa Rica vacations.

Article by Shannon Farley

The most timeless holiday stories focus on giving love.

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 for my holiday season.

Sure, it’s fun to buy gifts for others; and it definitely is fun to receive them! Giving and receiving at any time, in all forms, is one of the most beautiful elements of life. But the stress of having to shop for and have that “thing” is not my cup of tea.

The most famous and timeless holiday stories elaborate on giving love, sharing kindness, being generous with joy, courageously helping others, and spending time with loved ones. Look at Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, or the Grinch who became the good guy, or even Rudolph who found acceptance after his heroics.

Here are two Irish Christmas blessings that sum up the holidays for me:

“May you be blessed with the spirit of the season, which is peace, the gladness of the season, which is hope, and the heart of the season, which is love.”

“This Christmas may you have … Walls for the wind, and a roof for the rain, and drinks beside the fire, laughter to cheer you, and those you love near you, and all that your heart may desire.”

My friend Susan Money, owner of Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat at Santa Teresa Beach in Costa Rica, shared with me that, for her, love, grace and gratitude are the three keys to the meaning of this time of year. “The specialness of the Christian and Jewish holiday season inspires me with a sense of love, grace and gratitude. I believe that we are all One and all connected,” she said.

Susan wrote a lovely message on the website blog of Pranamar Villas expressing gratitude to her hotel’s guests: “The holiday season allows us all time to reflect and appreciate. Pranamar has been blessed by all of you. Thank you. We hope to serve you always with love, kindness, grace and gratitude.”

A little about Pranamar Villas: Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat is a beachfront hotel at Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula. The Costa Rica beach hotel specializes in yoga classes, all-inclusive yoga vacations, surfing holidays and beach vacations.

Article by Shannon Farley

Holiday blessings and the meaning of Christmas

http://enchanting-costarica.com/costa-rica-2/holiday-blessings-and-the-meaning-of-christmas/

Costa Rica's Central Pacific Coast is a hot winter break.

Escape this winter to the land of everlasting summer on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica.

Blue skies, golden sun, tropical breezes, warm surf and soft sand await you. Sounds pretty good if you’re looking out the window at freezing rain, ice, snow and a heavy gray sky, doesn’t it?

Stretching from the port town of Puntarenas to the surf town of Dominical, Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast is a transition zone from the dry tropical forest of the North Pacific to the wet rainforest of the South Pacific. The area is known for great surf, world-class sportfishing, long sunny beaches, colorful sunsets, and a highly-developed tourism services. The Central Pacific also has the most accessible beaches to the capital city of San Jose.

Puntarenas is the gateway to the Nicoya Gulf and southern Nicoya Peninsula, with regular daily ferries crossing the calm gulf. Herradura Beach to the south is home to the well-known Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort with an 18-hole championship golf course and its world-class Los Sueños Marina, renowned for the best sportfishing boat captains.

The fun beach party town of Jacó is next down the coast. Just an hour from San Jose, Jacó is one of the country’s most developed beach towns. After Jacó comes the famous surfing beach of Playa Hermosa.

Manuel Antonio is probably one of the most talked about Central Pacific beaches. Manuel Antonio was named by Forbes Magazine the site of one of the world’s most beautiful national parks. Dense, emerald green rainforest spills down steep hillsides to white sand beaches and deep blue Pacific Ocean. Monkeys scamper through the trees, dolphins and humpback whales swim offshore, and wildlife fills the Manual Antonio National Park. In a very small area you can find many of Costa Rica’s best activities and attractions.

Flee the cold this winter to summertime on the Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Take advantage of exciting vacation deals from Costa Rica Special Deals:

• 7-day Unforgettable Costa Rica Adventure Vacation to Manuel Antonio and the Arenal Volcano.
• 4-night Manuel Antonio Luxury Condo Special
• Plus hotels and tours in Puntarenas, Herradura, Jacó, Hermosa, Esterillos, and Manuel Antonio.

The Costa Rica-based travel service, Costa Rica Special Deals, arranges great vacation deals in Costa Rica.

Article by Shannon Farley

Escape winter's chill to endless summer in Costa Rica

http://enchanting-costarica.com/destinations/escape-winters-chill-to-endless-summer-in-costa-rica/

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

Beachfront bliss at Hotel Tropico Latino's Spa Natural in Costa Rica

http://enchanting-costarica.com/activities/beachfront-bliss-at-hotel-tropico-latinos-spa-natural-in-costa-rica/

Playa Guiones by Nosara is one of the best surfing beaches in Costa Rica

Most people visiting Nosara head straight for Playa Guiones, which with its beautiful white sand and consistent surf break, is one of Costa Rica's most favored surfing beaches.

This breezy Blue-Flag beach is reputed to have the most consistent surf on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast with "surf-able waves here over 300 days a year," reports the Visit Nosara tourism website. Guiones Point at the south end of the beach juts way out into the Pacific and is a swell magnet, attracting both north and south facing swells. The sandy bottom beach break at Guiones stretches up and down the 7 km (4.5 mile) bay, with waves for every skill level – from beginner to expert, long boarder to short boarder.

Backed by lush vegetation, Playa Guiones is also a haven for sun lovers, beachcombers, joggers and anyone looking for a fun bike ride down the beach. However, it is important to note that there is a 3-meter (9-foot) tide differential, and the beach is rather narrow at high tide. 

Offshore winds blow most every morning during dry season, from December until the end of April, making for great surf conditions early – most surfers are riding the waves between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., then coming back for a sunset session if conditions allow. The wind usually switches onshore by 10:00 a.m., although there are often days during December and January when offshore breezes blow almost all day long, notes Visit Nosara.

When the big swells come in, waves at Playa Guiones can be giant and powerful, and should be taken with extreme caution; Nosara tourist information recommends only experienced surfers should paddle out in big surf. Additionally, tourist information cautions surfers during high tides, when rip currents and surf are strongest.

Just north of Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada is another pretty white-sand beach where the water is a little calmer. Waves here are better suited for beginners. There are tide pools to explore, lots of trees for shade, and it is a great spot for viewing Nosara's spectacular sunsets.

Check out the daily Nosara Surf Report, and see how the waves are in real time on the Nosara Live Cam. Surfing Nosara also provides a detailed, long- and short-range Nosara Surf Forecast.

Hotels in Nosara, Costa Rica

Located on a remote stretch of the Nicoya Peninsula in Guanacaste, just north of Samara, L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is a luxury boutique hotel by Playa Guiones. The hotel's name means "live water," which is a key element flowing around the exotic Bali-style architecture. L'acqua Viva is part of the Enchanting Hotels group of Costa Rica.

Article by Shannon Farley

Guarding the King of the Jungle on the Osa Peninsula

Like the lion or the tiger, the jaguar is the "king of the jungle" in the Americas. It is the largest feline in the Americas and the third largest in the world, notes Wikipedia. With a range extending from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina, there are only an estimated 15,000 jaguars left in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

"The jaguar is still an abundant species, but is threatened by habitat loss and persecution," notes a 2008 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). "Due to loss of habitat, poaching of prey and fragmentation of populations across portions of the range, this species is considered to be 'near threatened.' If threats continue at the current rate, the species will likely qualify for 'vulnerable' status in the near future."

This spotted cat most closely physically resembles the leopard, although it is usually larger and stockier, and its behavior is more similar to that of the tiger. Jaguars prefer dense rainforest for their habitat, but will range across a variety of forested and open terrains; they usually stay near water, and jaguars are noted for enjoying swimming like tigers.

In Costa Rica, the Osa Peninsula is an important refuge for the jaguar. The large cats roam between the vast Corcovado National Park, the biological corridor of the Golfo Dulce Forest Reserve, and the Piedras Blancas National Park. The biggest threat to the jaguar population is being killed by farmers, reported a 2011 article on jaguar conservation by the Tico Times. According to Eduardo Carrillo, biologist and director of the International Institute of Conservation and Wildlife at the National University (ICOMVIS-UNA) in Heredia, the conflict between farmers and jaguars has resulted from the loss of the wildcats' natural prey.

"Much of the reason that jaguars enter farms to attack cattle is because sport hunting has diminished their principal prey and sources of food in protected areas," Carrillo said. "People kill the principal prey of the jaguars and it leaves them without sufficient food. As a result, they leave the protected areas and kill cows and pigs, which results in the jaguars being killed by farmers. In Costa Rica, it is the principal cause of the decreasing population of jaguars."

Wildlife conservation groups on the Osa Peninsula are actively trying to educate farmers and landowners located near national forests on how to protect their animals while also safeguarding the jaguars.

In Puerto Jiménez, Yaguará (the native word for jaguar) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that protects wildlife, mainly wild cats. They work with the community and the National Parks system to study jaguars and ensure their survival and also for their prey throughout southern Costa Rica and northern Panama. Yaguará is experimenting with alternative strategies, such as a farmer compensation program when a wildcat kills an animal.

The organization has created an extensive network of infrared "camera traps," which use motion detectors to capture on film anything that passes by the camera. Yaguará's scientists use the information to study the Osa's wildcat populations, especially those of ocelots, pumas and jaguars.

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge, across the Golfo Dulce from the Osa Peninsula, also has installed camera traps to record wildlife activity in their 165-acre private rainforest preserve. The Playa Nicuesa Reserve borders the Piedras Blancas National Park, which connects to the Osa Peninsula and Corcovado National Park, so it is feasible that they could capture on camera the same jaguars that roam the Osa.

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is an environmentally sustainable lodge on the pristine Pacific coastline of the Golfo Dulce. The award-winning eco-lodge caters to travelers interested in ecotourism, nature and adventure. They offer family vacations, honeymoon trips, nature and adventure vacations, and yoga classes and retreats.

Article by Shannon Farley

Go for the Guanacaste cowboy life at Hacienda Guachipelin.

It is said in Costa Rica that the best "all-terrain vehicle" for navigating the country is a horse. Costa Ricans love horses and their riding traditions – their equestrian roots coming from the Spanish who brought horses with them to Central America in the 16^th century.

The northwestern province of Guanacaste is the heart and soul of Costa Rica's equestrian life. Here, vast rolling plains, towering volcanoes and mountains, and a sunny, dry and hot climate of the dry tropical forest create perfect ranching conditions. For generations, Guanacaste has been dedicated to working the land, and cattle and horse ranching. Even though the region's main economic activity is now tourism, the traditions of "sabanero" (cowboy) folklore, customs, music and dance are deeply rooted.

In the golden savanna at the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel is a working horse and cattle ranch, in addition to being an active eco-tourism hotel. In the 19th century, the immense Hacienda ranch once stretched from the tip of the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1975, Tomás Batalla Esquivel, a renowned cattle rancher and purebred Spanish horse breeder, has been keeping the ranching legacy alive with his family.

Today, the property measures nearly 3,400 acres and includes conservation areas for tropical dry forest and endangered native tree species. Hacienda Guachipelin offers seven different horseback riding tours riding the trusty ranch horses on scenic forest trails to the Rincon de la Vieja National Park or waterfalls or natural thermal springs. There is even a "Cowboy for a Day" tour, where you help out the real ranch cowboys in the stables and corral, milk cows, saddle and ready the horses, and ride out to herd cattle or other horses.

For an authentic experience of Guanacaste culture, and an active vacation at the Rincón de la Vieja Volcano, Hacienda Guachipelín Hotel is an ideal place to stay. The first-class ecotourism lodge offers thrilling canopy ziplines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, nature trails, mountain biking and thermal springs.

Article by Shannon Farley