Tantric Yoga Roots Ancient Rituals in Modern Life

There are so many different elements and schools of thought on Tantric Yoga that I started researching and was quickly overwhelmed. Better to start with the basics.



Yoga is a mental, spiritual and physical discipline stretching back 6,000 years to ancient India, and is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism and Buddhism. “Yoga”, in Sanskrit, can be loosely translated as “union”; the original root word yuj means “to yoke” or “attach” yourself to a task. Many people think of yoga as simply easy stretching.

However, the ancient “yogis” developed these physical stretches and breathing exercises to both strengthen and also loosen their muscles and minds in preparation for hours of meditation and spiritual contemplation. In yoga, the purpose is to find union, or balance, between mind and body.

“Tantra” is the name scholars give to the style of religious ritual and meditation that arose in medieval India in the Fifth century AD. The earliest documented use of the word Tantra is in the Hindu text, the Rigveda; and Tantra is perceived to have influenced all medieval forms of Indian religious expression to some degree, according to Wikipedia. Tantric practitioners seek to use “prana”, the Hindu name for the energy that flows through the universe (including one's own body), to attain goals that may be spiritual, material or both, Wikipedia cites.



The intention of Tantric Yoga is to expand awareness in all states of consciousness, being awake, or in a dream or sleep state, according to both Yoga World and the Sanatan Society. The point is to identify what factors influence our thoughts and feelings, to transcend obstacles, and to create peace, harmony and balance in how we regard ourselves, others and our surroundings, states the Sanatan Society.

By means of physical yoga postures, breathing exercises, contemplation, visualization and repetition of a “mantra”, Tantric Yoga helps unfold a person’s divine nature, state multiple sources on the subject.

“The Tantric viewpoint is that at our core, all of us are divine and good,” explains Nancy Goodfellow, yoga instructor at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga Retreat in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica. “Holding this viewpoint, you can see the goodness in the world instead of focusing on negativity. That’s how expansion relates to Tantric Yoga, the exploration of our divine nature.”

Goodfellow integrates the spiritual practice of Tantric Yoga into her daily yoga classes at the Santa Teresa beach-side luxury boutique resort, owned by her family. She implements a broad-based Tantra methodology, which she explains is the foundation for today’s general yoga practice recognized in the Western world. “Tantra is the underlying roots to Hatha Yoga which everyone in the modern world is practicing,” said Goodfellow.



The popular Santa Teresa yoga instructor has been practicing yoga for nearly 20 years and teaching for 14 years. She has intensively studied various types of yoga, and teaches daily yoga classes, workshops and retreats at Pranamar Villas. Her classes, called "Shakti Flow", focus on an active and fluid style of yoga which emphasize energy and breath and linking conscious breathing with each movement.

Goodfellow says she sees yoga as being very practical. “Harnessing energy, having a vital healthy body, having a healthy mind – yoga helps us cope better when we have challenges in life,” she said. “Most of us doing yoga have families, have jobs, have busy lives, and Tantric Yoga helps us hone our skills to better serve ourselves and others.”


In today’s busy world, being centered and balanced is a much sought-after element by all ages and walks of life. “Tantric Yoga is very relevant today because it is about building community, being firmly rooted and understanding yourself better,” asserts Goodfellow. She emphasized the Tantric Yoga practice of chanting mantras as being very applicable in daily life. “With so much emphasis on multi-tasking, it’s not as common in our society to concentrate and focus,” she adds. “Mantras help build the skill to focus.”

 

Yoga Journey to India


Interested in learning more about yoga and experiencing its source? Goodfellow and renowned yoga instructor Michele Baker are leading a 13-day trip “Yoga Sacred Journey” to India from June 1-13, 2013. The group will visit ancient yoga sites, meet teachers, practice yoga and stay in ashrams in the “Yoga Motherland”, traveling to Delhi, Rishikesh, Varanasi and Ladakh.

Pranamar Oceanfront Villas, Santa Teresa


 

Pranamar Oceanfront Villas and Yoga Retreat luxury boutique resort is set right on the shoreline at Santa Teresa Beach. The gorgeous, intimate hotel features two-story poolside villas, elaborate beachfront bungalows, extravagant tropical gardens, healthy-cuisine Buddha Eyes Restaurant, and the most lovely free-form saltwater pool.

Winner of the 2012 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice award and Certificate of Excellence award, Pranamar Villas offers you daily in-house yoga classes, regular yoga retreats and workshops, all-inclusive yoga vacations, and surfing and yoga holidays. See their weekly yoga class schedule on Facebook.

By Shannon Farley

7-night “Birds and Monkeys”

Just outside San Jose, Costa Rica is one of my favorite cloud forests. Drive an hour-and-a-half out of the Capital-metropolitan area and you’re in another world – a world of rolling green hills, black and white and brown dairy cows, rich rust red earth, plants with giant leaves, dripping ferns and shifting mist. It reminds me of England, with a decidedly tropical twist.

These are Costa Rica’s Central Highlands and the 2,000-acre Los Angeles Private Cloud Forest Biological Reserve, one of the country’s most accessible cloud forest reserves just above the city of San Ramon. Known for generations as the “City of the Poets,” San Ramon features a temperate spring-like climate and rich soil that has yielded generations of family-run coffee, sugar cane and dairy farms. The beautiful mountain community and its surrounding farm villages have mostly preserved their rural way of life, and it gives visitors a glimpse into “yesteryear” Costa Rica.
Tucked into this verdant greenness, halfway along the drive from San Jose to the Arenal Volcano, is Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel and Spa. The 75-acre boutique hotel is surrounded by the Los Angeles Private Biological Reserve, and you can see Arenal Volcano on clear days from the hotel’s terraces.

At an elevation of about 3,600 feet (1,100 m), Villa Blanca and the private cloud forest reserve are home to widely diverse plants and trees, birds and other wildlife. Walk the trails and you may run across darting jeweled hummingbirds, bright turquoise-tailed Motmots, emerald and crimson Trogons, or even the fabulous jade, turquoise and ruby Resplendent Quetzals. The haunting call of black howler monkeys echoes through the forest and mist. Cute raccoon-like coatis, ringed tails held high, come right up on the hotel’s lawns.

Villa Blanca was named in the top 10 of Best Hotels in Central America by the 2013 Trip Advisor Traveler’s Choice Awards.  The hotel features private accommodations in 35 casitas, each with picturesque views of the tropical cloud forest.  On the main hilltop is the Hacienda House, with the Reception, fireplace lounge area and restaurants.
 The stunningly gorgeous Mariana Wedding Chapel sits pristine white among colorful gardens. The chapel was the 50th anniversary-wedding gift from former Costa Rica President Rodrigo Carazo to his wife, First Lady Estrella Zeledon de Carazo; the two were the original owners of Villa Blanca. Built in 1997 in traditional Spanish colonial style, the chapel’s unique ceiling is artistically decorated with 840 hand-painted ceramic tiles depicting the history of Spanish colonial settlers.

 You can visit Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel on Costa Rica Special Deals’ exciting combination vacation deal in Costa Rica to visit the cloud forest and the coast. Costa Rica Special Deals offers a 7-night “Birds and Monkeys” package to two locations in Costa Rica’s cloud forest, staying 2 nights at Villa Blanca Hotel in San Ramon, and 2 nights at Savegre Mountain Hotel in San Gerardo de Dota in the Talamanca Mountains southeast of San Jose. Then, experience the unparalleled beauty of the famous Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches on the Central Pacific Coast, with 2 nights at Hotel San Bada. Manuel Antonio is home to 3 species of monkeys and a host of other wildlife. One night’s stay in San Jose at the beginning of your trip, and a week’s car rental is included in your Costa Rica hot deal.

Costa Rica Special Deals arranges great vacation deals in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica-based travel service professionally assist you to choose hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals and other services for your vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica Special Deals always offers the most competitive Costa Rica hot deals.

In Search of Warm: Costa Rica's Sun Gives Winter Relief

Headlines this week reported most of North America, Europe and even China locked in winter’s icy grip.

• A mix of sleet and snow, accompanied by lightning, made travel a mess in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metro area.
• A swath of snowfall from portions of Mississippi and northern Alabama/Georgia spreads through the Central Appalachians.
• Trees snap in Maryland due to ice accumulation.
• 3-6 inches of snow expected from Boston to Maine.
• Cold for most of Europe, snow in parts of Spain.
• Britain will have another very cold day with morning freezing fog patches and widespread frost and snow.
• China is experiencing unusual chills this winter with its national average temperature hitting the lowest in 28 years.
• Weather websites reported 3 C (37 F) in Toronto, 0 C (32 F) and 3 C (37 F) in Vancouver, Canada.

On the other hand, today’s weather on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast was 90 F (32 C) and sunny, and 80 F (27 C) at San Jose’s International Airport.



Sun, glorious sun – this time of year Costa Rica’s climate shines in its entire golden tropical summer splendor. Dry season is definitely in effect and not a drop of rain has been seen along the Pacific Coast or in the Central Valley in more than a month. In the mountains above 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), you get cooler temperatures than on the coast, but Costa Rica is unequivocally a tropical country. Situated between 8° and 11° northern latitude, Costa Rica is just above the equator.



Costa Rica occupies a privileged spot in the heart of Central America along the Pacific Ring of Fire – sound warm enough? Dense rainforests, volcanoes, beaches, exotic wildlife, rich tropical flora, and friendly people populate this wondrous country. It’s the third most popular destination for surfing after Hawaii and Indonesia. With 762 miles of coastlines spread along the Pacific and the Caribbean oceans, you get thousands of opportunities for warm water, balmy weather and excellent year-round waves.
Don't just dream of sunshine. If you need a winter pick-me-up, seek Costa Rica’s “winter” sun to relax and chase winter blues away.
 

Del Mar Surf Camp will give you a holiday you won’t soon forget. The top Costa Rica surf school specializes in Costa Rica surf vacation packages, yoga-surf retreats and day surf lessons for adults, women-only and families. Its sister company, Del Mar Surfing Academy, offers 7-night and 14-night surf and cultural/language immersion camps for teens.

With Del Mar Surf Camp, you will surf every day in warm water with locals who have surfed the waves their whole lives, plus learn to speak Spanish and enjoy area tours. Del Mar Surf Camp provides various packages for beginners/intermediate surfers, advanced surfers, women only, families, groups and more. Though there is a schedule, camp dates also are run on an “anytime you want” basis (discounts given for Saturday arrival).



One of the best points is Del Mar Surf Camp has three locations, increasing your vacation choices, on Hermosa Beach on the Central Pacific Coast, Nosara Beach on the Guanacaste Pacific Coast and Santa Teresa Beach on the Pacific’s southern Nicoya Peninsula.

Del Mar Surf Camp offers Summer Specials packages, with great discounts, to celebrate their 10^th anniversary in 2013. Domestic flights and transfers to all of Del Mar’s locations are included in all surf vacation packages.

Getting to Costa Rica couldn’t be easier right now with daily flights from North America cities of Houston, Dallas, New York/Newark, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, Denver, Toronto on United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Spirit Airlines, JetBlue, Frontier Airlines, US Airways, TACA, Lacsa, and Copa Air. From Europe, Iberia, KLM, Air France, and British Airways fly to Costa Rica.
By Shannon Farley

Top Beach Safety Tips

There’s nothing better than a day at the beach. The sun, the surf … what could be more fun? Especially in Costa Rica, where the sun, sand and sea are warm all the time!



Long beaches of gold, rich black, pearly white, beige and even pink sand, fringed with palm trees and other greenery – Costa Rica’s beaches are paradise! It seems like every surfer who visits Costa Rica agrees it is one of the best places to surf. Not by chance is the country the third most popular destination for surfing after Hawaii and Indonesia. The reasons are simple: beaches with excellent year-round waves, balmy weather, warm water, friendly people and reasonable prices. The country also is one of the few in the world where two oceans are within an 8-hour drive of each other.

However, every environment has its cautions. The sun is strong and the ocean is powerful and unpredictable, but being smart and following preventative measures, you can have a fun and safe time on Costa Rica’s beaches.
Following are our Top Beach Safety Tips. Make sure to see the Rip Currents section at the end – it just may save your life.

Top Costa Rica Beach Safety Tips:
 

1. Go for the Sunscreen: The heat makes for a fun time at the beach, but Costa Rica is located just above the equator and our tropical sun is unexpectedly strong. Choose sunscreens with sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 or higher, are sweat and waterproof, and have titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These ingredients block both ultraviolet-B (UVB) and ultraviolet-A (UVA) harmful rays, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Be sure to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you head into the sun, and reapply every two hours, especially if you are sweating or swimming. Don’t forget special sunblock for your lips.

2. Cover Up: Soaking up the sun can be lovely, but you also have to know when to call it quits. Be sure to bring wide-brim hats, sunglasses and long-sleeved beach cover-ups with you. Wear foot protection so you don’t burn or cut your feet. Seek shade between the peak sun hours of 10 am and 2 pm.
 
3. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate: Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, and every system depends on water. Just one cute little water bottle isn't going to be enough to keep you hydrated all day long. In Costa Rica’s tropical hot climate, you should be drinking 1 liter of water every hour. Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol. Fruits are an excellent source for water, such as watermelon which is 90% water. Oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, and melons are also strong contenders.

4. Stay Safe in the Water: Learn to swim and teach your children to swim. The ocean is powerful, and is not the same as swimming in a pool or a lake. Do not enter the ocean unless you know how to swim; be very cautious of dangerous surf and currents.

5. Never Swim Alone: Safety in numbers. Always swim with a buddy, and tell others where you are going.

6. Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean: Even the smallest wave can knock you over and cause injury, especially if you are caught by surprise. Always face forward and never turn your back on the ocean.

7. Shuffle Your Feet: Many beaches in Costa Rica have sting rays that like to settle in the warm sand in shallow water. Shuffle your feet when walking out into the ocean to scare any sting rays away and avoid stepping on them. If you do get “stung,” don’t panic and seek medical attention.

8. Learn about Rip Currents: See our important section below on how to get out of them and avoid them.

 

9. Surf Safely: Surf or Boogie board in waves that match your level. Do not go out into surf that is “above or beyond” your capability. Seek professional surf instruction if you want to learn how to surf; Costa Rica has many surf schools to teach you proper, safe surf skills.
10. Learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Emergencies can happen anywhere. Learning first aid and CPR skills could save someone’s life.

 

Del Mar Surfing Academy is one of the top surf schools in Costa Rica for teens (ages 13-19). Its sister company Del Mar Surf Camp runs surf vacations, yoga-surf retreats, and day surf lessons for adults. Del Mar Surfing Academy’s instructors lead safe surf and cultural/language immersion camps for teens in Costa Rica. They guarantee the highest quality surf lessons with a 2:1 student to teacher ratio for undivided attention and maximum safety. Native Costa Rican instructors all hold International Surfing Association training as surf instructors, plus water rescue and first aid/CPR certification. The company is registered and certified with the Costa Rican Tourism Board CANATUR and is insured with the national insurance company, INS. Local medical care and emergency transport is available in every location where Del Mar Surfing Academy operates. Del Mar Surfing Academy offers 7-night and 14-night surf camps for beginners up to advanced surfers on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast and at award-winning Playa Santa Teresa on the Nicoya Peninsula.

 
RIP CURRENTS – What you Need to Know

Costa Rica is famous for its long sandy beaches. At first glance they are enticing and peaceful, but sometimes looks can be deceiving. The following information is to make you aware, not afraid, of beaches in Costa Rica. Beaches are living dynamic places; never do they stay the same.

Information is courtesy of Say Leon Gamboa, Director of Emergency Care Costa Rica, a first aid and CPR-AED course education center, internationally certified by the U.S. National Safety Council.
Why Rip Currents Form: As waves travel from deep to shallow water, they will break near the shoreline. When waves break strongly in some locations and weakly in others, this can cause circulation disturbances which are seen as rip currents: narrow, fast-moving belts of water traveling offshore. Rip currents can occur at any surf beach with breaking waves.

Why Rip Currents are Dangerous: Rip currents are the leading water hazard for all beachgoers. They are particularly dangerous for weak or non-swimmers. Rip current speeds are typically 1-2 kph (0.6-1.2 mph). However, speeds as high as 8 kph (5 mph) have been measured. Thus, rip currents can sweep even the strongest swimmer out to sea. The strength and speed of a rip current will likely increase as wave height and wave period increase. They are most likely to be dangerous during high surf conditions, as the wave height and wave period increase.

 

Where Rip Currents Form: Rip currents most typically form at low spots or breaks in sandbars, where rivers or estuaries enter the sea, and also near structures such as jetties and piers. Rip currents can be very narrow or extend in widths to hundreds of yards (meters). The seaward pull of rip currents varies – sometimes the rip current ends just beyond the line of breaking waves, but sometimes rip currents continue to push hundreds of yards (meters) offshore.
How to Identify Rip Currents: Rip currents are often not easily identifiable to the average beachgoer. Polarized sunglasses make it easier to see rip current clues. Look for any of these clues:

• A channel of churning, choppy water moving out to sea.
• An area having a notable difference in water color, usually due to swirling sediment from the beach.
• A line of foam, seaweed, or debris moving steadily seaward.
• A disturbance in the wave line coming in to shore.

Rip Current Avoidance: Ask locals at the beach you are visiting if there are dangerous or strong currents; many times locals remember the last time the ocean took someone. Look for choppy water, usually brown; as the tide moves up and down it will create a drag, turning the water brown. Enter the water slowly, feeling for any pull of currents out to sea. When in doubt, only go in the water up to your knees and be careful of incoming waves that could knock you down. Remember that when the tide is low, it is pulling the strongest out to sea. Never go in the ocean alone.
What to do if you get caught in a Rip Current:

•  
•  
• Stay calm. Don’t panic. Don’t fight with Nature, you will lose. Conserve your energy.
• Do not try to swim to shore in a straight line. Rip currents work in a circular motion so the current will eventually pull you back out.
• You can swim parallel to the beach to get out of the current. Or, float and let it take you out. The force of the current lessens as it goes out to sea. When the current diminishes, swim parallel to the beach or at a 45-degree angle, until you feel free of the current and can swim back to shore – even if it is a different place than where you originally were. Better to walk back on sand than fight currents.
• If you cannot get back to shore, just float and tread water, and wave your arms to attract someone’s attention on shore for help. Do not panic or waste your energy.
• If you are going to help anyone in the ocean, bring something that floats. Do not go alone. A surf board is a great rescue tool, and rip currents are your friends on a board since the force takes you past the breaking waves faster than trying to paddle out yourself.

Find more information on rip currents at the Costa Rica National Tourism Board.

By Shannon Farley

Beach Party Town Jaco Lights Up Costa Rica Vacations

The fun-loving beach town of Jacó lights up as “beach party central” on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast. Just an hour from the San Jose metropolitan area on the Route 27 and Costanera Sur highways, Jacó is one of the country’s most developed beach towns.

 

Jacó spreads out in front of a low green mountain range along an azure horseshoe bay and features hotels, funky restaurants, souvenir and surf shops, bars, discos, casinos, and a wide beach. Just before Jacó is Playa Herradura, home to the renowned Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort with its world-class Los Sueños Marina and 18-hole championship golf course. Just after Jacó is Playa Hermosa, famous with surfers all over the world for its big breaks and site of frequent national and international surf competitions.



The fun-loving, happy-go-lucky beach town of Jacó stretches along both sides of a main street that parallels the beach. For a social scene, Jacó is hard to beat. Dining options are vast and varied with everything from Costa Rican rice and beans to sushi to Argentinean steaks. Restaurant recommendations include gourmet dining at Lemon Zest, Jacó Taco for Tex-Mex, Tsunami Sushi, the Wok for Asian cuisine, Hotel Poseidon’s restaurant for fresh fish, El Pelicano in Playa Herradura for fresh fish, and the Hook-Up Bar in the Los Sueños Marina Village for socializing and great bar food. See more restaurant reviews at the Jaco Beach Insider.



For fun nightlife entertainment, check out the Jazz Casino at Hotel Amapola and also Morgan’s Cove Resort & Casino, down at the southern end of Jacó. My friend Eliot who writes for Frommer’s Travel Guides likes the beachfront bar Ganesha Lounge, which he says has a laid-back Ibiza-like club vibe, while bar Le Loft, on the main street and near the center of town, seeks to attract a more sophisticated and chic clubbing crowd. Just wander down Jaco’s main street on any given night and you’ll be sure to find a fun party, live music – both low-key and lively, and plenty of entertaining “people watching” opportunities.

Jacó is filled with fun daytime activities too! Check out the Vista Los Sueños Canopy Tour, the Pacific Aerial Tram and Canopy, paragliding, bungee jumping, horseback riding on the beach, golf at the Los Sueños Marriott Resort, and of course surf lessons with Del Mar Surf Camp.

Take advantage of Costa Rica Special Deals’ exciting vacation deal in Costa Rica to visit Jacó Beach. Costa Rica Special Deals offers a 7-night Beach Combination package to Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, staying 3 nights at the Canciones del Mar Boutique Hotel in Jacó and 4 nights at the San Bada Beach Resort in Manuel Antonio, right next to the entrance of the famous Manuel Antonio National Park. A week’s car rental is included in your Costa Rica hot deal.

Costa Rica Special Deals arranges great vacation deals in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica-based travel service professionally assist you to choose hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals and other services for your vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica Special Deals always offers the most competitive Costa Rica hot deals.
By Shannon Farley

Santa Teresa Rises to Trendy Costa Rica Beach Destination

Once, Santa Teresa was a small fishing village, home to a handful of families who lived off the sea, along with small-scale agriculture and cattle ranching. Like many of Costa Rica’s top beach destinations along the Nicoya Peninsula, Santa Teresa’s isolation from poor or non-existing roads kept this tropical paradise off the beaten track for decades. From the hilly interior, the jungle sweeps down the mountains to the Pacific Ocean, hugging the shore and creating some of the most beautiful and hidden beaches of Costa Rica. Located about 150 kilometers (93 miles) west of the capital city of San José, across the sparkling blue Nicoya Gulf, the southern Nicoya Peninsula originally belonged to Nicaragua during the colonial period. It only became part of Costa Rica in 1825, when Central America gained independence from Spain. The coastal area of Santa Teresa, Mal Pais and Montezuma was discovered by camping backpackers and surfers in the early 1990s and has become one of Costa Rica’s most secluded gems. Stretching over 5 kilometers (3 miles) along a winding gravel road between green forested hills and palm and almond tree-shaded beaches, Santa Teresa today is a thriving tourism destination. The top internet travel site Trip Advisor has named Santa Teresa “Best Beach in Central America” two years running in their annual Traveler’s Choice Awards. Forbes Magazine also tagged Playa Santa Teresa as one of the world’s top beaches.

 

Santa Teresa is known for its gold and light sand beaches, excellent and consistent surf conditions, warm crystal-clear aquamarine water, interesting volcanic reef formations, relaxing atmosphere, and spectacular sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. Being a transitional zone between the northern Guanacaste region’s dry forest climate and the southern tropical rainforest, the southern Nicoya Peninsula receives more annual rain, making it greener and lush. Picture it … soft, cushy light sand, rhythmic deep blue waves rolling onto shore, soft breezes wafting playfully over you as you lounge in the shade of palm trees. Surfers bounce, flip and skim through the cobalt water and white froth. The warm yellow sun throws a zillion sparkles across the water.

  

Many travelers from around the world have fallen in love with that image. They only planned a short Costa Rica surf vacation, then fell in love and decided to stay. Cosmopolitan settlers have added their spice and style to the local flavor – a combination of cultures from places like Israel, Argentina, Italy, Spain, France, United States, Germany, and others, mixed into Costa Rica life. The Costa Ricans and immigrants who have settled in Playa Santa Teresa have grown the quiet backwater over the past 10 years into a lively little town. An eclectic melting pot of surfers, artists, hippies, spiritual seekers and celebrities, the community has built an array of exceptional international restaurants, hotels and shops. Though Santa Teresa is now a trendy new travel destination in Costa Rica, it is still a remote place with basic infrastructure. Roads and transportation are improving slowly. Thankfully, hotels and businesses have still remained small and mostly privately owned, tucked here and there throughout the trees and beach with no high-rise buildings yet, helping to preserve both the views and the relaxed and unhurried atmosphere of the town.


Tourism centers on surfing, swimming, hiking, beach strolling, and sunset hour. Surfers from all over the world are attracted to Playa Santa Teresa’s exquisite beaches and its fantastic surf … big, small, beach breaks, reef breaks, point breaks, and so on. Playa Santa Teresa and neighboring Playa del Carmen hold the “Blue Flag” since 2001, a national ecological program award for clean beaches, untainted water, and regular community beach cleanup events.


However, you don't have to be a surfer to enjoy Santa Teresa. You can explore miles of picture-perfect coastline walking to the north or south of Santa Teresa, plus tide pool exploring and snorkeling in the volcanic reef formations. And there are numerous other outdoor activities like horseback riding, canopy zip lines, fishing tours, diving and snorkeling, stand-up paddle surfing, yoga classes and retreats, and hiking in the nearby Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve. For the quintessential tropical beach wedding and honeymoon in Costa Rica, Santa Teresa is the ideal place to find both romance and privacy.

 

Come stay a spell in Santa Teresa and see if it calls to you to be your new home. Hotel Tropico Latino is a relaxed and charming oasis fronting Santa Teresa Beach, amid four acres of serene, abundant gardens – a heavenly Costa Rica vacation destination. Hotel Tropico Latino features a full-service beachfront Spa, a beachfront yoga platform with daily classes and activities, surfing and surf instruction in front of the hotel, and regular yoga and surf retreats. Their exquisitely-designed tropical bungalows and suites deliver relaxed, well-appointed luxury. The open-air beachfront Shambala Restaurant, run by award-winning Chef Randy Siles, is nationally-recognized for its delicious and creative international cuisine. Relax by their beachside pool or lounge in a hammock under a grove of coconut and almond trees as you watch a breathtaking sunset. Or enjoy a professional massage while you listen to the rhythm of the waves at the ocean's edge. Hotel Tropico Latino is a Trip Advisor “Certificate of Excellence” winner.

  

To get to Playa Santa Teresa, drive to the port of Puntarenas on the Central Pacific Coast and take the ferry (1-1/2 hours) to Paquera; drive another 75-90 minutes, going past Tambor and Cobano to the crossroads for Mal Pais and Santa Teresa; turn right toward Santa Teresa. Direct bus connections travel regularly between San José and Santa Teresa using the ferry. Many visitors take a domestic flight to Tambor on either Nature Air or Sansa Airlines; Santa Teresa is approximately a 50-minute drive from the Tambor airport. You can also take a taxi boat from the Central Pacific beach town of Jaco that departs daily at 10:45 am and arrives in one hour to Montezuma at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula; from there it is an hour drive to Santa Teresa. By Shannon Farley

Santa Teresa Rises to Trendy Costa Rica Beach Destination

http://www.onlywire.com/r/116191806

Best vacation packages to Costa Rica, Panama & Nicaragua

Traveling to the Central American isthmus of Nicaragua-Costa Rica-Panama presents travelers with a unique panorama of diversity. This narrow bridge between North and South America may be small in size but is packed with an exotic mix of steamy jungles, rugged volcanoes and mountain ranges, fabulous tropical coastlines, charming colonial towns and growing tourism destinations.



The region’s close proximity makes country-hopping on vacation easy. You could readily wake up in Costa Rica, enjoy an adventure of surfing or zip lining or horseback riding or hiking (or several of them!), then walk the shores of Lake Nicaragua in the afternoon and be sipping wine in the quaint courtyard of your hotel in colonial Granada by night. Or snorkel through clouds of vivid “Technicolor” fish in warm Caribbean seas off Panama’s Bocas del Toro islands in the morning, and be dancing in a disco at night in Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose. You could jumpstart the next day with an early morning coffee plantation and volcano tour in Costa Rica’s Central Valley before jetting off to Panama City for shopping in the country’s famous Albrook Mall, with a promise of a Panama Canal tour the following day. It’s all possible in Central America. This biodiversity-brimming triumvirate at the bottom of Central America offers an interesting blend of cultures and vacation opportunities, from historical tours to adrenaline-thumping adventure to sitting on a picture-postcard tropical beach under swaying palms.

Costa Rica is undoubtedly the most popular of the three. A million or so tourists come every year to Costa Rica. It has some of the best beaches, extraordinary wildlife, and stunning landscapes of rainforest, cloud forest, volcanoes and more. Panama and its capital Panama City also are becoming quite popular. Panama City has a vibrant urban vibe with a colonial twist, is safe with a friendly population, close to beautiful beaches and islands, and of course features the engineering marvel of the Panama Canal. Panama’s Caribbean archipelago of Bocas del Toro is celebrated for its stellar diving and chilled-out surf scene. The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua also claims the largest lake – Lake Nicaragua – and oldest colonial city – Granada – in the entire region. After nearly two decades of peace, Nicaragua tourism is growing. Its Pacific beaches are unspoiled and a haven for surfers, while local markets offer good quality arts and crafts. Nicaragua’s 17 volcanoes, picturesque lakes, little explored mountains, and rainforests full of wildlife are testament to the country's biodiversity. Costa Rica vacation expert Team CRT offers four phenomenal vacation packages to Nicaragua and Panama while visiting Costa Rica.




Choose the Nicaragua 5 days and 4 nights vacation package and get to know Nicaragua through its culture, people, gastronomy, art, architecture and nature. Departing from and returning to Liberia, Costa Rica, the program takes you to the beautiful colonial city of Granada along the shores of Lake Nicaragua; to the thriving indigenous Artisan Market in Masaya – the “City of Flowers”; on a voyage into Lake Nicaragua to the twin volcano Island of Ometepe with its rich archaeology and numerous nature reserves and forests; and to the charming beach town of San Juan del Sur renowned by surfers. Team CRT travel agency’s 4 days-3 nights Tour in Nicaragua Visiting Granada and Masaya follows the same itinerary, excluding Ometepe Island. Vacation on Panama’s Caribbean Coast on Team CRT’s 4 days-3 nights Bocas del Toro vacation package. Traveling from Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean region, you’ll enjoy a sunny vacation of sparkling turquoise sea, warm water snorkeling, dolphins, the stunning white sand Red Frog Beach, and the exotic wildlife of Punta Hospital’s wetlands and coral reefs.
 

Modern and old combine the best of Panama on Team CRT’s Panama City vacation package for 3 days and 2 nights. Panama offers plenty of cultural diversity with seven native Indian populations, a pleasant mix of Latin mentality and American efficiency, old-world European influences, and the Panamanians command of English which makes traveling easy and fun. Team CRT flies you from the San Jose International Airport in Costa Rica to Panama City for your whirlwind trip to the Panama Canal, old quarter of Panama City (Casco Antiguo), and the biggest mall in Latin America – Albrook Mall – with its exotic decorations and Italian carousel. You’ll enjoy delicious Panamanian cuisine and a lively and fun folkloric show. For all of your Costa Rica travel and Costa Rica vacation plans, Team CRT is your Costa Rica vacation expert. Team CRT gives you expert guidance and personalized service while they help craft your tailor-made Costa Rica vacation, and vacation packages to neighboring Panama and Nicaragua.   By Shannon Farley

Steamy Hot Springs Put a Spark in Your Costa Rica Vacation

http://www.onlywire.com/r/115645430