Costa Rica cultural festival held at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge

Guests lucky enough be staying at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge at the end of July were treated to a fun event celebrating the art and culture of Costa Rica.



In honor of the national holiday, Annexation of Guanacaste Day on July 25, Nicuesa Lodge invited local artisans and a folkloric dance group to entertain hotel guests. The Costa Rica eco-lodge holds cultural and art festivals at least twice a year to celebrate different events.

On this occasion, craft artisans and the Folkloric Dance Group Yuré from the town of Puerto Jimenez came across the Golfo Dulce by boat to the lodge. Joining them was Ana Iris, a woman from the regional indigenous Boruca community, who brought traditional masks to show and sell. Made from lightweight balsa wood, the colorful, hand-carved masks beautifully depict Boruca legends and rainforest wildlife of the Osa Peninsula.



Young dancers performed various Costa Rican folkloric dances, relating stories of coffee growers, fishermen, love, etc. “The dancers then invited our guests to dance the ‘Pavo’, or turkey dance. Everyone was very enthusiastic,” said Natalia Solis, Sustainability Coordinator at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge.



Lunch served by Nicuesa Lodge’s gourmet cooks was a typical Costa Rican meal of arroz con pollo (rice with chicken), salad and black beans. To drink, guests tried a traditional Caribbean beverage called Agua de Sapo, or “water of the frog.” Having nothing to do with its name, the beverage basically is a sweet ginger lemonade, made with water, lemon, ginger and raw cane sugar, called tapa dulce. For dessert, guests enjoyed Costa Rica’s famous “coconut caramel”, made fresh at the lodge with coconut grown on the property.

Meals are served in Nicuesa Lodge’s magnificent two-story tree house-style main building. The open-air dining area gives unobstructed views of the tree canopy (great for wildlife spotting), the forest, beach and ocean.



Visit Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica

Located in the pristine rainforest on a remote beach of the warm water gulf of Golfo Dulce, the award-winning sustainable tourism hotel in Costa Rica offers an extraordinary experience of the Costa Rica rainforest. Ideal for adventure sports, nature exploration and relaxing completely “unplugged,” Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is an oasis of comfortable, rustic luxury in the jungle.



Whale watching in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Don’t miss the 2015 season for whale watching in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica. Starting in August, the tranquil blue waters of this Pacific gulf, between the Piedras Blancas National Park and the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica, welcome migrating southern Pacific humpback whales who come to breed and give birth. Enjoy daily whale watching tours at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge.

Article by Shannon Farley

 

Costa Rica Caribbean vacation packages for Caribbean summer

The start of Caribbean Summer in Costa Rica is the time for Costa Rica Vacation Packages .

The climate on the Caribbean Coast varies from the rest of Costa Rica. Most of the year, the Caribbean Coast maintains its forever green landscape from regular tropical rain showers. Then, when the rest of Costa Rica enters peak rainy season in September and October, the sun comes out over the Caribbean.

Costa Rica's southern Caribbean Coast has everything you're looking for in a beach vacation – adventure, romance, decadent beaches, wildlife, new flavors and music, cultural exchange … and at Hotel Le Caméléon by Puerto Viejo, you have the utmost in luxury.



Now through the end of October is the time to visit Hotel Le Caméléon for special vacation offers in Caribbean summer. Through Aug. 31, 2015, Hotel Le Caméléon is offering a 30% discount off rates for Superior and Deluxe rooms (for rates over $168.00).

In September, in honor of Costa Rica’s Independence Day on Sept. 15, Hotel Le Caméléon is celebrating “Our Homeland Month”. In October, Costa Rica celebrates the month of cultures, and Limon, the “capital city” of Costa Rica’s Caribbean region, holds its annual carnival celebration. During both September and October 2015, at Hotel Le Caméléon you can receive a 20% discount off rates for Superior and Deluxe rooms.

There is a Romance Package that includes one night in a Superior Room for two persons, breakfast, and one Caribbean lunch or dinner per person, for $198.00 plus tax. There also is a Family Package that includes one night in a Deluxe Room, breakfast, and one Caribbean lunch or dinner per person. For two adults, the price is $218.00 plus tax. For families with two adults and up to two children (under age 12), the price is $253.00 plus tax. Children receive a surprise gift.

Costa Rica Caribbean Summer is a perfect time to visit the beautiful beaches of Cahuita, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo. The Southern Caribbean Coast offers some of the best surfing in Costa Rica, but this time of year when seas are calm, it is ideal for snorkeling or scuba diving in the crystalline waters of the Cahuita National Park, home of the largest coral reef on Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. Now also is a good time for a boat tour to see wild dolphins or to go sea kayaking.

Hotel Le Caméléon is located on Playa Cocles just past Puerto Viejo on one of the prettiest Costa Rica Caribbean beaches. The upscale Costa Rica boutique hotel features modern rooms, beautiful tropical architecture, a gourmet restaurant, spa services, and the fantastic Costa Rica Caribbean beach club La Sula Sea Lounge. An Enchanting Hotel of Costa Rica, Le Caméléon has been awarded the prestigious TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2015.

How to get to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica Daily 30-minute flights to Limon from San Jose on Nature Air or Sansa Airlines make it easy to get to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. From Limon, it is a short drive less than an hour to Puerto Viejo and Playa Cocles. The drive from San Jose to Puerto Viejo is approximately 4.5 hours.

Article by Shannon Farley

Costa Rica vacation condo rentals in Playa del Coco

Pay per night for a hotel room, with maybe breakfast included? Or, enjoy a private spacious condo or beach house that lets you have your own, comfortable “home away from home” while on vacation?

Over the past 10 years, vacation rentals in Costa Rica have become very popular, and it’s no wonder. Vacation rentals can be a really economic travel option for families, groups of friends, and couples. Staying in privately-owned apartments or homes that are rented by the day, week or month gives vacationers more space and amenities at a lower price than a hotel room.



In Playa del Coco (“Coco Beach”) in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, the Pacifico Condos are your best Costa Rica vacation condo rentals. Managed by All Costa Rica Rentals, there are 13 Pacifico Condos available, including one-bedroom condos, two-bedroom condos and three-bedroom condos.

These Costa Rica vacation condo rentals in Playa del Coco are part of a gated community with 24-hour security. The condo complex offers two swimming pools, a Jacuzzi, large green areas, bike paths, a picnic area, a waterfall, plenty of parking, and a shopping center with restaurants, a grocery store and a bank. The private Pacifico Beach Club is only a few minutes away, and has a restaurant and two more swimming pools to enjoy. Shuttle service from the condos to the Beach Club is available, as well as concierge service and tours.



Ground floor or second-story condos give you privacy, freedom and comfort. Pacifico Condo vacation rentals are fully furnished and equipped with towels, linens, all kitchen appliances, dishwasher, washer/dryer, personal hot water tank, wireless internet, cable TV, air-conditioning, and housekeeping service. It’s like having your own luxury beach home in Costa Rica for an affordable price while on vacation. Second-story condos have balconies; ground floor condos have private patios.

The one-bedroom condo has a king-size bed in the bedroom, and a sofa bed in the living room. Two-bedroom condos generally have a king-size bed in a master suite, two twin beds in the second bedroom, a sofa bed in the living room, and two bathrooms. Three-bedroom condos provide a master bedroom with a king-size bed, flat screen TV, walk-in closet and full size bathroom; second and third bedrooms have a queen-size bed and two twin beds, each room with its own flat screen TV and sharing a full bathroom. An elegantly maintained living room has a sofa bed, and flat screen TV.



Playa del Coco in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is a favorite tourist destination. There is always a lot going on in this beautiful horseshoe-shaped bay. Things to do in Playa del Coco: scuba diving, snorkeling, sportfishing, boating, surfing, horseback riding, hiking, zip line tours, and seeing nesting sea turtles in the nearby Las Baulas National Marine Park.

Contact All Costa Rica Rentals today to see what Costa Rica condos and vacation home rentals in Playa del Coco are available for your vacation. Great discounts can be found this time of year in Costa Rica low season.

Article by Shannon Farley

Related articles

• The fun never stops in Playa del Coco Costa Rica

Time for sea turtles at Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica

They arrive literally in waves, slowly hauling their heavy bodies out of the ocean and up the beach. They wait for the high tide at night, using the high surf to propel them farther up the sand, and the protection of darkness against predators to dig their nests and lay their eggs. Thousands upon thousands, they keep coming.

If you’ve never seen it, the amazing phenomenon of massive arrivals of hundreds of thousands of sea turtles coming ashore all at once to lay their eggs on Costa Rica’s beaches is one of the world’s most spectacular nature events.

Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) are world famous for their arribadas (meaning “arrivals” in Spanish) at Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica. Founded in 1984, this protected beach on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica is the second largest nesting site in the world for Olive Ridley sea turtles, along with Leatherback and Pacific Green sea turtles.



While sea turtles nest at Ostional Beach on the Pacific Coast at least once a month all year long, the mass arrivals happen from mid-June to December. Usually toward the end of the moon cycle, when there is no moon, the turtles start arriving. In the days and weeks leading up to an “arribada,” the turtles will have gathered just offshore waiting for the moment when it’s time to go on land.

Sea turtles are normally shy and easily disturbed when nesting, hence the requirement during tours to wear dark clothing and not use flashlights or camera flashes. But during an “arribada”, the turtles are nearly oblivious to any disturbance and keep coming ashore long after day has dawned. “Bumping into each other, crawling over each other, they are automatons on their way to fulfill a predetermined task: lay their eggs at all cost,” states Costa Rica National Park Service information.



The non-stop stream of determined female sea turtles lasts a few days up to a week. The largest “arribada” recorded so far in Ostional happened in November 1995, when close to 500,000 turtles arrived at one time.

Female Olive Ridley sea turtles will nest between four and six times a year, depositing between 80 and 100 white soft-shelled eggs in the sand each time. They cover their shallow nests and return to the ocean, leaving their offspring to their own fate. Although more than 10 million eggs are laid during each season, only a fraction of these will hatch 60 days later; and even fewer baby turtles will make it to the ocean and survive – a reminder of how important it is to protect these endangered turtles.



The curious exception at Ostional National Wildlife Refuge

In Costa Rica, it is illegal for people to take sea turtle eggs from the beaches, or to poach or hunt the female sea turtles. Most national parks and nesting beaches in Costa Rica are protected by national park service guards and community volunteers to prevent these thefts

. The Ostional National Wildlife Refuge is the one exception. For the first two days of an “arribada”, the Ostional community has permission to take turtle eggs for their own consumption. The reasoning is that these eggs would get trampled and destroyed as thousands more turtles come ashore to nest in subsequent waves, so park officials let the community practice the old tradition of gathering turtle eggs to eat.



“So many turtles come onto the beach in a short time span that most of the first nests are destroyed by later turtles. Therefore, in 1987, a project was initiated to allow local people the right to collect and sell a percentage of the eggs from the first two days of each arribada. This is the only place in the world where it is legal to harvest turtle eggs. This practice is designed prevent poaching and to help the local community,” Costa Rica National Park Service information states.

After those first two days, national park service guards and community volunteers then dedicate hours both night and day to clean the beach from driftwood and guard the turtles and their nests. When the baby sea turtles hatch and speed toward the sea, community volunteers protect them from dogs and vultures.



See the turtles at Ostional National Wildlife Refuge You can visit Ostional National Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica to see this amazing sea turtle event when you stay at L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa in Playa Guiones by Nosara. The Nosara hotel is located a short drive from Ostional, and arranges naturalist guided tours to see the turtles.



Article by Shannon Farley  

 

Ultimate fun day of adventure tours in Guanacaste Costa Rica

For the best things to do in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, you need to go to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin by the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano. Put simply, you can have the best day of adventure tours in Guanacaste Costa Rica that you can dream of all in one place. Matter of fact, there are so many fun adventures that most people have a hard time choosing what to do: zip-lines, canyoning, waterfall rappelling, river tubing, horseback riding, mountain biking, nature trails, waterfall swimming, natural volcanic hot springs, an archeology tour, and guided hikes in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park.



That’s why the One Day Adventure Pass is your best bet. With the One Day Adventure Pass, you can fill your day at Rincón de la Vieja with adventures you choose and go at your own pace. An extravagant buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included. The tour prices are incredibly reasonable for all that you get: USD $85 adults (18+ years); USD $80 students (13-17 years); and USD $75 children (4-12 years). Not only hotel guests get to enjoy Hacienda Guachipelin’s Adventure Park; many day visitors staying in other Guanacaste locations come to the popular eco-adventure hotel for tours.



On the  One Day Adventure Pass, you can do as many or all of these following adventure tours as you want. It is possible to do everything if you start between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. For $20 more per person, you can add the Waterfalls Canyoning Tour to your One Day Adventure Pass. Canyon Canopy Tour Get an incredible adrenaline rush on this one-of-a-kind canopy zip line tour in Costa Rica. You will zip line, rappel, rock climb, cross hanging bridges, and ride Tarzan swings in a steep rock canyon over a turbulent river. Tour duration: 2 hours.



Rio Negro Tubing Adventure Bouncing and splashing down a rushing tropical river is incredible fun. Starting at the foot of a waterfall, you will ride special individual river tube rafts down the rapids of the Rio Negro (Black River). Guides go with you and ensure your safety. To get to the river tour from the Adventure Center, you can choose to go by horseback ride or by vehicle. Tour duration: 2.5 hours (with horseback ride).



Horseback Riding You can choose from six different horseback riding tours, or simply ride horses to get to Rio Negro for the tubing adventure. Average tour duration: 2 to 3 hours.



Volcanic hot springs at Rio Negro One of the things most talked about by visitors to Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin are the hot springs. Beautiful and relaxing, the natural hot springs at Rio Negro flow from the largest volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica – Rincón de la Vieja. At Rio Negro, there are thermal pools, volcanic mud baths, trails, changing rooms, restrooms and lockers. Tour duration: from 1 to 2 hours.

Waterfalls Canyoning Tour* (extra charge applies)

This is the ultimate adventure tour in Guanacaste. Canyoning involves thrilling rappels down waterfalls, guided rock climbing, and navigating through pools in the river canyon. To get to the tour, you can go by horseback or by vehicle. Tour duration: 2.5 hours.



If you want a softer day of adventure, there is also a One Day Nature Pass that focuses on nature, wildlife and the Rincon de la Vieja area’s scenic beauty. This tour package is easily realized in a little over a half-day. The same sumptuous buffet lunch in Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin’s restaurant is included in the One Day Nature Pass. Tour Prices: USD $55 adults (11+ years) and USD $45 children (4-10 years).

• Butterfly Garden, Serpentarium and Frog Habitats
• Walk to a Look-out Point where you can see the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Guanacaste Mountain Range, and the Pacific Coast.
• Visit the waterfalls and natural volcanic hot springs at Rio Negro (transport by vehicle)

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



Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin At the base of the Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in the northwestern province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Hacienda Guachipelin is an award-winning eco-tourism hotel and 3,400-acre horse and cattle ranch. Three rivers crisscross the hacienda, with waterfalls and natural thermal springs, creating an idyllic setting in the distinctive dry tropical forest. The hotel is 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste’s main city of Liberia.

Article by Shannon Farley

 

U.S. prodigy cellist to perform benefit concert at Pranamar Villas in Costa Rica

Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat, on award-winning Santa Teresa Beach in Costa Rica, will host a classical orchestral concert on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015, to benefit the Costa Rica School of Music in the nearby town of Cobano.

The concert will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Pranamar’s beautiful, spacious beachfront Yoga Shala, where the popular hotel holds its Costa Rica yoga retreats. The free event is open to the public to attend; donations are being requested, which will go to support the music school.
Justin Koga, a young prodigy cellist from Southern California, will perform with the Cobano youth orchestra to help raise funds for the Cobano School of Music.
“We look forward to having as many people as possible attending the concert,” said Agustina Zocchi at Pranamar Villas.

“This concert is a great experience to be able to perform with such a young and great artist as Justin Koga. This concert for our students is very inspirational and motivates them greatly as to what they can accomplish,” commented Jorge Siliézar Ruiz, director of the Cobano Music School.



Pranamar Villas has sponsored concerts in past years to benefit the Cobano School of Music. The events are always a favorite with hotel guests and visitors, said Pranamar Villas owner, Susan Money.

“These kids probably would not be able to have access to music lessons without this school. All of their instruments are sponsored and all of their lessons are free,” said Money. “We give them a space to show off what they’re learning and the experience to perform. It’s such a neat thing, and there are some really talented musicians. Some of the kids have even gone on to San Jose to study music more formally and have careers in music.
“We don’t charge for the concert, but we ask for a donation of whatever people want to give. All of the money goes to the music school,” Money added.

CONTINENTAL CONNECTIONS: Justin Koga and the Costa Rica School of Music in Cobano

For Justin Koga, the youth orchestra at the School of Music in Cobano is not only a continent away from his home in Orange County, Southern California, but a world away. Yet this is the second year the 16-year-old Irvine High School senior has volunteered with the school in the small rural town, both in musical instruction and in fundraising.

For a young musician, Koga’s list of accomplishments is long: Koga plays cello in the Philharmonic Orchestra at Irvine High School; is a five-year member of the Pacific Symphony Youth Ensemble; a featured Young Artist in the Chamber Music of Orange County program; and a cellist in the Donald Bren Honors Concerts. He has won many prizes and scholarships for cello performance, including being the sole winner of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition when he was a freshman in high school. That was where he met Costa Rican conductor, Maestro Alejandro Gutierrez, who was the symphony’s orchestra director.

Koga is committed to musical outreach, and was inspired to join a friend in the summer of 2013 to volunteer teach at a music school in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica National Musical Education System (acronym SiNEM) operates 44 music schools around the country. When Koga and his friend, Calvin Lee, reported for work in small town Cobano, “Koga was struck by both the passion of the students and the lack of resources to accommodate them,” reported an article in the Orange County Register newspaper.

“Even though there were so many students in the school, there were so few instruments,” Koga is quoted in the article. “I saw a box of broken-down instruments and some that were missing strings and bridges, and that was the moment of realization for me.”


Koga asked the school’s musical director, Jorge Siliézar Ruiz, for a wish list of instruments and upon returning to the USA, began working to fulfill it by staging benefit concerts to raise money. Koga raised close to $20,000, and used it to purchase eight violins, three violas, three cellos and much-needed supplies. Koga and Lee delivered the new instruments to the music school in Cobano last summer 2014.

The five-year-old Cobano School of Music has a total of 90 students, ranging in age from 12 to 20, said Ruiz. The 28-member orchestra has been invited to perform in an international music festival in Mexico City in December 2016.



Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat

Pranamar Oceanfront Villas is a beachfront hotel in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica, on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Pranamar specializes in Costa Rica yoga retreats and Costa Rica surfing vacations, with daily yoga classes for hotel guests and the public.

Pranamar Villas was named a Top 5 Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica by Travel & Leisure Magazine, and was awarded TripAdvisor’s 2015 Certificate of Excellence.

Article by Shannon Farley

“After Words” Hollywood movie filmed at Portasol Living in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is the darling of the international news media lately. The popular tropical vacation destination is being featured in everything from news articles to cute commercials to now a Hollywood blockbuster film.

Costa Rica’s famous stunning landscapes of rainforest and gorgeous tropical beaches, along with the country’s culture and relaxed enjoyment of life, feature prominently in the new romantic feature film “After Words,” starring Academy Award Winner, Marcia Gay Harden (Fifty Shades of Grey, Pollock, Mystic River), and Goya Award Winner and Platino Award Winner, Oscar Jaenada (Cantinflas, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides).
Level 33 Entertainment is releasing the new feature film made in Costa Rica at an exclusive screening in New York City on Friday, Aug. 21, 2015. “After Words” will be released worldwide thereafter.

Costa Rica’s lush rainforest and beaches provide the romantic backdrop to the story. “After Words” was filmed on location in Costa Rica in July 2012 on the Pacific Coast at Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living eco-community south of Manuel Antonio, in Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park, and the Tarcoles River; and on the Caribbean Coast at Puerto Viejo and Tortuguero.


This will be Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living’s first Hollywood feature film premiere. “I’m really excited that this movie is finally coming out! We had a great time with the film crew on the day they were here. It will be so nice to see the film,” commented Guillermo Piedra Gonzalez, Portasol General Director. “The film is really positive about Costa Rica. As a matter of fact, it ties in with the Costa Rican Tourism Board’s campaign of ‘Save the Americans’, all about working too much and not enjoying life,” Piedra added.



Written by Joel Silverman and produced and directed by Juan Feldman, the romantic drama stars Marcia Gay Harden as “Jane,” a highly introverted librarian who loses her job due to budget cuts and spirals downward into depression. Jane contemplates suicide and decides to see something beautiful before she dies – beautiful, tropical Costa Rica. Once in Costa Rica, she meets a charismatic young tour guide named Juan (played by Oscar Jaenada), who makes his living off the many single female tourists who come on vacation. Together, they embark on an adventure around the many sights of Costa Rica, and eventually fall in love. Jane comes to appreciate the profound meaning of the essential Costa Rican saying, “Pura Vida” (“Pure Life”), which may change her plans to “end it all” in paradise.

At Portasol, the film crew spent one day filming key scenes – a love scene at one of Portasol’s waterfalls, hiking in the jungle and lunch at a restaurant. Portasol’s pool area was transformed into the mini-restaurant; and Portasol’s manager, Alex Chinchilla, got to play the role of waiter. A “Behind the Scenes” short film of the experience was professionally made by Armando García of ICO Productions in Costa Rica.



Piedra said that director Juan Feldman and writer Joel Silverman chose Portasol for its wild tropical rainforest, waterfalls and proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park. Besides being the perfect location, another reason was the property’s excellent internet connection. “The film crew was uploading the scenes they were shooting directly from their cameras to computers on site and to their server in the USA to have multiple back-ups of the filming,” explained Piedra.

How was it to meet and play host to Hollywood movie stars? Said Piedra: “Oscar was really focused on his work. Marcia was really nice and outgoing, down-to-earth and fun. She went into our kitchen when our cooks were making their lunch, and started talking to the ladies about their recipes. She said she would like to come back to Costa Rica with her kids. We welcome her back anytime!”

Once released into the theaters, “After Words” also will be available on demand via iTunes, Amazon, CinemaNow, Blockbuster, Comcast, DirecTV, Dish, Google Play, iNDemand, PlayStation, Vubiquity, VUDU, and Xbox. New York Film Critic Online, Harvey Karten, in his movie review for Shockya.com summed up the movie and Costa Rica nicely: “Hip travelers know that the best place to go on vacation is to Costa Rica.”

About Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living

Visit the Costa Rica vacation destination that movie stars prefer – the unique, sustainable eco-development of Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living.

Set on 1,335 acres of pure rainforest on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, Portasol’s location is ideal – near national parks, uncrowded tropical beaches, top whitewater rafting rivers and wildlife-rich jungle. Looking to invest in real estate in Costa Rica or enjoy a Costa Rica vacation rental for your holiday? Portasol offers it all – Costa Rica vacation accommodation and Costa Rica properties for sale.
Article by Shannon Farley

 

New direct flight between UK and Costa Rica

For the first time the distinguished airline British Airways will add a new route to its operations between United Kingdom and Costa Rica, which are really positive news for Costa Rica.

Costa Rica will be UK’s first Central American destination, with a new direct flight between London and San Jose starting May 4^th, 2016.

It will use Boeing 777, with a capacity of 275 passengers; they estimate to move over 30.000 passengers per year with new connections to 130 different destinations. This news will benefit foreign trade in many ways, thanks to the big capacity of the aircraft.

According to our president, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera, Costa Rica has been trying intensely to obtain new air connections with Europe for that last few years. This achievement is a great opportunity for our country on developing it as a world class destination.

He says “The confirmation of this new connection to the European market allows us to further develop the tourism industry for economic growth that will generate more employment and other benefits.”

Our Tourism Minister, Mauricio Ventura, pointed out that this announcement is one of the most important achievements regarding airlines in Costa Rica; this is the second direct flight to Europe.

Ventura said “This new opportunity challenges us to continue working on improving the quality of our customer service to ensure that European tourists stay longer and enjoy a great travel experience.”

The prestigious airline, British Airways, flies to 70 countries in the world with many years in the market chose our country as its first destination in all Central America; this opens many opportunities that will benefit the Costa Rican economy.

The Pro Image Costa Rica Group is an alliance of tourism companies that promote tourism in Costa Rica as an attractive destination internationally. With the support of the Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT), since 1997, the Pro Image Costa RicaGroup has strengthened Costa Rica’s image in traditional markets such as the United States, Canada, Germany, and Spain, and is opening new tourism markets in South America, Europe and Asia

By Maria Laura Charles

Whale watching in Costa Rica: Humpback Whales in Golfo Dulce

In Costa Rica, there are as many wildlife tours as probably there are kinds of animals in the small Central American country. All of them are very worthwhile, but nearly nothing beats the thrill of whale watching!

There must be something about being in close proximity to a giant intelligent being that is fascinating, especially when we are in such a vulnerable position in a (by comparison) tiny little boat observing these gentle giants on their “turf” … or, rather, ocean.



A real-life encounter with whales is an unforgettable experience for anyone. Starting this month in August, it is time to see humpback whales in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica.



The tranquil blue waters of this Pacific gulf, between the Piedras Blancas National Park and the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica, will receive the astounding phenomenon of the thousands-of-miles-long migration of Pacific humpback whales. As southern winter turns the seas to ice in Antarctica, southern humpback whales swim north to the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and as far as Costa Rica to its warm tropical waters to breed and give birth.

Golfo Dulce is an important habitat for the endangered whales and is vital to the species’ survival, according to the Center for Cetacean Research of Costa Rica (CEIC). You can see the whales on whale watching tours in Golfo Dulce from August to October.



Whale watching in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Don’t miss the 2015 season for whale watching in Costa Rica. Stay in a real Costa Rica eco-lodge and enjoy daily whale watching tours at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. Located in the pristine rainforest on a remote beach of the warm water gulf, the award-winning sustainable tourism hotel in Costa Rica offers boat tours to see the whales, dolphins and other marine life. Rainforest tours in their 165-acre private preserve bordering the Piedras Blancas National Park let you explore the jungle and see amazing wildlife.



Facts about humpback whales

• 
  
  Humpback Whales are an endangered species with international government-protected status.
• Humpback whales are named for the prominent hump on their backs.
• The baleen whales can grow to be 56 feet long and weigh up to 40 tons
• They live a long life to about 45-50 years old.
• Babies (or “calves”) are born after an 11-12 month gestation period.
• Humpback whales are easy to spot since they live at the ocean’s surface.
• Humpbacks swim slowly and are known as the “acrobats of the sea” for their great displays of jumps and splashes (breaching).
• Male humpbacks are famous for singing long, complex mating “songs”.

Article by Shannon Farley

Atenas Costa Rica celebrates 147 years of community & tranquility

“You don’t choose where you are born, but you can choose where you live” wisely states the message from the Municipality of Atenas for the town’s 147^th birthday celebration.

On Friday, Aug. 7, the pastoral coffee town of Atenas, Costa Rica will celebrate its 147^th year of founding. Located in the mountains due west of Costa Rica’s capital city of San Jose, on the edge of the Pacific Coast, Atenas is known for its ideal location and great weather.

It is Atenas’ location, great weather and small-town ambiance that make the country town a special place to live for its 15,000 residents (27,000 including the outlying neighborhoods).

“Everyone is friendly and says hello. It is a tranquil town. I’ve lived here my whole life and will probably stay,” commented a native Atenas resident.
“We take care of each other. It is in our roots. Even with our town’s growth, we have still preserved our small town feel and our customs. People here love our traditions and our tranquility,” said another native resident.
Atenas is a top place to retire in Costa Rica, cited by International Living, HelpAge International and AARP, and has attracted a substantial international population from all over the world.
“One of the main reasons we picked Atenas is because we wanted a cool fresh climate, and it is close to the beach, close to the airport, and close to the city,” said one new resident from Canada.
“We picked Atenas because of location – being half-way between San Jose and the beach. We love Atenas for the climate, living in the country and being a small town. People are very friendly. It’s a quaint old-style village,” commented another Canadian.
“Everywhere your eye falls it is so beautiful. The weather is great. The people are the friendliest of anywhere in the world,” said a resident from the U.S.
A little history of Atenas, Costa Rica
Atenas was founded in 1868 from the oxcart trail that transported coffee from the fertile Central Valley to the Pacific coastal port of Puntarenas. Atenas was a main meeting point along the route. Traders from the coast would travel up the low coastal foothills to Atenas to meet merchants from San Jose and the valley, each side selling their goods to the other. As Atenas developed, citizens from neighboring cities of Alajuela, San Jose and Heredia relocated to the region. Atenas’ oxcart history is immortalized in the famous Oxcart Monument in town by sculptor Manuel “Manolo” Torrecillas Lopez.



San Jose is less than an hour to the east, and some of the best Pacific Coast beaches are under an hour to the west. The town’s rugged terrain of mountains and valleys ranges in elevation from 2,200 to 4,000 feet, offering its residents wonderful weather, stunning mountain landscapes, and panoramic valley and coastal views.

The heart of Atenas is its central park, with the Catholic Church bordering one side and ringed by shops, restaurants and cafes, the National Bank and the Atenas Municipality. The park is a perfect spot to enjoy an ice cream or coffee or simply take in local life. In the late afternoon, flocks of green parrots and the occasional toucan settle in the palm trees above the park.

Celebrate Atenas’ 147^th birthday

The town’s birthday is Friday, Aug. 7, but the main celebration will happen on Sunday, Aug. 9 – the main day off for most people. There will be an exhibition of women entrepreneurs selling their crafts, art and products in the Atenas Central Park from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A children’s area will keep kids happy with inflatable jumping toys, clowns and games.

Visit or live in Atenas, Costa Rica

To visit or live in Atenas Costa Rica , contact the real estate agency Pure Life Development of Atenas. Costa Rica realtors Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez-Porras specialize in Atenas homes for sale, Costa Rica properties for sale and Costa Rica vacation homes.
Article by Shannon Farley