2014 Costa Rica national surfing competition held at Nosara Costa Rica

The waves were big, and so were the national surfers who came to Playa Guiones at Nosara Costa Rica last weekend for the third competition in the 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit.

Costa Rican pros like Gilberth Brown, Jair Perez, Jason Torres, Carlos Munoz, Lisbeth Vindas and Nataly Bernold descended on the top Costa Rica surfing beach for the tournament, held Feb. 8-9. Munoz was just returning from Oahu, Hawaii, where he made it to the fourth round of the Volcom Pipe Pro 2014 international competition the week before. Jair Perez is the reigning Costa Rican national men’s surf champion. But it was Playa Hermosa resident and Latin American Champion, Jason Torres, who took home the Men's Open Division trophy.

 The 2012 National Champion Nataly Bernold won first place in the Women’s Open Division – her second competition win in a row – upsetting the lead that 2013 National Champion Lisbeth Vindas started out with in this year’s circuit. See all the competition results here.

Conditions at the Playa Guiones tournament were reported as big, showing the biggest swell of the year with double and triple overhead waves. Surfing was difficult on the competition’s first day in choppy water, but Sunday brought back normal beautiful Guiones glassy surf for the semi-finals and finals. The next 2014 Olympus National Surfing Circuit competition will be held at the south Pacific beach of Dominical from March 15 to 16.

The breezy Blue-Flag-awarded beach of Guiones, on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, is reputed to have the most consistent surf on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast. With its beautiful long beach and long left and right breaks, Playa Guiones is one of Costa Rica’s most favored surfing beaches.

Nosara, Costa Rica – encompassing the beaches of Guiones, Pelada and Nosara – has recently caught the world’s attention for its natural beauty. The eco-friendly community was ranked one of the 11 Places to Go Worldwide in 2014 by CNN, and selected by National Geographic as a Best Winter Trips of 2014.

Where to Stay: L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa at Playa Guiones is one of the finest luxury hotels in Costa Rica. The Bali-style Costa Rica resort is located just off the beautiful beach of Guiones – all hotels and businesses in the area are set back from the beach to preserve the coastline. Accommodations range from Deluxe Rooms to Suites to Villas. L'acqua Viva Resort & Spa is an Enchanting Costa Rica Hotel.

Getting to Nosara: from the San Jose international airport, Nosara is a 5-hour drive; and it is a 2.5-hour drive from the Liberia International Airport. Short-hop domestic flights arrive in Nosara from both the San Jose and Liberia airports; from there it is a 10-minute drive to Playa Guiones and Playa Pelada.  

Article by Shannon Farley

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