Is it time to escape stressful living to move to Costa Rica?

 

Have you ever been driving down the highway in totally stop-and-go rush hour traffic, and thought, “Why the (bleep) am I doing this?”

It just took 10 minutes to go 2 miles. And this is nothing unusual. It’s every day – to work, home from work ….

Know what I’m talking about?

You have deadlines to meet, things that have to get done, places to be, and you’re already late. There’s that question that nags at you, subtly, persistently … “Is my life worth this stress?” Then you think: “What if I just chucked it all and escaped to some tropical paradise?”

A lot of people would say, yes, I’m out of here! There’s a reason the online International Living magazine is so popular.

The country of Costa Rica has been targeting overworked and overstressed Americans for the past year with its tourism campaign “Save the Americans”, a spin-off of saving animals. A funny advertising video of Costa Rican animals singing to save humans aired on U.S. television and in movie theaters, and billboard ads appeared in subways and on busy urban streets. In Los Angeles last month, huge banners featuring Costa Rican sloths with phrases like “Cubicle. Cage. What’s the difference?” and “Follow me to freedom”, were hung outside windows of tall office buildings to get the attention of workers “trapped” inside.

“Save the Americans was created by the animals of Costa Rica to help save overworked Americans. Forced to work long hours in stressful environments, increasingly estranged from their natural habitat, the American worker grows more endangered every day. As resident animals of Costa Rica, we happily offer our country as sanctuary,” states the Costa Rican Tourism Board’s website.

The recently released Hollywood movie “After Words”, that was filmed in Costa Rica, also explores leaving city stress for a tropical vacation destination.

In “After Words” (released Aug. 21, 2015), Oscar- and Tony-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden (known for her roles in the films Fifty Shades of Grey and Mystic River) portrays a highly introverted librarian, Jane, who loses her job in Los Angeles due to budget cuts. While Jane slides into depression and considers suicide, she finds a book about Costa Rica whose images inspire her to take an end-of-life-journey to “see something beautiful before she dies”. In Costa Rica, she meets a charismatic young tour guide named Juan, played by Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada Catalan, who won a Goya Award for his role in “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” (2011) and also starred in “Cantinflas” (2014). Together, they embark on an adventure around the many sights of Costa Rica, and eventually fall in love. Whether Jane “ends it all” in paradise or not is a surprise ending.

Written by Joel Silverman and produced and directed by Juan Feldman, the romantic drama reflects on the stresses of city living in the USA and the search for freedom of spirit and a better lifestyle in another country.

“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,” commented Guillermo Piedra Gonzalez, general director of Costa Rica eco-development Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living, where “After Words” filmed part of the movie.

“After Words” was filmed mostly in Costa Rica at Portasol Living, on the Pacific Coast at Manuel Antonio, and on the Caribbean Coast.

Move to Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a really popular destination both for retirees and people looking for a calmer, quieter, less stressful lifestyle. According to the 2015 International Living Retirement Index, Costa Rica is one of the top five best places in the world to retire. Younger people, many with families, are moving to the Central American country for more freedom, lower living expenses and less stress.

A lot of people who are not quite ready to leave the U.S. just yet invest in real estate in Costa Rica for vacation homes or Costa Rica vacation rentals.

   

A good place for Costa Rica property investment is Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living. Located on 1,335 acres of pure rainforest on Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast, Portasol Rainforest & Ocean View Living is close to the renowned Manuel Antonio National Park and beaches, the popular surf town of Dominical, and remarkable whale-watching in the Ballena Marine National Park. Ten minutes away are beautiful unpopulated tropical beaches.

You can live at the unique, sustainable eco-community – either buying one of their Costa Rica homes for sale, or a Costa Rica property for sale and build your own dream home.

 

Not looking to invest, but definitely need to get away from it all on vacation? Portasol offers vacation accommodation in Costa Rica in rainforest bungalows or vacation home rentals.

Contact Portasol for your escape to unstressed life.

Article by Shannon Farley

Love chocolate? Go to the Chocolate Festival in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica

Don’t you just love chocolate?
There’s something about its creamy, gooey, mouth-melting goodness that fills us with sweetness and lifts our spirits. Chocolate has held an irresistible allure for cultures worldwide over the past 4,000 years.
Get your fill of chocolate at the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Festival 2015 on the Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. Puerto Viejo's fourth annual Chocolate Festival will be held Oct. 30 through Nov. 1, 2015.
The fun Caribbean beach town of Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica will celebrate all things chocolate with the mission to “unify local organic farmers, chocolate makers and chocolatiers, while bringing national recognition to the cultural, historical, and economic value of Costa Rican cacao,” event information states.

The free festival opens to the public on Friday night, Oct. 30, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Hot Rocks Restaurant & Bar in downtown Puerto Viejo. There will be chocolate tastings from local artisan producers and top Costa Rica chocolate makers, live music, acrobatic dancing, and micro-beer brewers, wine professionals and local chefs offering their wares.
Events will be happening all over Puerto Viejo and the surrounding area all weekend, but Hot Rocks will be the main action point.
Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Halloween Saturday, Oct. 31, you can attend workshops and presentations, and of course sample cacao and chocolate related products of Costa Rica. One of the most popular events year after year is the Chocolate Tasting Lounge, on Saturday night from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., where you can try chocolate paired with whiskey, rum, wine and other alcohol. Tickets for the chocolate tasting and pairing event are available via the event’s website.
On Sunday, Nov. 1, there will be special chocolate tours at The Chocolate Forest Experience; and you won’t want to miss the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Crawl when Puerto Viejo restaurants, bars, spas and chocolate shops offer small portions of their most creative uses of chocolate.
Where to stay during the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Festival 2015
The place to stay for the Puerto Viejo Chocolate Festival 2015 is upscale Hotel Le Caméléon, one of the best luxury hotels in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica. The Costa Rica boutique hotel is located just south of Puerto Viejo on one of the prettiest Costa Rica Caribbean beaches – Playa Cocles. An Enchanting Hotel of Costa Rica, Le Caméléon received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2015.
Stay at Hotel Le Caméléon for the utmost in vacation luxury and also take advantage of special Costa Rica Caribbean Summer vacation promotions during October. The Costa Rica luxury hotel is offering 20% discounts off rates for Superior and Deluxe rooms, a Romance Package for couples and a Family Package. Want to go on a chocolate tour in Puerto Viejo or get a chocolate massage? Hotel Le Caméléon can arrange it for you.
History of chocolate
Chocolate comes from the seeds of the cacao fruit tree, which originated in the Americas, and grows exclusively in the tropics. The cacao tree’s Latin name, Theobroma Cacao, means “food of the gods.” Cacao has a long history in Central America. Cacao beans were revered by indigenous peoples and even used as currency in Pre-Columbian times. In Costa Rica, cacao was exchanged for goods up until the 1930s.
Indigenous peoples ate cacao beans for energy since they are naturally full of caffeine, are an antioxidant, and are high in Vitamin C and serotonin – the natural chemical that makes you feel happy. This leads to the theory of how cacao spread throughout Central America: it is possible that while indigenous groups migrated, they ate cacao while walking for energy, throwing the leftover bits of seeds to the wayside, which then germinated and grew into trees.
The word “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word “xocoatl,” which referred to a bitter drink Aztecs brewed from fermented, roasted and ground cacao beans. Sweetened chocolate didn't exist until Spanish explorers arrived in the Americas and mixed in honey or cane sugar to take the edge off the bitterness.
Cacao was an important export in Costa Rica for centuries until a disastrous fungus blight in the 1970s and 1980s drastically reduced cacao production by 95%. Now that the fungus has been under control for a decade or so, organic cacao and gourmet chocolate are growing into a big industry.
Article by Shannon Farley

You can’t visit Costa Rica without seeing the Monteverde cloud forest

Described as being like “Jurassic Park” or a fairytale land of elves, the cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica is a special place on the planet.

The rare ecosystem of Monteverde in Costa Rica is part of only 1% of the planet’s global woodlands known as cloud forest. Cloud forest is rainforest up in the clouds at high elevations. In Costa Rica, tropical warm air condenses at high altitude (above 5,000 feet) into persistent fog and mist, and moisture is more consistent drizzle than rain showers.

 

Located in Costa Rica’s Central Highlands, Monteverde is about three hours from major destinations like San Jose, Arenal Volcano and Pacific Coast beaches of Guanacaste.

Monteverde is very different from the rest of Costa Rica. Its elevation – between 4,662 feet (1,440m) and 5,900 feet (1,800m) – creates an “eternal spring” climate that is fresh, misty and chilly, with pockets of warm sunshine and rainbows, and eternal green. Dew-soaked moss and vines hang all over giant trees, splashed with colorful delicate orchids and ferns in all shapes and sizes. Clouds and mist weave in and out of hilltops and forest in the early mornings and late afternoons.

Monteverde is considered one of the most extensive cloud forests in Central America. More than 2,500 different types of plants and animals, including 426 types of orchids and 400 species of birds, live in this cloud forest. Monteverde is a favorite destination for bird watching in Costa Rica, especially to see the elusive, jewel green and red Resplendent Quetzal.

Many people combine a visit to Monteverde with the Arenal Volcano, since it is very close geographically, or with Guanacaste beaches that are in easy proximity. The community of Monteverde consists of protected nature reserves like the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve and the Children’s Eternal Rainforest. The little town of Santa Elena offers hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions amid dairy farms and coffee fields.

The relatively rural area, whose biggest income now is tourism, was originally founded in the 1930s by Costa Rican farming families. In 1950, a group of 44 Quakers (a pacifist religious group) from 11 families from Alabama, USA, fled persecution for not supporting the Korean War and sought refuge in Monteverde’s peaceful hills and valleys. They found the climate perfect to continue their lifestyle of dairy farms and cheese making, and were thrilled to enjoy religious freedom in a country that had just abolished its army in 1949. The Quakers in Monteverde were the driving force behind preserving the unique cloud forest, and established conservation foundations and private reserves to protect the area. They continue their dairy farming to this day, producing some of the best cheeses, yogurt and ice cream in Costa Rica.

There is a lot to do in Monteverde:

• Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
• Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve
• Monteverde Orchid Garden
• Canopy zip line tours
• Night walking tours
• Horseback riding
• Wildlife and nature exhibits
• Coffee tours
• Monteverde Cheese Factory

 

Where to stay in Monteverde Costa Rica

 

Make your trip to the world-famous Monteverde cloud forest unforgettable with a stay at El Establo Mountain Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in the region.

The hotel cascades in stair-steps down a verdant hillside, interspersed with native trees and lush flower gardens. Comfortable and well-appointed rooms feature either a private balcony or patio with magnificent views across the Monteverde forest, down the valley and out to the Nicoya Gulf with its islands and distant coastal mountains. Right on the property, there are hiking and mountain biking trails, the Tree Top canopy zip line tour and the Night Walk tour. There are two excellent restaurants, café-bars, a spa, two heated indoor pools, a tennis court, basketball court and mini soccer court. El Establo Hotel is part of the Enchanting Hotels collection in Costa Rica.

Article by Shannon Farley

Caribbean Coast Costa Rica big in the news in 2015

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica has been in the news a lot in 2015. The beautiful southern Caribbean Costa Rica region has received its share of media love this year as Costa Rica surges in the international news with new flights to the country, better travel opportunities, and newsworthy events happening.

IKEA films Caribbean Coast Costa Rica jungle wildlife

 

Costa Rican howler, white-faced capuchin and spider monkeys became famous starring in a new IKEA commercial filmed at the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo. The ad campaign launched on July 11, 2015, and promptly caused an international media furor. In the video, the tranquil Costa Rica jungle turns to mayhem when the monkeys (and other animals) come across a fully stocked IKEA kitchen in the middle of the forest. An upbeat song plays as the monkeys pull open drawers, test the sink and the coffee machine, throw cups and utensils, and discover the refrigerator full of bananas. The only strange anomaly was the out-of-place appearance of an elephant, which you cannot find in the Americas.

The Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo is a non-profit organization that works to rescue and rehabilitate wild animals with the aim of releasing them back into protected areas. Guided tours, where you can meet wild animals from Costa Rica while supporting a good cause, are offered Monday to Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Real-life Kermit the Frog discovered in Costa Rica

Another major uproar in social media networks and international news media happened with the news in April 2015 that a real-life Kermit the Frog had been discovered in Costa Rica’s southern Caribbean Talamanca mountains. The new species of glass frog, Hyalinobatrachium dianaeI, was found by Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center founder Brian Kubicki. People everywhere were quick to notice the unerring likeness of the new frog to the Muppet Kermit the Frog, and the news went viral.

Cahuita National Park honored in Costa Rica stamp

 

The Costa Rica Post Office focused on the protection of the coral reefs at Cahuita National Park by featuring a photo of the reefs in new stamps issued in early 2015. The coral reefs at Cahuita National Park are the largest in Costa Rica, and can be seen on snorkelingand scuba diving tours.

Visit the Costa Rica Caribbean Coast

Costa Rica Caribbean Summer, now in September and October, is a perfect time to visit the beautiful Southern Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica. This time of year when seas are calm it is ideal to go snorkeling or scuba diving in the clear waters of the Cahuita National Park, or sea kayaking in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Reserve.

The southern Caribbean Coast has everything you're looking for in a Costa Rica beach vacation – and at Hotel Le Caméléon by Puerto Viejo, you can enjoy the utmost in luxury.  Now is the time to visit the Costa Rica boutique hotel for special vacation offers in Caribbean summer.

During October, Hotel Le Caméléon is offering Caribbean vacation packages, with 20% discounts off rates for Superior and Deluxe rooms. A Romance Package includes one night in a Superior Room for two persons, breakfast, and one Caribbean lunch or dinner per person. And the Family Package includes one night in a Deluxe Room, breakfast, and one Caribbean lunch or dinner per person.

Hotel Le Caméléon is located on Playa Cocles just past Puerto Viejo on one of the prettiest Costa Rica Caribbean beaches. The upscale Puerto Viejo hotel features the Caribbean beach club La Sula Sea Lounge. An Enchanting Hotel of Costa Rica, Le Caméléon received the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for 2015.

Article by Shannon Farley

Saving hammerhead sharks in Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica

 

The “Sweet Gulf” of Golfo Dulce in southern Costa Rica gets a lot of attention for being a refuge for migrating endangered Pacific humpback whales. The 31-mile-long (50 km) Pacific gulf is essentially a big watery “cradle”, not only the birthplace for whales but also for dolphins and endangered hammerhead sharks.

The Costa Rican environmental organization Misión Tiburón (Shark Mission) is lobbying the Costa Rican government to protect Golfo Dulce as the first sanctuary for hammerhead sharks in the world. The nonprofit association works for the conservation of sharks and other marine species in marine education, research and advocacy.

 

Sharing Mision Tiburon’s goal is the Center for Cetacean Research of Costa Rica (CEIC), which also wants to create a marine protected area within Golfo Dulce. “Golfo Dulce is a critical habitat for marine life on Earth and must be protected,” said Costa Rican biologist Andres Lopez, co-founder of Misión Tiburón.

On the inside of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, Golfo Dulce is one of only four tropical fjords in the world. Its steeply sloped deep inner basin, that bottoms out around 705 feet (300 m), and low human impact due to its remoteness, are what attract large marine life to the sheltered gulf, said Lopez.

You can find three species of hammerhead sharks in Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica – mostly Scalloped Head Hammerhead Sharks, and also Grand Hammerhead Sharks and Mallethead Sharks. Additionally, tiger sharks, bull sharks, black tip sharks, and friendly whale sharks also swim in these waters.

The area is particularly important for hammerhead sharks, said Lopez. Hammerheads, which live as adults in the protected waters of the Coco Island National Park, 340 nautical miles southwest of Costa Rica, come to Golfo Dulce to breed and give birth – usually beginning in May. Juvenile sharks then spend their first three to four years growing up in the gulf.

“The sharks live more in Golfo Dulce than at Coco Island,” said Lopez. “The national park protects these large species, but females go to the coastal areas to have their offspring, which then spend nearly four years in unprotected zones.”

Threats to the sharks are pollution, over-fishing and destruction of habitat, explained Lopez. Young sharks that leave Golfo Dulce and other refuges along Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast are being killed before they reach adulthood, or in their migration to Coco Island.

“In coastal waters, the juveniles and pregnant females are vulnerable to trawling shrimp boats, gill nets and bottom lines of fishermen. In the open ocean, adults are mostly caught by pelagic longlines,” Lopez said.

Golfo Dulce is formally decreed an area of “Responsible Fishing” in Costa Rica. However, there are still illegal fishing practices like net fishing and shrimp trawling, which is prohibited, and which Mision Tiburon is trying to eliminate, said Lopez.

On a positive note, he said that as ecotourism grows in the area of the Osa Peninsula and Golfo Dulce, the risk to marine species from over-fishing has diminished because fishermen have alternative income from tourism.

 

Costa Rica eco-hotel at Golfo Dulce

See the amazing marine life of the Golfo Dulce when you stay at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica. Accessible only by boat, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge sits on the unspoiled beaches and tranquil blue-green waters of Golfo Dulce, with a 165-acre private rainforest preserve surrounded by the wild Piedras Blancas National Park.

The Costa Rica rainforest lodge offers a unique opportunity for both a beach and a rainforest holiday in one location. The gulf, the tenth deepest in the world, is a great place for ocean adventures like kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, boating and wildlife viewing.

One of 18 sonar receivers installed by Mision Tiburon in Golfo Dulce to monitor marine life is located near Playa Nicuesa. You can help contribute to Mision Tiburon’s conservation efforts with their “Save the Scalloped Hammerhead Shark” program.

Article by Shannon Farley

Guide to Living in Atenas Costa Rica

Learn all there is to know about Atenas, Costa Rica in this super handy guide from Pure Life Development of Atenas. The Atenas Costa Rica realtors Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez Porras have been successfully helping customers buy and sell real estate in Costa Rica, do land development and home construction in Costa Rica for 10 years.

Your Guide to Living in Atenas, Costa Rica

With an ideal location, Atenas, Costa Rica offers everything for living your dreams. Atenas is located on the western edge of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, where the mountains drop away to the Pacific Coast. Less than an hour away are the capital city of San Jose to the east, and some of the best Pacific Coast beaches to the west. The Arenal Volcano is only 2.5 hours north.

The population is about 27,000 residents, including all of the outlying neighborhoods. Atenas has been named a top place for international retirement by International Living, HelpAge International and AARP. There are an estimated 1,500 foreign residents from North America and Europe who live in Atenas full time. That number almost doubles during Costa Rica’s high tourism season, from December to early April during the colder months to the north, when part-time residents and tourists come to vacation homes in Atenas.

Atenas offers residents a blend of rural and small town qualities, including safe neighborhoods and low crime levels, good public services, excellent public and private schools, easy access to health care, and a thriving active foreign community.

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, the Atenas Municipality and the Atenas courthouse. 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.

Climate for Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica claims it has the “Best Climate in the World.” Composed of mountains and valleys, Atenas ranges in elevation from 2,200 to 4,000 feet. Residents enjoy wonderful weather, stunning landscapes, and panoramic views of valleys, volcanoes and the coast. According to data from the Costa Rica National Meteorological Institute, Atenas receives 2,500 hours of sun per year. Average daily temperatures in Atenas range from 72 to 85 F during the day, and 60 to 68 F at night.

“Atenas town enjoys a moderate climate. So, we can conclude that the climate is very warm during the day but temperatures drop significantly at night,” writes Atenas historian Eladio Valerio on his website Atenasonline.com.

 

More information on Atenas, Costa Rica

Get more information on Atenas, Costa Rica, including the most popular neighborhoods, about the schools, medical care, and history of the town in the full article, “All you ever wanted to know about Atenas Costa Rica”, on the Pure Life Development blog. 

What’s the Atenas, Costa Rica Real Estate Market Like?

The Atenas real estate market attracts mostly people looking to retire in Costa Rica – age 55 and up. Many buyers purchase homes in Atenas three to five years before retirement, and use their homes as vacation rentals. Additionally, about 30 to 40 percent of buyers in the Atenas market are Costa Ricans from San Jose looking to move out of the capital city. Highway 27 makes it easy to commute to work in the city.

Well priced homes in Atenas typically sell in zero to six months. You can find homes ranging from less than $100,000 to over $500,000. The most popular price range is from $350,000 to $500,000, with 2 to 3 bedrooms, 2 to 3 baths, a guest house, pool, and a view. Atenas (and Costa Rica in general) is a cash market, with little to no local financing available.

 

Atenas, Costa Rica Realtor – Why Choose Pure Life Development?

In beautiful Atenas, Costa Rica, real estate agency Pure Life Development of Atenas specializes in Atenas homes for sale, Costa Rica properties for sale and Costa Rica vacation homes.

If you are thinking about buying a home, investment property, or other Atenas Costa Rica real estate, let Atenas Costa Rica realtors Dennis Easters and Gerardo Porras Gonzalez help make the process a smooth and pleasant experience. Both Dennis and Gerardo are certified with the Costa Rica Chamber of Real Estate, and Dennis is a licensed realtor from Florida. Call or email them today to discuss your Atenas Costa Rica real estate needs. 

Article by Shannon Farley

See exotic wildlife on Hacienda Guachipelin’s Costa Rica nature tours

The dry tropical forest covering the western side of Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste, Costa Rica creates an interesting ecosystem for many different animals and plants than you would see elsewhere in Costa Rica.
The award-winning eco-hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, located at the base of the massive volcano, offers fun and fascinating Costa Rica nature tours. You can visit waterfalls and natural volcanic hot springs, go hiking in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, learn about ancient cultures on an archaeology tour, and see exotic wildlife in Hacienda Guachipelin’s Butterfly Garden, Serpentarium & Frog Exhibit.

The Butterfly Garden shows three of the major families of butterflies in Costa Rica: Pieridae, Papilionidae and Nimphalidae. The Serpentarium and Frog Exhibit presents 23 kinds of snakes, including 11 that are poisonous; six species of frogs and two types of basilisk lizards – in glass and wood habitat cases. The tour guide will explain details about each animal. The tour also visits the ranch’s Look-out Point, where you can see the Rincón de la Vieja and Santa Maria volcanoes as well as the Pacific Coast of Guanacaste.

• Nature Tour times: 8:00 AM / 10:00 AM / 1:30 PM / 2:30 PM
• Tour duration: 1.5 hours
• Tour Prices: USD $20 adults (11+ years) / USD $15 children (4-10 years)

Choose the One Day Nature Pass and you will have included buffet lunch in Hacienda Guachipelin’s Restaurant, and a visit to the natural volcanic hot springs at Rio Negro (transport by vehicle). Tour Prices: USD $55 adults (11+ years) and USD $45 children (4-10 years).
Another interesting nature and cultural tour at Hacienda Guachipelin is the Archaeology tour. Created by an archaeologist with the University of Costa Rica, eight stations give an introduction to the history of Guanacaste and Rincon de la Vieja, and show daily life of the indigenous peoples who lived near the massive Rincon de la Vieja Volcano in Guanacaste.

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 the Rincon de la Vieja National Park is closed on Mondays. For the best day of Costa Rica adventure tours, get the One Day Adventure Pass at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin. It includes canopy zip lines, horseback riding, river tubing, and natural volcanic hot springs. You don´t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy Hacienda Guachipelin´s Adventure Park; many day visitors staying in other Guanacaste locations come to the popular eco-adventure hotel for tours.
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. The hotel is 15.5 miles (25 km) northeast of Guanacaste´s main city of Liberia.
Article by Shannon Farley