Visit the beautiful Montezuma Waterfalls in Costa Rica

A fun day trip from Hotel Tropico Latino in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is to visit the Montezuma waterfalls. It is an easy 40-minute drive from Santa Teresa to get to the picturesque beach village of Montezuma on the southeastern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. The bohemian, artsy community is known for its beautiful beaches, jungle covered hills, and waterfalls and pools. Natural geography tips most of the rainwater near the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula toward Montezuma, creating an abundance of waterfalls in the area.

The Montezuma Waterfalls – three cascades along the Montezuma River – are the most well known. The tallest part of the falls is the lowest tier, tumbling 79 feet (24 meters) into a large pool at the river bottom that is great for a refreshing swim. To reach the waterfall, start at the main beach road just outside the village center, near Hotel Amor de Mar; there are signs and a parking area there. A rough trail leads up the river for approximately 20 minutes. Be sure to wear sturdy, water-resistant shoes as you will wade through the river and climb over slippery rocks and roots. At this first largest cascade, there are usually lots of people. It is not recommended to dive or jump off the rocks here, because if you fall, you’ll probably hit the rocks instead of the water. Thrill-seekers who want to jump from heights into a waterfall pool can do so up above at pools two and three.

To get to the upper pools, continue uphill on a small difficult trail at the right side of the lower waterfall. There is a rope swing at pool three. Another way to get to the upper pools that is much easier is on a path starting at the Montezuma Canopy tour; the tour company charges a $4 toll for using their bridges and trails. See a map of the Montezuma area.

Another beautiful waterfall in the Montezuma area is at Cocalitos Beach (Playa Cocalitos), five miles (8 km) north of town. The “El Chorro waterfall” cascades off a cliff at the edge of the beach into lava rock pools and the ocean. The falls are beautiful, often reflecting rainbows, and the beach cove by it is incredibly scenic with white sand and transparent turquoise water. It’s just like a travel poster! To get there, you can either hike two hours one-way down the beach from Montezuma, or go on a horseback riding tour from Montezuma.

Where to stay in Santa Teresa Costa Rica Hotel Tropico Latino on the beach in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is an unforgettable place to stay. Very private guest bungalows, suites and rooms are scattered along the beachfrontand in beautiful gardens shaded by huge, old trees. You can enjoy beachfront yoga classes, a spa, and delicious meals at the beachside restaurant at this Santa Teresa beachfront hotel. Named one of the top 10 beaches in Central America for 2015, Santa Teresa is most popular for surfing, stand up paddling, yoga and relaxing. Read more about some of the top things to do in Santa Teresa Costa Rica. Reserve your visit today.

Article by Shannon Farley

10 Yoga Poses to Help Relieve Traveler’s Back Pain

Yoga can help.
There are several easy yoga poses you can do almost anywhere to help ease many of the common symptoms of traveler’s back pain. You can do these poses at the airport, in your hotel room, on the beach or at a beautiful outdoor setting when you get to your destination. No mat required – you can use a towel, sarong, jacket, carpeted floor, grass, etc. You will feel refreshed, renewed, and ready to enjoy your trip.

When traveling to Costa Rica, take a yoga class on vacation at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas & Yoga Retreat right on the beautiful Santa Teresa Beach on the southern Nicoya Peninsula. Pranamar Villas specializes in Costa Rica yoga vacations and was named a Top 5 Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica by Travel & Leisure Magazine.
Public yoga classes at Pranamar Villas are held Monday to Saturday in the hotel’s beautiful oceanfront Yoga Shala for students of all levels. See the schedule of upcoming Costa Rica yoga retreats at Pranamar Oceanfront Villas, including the inspirational retreat “Embracing Totality” led by Pranamar Villas’ yoga director and co-owner, Nancy Goodfellow.

10 Yoga Poses to Help Relieve Traveler’s Back Pain

Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Forward Bends stimulate blood flow to your brain, stretch your hamstrings and lower back, and lengthen your spine. This is perfect for relieving back pain from long periods of sitting and from hefting luggage.






Half Forward Bend (Ardha Adho Makha Svanasana)
This yoga pose opens your chest, shoulders, back, and hamstrings. It is great for easing lower back pain after hours spent sitting on planes, trains, buses or cars.






Standard Hip Opener / Quad Stretch
To help get blood flow moving again in your legs after sitting, stretch your quads and hip flexors with this yoga pose.









Cow-Cat Pose (Bitilasana - Marjariasana)
The gentle up-and-down flowing posture of Cow-Cat pose brings flexibility to your entire spine, especially stretching and lengthening your back and neck. Synchronize with your breath for 7 to 10 cycles, and you’ll start to feel relaxed already.






Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Child’s Pose helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and mental tension. It is a deeply restorative pose that relaxes tightness in the neck and back. You should remain in child’s pose, breathing easily for anywhere between 30 seconds to several minutes.




Seated Twist Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana) or Supine Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
Twists stimulate your digestive system, help improve digestion, and are cleansing for the body. Maintaining a healthy digestive system when you travel is essential for your well-being. Twists also can relieve lower back pain, a common complaint after long travel days. You can do either a seated twist, making sure to twist (not crank) your spine slowly and comfortably. Or you can do a supine twist lying on the ground, if you have a clean, safe place to do so. Be sure to twist on both sides of your body.


Ear to Shoulder Pose
The ear-to-shoulder pose is easy and can be done almost anywhere. The pose stretches the neck and down into the shoulder and trapezius muscles. You can do this pose sitting or standing, just remember to keep your spine straight. Be sure not to pull your head over; just allow its weight to softly move it down.



Supine Thread-the-Needle Pose
After sitting for long periods, usually your hips and gluteus muscles will feel tight and stiff. This pose helps you to open those muscles and release the tension, including in your lower back. You can also do a seated version just about anywhere – even on a plane, train, bus or car. Your hips, bottom and lower back will thank you.




Legs Up the Wall Pose (Viparita Karani)
Legs Up the Wall pose is a gentle inversion that lets the body fully relax while calming the nervous system and improving circulation, thereby rejuvenating the entire body. This pose also helps relieve mental stress, and can help alleviate headaches, boost energy, and relieve lower-back pain. You can use a folded blanket, towel, jacket, etc. to place beneath your hips for comfort and support. Remain in the pose from 5 to 10 minutes.





Corpse Pose (Savasana)
Also called relaxation pose, Corpse Pose is the most restorative yoga pose because it helps you experience deep peace for your mind and body, letting everything relax. Remain in the pose from 5 to 15 minutes.



Article by Shannon Farley

Helpful tropical climate tips for building a home in Costa Rica

Building in Costa Rica is very different from North America and most of Europe. Located between 9 and 11 degrees latitude above the equator, Costa Rica’s tropical climate comes with its own special considerations.

There are four constants in Costa Rica: sun, rain, wind, and … more sun, rain and wind! Unlike Northern Hemisphere homes designed for freeze-thaw cycles, Costa Rica’s eternal tropical climate deals mostly with varying levels of humidity. Then there is all of that amazing tropical biodiversity – think: termites, ants, beetles and millions of other insects. Of course, being bisected from top to bottom by a chain of volcanoes, and sitting on top of shifting tectonic plates makes for a great deal of seismic activity.

Here are some top points for building a home in Costa Rica. The country’s microclimates vary greatly depending on location; these tips are focused on the Central Valley area, specifically in Atenas, Costa Rica. Learn all about Atenas in this super handy guide to living in Atenas from Costa Rica realtors Pure Life Development of Atenas.

• Construction in Costa Rica typically uses cement cinder block, because it fares better with high humidity and reduces the risk of termite infestation compared to wood. Homes built mostly with wood also require higher maintenance with a humid climate.

• Steel framing lasts longer than wood, but must be galvanized steel or have several coats of anti-corrosive lead paint.

• No need for insulation or central heating. In hot tropical Costa Rica, you don’t want heat trapped in your house, and you definitely don’t need a heater!

• Use drywall sparingly. High moisture levels in Costa Rica lead to mold with drywall. Interior finishes that withstand high humidity include high-gloss paint, concrete, stone, and treated hardwoods. However, add realtors Easters and Gonzalez, this is a tropical country, so mold will grow, period!

• Ceramic tile floors keep your home cool, don’t suck up humidity like carpet, and are easy to clean.

• Cross-ventilation for air flow is the key. Tropical homes use breezeways, French doors and lots of windows to keep air circulating for cooler temperatures and to evaporate moisture. Be sure to have screens and screen doors to prevent bugs from entering your home at dusk, and at the time of year right after the first rains when they suddenly populate by the millions. Houses also should include ceiling fans for additional cooling and air flow.

• Cool your house with lots of shade. Extended roof eaves, wrap-around porches and plenty of plants create natural shade and are ideal for tropical living.

• Swimming pools can be built with concrete and beautifully tiled – for a much lower cost than in the USA. Or the latest trend is pre-fabricated fiberglass pools, which are low-maintenance and flexible – perfect for a seismic country like Costa Rica.

• Eco-construction options in Costa Rica: use sustainable woods like teak; roof tiles made from recycled plastic banana bags that look like terracotta tiles; solar power and especially solar hot water heaters.
• 

• Traditional Costa Rican construction is solid. The foundation, walls and roof are all tied together with rebar and concrete with seismic plates for better stability.

• Whole-house voltage surge protection is a valuable investment to prevent high-tech electronics and appliances from being easily damaged during electrical storms.

Build a custom home in Atenas, Costa Rica

With an ideal location, Atenas, Costa Rica offers everything for a comfortable tropical life. Atenas is located between the capital city of San Jose and Pacific Coast beaches. Atenas claims it has the “Best Climate in the World;” while that may or may not be true, Atenas’ elevation from 2,200 to 4,000 feet and its many ridges and valleys give the town a moderate climate. Atenas Costa Rica realtors, Dennis Easters and Gerardo Gonzalez Porras, have been successfully helping customers buy homes for sale in Atenas Costa Rica, and do home construction in Costa Rica for 10 years. Call or email them today to discuss your Atenas Costa Rica real estate needs.

Article by Shannon Farley

Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge gets top rating for sustainable tourism in Costa Rica

 

If eco-friendly travel and staying at sustainable tourism eco-hotels is a priority when you go on vacation, you’ll want to pay attention to Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge in Costa Rica.

The Costa Rica eco-hotel was awarded the highest level rating of the Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST) program last month for the second consecutive year. Playa Nicuesa Lodge is one of only 41 hotels in Costa Rica that have received the highest rating of 5 Leaves in the CST Program by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT).

The CST program rates and certifies tourism businesses based on their compliance with natural, cultural and social resource management. CST consists of five levels, called “Leaves”; Level 5, or 5 Leaves, signifies that the company is considered “outstanding in terms of sustainability.” The rating process is very detailed and involves frequent inspections and evaluations; the highest levels are very difficult to obtain.

“For all the staff at Playa Nicuesa Lodge, it is a huge honor to be able to realize our sustainability efforts to obtain the 5-leaf CST for the second consecutive year,” said Marcelo Lopez, manager of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge. “Sustainability is a harmonious way of life we try to convey to each of our visitors with each of our actions, and this recognition of the daily efforts of our staff and the environmental and social consciousness that the owners, Donna and Michael (Butler), have had since the birth of Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is important to us.”

“Having obtained the highest level of CST is one more way to ensure our guests that they are choosing a responsible company with the environment and the community,” Lopez said.

 

Celebrating its 12^th anniversary in 2015, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge is one of the first sustainable tourism eco-hotels in Costa Rica. Located by the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast gulf of Golfo Dulce, Playa Nicuesa Lodge protects 95 percent of its 165-acre rainforest property. The extraordinary Costa Rica eco-lodge was designed in harmony with the environment constructed from naturally fallen trees and recycled materials. Earlier this year, Playa Nicuesa received the important Ecological Blue Flag Award for the fifth time for having one of Costa Rica’s cleanest beaches.

Accessible only by boat, Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge fronts the pristine beaches of the Golfo Dulce, surrounded by the wild Piedras Blancas National Park. The area is part of a giant conservation area including the world-famous Corcovado National Park. The unique tropical fjord of Golfo Dulce is a critical habitat for migrating Pacific Humpback Whales, and for dolphins and sharks.

 

Ask how to offset the carbon emissions of your trip when you stay at Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge.

Article by Shannon Farley

Best Limon Costa Rica shore excursions at Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure

For cruise ship passengers arriving to the Port of Limon, Costa Rica on the Caribbean Coast, a top Costa Rica shore excursion that lets you experience the Costa Rica rainforest and its exotic wildlife is Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure. Costa Rica is famous for its rainforests, nature, diverse wildlife and adventure tours. Veragua’s all-in-one rainforest adventure maximizes your time to enjoy the best attractions of Costa Rica during your one day in port.

 

Six reasons why Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure – named #1 of 18 things to do in Puerto Limon, Costa Rica on TripAdvisor – is the best shore excursion in Limon, Costa Rica: 1. Location: less than an hour away from the cruise ship pier at Limon. Minimal travel time means more time in the rainforest. 2. Real Rainforest: This is real rainforest, not Disneyland. The 3,212-acre (1,300-hectare) Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure park is located in the breathtaking tropical rainforest bordering the renowned La Amistad International Park.

 

3. Multiple activities in one location: Attractions at the award-winning adventure park include an aerial tram, canopy zip line tour, rainforest hiking trails, waterfalls, butterfly garden, frog habitat, reptile habitat, and an insectarium.

 

4. Wildlife: In addition to Veragua Rainforest’s fascinating wildlife habitats, hundreds of species of tropical and migratory birds and exotic butterflies fly through the forest here. Howler and white-faced monkeys roam the treetops, and brightly colored poison-dart frogs join rare salamanders and other lizards on the forest floor. Keep your eyes open – you never know what you may see!      

5. Scientific investigation center: Veragua’s team of on-site biologists conducts important national scientific research here. You can see what they’re up to at the science labs.

 

6. First-rate facilities: You can enjoy an excellent Costa Rican lunch and snacks at Veragua’s Rainforest Café. Buy souvenirs to remember your trip at the Congo Arts & Crafts Gift Shop. Veragua Rainforest is accessible for all visitors. All pathways and trails are wheelchair and stroller accessible, with the exception of the Puma Waterfall trail and the hiking Trail of the Brave.

   

Limon, Costa Rica shore excursions at Veragua Rainforest Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure has half-day and full-day shore excursions available. Half-day Awesome Research & Adventure Program (pier-to-pier 5½ hours; on-site tour time 3½ hours) The Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure tour includes:

• A fun aerial tram ride through the rainforest canopy
• Walking trails by a river under giant trees
• Visit a beautiful waterfall
• Tour the largest indoor nocturnal and diurnal frog exhibit in the world
• Visit a state-of-the-art reptile habitat
• See an insectarium
• Tour a huge butterfly garden filled with some of the world’s most colorful butterflies
• Visit the biological research station managed by the Costa Rica National Institute of Biodiversity (INBio)
• Snacks are included

Full-day Super Adventure Combo Program (pier-to-pier 7½ hours; on-site tour time 5½ hours) This Costa Rica day tour includes all of the activities in the half-day tour described above, and The Original Canopy Tour® zip lines. Featured on Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and Travel Channel, the exhilarating canopy zip line ride consists of nine zip lines and observation platforms. Lunch at Veragua is included on the full-day tour.

“LOVED the rainforest. We had so much fun, seeing a frog, snake and butterfly exhibit. We then got to walk a path that brought you to an aerial tram. That took you down the side of the mountain to another trail, which brought you to a waterfall. There is so much to see along the trail. I told my wife, ‘It’s like the world’s biggest seek and find game.’ You may see a frog, insect, caterpillar, centipede ... you just never know! The rainforest is beautiful and the guide we had was outstanding!!!!” wrote a guest from Celebrity Cruises on Cruise Critic.

Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure is open Tuesday to Sunday (and cruise ship Mondays), from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Entrance is free for children under 4 years old. Veragua Rainforest Eco-Adventure tours and The Original Canopy Tour® zip line tours start every hour on the hour; the last tour begins at 3:00 p.m. Tel: +506 4000-0949. Article by Shannon Farley

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