Costa Rica Travel Tips: As a Tourist, Will I Feel Welcome in Costa Rica

I am planning a vacation to Costa Rica and am wondering.  Will I feel welcome as a tourist?  Definitely yes.  Costa Ricans are warm and gentle people and the majority speak at least some English.   Most of the young people speak English quite fluently.  Costa Ricans welcome tourists and do everything they can to make them feel at home. The  Costa Rican people  are a mix of European and Native American.  They have pride in their dress and also pride in their homes.  On a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park you can see the small children all dressed up in their best clothes, running, smiling, and playing with their cousins.

Most of the Costa Rican tour guides are locals who have spent many hours studying the flora and fauna of their area.  They make excellent  guides, filled with knowledge, enthusiasm and pride.   In the photo below you can see just how handsome the people are!  Dressed in the typical folkloric attire,  they dance to the music of the marimba.  The colors of red, white, and blue in the dress are the colors of Costa Rica's  flag.

[caption id="attachment_3846" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Costa Rica's Folkoric Dancers"][/caption]

Costa Rica Travel Tips: the Rio Celeste Hideway Lodge

[caption id="attachment_3817" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Rio Celeste, Blue River in Costa Rica"][/caption]

A new boutique hotel  from which to explore the beautiful Rio Celeste River in Costa Rica  offers a tourist a different and exciting option.  It is located in the northwestern province of Guanacaste at the base of the Tenorio Volcano.

It has 26 rooms and sits in a lush tropical 34 hectare rainforest next to the Tenorio Volcano National Park, home to the famous Rio Celeste or Blue River.

The setting and decor of  Rio Celeste Hideway Lodge is meant to create an environment of romance, and a place to relax and enjoy nature.  Each room has an outdoor shower and deck were you can sit and watch monkeys sloths, and dozens of bird species.  Rooms are in warm tropical colors with Guatemalan fabrics decorating the beds.  The gorgeous lighted  swimming pool with cedar hot tubs welcomes you to relax after a day of hiking and nature watching.

Breakfast included in the room rate is served buffet style when the Rio Celeste Hideaway Lodge  is filled to capacity but otherwise is a la carte.  Dinners are carefully presented and well priced at around $1o-$16.

Activities include hiking in the Tenorio  Volcano National  Park to the Rio Celeste, bird watching,  nature walks around the lodge, all with great photography opportunities.   A guide is recommended.

I suggest you stay two nights to get in all the tropical scenery, hikes, enjoy the tropical food and just relax..even get a massage.

For room rates, which vary with high and low seasons go to their web site to get the current rates.  Rates range from $150 -$225  plus tax for two persons per room including full breakfast.

Thinking of vacationing to Costa Rica?? Want to see most visited tourist destinations for yourself and  experience some of Costa Rica's culture, to help plan your trip?  Then you can purchase our Costa Rica travel video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular" Written and filmed by Ken Creed and Ann Creed (creators of costaricalearn.com)   To view the trailer and see how to purchase the video and have it delivered to your home- go to the home page of costaricalearn.com  and scroll to the top, click on BUY OUR VIDEO.   You can pay for it easily thru pay pal or with a major credit card.  You will love this 58 minute journey through the tiny tropical paradise of Costa Rica.  I guarantee it.

What's the Best and the Worst Costa Rica has to Offer?

Having lived in Costa Rica for eight years I can tell you from experience about the best things Costa Rica has to offer.  First is the weather.  Yes we have a rainy season -May thru mid December and a dry season mid-December through April.  We get lots of rain in the rainy season, always rains in the afternoons and that's why Costa Rica is so lush  and green.  The dry season brings sun and the many flowers burst with hundreds of colorful blooms.  People get out more and everyone seems to be smiling.

Next, Costa Rica has plenty of drinking water.  And for the most part it is good water.  It comes out of the natural springs of the mountainsides and flows down into the valleys.

The soil of Costa Rica is very fertile and with the help of plentiful rainfall,  crops can be grown year round.  So you never would suffer from hunger.  Bananas grow wild, so do may other types of tropical fruit.

Warm friendly ticos are one of Costa Rica's greatest assets.  They genuinely like North Americans.  And many speak English, esp the youth of Costa Rica.

Life is slow and easy here.  No one gets in a hurry, until they get behind the wheel of an automobile and then esp the male population changes their personality  and become aggressive and act in unintelligent manner.

If you like outdoor recreation, it is abundant here from the mountains to the beaches.

Medical care is good.  I have a private insurance and use the Cima Hospital in Escazu.  Cost is much less that the medical care in the USA.  Costa Rica has a gov. run health care system but people I spoke to who use it says it is slow and many times not  efficient.

If you have children, in the central valley of San Jose you will find very good private schools for elementary as well as high school.   University education is very good, esp the University of Costa Rica located in San Jose.

So now,  in my opinion, what are  the worst aspects of Costa Rica?  If I had a magic wand to solve the biggest problem I would say it is crime.  Petty thieves are the worst problem,  you really have to watch out for your belongings esp cameras, purses, etc.   When I first came to Costa Rica and saw all the homes with bars on the windows, I was very puzzled, but soon learned why these bars are needed.  Unfortunately,  lately the criminals are becoming more sophisticated and aggressive  now some of them have guns.  The police force doesn't  seem to be  strong enough  and seem inadequate in controlling crime.

Many foreigners, as well as the Costa Ricans,  live in gated communities where they feel safe.   There is a guard at the gate to monitor who comes and goes.

Patience is a virtue you cannot be without.   Things  just do not get done fast here in Costa Rica.  Mostly due to the massive bureaucracy.   And you will need an attorney to help muddle thru it.

Cars are expensive here in Costa Rica.  Because the gov. puts a steep tax on automobiles, and they are expensive to run due to the poor roads which have a lot of potholes.

Yes, the roads in general need upgrading and do have potholes.  Many roads in the remote areas require a 4x4 vehicle.

Costa Rica's Top Five Tourists Destinations

Having lived in Costa Rica and traveled extensively I can tell you about these most beautiful and exotic places in Costa Rica, starting with the top five.

Beginning on the eastern Caribbean side of Costa Rica there is the Tortuguero National Park and the Tortuguero Canals.  Then  further south on the Caribbean side is Cahuita and Puerto Viejo for the more laid back beach lovers.

2.In the central valley of San Jose and Alajuela is the Poas Volcano National Park and Four Generations Coffee Tour.

3.Continue traveling into north central Costa Rica and you will find the Arenal Volcano National Park and surrounding hot springs resorts

4. Then the beaches of NW Pacific Guanacaste..so many of them and so beautiful!

5. The south Pacific offers Corcovado National Park, bordering the deep blue Pacific Ocean with it's sandy beaches, this is a pristine primary rain forest filled with exotic birds and animals.

If you have questions about any one of these great destinations and learn why I picked these five, please email me.  Go to the home page, then to top of the page and click on Contact Us.  There you will find my email address.

The above photo is Poas Volcano National Park in the central valley of Costa rica.

Did You Know, Costa Rica's Beaches Belong to It's People

[caption id="attachment_3801" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Quiet  beach but at Easter time it is filled with Costa Ricans with tents and hammocks"][/caption]

Yes, all the beaches in Costa Rica belong to the people of Costa Rica.  No hotel can claim that you cannot access a certain beach because it is their property.

Building is not allowed on the beaches  50 meters from high tide.

Especially at holidays such as Christmas, New Years, and Easter you will find the beaches very crowded with Costa Ricans in tents.  They will bring a cooler, barbecue grill, guitar, and of course all the family including even the babies. They swing hammocks up between the palm trees and have  a great time visiting with each other and enjoying the sun and surf.

The night brings strumming and singing, bonfires, and Costa Rica's great beer, Imperial.

It's wonderful to see these people having so much fun, living the simple life.  Not spending a lot of money but having as much or more fun than those staying in a five star hotel.

Costa Rica, A Country filled With Natural Phenomenons including Four Active Volcanoes!

Costa Rica is a very small country about the size of the state of West Virginia in the USA.  It has a mountain range that runs right now thru the middle of the country from the north to the southern tip.  Located within this range are four active volcanoes.  Starting from the north is the mighty Arenal Volcano which huffs and puffs all day long shooting fire and hot rocks from its summit.  It is a big draw for tourism to the area.

Near the central valley of Costa Rica is the Irazu Volcano . The capital city of San Jose sits in it's shadow.  It had a major eruption in 1963 when it covered the central valley, esp San Jose in a blanket of ash.  At this moment it is quiet.  It is also a big tourist attraction and an easy day trip  from San Jose .

East of San Jose is the Turrialba Volcano which lately has been spraying ash for miles around its base.  It is off the beaten path and not many tourist go there because it is not easy to get to.

The there is the Poas Volcano, the volcano which draws the most tourist as well as Costa Rica visitors.  It is only one hour from San Jose by car and the drive up to is is just gorgeous.  Coffee plantations dot the sides of the mountains and dairy cows are seen grazing the deep green grass in the higher altitudes.  Lately it has been quite active spraying hot water and gasses high into the sky, almost one kilometer.

Costa Rica is a country filled with natural phenomenons.  Volcano eruptions, earthquakes, floods, but luckily Costa Rica does not get hurricanes.  If you would like to see the big eruption of 1958 of the Poas Volcano on video you can do just that.  Go to the top of our home page and click on "buy our video"  Also you will see on the video the mighty Arenal Volcano is action, as well as the Poas Volcano.

[caption id="attachment_3791" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ken and Ann at the Poas Volcano"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3794" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Areanl Volcano in the late afternoon with it's perfect cone"][/caption]

Visit Costa Rica's Exotic Southern Caribbean Coastline, Off the Beaten Path

[caption id="attachment_3780" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Canals of Tortuguero, Costa Rica's Caribbean"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3781" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="Lush tropical plants, Costa Rica's Caribbean"][/caption]

Come and tour Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean Coastline,  off the beaten path but truly a  an exotic tropical paradise.   Most tourist travel to this region by car.  Or take one of the private bus services  such as Greyline or purchase a transfer through the hotel where they are staying.  It's  around four hours by car  from San Jose, just take the main highway to Limon and just before you get to Limon you will take a right turn which leads you along the southern Caribbean Coast.  The road system here leaves a lot to be desired, quite a few dirt and gravel areas.

Immediately you will sense that this is a much more laid back part of Costa Rica than you have previously experienced.  But  lush and tropical with a jungle feeling.   The beaches are lined with palm trees and the warm ocean breeze blows almost constantly.  Rains a lot here-all year round.  A large portion of the population are the people whose descendants from  the island of Jamaica.  You will see their very colorful cultural influence everywhere here, from the  coconut infused food flavors  to the reggae music to  the bright huesof blue and yellow of the houses.

Which area should I visit?  First there is the Sloth Rescue Center, very unique plqce  where you can see baby sloths being cared for to be released into the wild as well as Buttercup, an eight year old sloth how resides at the rescue center.  She was picked up from the side of the riad after being hit by a car and taken to the refuge where she is living  happily.  This tour takes about 2 hours.  Learn more at www.slothrescue.org

Life style and beaches are the draw here.  Weather is rainy all year so one has to love rain to stay here very long.  The life style is very laid back and easy going.  Never see anyone in a hurry. The beaches are beautiful but not many of them are swimmable.  You see many rocky areas along the beach where the water washes up.  Lots of wild life and gorgeous  tropical plants and flowers.

The road system is in poor repair, lots dirt gravel areas and potholes.

Most tourist come here to experience this easy life style, visit the beaches, listen to the reggae music at night in the clubs, and watch the monkeys, sloths, iguanas, green parrots, and yes snakes.

Many small hotels sprinkle the beaches (no big resorts here).  Lots of local small restaurants serving Caribbean cuisine such as rice with coconut water, pineapple shrimp, fried plantains, and of course black beans with white rice.

www.greencoast.com  is  a great web site to great excellent information on tourism on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee Costa Rica Grows Great Coffee

[caption id="attachment_3788" align="alignleft" width="640" caption="First the coffee beans are green then they turn a bright red color"][/caption]

Coffee prompts social activity,  stimulates friendships and conversation, and should never be enjoyed alone.  You should always share it with someone.

So if you are traveling to Costa Rica take every opportunity to have a great cup of Costa Rican coffee.

Coffee is the "gold" of Costa Rica.  It made many Costa Rican families wealthy and created an elite class whose children are educated in North America and in Europe.

If you visit the central valley around San Jose, Alajuela, Grecia, and the surroundings you will see the green coffee trees with their red berries of coffee which are picked by hand  from November through January.   The picking is done mostly by Nicaraguans who live on the plantations.

Learn more about interesting  coffee tours at www.coffeetour.com

Also at www.dokaestates.com

Did You Know Quespos has a Marina Now?

[caption id="attachment_3766" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Sailfishing in Quepos, Costa Rica-catch and release"][/caption]

Yes, Quepos, Costa Rica has a marina now.  Being one of the most popular  sport fishing destinations in Costa Rica, this is very good news!  The marina comprises  forty acres and 97 docking slips and is  located just north of the old United Fruit Company pier in downtown Quepos.  It is privately owned and built by Harold Lovelady who came to Quepos eleven years ago to retire after a career in telecommunications in Texas.   Boats from Russia, Brazil, USA,  South Africa, and other countries in Europe have have floated into Pez Vela, the name given to the dock.  They come to fill their tanks with fuel and also to spend a few days in the beautiful tropical paradise with is sandy white beaches and Pacific blue waters.  Lovelady states that some of the boats hold thousands of gallons of fuel.   For example a yacht could hold 10,000 to 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel.   Jobs have been created for the locals to work on the  docks as well as hope for increased tourism to Manuel Antonio National Park and the surrounding area.

Quepos is famous worldwide for it's great sport fishing.   Many different kinds of fish can be caught,  from  sailfish, which are catch and release, to  large tuna, ,marlin,  dorado, snapper, and snook.   And the fishing is good year round.

Costaricalearn.com How can I find the aritcles I am interested in reading on your web site?

You can find the articles on costaricalearn.com by going to the different categories which are specific to the areas  researched and written about by Ann, the author of costaricalearn.com

These categories are listed on the right hand side of the home page of costaricalearn.com.

How Can I buy Your Costa Rica Travel Video?

You can buy our Costa Rica Travel Video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular"  from the home page of costaricalearn.com

Go the the top of the home page  (across the top)  and click on the block "Buy our video"  That will take you to the 2 minute trailer of the video and also if you scroll on down you will see "buy now" where you can purchase the video by credit card or pay pal.

Regards, costaricalearn.com

Costa Rica Travel Video

[caption id="attachment_3745" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Blue River in Northern Costa rica"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3746" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Giant Fern Tree Costa Rica Rainforest"][/caption]

Are you planning to travel to Costa Rica on vacation or some other reason such as business or seeking a place to retire?  We have the perfect travel video of Costa Rica.  Filmed by Ken Creed, a veteran travel adventure videographer whose film credits include "Alaska"  "Ireland"   and  Along the Blue Ridge Mountains"  Ken was  chosen by the National Geographic Society to present his films at their  travel adventure film series at Constitutional Hall in Washington  DC.

You can view a short trailer of "Costa Rica a Travel Adventure Spectacular"  on the home page of costaricalearn.com   Go  to top of the home page and click on "buy our video."  There you can view the short trailer of this Costa Rica travel video and also it can be purchased here

by using a credit card or pay pal.

Ostional Wildlife Refuge Costa Rica Off the Beaten Path for Tourist

Want to sea marine turtles lay their eggs  in the sandy beach?  Then travel to Costa Rica and witness the Oliver Ridley sea turtle lay its eggs at Ostional beach on the Pacific side of Costa Rica and visit  the Ostional Wildlife Refuge  created to protect one of the world's most important nesting sites for the marine turtle , the Olive Ridley,  or Lora as it is called in Costa Rica.  This wildlife refuge  is  definitely off the beaten path for tourist but very much worth while to make the trip.   A 4x4 vehicle is recommended due to the rugged road system in the area.

Best time of the year to witness this is August through December when the rainy season is heaviest in that region.   The Arribada occurs at the start of the last quarter moon during the months of August through December.  One could notice hundreds of turtles gathering close to shore several days before they begin to rush upon the sandy shores to lay their eggs.  They come out of the water all at once,  onto the sandy beach,  sometimes running over one another.  They begin in the very late afternoon and  continue coming  all night, until day light.  "Quite a sight to see"!  There they dig into the sand and lay their eggs.

[caption id="attachment_3732" align="alignleft" width="400" caption="road map for Ostional wildlife refuge located on Pacific side Costa Rica"][/caption]

Where is Ostional Wildlife Refuge located and how do I get there?   It is located on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. See map.  It can be reached by 4x4 vehicle from Nosara or from San Juanillo.   This is the province of Guanacaste, in the northwestern pacific coast of Costa Rica.   Drive from Liberia International airport in northern Costa Rica  around 1 hour and a half.  Drive from San Jose around four hours.

However in a very very heavy rainfall, the beach area may not be accessible.

If you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica and want to see first hand many of the most beautiful beaches,  rain forests, and wildlife refuges to help better plan your vacation then go to the home page of costaricalearn.com   At top of page click on buy our  costa rica travel video. You can view  the 2 min trailer of the full length  58 minute video  "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular" filmed by my husband Ken Creed whose travel adventure film credits include "Alaska" which was chosen by the National Geographic Society to be shown at  its travel adventure film series at Constitutional Hall in Washington DC.

Planning a Vacation to Costa Rica? Buy our Costa Rica Travel Video and See First Hand the Most Visited Tourist Destination

Are you planning a vacation to Costa Rica and have limited time and  need help choosing  the destinations you would like to visit?  We have just the thing to help you.  "Costa Rica a Travel Adventure Spectacular"   full length 58 minute  Costa Rica Travel video shows  you first hand the most beautiful and most popular tourist destinations in this tropical paradise of Costa Rica:  Poas Volcano National Park,  Arenal Volcano National Park and La Fortuna,   and Tortuguero  National Park and Tortuguero Canals, , Manuel Antonio National Park,  how coffee, Costa Rica's number one export  is grown and processed in Costa Rica, and additionally  many cultural  events such as the annual horse parade of Alajuela and the traditional  folkloric oxcart parade in the old town of San Antonio de Escazu are also included to give insight into Costa Rica's  colorful culture.   Plus interviews with North American who now live and retire in Costa Rica , explaining why they choose Costa Rica.

To order this video just go to the home page of costaricalearn.com. Look to the top of the page and click on buy our video.

To read about Ken and Ann Creed who produced and filmed the video go to the home page of costaricalearn.com you will find "About Us, Ken and Ann"

All of Nature Puts Humans in their Place, Because their Place is in Nature

[caption id="attachment_3716" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Waterfall along Blue River in Costa Rica"][/caption]

One half of the earth's forests have been lost in the last 300 years.  Tree's have been cut to built houses.  Whole forest have been cut to clear for pasture lands.  And Costa Rica is no exception.

Although Costa Rica has placed 20% of its land surface under the protection of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves, still trees are being cut to clear the way for large tourism developments.  Big hotels with hundreds of room.  Especially in the NW Pacific  Guanacaste province.   This area has a lot of sunshine all year, more than any other area of Costa Rica.  Therefore, sun worshipers  flock here by the thousands especially December through March when the cold weather in North America is quiet unpleasant.

Tourists come to Costa Rica mostly to be with nature.  The mountains, oceans, rivers,  and abundant  rain forest  draw people here where they experience this tropical paradise.

What is it exactly that makes Costa Rica for appealing?  First is the climate.  Sunshine, sunshine, and more sunshine.  If you want to be in a cool place go to the mountains and if you want a warm place then go to the beach.  Everything is only a few hours by car and even faster by air.  Costa Rica has two domestic air carriers which fly to all the popular tourist destinations.

Costa Rica has an abundance of water due to the heavy rainfall from May to December.  Everywhere you see waterfalls.  And so many shades of green.

Not all the world has an abundance of water and with 6 billion people on the earth with so many not conserving water, not using it wisely  could lead to a water shortage in some parts of the world.

Do you believe that the human race's place is in nature?   We would like to hear you comments here at costaricalearn.com

Let's Protect the Leatherback Turtle of Costa Rica

This article is by Cristian Barboza who was born in Costa Rica and is a reader of costaricalearn.com.

It would be a shame not only for us Ticos, but for all humanity to loose such a precious and majestic creature as the  endangered Leatherback turtle, the largest sea turtle on earth.

[caption id="attachment_3711" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Largest Sea Turtle in the World, the endangered Leatherback"][/caption]

We as humans must respect our environment and protect it.  If not we will loose part of our history and in the process loose part of ourselves.

We humans have the capability to protect all species and to make sure they are not killed off by ridiculous  and old fashioned customs.

Let's unite our efforts and make sure we do all we can to preserve this beautiful planet and all the treasurers on it.

Thank you Christian for these wise words.

Traveling to Costa Rica During Semana Santa, Renting A Car? Beware, Do Not Speed

If you are traveling to Costa Rica for Semana Santa (Easter Week) for fun in the sun and are planning to rent a car...a word of warning ..obey the traffic laws because there will be a lot of highway patrolmen  on the open highways esp Highway 1  better known as the Intermaerican  Highway.  Also the road to Jaco Beach will be filled with Highway patrolmen.  You will need your North American drivers license and your passport and of course the papers proving that you are renting the car.  Speeding tickets are very expensive, sometimes up to $100's of dollars.

Penalties for  driving and drinking are very stiff in Costa Rica now.  Hugh fines!!  And sometimes depending on the severity of the situation even a jail sentence.

If you happen to get a ticket do not pay the patrolman at the scene.  Even if he tells you to do it.  Take the traffic ticket back with you to the rental car company and they will assist you in settling it.

Semana Santa is Costa Rican's favorite time to go to the beach and this year all the government employees have been given the entire week off work.  So the beaches will be flooded with people.  As well as the highways.  Expect long lines of cars to get from San Jose to the northern Guanacaste beaches.

A New Grand-Daughter!

[caption id="attachment_3701" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Four weeks of age."][/caption]

what size shoe?

I have not written in several weeks because I have been with my new granddaughter, Cara Isabella,  and her parents, my daughter Maria and her husband John in Brooklyn, NY.  Born February 14th and weighing almost nine pounds, she is a little bundle of joy., I should I say a big bundle of joy!   She is my first grandchild and now I know why these little creatures are called grandchildren.  They are indeed grand!

Fair skin and blue eyes of her Irish father and dark brown hair and large wide eyes of her Spanish mother.

She kept her parents and me (three adults) under her command, not being able to speak a single word.  But she sure could cry!    We could not bear even a whimper so of course she learned fast that being in our arms was better than in the crib.

I took the 3 a.m. shift of feeding her allowing her mother and dad to get some rest.  But during the day I was unable to sleep, guess it was the excitement of it all.

She recently had her one month birthday party....three new pink outfits size three months, yes three months...she is going to be a tall girl--her Dad is six feet and she has his  long slim body with  long feet, toes, and fingers.

When Cara learns to walk I would like to take her to a beautiful Costa Rica beach and let her play in the blue waters of the Pacific and walk barefoot in the soft sand.

Costa Rica's First Female President: Laura Chinchilla!!

[caption id="attachment_3683" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Costa Rica's first woman president Laura Chinchilla"][/caption]

Congratulations to Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica's first female president, elected with 46% of the votes cast,  sixty years after women were first allowed to vote in Costa Rica.  Ms Chinchilla was Oscar Arias' Vice President and Minister of Justice.  She pledges to put security at the top of her agenda.  She also pledged to  support education and strengthen the National  Health Care System in Costa Rica, and improve the protection and conservation of the environment.

Ms. Chinchilla is considered one of the most conservative Costa Rican politicians concerning many social issues.  She is against abortion and against granting civil recognition for homosexual couples.   She opposed any amendment to the constitution aimed at separation of church and state.  The constitution currently defines Costa Rica as a Roman Catholic nation.

"Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular" Video Customer Reviews

We would like to share with you some comments we received from a gentleman who recently purchased our video.   He says, " I am a senior residing in New Jersey and I purchased your video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular".  What a visual delight.  Insightful, soft, stunning.  With good insight into Tico life with just sufficient dialogue to allow the viewer to take in the sights and sounds.  A real achievement and testament to the many hours of work that went into the final cut.  Well done and Thank You!    Robert M.  Denville, New Jersey

Monteverde Costa Rica, Home of the Quetzal

[caption id="attachment_3671" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Giant Fern Tree Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve"][/caption]

Monteverde Costa Rica is filled with tourist from all over the world from January through March which is the time it rains less.  It is located high in the cloudy rain forest, atop the continental divide and about 110 miles from San Jose, the capital city.  The only access is by road and the road (from the Interamerican highway (highway 1) is about 26  miles (43 km) of dirt, rocks and gravel taking  over one hour to navigate.   How to get to Monteverde?  Take the Interamerican Highway north.  22 miles past the Puntarenas turnoff--on the Interamerican Highway are signs which are not easy to see so go slow and look carefully.  If you get to the Lagarto River you have gone too far.   It will be a right turn onto a dirt and gravel road  going for 26 miles winding up into the Cordillera de Tiliran mountain range until you arrive to the small town of Santa Elena (Monteverde)  Allow 4 hours drive from San Jose and do not do the drive at night.

A group of Quakers from Alabama came to settle here in the 1950s as a place free from militarism.  They supported themselves by making cheese from the milk cows they raised.  Today this cheese is famous all over Costa Rica and can be purchased in most of the local grocery stores.

The infrastructure in and around Monteverde is basic.  Many of the roads remain unpaved.  You feel very peaceful here because it does have feel over developed by large hotel chains.  The accommodations are small and many of them are locally run.  The more upscale is the Hotel Sapo Dorado, Pension Heliconia,  and Hotel Belmar.  Also you will find many smaller pension type accommodations run by the locals.

What are the big attractions here?  1.  The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve- This reserve is home to the Resplendent Quetzal, the most spectacular bird in the tropics.  It is a large bird with  long iridescent  green tail feathers.  The Mayan people of Guatemala believed the Quetzal to be the "Bird of Life" and symbolized supreme freedom.   These birds are not easy to spot and one should hire a local guide if you want to see one.

2. And of course you will find tourist attractions  such as zip line tours (Canopy Tours)  and walks over swinging bridges, butterfly farms, hummingbird gallery, snake exhibits, orchid gardens, horseback riding,  and the Quaker cheese factory tour.   You should stay a minimum of three nights to experience this place.

The weather is very cool and humid since it is in a cloud forest so you need a rain jacket and warm clothes plus very comfortable walking shoes or hiking boots.

Many restaurants are scattered around town.  And most hotels include a full breakfast in their room price.  Unique is the homemade granola made fresh daily from 100%  locally grown  ingredients. If you are there on the weekend be sure to go to the Santa Elena local farmers market where  you will find all the home grown vegetables and fruits.  Many of them are organically grown, plus you can interact with the locals.

Monteverde has some very nice art galleries, feathering beautiful work  by local artisans.    Just ask at your hotel.  This is a small community and the galleries are easy to locate.

Monteverde is also famous for the "Golden Toads" which are now believed to be extinct.  Scientist do not know why but speculate that a fungus killed them.

If you are traveling to Costa Rica and are looking for a laid back destination to experience the rain forest and unspoiled natural beauty then put Monteverde on your itinerary.  Tips: 1. Rains a lot here especially August, Sept, Oct.  Best to visit January through April when it rains less.  Also more tourist come in these months and there is more activity-restaurants etc.   2. You need a 4x4 if you are renting a vehicle to drive there.    3.  public bus goes daily to Monteverde from San Jose  and back to San Jose.

I would spend the money and hire a local guide who knows where all the birds and wildlife can be located.

The National Theater, "An Architectural Gem"

 

[caption id="attachment_3654" align="aligncenter" width="150" caption="Golden Frog, Gold Museum, San Jose Costa Rica"][/caption]

Inside the National Theater, Neoclassical Architecture

The National Theater located in the heart of San Jose, Costa Rica's capital city is an architectural gem.  It is a copy of the famous Paris Opera House.  If you are traveling to Costa Rica on vacation and are in San Jose be sure and go see it or even better attend a performance.   Costa Rica's symphony orchestra plays on Friday evenings  during symphony season.

The theater was built in 1897 when the wealthy coffee barons  of Costa Rica decided they needed an appropriate stage for operas coming from Europe.  The first opera performed was a magnificent performance of Faust and was  attended by the President and a select, finely dressed audience.

In the rear of the National Theater is the Gold Museum, which houses hundreds of  pre Colombian gold artifacts, some of which date back to 500 years B.C.  Definitely this is one of the best museums in San Jose so make time to visit.  Takes about one hour to see it all. There is an admission fee.

Outside the National Theater is the Plaza de Cultura and is a great place just to sit and watch the people walking by.  Mid-day is good when  the people are on their lunch break and the streets are bustling with activity.

San Jose is not a particularly pretty city.  It's noisy with lots of buses and cars and seems unorganized.  It's hard to find your way because the streets and avenues are not well marked.  Best to take a taxi which is relatively inexpensive.  If you are looking for a place to stay in San Jose I recommend that you go to the following web site which has a good choice of hotels in San Jose with discount prices  www.hoteltravel.com/costarica/sanjose/hotels/htm

 

Limon is a town located on Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3639" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Private garden on Caribbean coast of Costa Rica"][/caption]

I have heard many travelers to Costa Rica talk about traveling to Limon and saying, "My it is not at all an attractive town and located in such a beautiful coastline on the Caribbean side of  Costa Rica with palm trees and warm Caribbean winds which blow each day.  Limon is a port city and this is one reason it is so unattractive.  Filled will big trucks and large containers  filled with all sorts of things coming into Costa Rica and leaving Costa Rica.   And the weather is  hot and steamy here and rains a lot..all year round.  Takes around 3.5 hours to drive to Limon from the capital city of San Jose.  The road is good and very scenic winding through  Braulio Carrillo National Park with its dense forests and tall mountains.  You dont' want to drive this road after dark due to the dense fog that sets in as you pass thru  Braulio  Carrillo National park.  Then you arrive to the Atlantic lowland forest where you can immediately feel the temperatures warming and feel hot and steamy.

In the 17th century there were cocoa plantations in these Atlantic  lowland areas which were worked by slaves from Africa.  But in the early 1800s the cocoa production was halted.  There was constant trouble from raids by pirates, English pirates from Jamaica, along with the local Miskitos  (indigenous people inhabiting this area of Costa Rica.)

Today this area is planted in Bananas which is the second largest product of export for Costa Rica.  Coffee is first.

Around 1871 the Costa Rican government, because of the growth of the coffee export market, decided that it needed a port of the Atlantic side to facilitae getting the coffee to Europe, so the port of Limon was established in a place that was little more than a migrant black fisherman's village consisting of five huts.  And in the same year the Atlantic Railroad was constructed which went from San Jose to Limon.   Workers were brought to work on the railroad from China, Jamaica, and Italy.  Today we see many Chinese, Italians, and Black people who remained in the area and made it their home.

So Limon became a banana town and a railroad town, populated mostly by blacks from Jamaica and Chinese.  These people who worked on the Banana plantations were no given any rights of citizenship  by the Costa Rica government.  They were not allowed to  move from this area and go to work in San Jose or any other towns of Costa Rica.  However, today the story is quite different and they are full fledged citizens of Costa Rica and work where ever they can find work.

"SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY"

Tourism is a big thing if you travel south of Limon on the coastal road.  Most of these roads are in great need of repair but the landscape along the beaches is beautiful with palm trees swaying in the tropical wind.  You don't see large fancy hotel complexes here,  just small hotels.  The weather is not really suitable to draw the big crowds of tourist to the sun because it rains here all year round.   Life seems very laid back , no one in a hurry.  Lots of people of all ages riding bicycles.  "Just summer time and the living is easy"  There is lots of wildlife here such as sloths, howler monkeys, and so many colorful tropical birds!  The flowers and shrubs are so unique...no seen in any other parts of Costa Rica.

Costaricalearn.com filmed the Tortuguero Canals and Tortuguero National Park and the inhabitants there.  This National Park is located a few miles north of Limon.  You can see it on our video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video."    Just go to home page and there see the 2 minute trailor and if you would like your own full length copy, you can order  it there.

An Amazing Diversity: Costa Rica

Costa Rica is not a Caribbean Island but the center of the Central American Isthmus.  Traveling around in Costa Rica you would think that you are in a large country and you think it might take months to explore it all. But it reality it's land mass is only 20,000 square miles and one of the smallest countries in Latin America.   Costa Rica is bordered to the east by the Caribbean Sea and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. To the north by Nicaragua and to the south by Panama. Costa Rica is more diverse than any place it's size on the face of the earth.  It is divided into several distinct regions and each of these regions looks and feels as an entirely different place.

Costa Rica attracts an international community of visitors: Conservationist, biologist, birdwatchers, environmentalists, naturalists, and tourists who are ecologically minded.

Three mountain ranges transverse Costa Rica from the northwest to the southeast:  the Guanacaste range, the Central, and then the Talamanca.  And the highest peak is Chirripo at 12,500 feet in altitude.

Then there is the network of rivers which rise from the mountains and flow to the sea on both coasts.  And provide a seemingly endless supply of  fresh water and hydraulic power.

The soil in the Central Valley is very rich due to the volcanic ash falling over the centuries, and is ideal for the production of coffee, which is Costa Rica's number one export.

Although Costa Rica has several extinct volcanoes several  remain active such as the Poas, the Arenal, the Turrialba,  and the Irazu.  The most active is the Arenal which spurts a daily fireworks show  from it's might summit.

Most of the people of Costa Rica live in the Central Valley in the two largest cities of San Jose, the capital, and Alajuela where the international airport is located.  The elevation here ranges from 1500 feet to 4,500 feet which makes the  climate very nice and relatively pleasant and cool.

Near the coastlines the temperatures are much warmer, averaging around eighty degrees.  But there seems to always be an ocean breeze to help cool things off.

Costa Rica gets a lot of rainfall and that is why it has such gorgeous rain forest.  The rain  comes around mid May and lasts until the end of November although very often you will get sunny mornings with the rain coming around 2 pm.  The dry season is December through April when most of the days are sunny and cooler.  However there are different ecosystems in Costa Rica.  The Caribbean coastlines gets a lot more rain all year round.  And Guanacaste on the northwestern part of the country gets a lot less rainfall year round.  That is way the large mega hotels for beach lovers are located on this NW Pacific coastlines of Guanacaste.

So the unique thing about Costa Rica's climate is that you can be in a very cool place at a higher altitude  with a fireplace and then a day later be at the beach in the warm sunshine where the temperature is around 80 degrees F.

Costa Rica's government has been very wise in setting aside over twenty percent of it's land in National Parks and Wildlife Reserves which to date are more than thirty.  No other country in the world comes close to such a statistic.  Other astounding statistics:  Almost a million different species of flora and fauna,  fifty thousand species of insects, eighty hundred and fifty species birds, two thousand species of orchids.

Of the the first naturalists to help protect Costa Rica's rain forest was Swedish couple named Nils and Olaf Wessberg who came to Costa Rica in 1955 and settled on a farm near Montezuma on the Nicoya peninsula.  The built a home of paln leaves, determined to live in harmony with nature.  They watched all around them with dismay as the virgin rain forest was cut down, so they became activists and raised money to purchase the land ($30,000)  2,930 acres which today constitutes Cabo Blanco Strict Nature Reserve.

A student of Costa Rica forestry named Mario Boza was effective in movement to establish Santa Rosa National park which is located in the Northwestern province of Guanacaste. This was Costa Rica's first National Park, created in 1969.

Rodrigo Carazo, president of Costa Rica from 1978-1982 said, "The National parks are splendid natural laboratories which we offer to the international scientific community and also to young children and to  adults, young and old,  to visit these parks and enjoy direst contact with nature in it's pristine state."

[caption id="attachment_3633" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Giant fern tree in Costa Rica's Rain forest"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3634" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="850 different species of birds in Costa Rica"][/caption]

If you would like to see Costa Rica up close please go to the home page of costaricalearn.com and there you may order our full length 58 minute travel adventure video on Costa Rica's natural wonders and vast biodiversity.  Listen to the interviews of three couples who have made Costa Rica their new home and why they love it so much. It is filmed by Ken and Ann Creed.  It is named "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video"Ken is a professional videographer and has worked done  travel adventure films which have been presented for National Geographic.

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica?  Contact Ann "The Costa Rica Expert". She will design that perfect vacation -get a away- to fit just your needs and budget. Contact her by going to her web page

www.costaricalearn.com

Tarantula!! "ouch!"....

 

[caption id="attachment_3624" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Can't Believe. It's a Blue Tarantula!!"][/caption]

Yes there are Tarantulas in Costa Rica!  But are they dangerous?  I have  always been told, when inquiring, that  Tarantulas found in Costa Rica are not deadly but if they happen to bite you, "0uch!"  The experience results in a great deal of pain.  Also if they urinate on you, it will cause extreme irritatioin of the skin.

Tarantulas of different sizes live in Costa Rica, some live in banana plants, others live in holes in the earth.  I saw one in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve  which was around 3 inches in diameter, and it lived in a large black hole in the earth.  And you can bet I did not get close to it!

I lived in Cariari neighborhood near the international airport in Costa Rica and a tarantula, about one  inches in diameter,  lived in a hole in the grasses in my backyard.  The Tarantula crept into my kitchen around 8 pm to munch of the crumbs I had dropped on the floor.  I scooped him up and returned him to the grass but he kept coming back each night.  My young son was visiting and offered advice as to how to remedy the Tarantula visits such as keeping the kitchen floor spotless.  But this did not stop the visits.  Finally I put him in my dust pan, then  walked two blocks from my house and put him in the grasses there.  No more Tarantula visits.

I am very afraid of spiders, especially Tarantulas.  Guess it's because they are big and hairy.  As a child I had nightmares about spiders.  So living in the land of Tarantulas was to say the least a little frightening.

I read a story in the NY Times Travel section about a guy who had a pet Tarantula, which he thought was fun and not the least bit aggressive.  Well, he was cleaning the spider's cage one day and I suppose the Tarantula had rather been left to rest.  The Tarantula scratched his stomach and hundreds of tiny hairs sprayed all around, some going into the owners eye.  And to the hospital he went, requiring surgery to cleanse the eye of these tiny hairs.

I have never heard of a cobalt  blue Tarantula in Costa Rica, but that does not mean that there is not one in Costa Rica!!  After all isn't everything in the tropics is very colorful?

[caption id="attachment_3617" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tarantula!!"][/caption]

My Favorite National Park in Costa Rica: Arenal Volcano National Park

[caption id="attachment_3600" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Papayas in Arenal Region"][/caption]

Mighty Arenal with slight cloud cover

"My Best Acquaintances are Those With with Whom I Speak No Words"

I never tire of visiting The Arenal Volcano National park in Costa Rica. This is truly a place to reach out and touch nature, peaceful and quiet with only the sounds of the mighty Arenal huffing and puffing it's  hot lava from it's giant mouth. Each time I visit I learn something new and different and extremely interesting about the park and the ecosystem surrounding it.   A big question is :  why is there a cloud cover over the summit of the volcano--most of the time?   First, there is a lot of rain-all year round- in the San Carlos Valley where the volcano is located.  And also scientist say that the volcano creates it's own ecosystem.  Constantly puffing not steam and hot lava rocks into the atmosphere.

So it is a lucky visitor who gets to see the entire volcano without the cloud cover.  The best time to see it is to get up at sunrise to see it when the cloud cover has not yet moved over it's summit.  up until around 10 a.m. you may have a good chance of seeing it.   Also the north face of the volcano (from Lake Arenal) is a better chance of a better view.

People ask me, what month should I visit to be able to see Arenal Volcano.  March is a drier month, with less rainfall.  Although there is no dry or rainy season  around the volcano.  The lush rain forests  give testimony to the abundant rainfall...all year round.

This rainfall brings the beautiful tropical flowers and abundant crops this region is so famous for. There are papayas, pineapple, coconuts, bananas,  and platanos.  Plants grow so fast here that farms have been established to grow and export ornamental plants, many of them to the United States and Europe.

And there is the hot mineral springs that flow from deep inside the base of Arenal.  Such soothing waters!  A sure cure for the aching muscles after a long hike.

One of my favorite activities is to get up a 5:30 am as the sun is rising and go birdwatching. Early in the morning the birds are singing and flying through the trees.  I saw tow different species of Toucans.  I was hoping for a scarlet macaw but was informed that the scarlets are not normally found in this region.

And my other favorite activity is to take my digital camera and capture the Volcano, which is not an easy task.  My best photograph is from a boat on the Arenal Lake taken about 8:30 am. Lots of dark brown marine birds flew over and the volcano was in the back drop..with no clouds covering!  I got lucky.

When I visit Arenal Volcano National park,   I like to stay a least four nights or longer.  I always find interesting things to see and do.   From taking a hike inside the National park to a horseback ride on a farm near by.

Traveling to Costa Rica? I highly recommend the area of La Fortuna and Arenal Volcano National Park,  a unique place to visit!

"Arribada" Olive Ridley Sea Turtles Arrive to Ostional Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3591" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Olive Ridley Sea Turtle,  Ostional Costa Rica"][/caption]

"The Phases of the Moon, Rainfall, and Black Volcanic Sand of the Beaches at Ostional"  "Arribada" Costa Rica

Traveling to Costa Rica and want to see the nesting rituals of the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle?  Then come in the months of August through December when there is more rainfall on the central Pacific Nicoya Peninsula at a place called Ostional Beach.  It is located near the town of Nosara.

A phenomenon called "arribada" occurs.  This is a Spanish word meaning arrival.  Hundreds or even thousands of Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive  upon these dark sandy beaches to nest and lay their eggs.

The largest arribada recorded was in 1995 when 500,000 turtles came onto this fifteen km stretch of beach and laid up to ten million eggs.

The Costa Rican gov has established a protected area for these sea turtles called The Ostional Wildlife Refuge.

After 45-55 days the eggs hatch and the small turtles race to the ocean.  After approx 15 years these same turtles return to this place of their birth and lay their eggs into the black volcanic sands of Ostional.

If you would like to read more of costaricalearn.com interesting and educational articles about Costa Rica and Costa Rica Travel go to the home page and take a look at the CATEGORIES  You may find something there that will be of interest to you.

Spotlight Costa Rica, Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast Hotel Tortuguero Costa Rica, A Delightful Place!

 

[caption id="attachment_3580" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Early morning kayaking,Tortuguero Canals Costa Rica"][/caption]

"A Simple Place in A Natural Setting"

Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast is in the heart of Tortuguero village, Costa Rica. Owner Daryl Loth can provide extensive directions on how to get to the inn via a combination of public buses and water taxis. Visitors can ask boats to drop them off on Casa Marbella's back dock, right on the canal. Local airlines Nature Air and Sansa also serve Tortuguero.
Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast hotel in Tortuguero Costa Rica  offers reasonable room rates.  The best rooms are upstairs where you feel the tropical breeze and hear the ocean surf. From July 1 to Oct. 30 and Dec. 1 to April 30, singles are $35, doubles are $40 and triples are $50; the rest of the year, subtract $5. There are also two superior rooms with a canal view on the first and second floor for $50 and $60, respectively, year-round. Contact the inn to inquire about rates for a family room with a double bed and three single beds. Rates include taxes and full breakfast served between 7 and 10 a.m. There are no ATMs in Tortuguero and the inn does not accept credit cards, so plan accordingly.

Loth leads morning boat tours of the canals for $20 (plus $10 admission to Tortuguero National Park) and can arrange evening turtle-spotting tours for $20.

“We run the kind of place we'd want to stay in – clean and laid back,” Loth said.

Loth is being modest. Casa Marbella is an immaculate, relaxing and affordable jewel, run by an owner renowned for his local knowledge. Guests at more expensive lodges might consider whether their pricier accommodations buy them the personal attention or wildlife expertise that a stay at Casa Marbella provides – and that make a visit to Tortuguero such a special experience.

The location of the inn is excellent.  It  sits right on Tortuguero's signature canals, at the edge of Tortuguero National Park.   The brightly painted  green and yellow inn has a kitchen area   where guests can  conveniently store food and drinks in the refrigerator, use the microwave and borrow from the hotel's stash of guidebooks.

Overlooking the canal is a covered breakfast area, where guests enjoy  hearty breakfast following morning rain forest tours.  The kitchen turns out  scrambled eggs, pancakes or French toast, juicy mango, guava, watermelon and pineapple slices, toast, orange juice, coffee and tea. Loth said he might add hammocks to this area so guests can relax , read a book or watch the local everyday life of Tortuguero.
The inn is located on Tortuguero's main road, across the street from the town's church and within easy walking distance of a number of excellent Caribbean restaurants. Just a few hundred meters away is the beach, where, at night, giant sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.  However, the beach is not suitable for swimming.  The undertow is too great.

The rooms on the inn's second level are bright and airy, yellow-and-white curtains framing windows that let in ample sunshine and the sound of the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The downstairs rooms aren't quite as open but boast high ceilings and can sleep two to three people.  Everything is very clean.  The rooms have hardwood floors, fans.  Some rooms have private baths so you need to be specific when booking.

Internet access is offered in the hotel's internet cafe.
Loth  offers  extensive advice and tips  – including detailed instructions on traveling to Tortuguero on local buses and boats – and recommending mouthwateringly good restaurants.
Visitors don't have to stay at Casa Marbella to take Loth's tours.   If he is not available to give a tour, he knows a number of local guides who can.
Loth is up at 4:30 a.m. most mornings to start coffee and prepare his boat for rain forest tours – his favorite kind.

Loth knows where to locate the wildlife and  brings guests in close contact with howler, spider and white-faced capuchin monkeys, toucans, caimans, several varieties of heron and more. His enthusiasm is infectious, as he shares stories about the animals' migration patterns, hunting habits and history in the region – all with a sense of humor and appreciation of the natural surroundings.

Travel tips:  Rains a lot here year round...no wet or dry season...so pack a small folding umbrella and a lightweight rain jacket.  Good tennis shoes which are comfortable to walk.  Mosquito repellent and apply it around 4:30 pm.  Do not try to go swimming in ocean, strong rip tides.

Backpack with a bottle of water, bird binoculars, camera, etc.

To learn more about Casa Marbella Tortuguero Costa Rica go to www.casamarbella.tripod.com

How to Get to Tortuguero Costa Rica on your own without going with a Tour Group

This article will tell you how you can get to Tortuguero and Tortuguero national Park, Costa Rica on your own without going with a Tour Group.   Take the public bus in San Jose at 9 a.m. and go to Cariari.

Take the 11:30 bus from Cariari to La Pavona  where a boat will be waiting for this bus.  It's called the Clic boat.  This boat takes you to the village of Tortuguero.

I'd like to share a very nice story with you about a young man named Daryl Loth who along with his Costa Rican wife own and operate  Casa Marbella Bed and Breakfast Hotel in the village of Tortuguero.  Darly came to Tortuguero has a volunteer at a Canadian Biological station.  He loved it so much that he stayed.  He meet a young Costa Rican woman, feel in love, and married.  They now have two children ages 9 and 7.

The B&B is quaint, offers a full Caribbean style breakfast, comfortable rooms, and Daryl will be your personal guide during your stay.  Which is great for you because he knows the area, where the wildlife are located, and when the green sea turtles come upon shore to lay their eggs.  The room rates are very reasonable at around $40 for a double occupancy.

Daryl will show you around Tortuguero village, a small quaint village  right on the Tortuguero canals located on the northern Caribbean

[caption id="attachment_3570" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Casa Marbella B&B Tortuguero Costa Rica"][/caption]

coastline of Costa Rica.   Life is slow and easy here, no cars since access is by boat or air.   Only a few hundred people live here because it is so remote.  Tourism and fishing are the two industries here.   There is a small airstrip where  Costa Rica carriers (Sansa Air  and Nature Air)  fly people in and out.

Rains a lot in Tortuguero Village all year round.  The beaches have a beige colored sand and are quite beautiful but are not suitable for swimming.  The surf is very very strong and undertow is dangerous.

Biggest tourist attraction here are the Tortuguero Canals, narrow inland paths of water filled with crocodiles,  small turtles, Jesus Christ Lizards, howler monkeys, Toucans, wild banana trees, and a gorgeous rain forest which grows all the way up to the banks of the canals.

To learn more about how to get to Tortuguero and what to see and do go to

www.tortuguerovillage.com

On Making A Travel Adventure Video in Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3552" align="aligncenter" width="390" caption="nightly fire works show at the Arenal volcano"][/caption]

We were vacationing in Costa Rica near the Arenal Volcano at the Arenal Observatory Lodge and Ken said to me " Wow what a spectacular sight!" As the red hot lava and giant fiery rocks shot from the summit of the mighty Arenal.  So he picked up his video camera and started shooting.  Thus was the beginning our "making a travel adventure video in Costa Rica,"  taking us from the North Central Region of Costa Rica  to the North West Pacific Beaches of Guanacaste,  on to the Central Pacific to Manuel Antonio, and finally to the Caribbean coast.

Initially I had the idea to make a film on Living and Retiring in Costa Rica since I had actually done that myself.  I stayed eight years in this beautiful little country, loved the simplicity of the way of life, and was priviledged to learn quite a bit of the  Spanish language  which enabled me to get to know many of the locals.  I learned to eat their food, listen to their music, and dance their dance.  So when my videographer husband Ken came with me for the first time to Costa Rica he brought along his video camera.

As Ken began to experience Costa Rica he said "This country is so beautiful."  "Let's include in the film the beaches, mountains, and rain forest."  Thus our quest began and led us back to Costa Rica for three consecutive summers.  We wrote script and filmed footage and along the way created  a visually beautiful film.   The finished product is the video which we gave the name-"Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular."   And spectacular it is!

We met so many wonderful Costa Ricans who were tremendously helpful.  The owners of Arpe,  a large construction materials  company located on main street  in Alajuela  created a space for Ken and his video camera right up on the stage  which was constructed for  the employees to view the annual Horse Parade (know  in Spanish as "Tope")   One thousand horses and their proud riders began the parade.  The  horses were  of  Andalusian descent, brought from the mother country of Spain.  These gentle and  graceful horses danced to the music of the Ranchero  while the enchanted onlookers snapped photos and greeted the riders.

Our most exciting moment was a BIG adventure called The  Canopy Tour.  Ken with the tour guide strapped behind him and video camera in hand zipped  along twelve different zip lines high up over the rain forest canopy.  How Ken was able to hold the camera steady and hold on tight to the zip line rope is still a mystery to me.   Then the rain came down in drops as large as quarters but to my surprise and delight the rain drops were warm.  We got drenched  from head to toe, but took it all in stride and laughed a lot.  After all we were in the Rain Forest!

We returned with  thirty five hours of footage and Ken began his long hours and late nights of editing, deciding what to put in the film and what to leave out, not an easy task.  Costa Rica is a small country of  spectacular beauty  and we would have loved to have made the film longer to include it all.  Knowing that we wanted  a film of approximately sixty  minutes we  sat down to the difficult  task of deciding what to omit.   But we were so pleased to be able to include three different interviews with North Americans who live in Costa Rica in the central valley areas of Escazu and the two mountain side communities of Heredia and Grecia.   Their stories are an insightful look at their daily  lives   in a small tropical country where the sun shines everyday,  and where "Pura Vida"  or "Pure Life"  is the country's  motto.

We sincerely feel that  if you choose to purchase the video, you will be happy with it.  You will experience the immense beauty of a small area of our earth where the rain forest are preserved. More than twenty per cent of it's territory has been set aside for National Parks and Wildlife Preserves.  We would love to hear from you, with your comments on the video at "Contact Us" at the top of the Home page.

Best Wishes,   Ann and Ken at costaricalearn.com

Thinking of Retiring to Costa Rica? Then the video Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular is for You!

"IT'S SUMMER TIME AND THE LIVING IS EASY"

If you are thinking of retiring to Costa Rica and want to hear first hand what is it like from North Americans who have done just that, then our video Costa Rica A Travel  Adventure Spectacular offers you the opportunity to hear the  testimonials of three different couples from North America who have moved to Costa Rica to retire or to work.  One couple is from Canada and live in Grecia.  He commutes to Canada where he is a consultant for a large corporation.  Another couple live in Escazu.  She works in the US part of the time.  The last is a writer and relocation tour specialist who makes Costa Rica his home full time.  Learn from these people all the reasons to come to Costa Rica, the excellent climate, warm friendly people,  great fresh food, excellent affordable medical care, and much more!

You can do this by purchasing our fifty eight minute video on the home page of costaricalearn.com   First you can preview the film by watching the two minute trailer.

We are confident that you will love the film!

Planning a Vacation to Costa Rica? Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Video is the Tool to help you plan that Special Vacation

Planning a vacation to Costa Rica? Would like to know where to go and what to do.  Well our video, Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular is a tool to help you.  You will see many of the popular tourist destinations in this film and the fun filled activities at each.  We cover the Arenal Volcano National Park with the erupting mightly Arenal Volcano and the small town of La Fortuna, the gateway to the Arenal area.  We show you the best zip line tours, and the best hot springs.   In addition, The Caribbean Coast, The Tortuguero National Parks and the Tortuguero Canals are shown in the film.   In Central Valley we show the Poas Volcano National Park, the largest geyser in the world stretching a mile in width- and a wonderful coffee plantation tour called Doka Four Generations Coffee tour.  We show San Jose and Escazu.  The beaches of the NW Pacific Coast of Guanacaste are highlighted  showing  the sandy sun filled beaches with surfers and sunbathers.    At Manuel Antonio National park  in the mid Pacific coast we show the best beaches within the park as well as the popular hiking trails  and the wildlife such as the white face monkeys, sloths, and Iguanas.

You will see cultural events such as the colorful Oxcart parade in Old Escazu and The Horse Parade of Alajuela with it's one thousand Andalusian horses.  And there is so much more.

Wonder what it is like to live and retire in Costa Rica?  We have three interviews with North Americans  who have done just that!  They tell their stories about why they came and explain why they love Costa Rica and have stayed.  You see where they live and learn about their lifestyles.

You can view a two minute trailer of this Costa Rica travel video on the home page of costaricalearn.com And also order the video on that same page.  We sincerely feel that you will love this video.  You and your entire family will get  fifty eight minutes of entertaining information presented to you "all about Costa Rica"  from Costa Rica A Travel Adventure S

[caption id="attachment_3537" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Poas Volcano National Park"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3538" align="aligncenter" width="213" caption="One of a hundred different species of Heliconias"][/caption]

pectacular video

Artist Group Being Formed in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

[caption id="attachment_3531" align="aligncenter" width="221" caption="Jan Yaksko painting"][/caption]

"ART WASHES AWAY FROM THE SOUL THE DUST OF EVERYDAY LIFE."   Pablo Picasso

The new artist group has a name  " Conjunto De Artistas" and is the brainchild of Jan Yatsko.  Jan and her husband have been living in Atenas for eleven years.  She is an artist (oil painting, watercolors, and sketching-including art journals.)

Jan wrote the following article and I will share it with you.

Do you want to join a “Conjunto de Artistas” (a group of artists)?
When  Tom and I arrived in Atenas 11 years ago, I was one of few artists and the only foreign artist in town. One by one, more creative souls arrived attracted by the light, climate and natural inspiration.
The main objective for the “Conjunto de Artistas”:    For a group of people to gather together at different specified locations each month to sketch, paint, collage and/or journal in “plein aire”. The locations will be within a short driving distance (5 minutes to 1.5 hours) from Atenas.
Secondary Objectives:    To exchange ideas and information regarding art techniques, materials, exhibits in Costa Rica, art marketing, etc.
Anyone with a curious mind and the desire to create art, grow and share is welcome to join this group.
Please RSVP for this January 11th meeting and to indicate your interest in joining this group to Jan “Juanita” Yatsko.    Phone: 2446-4039
Email: janyatsko@ice.co.cr Website: www.janyatsko.com
After all, there was the Degas group, the Gauguin group, the American Impressionists at Old Lyme group and even “The Junto” of intellectuals and artisans formed by Ben Franklin.
Throughout history groups of people have banded together for reasons of mutual support, inspiration, growth and shared contacts.
An initial meeting will be held on January 11, 2010 at Atan?o Restaurant (Atenas centro, 50 meters North of Mercado, next to El Rayo store) at 2 PM. The objective is to meet each other and to plan our first plein aire activity to be held on January 18.

You can read more about Jan and her work by visiting her web site  www.janyatsko.com

costaricalearn has a subcategory "Artist and Writers of Costa Rica" under the main category Costa Rica's History, Culture, Food, and Traditions.  You can go to the Categories on the home page and find this.  Here you can read about other interesting artist and writers in Costa Rica.

Costaricalearn's Escorted Group Tour to Costa Rica, Read More About It

[caption id="attachment_3612" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Poas Volcano National Park, 1 mile wide geyser"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3613" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Zip Line Tour at Arenal Volcano National Park"][/caption]

Canoeing down the Tortuguero Canals, Caribbean Costa Rica

EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL WONDERS OF COSTA RICA    Escorted Group Tour


Ann Cabezas Creed and her husband Ken will escort a group tour to Costa Rica June 2010.

We will depart June 19 and and return June 26th........ 7 nights  (Saturday to Saturday)

We visit the rain forest  and banana plantations on the Tortuguero Canals of the Caribbean , the Central Valley with the Poas Volcano National Park, and Doka Coffee Tour, and the Arenal Volcano National Park.  This is a tour which will give you the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular natural tourism attractions Costa Rica has to offer plus be escorted by Ann, the Costa Rica Expert.

The land package is well priced at  $1275 double occupancy.  We stay in small hotels and eco lodges in order to have a first hand experience with nature.

If you would like the full itinerary with hotels listed and activities please email Ann    anncreed23@gmail.com

Travel Tips, Safe Travel in Costa Rica

I am often asked is it safe to travel in Costa Rica?  And my reply is:  Use the same common sense approach to travel in Costa Rica as you would in say New York City or any other large city.

That is:  handle your valuables with great care.  And of course that means your money, camera, passport, lap top computers, cell phones,  jewelry, etc. etc.  Tourist are a target for thieves because we usually are carrying a camera and just simply "look like a tourist"   My advice is purchase a money bag to go under your clothes.  I use the one that goes around my waist.  (I purchased it at Morey Luggage).  I put my money, credit card, and passport in this money bag.  I keep a small amount of money in my pocket or fanny pack so I don't have to get into the money bag so often. I even sleep with the money bag around my waist.

I carry my camera and my laptop computer  in a backpack and do not let it out of my sight.  I don't lay in down in restaurants.  I keep it so I have my eye on it at all times.

I dont' walk alone at night or even with friends we don't walk in places that are not well lighted and where other people are around.

Don't use ATM machines at night unless it is inside a well lighted building such as grocery stores.

I use a fanny pack around my waist,  not a purse.

Don't wear fancy and expensive jewelry.

In very crowed areas always  beware of pick pockets.

One way thieves operate is in groups.  One of them may bump you and the other will grab your purse or backpack.  That happened to me in downtown Mexico City in a very crowded area.

On public buses keep your backpack in your lap.  Putting it in an overhead bin can get it stolen.

Please note that articles on costaricalearn are categorized for you to choose the area of interest you want to read about.  The categories and sub categories are listed on the home page.

Also you may read my more  extensive list of safety tips on traveling to  Costa Rica at www.costaricalearn.com/important-safety-tips-for-tourist-to-costa-rica

Beautiful Iguana Photos, And the Winners Are

Some iguanas are more beautiful than others..just like people.

If you could take one home with you which one would you pick?     Thank you to the great photographers who captured  these wonderful Iguana moments!

[caption id="attachment_3509" align="aligncenter" width="470" caption="It's Good to Be Among Friends"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3510" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It's Been A Long Day!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3497" align="aligncenter" width="315" caption="In Deep Thought"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3506" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="The Most Beautiful of All!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3500" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Brown Eyed Beauty"][/caption]

Yes, Green Iguanas are in Costa Rica!

[caption id="attachment_3482" align="aligncenter" width="266" caption="Not the Average Pet!! And not Even Green!"][/caption]

I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A PET IGUANA!

My friend  Marina K.  Villatoro , the Travel Experta,   (travel writer for Central America)  and I share a curiosity of the green Iguana.  Marina recently wrote an article on her web site about these friendly reptiles and I want to share with you some of the interesting facts she has gathered.

Green Iguanas are prevalent in Costa Rica and if you are touring around Costa Rica you are sure to see them.  Can you believe that they are great tree jumpers! Using their tail to balance them. An adult Iguana’s tail  can weight up to twenty pounds.
Their bite is not harmful to humans but it is best  not to  get too close to them because they first just run away but it you corner one he will defend himself and may bite.  Then you would have to go to a hospital or first ad station to get the wound cleaned up, and that would be no fun on your vacation.

The bag under their chin is used to store fat for survival in case food is scarce.

Do Green Iguanas make good pets? They have an easy going personality but remember they are wild animals which come from exotic and tropical habitat.  They can live to be up to fifteen years of age and grow to be six feet long and they must live in a temperature of around eighty degrees F. and get a lot of sunlight for Vitamin D.  So if you live in a cold climate and limited space then keeping a green iguana as a pet could be difficult.   They are considered exotic pets and are  grown on Green Iguana farms in warm tropical climates.   Approximately 800,000 are  imported into the United States annually.  Beware that in New York City and in Hawaii law prohibits one keeping an iguana as a pet.  With all those exotic dogs as pets in New York City, all being lead around on fancy leashes one would think that an iguana would  also be allowed  in Central Park if it were on a leash.  But if it got loose-well encountering a large green iguana on a walk in the park would be somewhat scary, especially one six feet long!

If you are interested in vacationing to Costa Rica,  you would love our full length travel video (DVD).  "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Spectacular Travel Video"  Just go to the home page of costaricalearn.com then to the top of the page and click  on "Buy or video "  That takes you to our 3 minute preview of the video and also instructions on how to purchase it.  If you are curious about Iguanas in Costa Rica, you can see them on our video, along with the scenic beauty of Costa Rica's 10 most spectacular tourist destinations.   Filmed and edited by Ken Creed, a National Geographic veteran and written by Ann Cabezas Creed, a travel writer and veteran Costa Rica Travel Agent.

From owners of pet Iguanas I have learned that they are not easy to tame, and that you need a large space for the Iguana to roam around.   One of my friends said that  her pet Iguana who she named Fred  began to stay in one corner of his large cage  (which she purchased to keep him while  trying to domesticate him)  The vet told her he was probably in "culture shock"  since he came from a tropical  jungle environment  and now he is living in the city.  If you are thinking about  getting an Iguana for a pet I suggest to communicate on line with others who have had the experience of caring for a pet Iguana.  Or go to www.petiguanacare.com

To read Marina's story about Iguanas go to   www.travelexperta.com

Spotlight Costa Rica Yoga Retreat, A Jewel on the Caribbean, Samasati

[caption id="attachment_3468" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption=""Tranquility" The Sea Shore on Costa Rica's Caribbean"][/caption]

"REMEMBER THAT EVERY HUMAN BEING HAS THE CAPACITY TO OBTAIN THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS"

Situated within a two hundred and fifty acre nature retreat is Samasati Yoga and Nature Retreat, located Costa Rica's southern Caribbean Coast near the small town of Puerto Viejo.   What is the meaning of this word Samasati?   "Remember that every human being has the capacity to obtain the highest level of consciousness".  These were the last words spoken by the ancient Indian mystic,  Gautam , "The Buddha"

Samasati has it all: Dense jungles with lush rain forest filled with Toucans, sloths, and howler monkeys.  And also the sea shore of the beautiful Caribbean.  Pale sandy beaches lined with palm trees swinging in the tropical breeze.

Samasati  Yoga and Nature Retreat is  that perfect tropical jewel where you can come and experience yoga or come for you honeymoon if you desire a retreat into the healing and rejuvenating power of nature thru  quietness and tranquility.  Their packages are very reasonably priced and transportation is provided from the San Jose International Airport.

The setting of Samasati is on a hillside overlooking the tropical rain forest and the Caribbean Sea.

If you are interested in reading more about Costa Rica's favorite tourist destination go to our CATEGORIES and simply click on the subject of your interest.

Also we offer our full length video "Costa Rica A Travel Adventure Paradise" highlighting Costa Rica's natural beauty:  rain forests, waterfalls, volcanoes,  small villages, coffee production, local folklore, and much more- along with interviews from North Americans living in this tropical paradise.  Just go to the top of page one and you can order it there.

To learn all about Samasati Yoga and nature Retreat including beautiful photos of the retreat and the lush rain forest surrounding go to  the following web site  www.samasati.com

Traveling to Costa Rica's Southern Caribbean Coast? Then Read On

[caption id="attachment_3456" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="adult sloth at Puerto Viejo on Southern Caribbean coastline"][/caption]

If you are thinking of traveling to Costa Rica to the Southern Caribbean Coast then you need to read all the valuable information about  this web site that I am going to tell you about.

It's called greencoast.com and was designed and managed by a network of small hotels and locally owned tour companies of this area.  From Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. This web site includes only community owned businesses that adhere to responsible and green minded ecotourism policies.

It's all about:  1.  The southern Caribbean's palm fringed beaches   2. It's  rain forest  filled with sloths, toucans, and howler monkeys.  3. The Indigenous community of the people of Talamanca. 4. Locally owned and operated small hotels  5.  Locally owned and operated tour operators with knowledgeable local guides.

costaricalearn.com  organizes it's information into categories which you can find on page one.  Please take a look at these categories to help you find valuable information on many topics related to Costa Rica tourism and also All About Living and Retiring in Costa Rica.

If you want to learn more about Costa Rica's southern Caribbean coast  go to  www.greencoast.com