AmaTierra Yoga Retreat Takes Nutrition Seriously: Organically Growing Their Own

Tucked away in the mountains surprising close to San Jose is an oasis for those seeking peace and serenity and a place where people can nurture themselves with yoga, wellness services and fresh organic foods, many of which are grown on the property, a unique feature at AmaTierra Yoga Retreat and Wellness Center.

“It’s not easy to find organic produce in Costa Rica,” owner and registered nutritionist/herbalist Jill Ruttenberg says, “so we grow especially our greens and some fruits here on the property to be sure they are fresh and organic. Vegetables can lose up to 45 percent of their nutritional value between the time they are picked and when you buy them in the grocery store, and it is a proven fact that organic produce has more vitamins and minerals than commercially grown, non-organic produce.”

Manuel Antonio Beach Villa Center of Seaside Weddings in Costa Rica

According to About.com’s Guide to Romantic Getaways, up to 25% of couples now travel to exotic locations for destination weddings, and Costa Rica has become one of their most popular options, especially weddings on the beach.

“My husband David and I are really excited about this news,” says Discovery Beach House vacation rental villa homeowner, Evelyn Gallardo. “A wedding is such a joyful day for the bride and groom and we love the special energy it brings into our home.”

Tourism in Nicaragua – A Bonus for Costa Rica

Mauricio Alfaro, co-owner of the 5 leaves for sustainable tourism website, Costa Rican Trails, announces the launch of his new brand website, Nicaraguan Trails, which will feature packages for both Costa Rica and Nicaragua.  Mauricio, a visionary tourism entrepreneur states, “we have found an intense interest in people planning to visit Costa Rica for an extended period of time, most notably the Europeans whose vacations are for one month, they want to experience other countries.”

“When they travel all the way to get to this side of the world, Europeans want to see as much as possible. Offering Nicaragua as an extension, gives added value to the Costa Rica experience, and overall, Nicaragua is not a competitor of Costa Rica as they offer different experiences and sites that we don’t have, like Granada and Leon.   We have found that by assuring the European traveler that they won’t run out of things to do and places to see actually brings Costa Rica more business, as they choose to stay here most of the time anyway.  We’re glad we decided to move into this sector.”

According to statistics, Nicaragua attracted more than 1 million tourists in 2011, about 2.8% more compared to 2010.  With extensive campaigns by the governmental tourism board, known as INTUR, included running ads on TripAdvisor and The New York Times, this has lead Nicaragua to experience an increasing arrival of US travelers and international travelers.

Costa Rica Hotel for Sale, But Not The Memories or Lifestyle

In February of 2011, we published this article about a boutique hotel in Cahuita: http://theticotimes.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/from-luxury-yachts-to-luxury-bb-bungalows-in-caribbean-cahuita/, Owners, Joe and Chris, wrote to update us on their status, and we found their heartfelt expressions so poignant as to why many foreign residents appreciate Costa Rica, that we decided to publish their account in its entirety.
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We previously had written about the joy of moving to Costa Rica and pursuing our dream of having a small hotel near the beach and living Pura Vida after having originally started with meeting each other while working as crew members on private mega yachts, which together was our first great adventure.

Now, after making a very difficult decision to fully retire and sell this well established and successful hotel business (www.hotelforsalecostarica.net)so that we can move on to our next great adventure, we realize at times we have some very strong regrets! We are moving on to enjoy retirement, to travel and visit some of the many great people we have met here at our hotel from around the world, who we promised we would come see some day, while keeping Costa Rica as our base.

Now, “some day” has come.

From an Artists Workshop Retreat to a Sustainable Tourism Eco-Hotel

After two years of planning, in 2005 San Francisco art dealer and gallery owner Carlos Rojas, and Randy Langendorfer, marketing executive and then owner of a boutique contracting business specializing in restoration and renovation of vintage homes in San Francisco and Los Angeles, sold their businesses and all their possessions in the US to move to Costa Rica. The plan was to invite artists to Monte Azul, a 100 acre property near Chirripó National Park and along the banks of the Chirripó Pacifico River, to produce work that would be sold on site and at their gallery space in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan.

In the meantime they also developed the Monte Azul Boutique Hotel and Mountain Resort, along with an airy studio and gallery, outdoor restaurant and about 4 kilometers of hiking trails.

Hotel or Private Villa — Which is the better choice for your next vacation to Costa Rica?

Luxury villa (home) rentals are increasingly popular alternatives to luxury hotel vacations. And it has become much easier for travelers to find vacation homes to rent — directly online, using rental “by-owner” websites, through travel agents, and from personal recommendations. But do you know whether a villa or a hotel is better fit for you?

When planning your next vacation, the results of this short, easy quiz may help you decide which is your best option.

 Keep a running tally of your points; at the end you’ll find recommendations based on your total quiz score below.

No Shortage of Investment, Expansion and Construction in Escazú, Costa Rica

Luxurious Viva Residences in Escazú Soon to be Completed

There seems to be no shortage of confidence in the business and housing sectors in Escazú.

More recent developments in the west end of upscale Escazú seem to hold true to the promise that the economy is alive and well in one of San Jose’s most affluent areas.  As an example, the most recent development under construction is the new and luxurious Viva Residences.

Eco Tourism Meeting Medical Tourism Development Opportunities in Costa Rica

Would you develop property in Costa Rica today?

With all the doom and gloom coming to us by way of the media, including those of some visitors and tourists from North America and Europe, the answer would probably be, “no”, says Robert Shannon of Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties Real Estate Company.

Costa Rica’s tourism is still flourishing but for how long, some think?  It’s hard to predict as one would have to believe the impact of world events would catch up with us sooner or later.

But, consider these facts:
1.  This year alone over 250,000 Americans will travel to Costa Rica and places like Thailand for affordable medical care. They will be seeking everything from root canals to heart transplants. The proximity to the USA and the high standard of health care Costa Rica offers suggest that a higher percentage will come here.

2. We keep seeing statistics that eco tourism / sustainable tourism is becoming one of the most sought after travel packages. This comes in many different forms, but one of the most popular is the vacationer seeking to get a feel for making their contribution to our planet by using these sustainable tourism facilities.

We have seen some good attempts at eco-sustainable projects and they are interesting, and often in provocative, if not primitive, places.  But, Costa Rica has yet to see a major developer get involved in what many consider a necessary part of the future that will impact all of us for the good – combining the medical tourism aspects with eco-tourism!

A New Orchid Species Discovered at Bosque De Paz Biological Reserve in Costa Rica

Adam P Karremans and Melania Muñoz García are proud to announce the discovery and classification of Pleurothallis silvae-pacis, a new orchid species entirely new to science, that has been found at the Bosque de Paz Private Biological Reserve in Costa Rica.

Adam Karremans is a researcher at Lankester Botanical Gardens, University of Costa Rica, and Melania Muñoz García is the biologist in charge of Bosque de Paz Orchid Project since 2004.

Adam first became aware of the find on a trip to Bosque de Paz in 2008. “I had never seen such a species before, and tried to give it a name. For some time I had misidentified it as Pleurothallis angusta. But then, with the ongoing research on the whole Pleurothallidinae subtribe (to which this species belongs), the case was reviewed in 2010. After careful comparison, which is done comparing flowers and plants of the type material,  illustrations, descriptions and wild collected plants of P. angusta and other close relatives, we came to the conclusion that this was a different species which had no name. The species was quite hard to place within the Pleurothallis genus because of its intermediate features. In any case Melania and I wrote an article publishing this relatively beautiful and strange new species in 2011. I am at the moment also extracting DNA from it just to be sure of its placement.”

Global Warming and Costa Rica – A Refuge from the Storm?

The World is facing one of the greatest challenges that humanity has ever endured in the modern age – global warming. Yes, we’ve all heard some say in the past that it’s junk science, but now, the question isn’t is there global warming or not, but whether it is caused by man, or just nature going through cycles. It really doesn’t matter at this point, as it is coming upon us with the inertia of a heavy flywheel.

Often I’ve heard people say, “How can we stop it; reverse it?” “For me”, according to Brad Butler of Emerald Forest Real Estate Company in Costa Rica, “I am of the opinion it is beyond a quick fix at this point, and what we humans must do is ask, ‘How we can best survive the storm at this approaching, late date?’”

Central America Travel Deals Feature Ecotourism in Costa Rica and Mexico

Although Costa Rica is a relatively small country if you compare it to Mexico, it stands out from other Central American countries by emphasizing the ecotourism trend that it helped create and promote. Especially in this time of economic crisis, the whole idea behind ecotourism is to preserve natural resources while at the same time profiting from them, and giving back to the community. Costa Rica, receives over 1 million visitors per year and practically half of them (49%) come from The U. S, and with the depressed economy there, great deals on travel and eco-tours can be found in Costa Rica as well as Mexico.

Secluded, Los Chonchos Beach, Mexico - Jungle Trekking, Snorkeling, Whale Watching

Most people may not think of it this way, but Costa Rica’s “neighbor” to the north has always offered many eco-tourism attractions. From the Pacific to the Caribbean, Mexico offers unequaled natural beauty and great weather year round. Oliver Weickardt, of Vacaciónes Mexíco, reminds us, “Mexico is not just about sandy beaches, it has many other options to offer its visitors such as: beautiful architecture, mountains, biosphere reserves, and magical archaeology, including one of the 7 wonders of the world in Chichèn Itzà , located in the Yucatan peninsula. Sure, we have our big hotels on white sandy beaches, but if you’re looking for ecotourism, we have isolated beaches, and traveling now is a bargain.”

Taking on the Giants

One Costa Rican hotel owner had enough of the costly intermediaries he thought necessary to fill his hotel and responded by successfully building a non-profit Costa Rican hotel association over the last six years – The Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica.

Eric Robinson, owner of the Adventure Inn Hotel, near the San Jose International Airport states, “I had had enough depending on the Global Distribution System hierarchy (GDS), that is, Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz and Hotels.com to send me guests, and when they do, they want a 25 to 30% commission or more, eating up most of the profits. It’s hard to win.”

In 2005, Robinson was able to garner a group of 22 hotel owners and persuade them to refer guests to each other. “When guests check out and are going to other parts of Costa Rica, they are eager for hotel information. I thought what a lost opportunity, and Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica (AHCR) was formed. Things were a bit slow until member hotels started realizing it really does work, and we haven’t looked back.”

Not counting the 10% discount guests receive when they mention AHCR at booking, another special ingredient that the Adventure Hotels of Costa Rica offers to potential guests that the GDS is unable to do, is the ability to talk directly with the hotel, make special requests for an ocean front room, or flowers and a bottle of champagne waiting in their room, or even negotiate a lower price for multi-night stays or groups.