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.

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.

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.”

From SCUBA Diver & PADI Instructor to Eco Hotel Owner in Drake Bay

Rick Lane: Co-owner of the Pirate Cove Hotel and PADI Resort

How did you happen to come to Costa Rica and become a eco-hotel owner?

“Well, twenty years ago, I visited Drake Bay and enjoyed some great scuba diving at Isla del Cano. It was love at first sight. This isolated and beautiful home to deserted beaches and pristine rain forests is a natural paradise! It was hard to reach and far from normal tourist routes, but that just increased its allure. I vowed to return.”

 There was nothing here at the time, so how did you come to build a hotel?

“On a return visit, I became friends with a Swiss couple living in the area and we decided to build a small beach hotel for scuba divers and those who wanted to experience the awesome beauty of Corcovado National Park but who didn’t necessarily want to travel rough and sleep in the mud, like I had to on my first trip! We decided to call our hotel ‘Pirate Cove’, as a sort of back-handed compliment to Sir Francis Drake, who discovered Drake Bay.”  

At that time, things were really primitive, with unpaved roads and no electricity?

“Absolutely!  But now, the road from Manuel Antonio to Dominical makes the trek much easier, and we have electricity, phone lines, GSM and 3G service now.  Pirate Cove is an intimate place in the rain forest right at the edge of a very long deserted beach. The bungalows are the most popular with our guests, and all have private bathrooms with hot water showers and private terraces overlooking the beach. We also now have three rooms on the second floor of the main building, which have air conditioning.”

Are you an all inclusive hotel, as aren’t there few restaurants?

“There are no restaurants close to the hotels down here, so prices include all meals.  ‘All inclusive’ generally means alcoholic beverages are included, which we don’t, but we do have an honor bar.  Our guests rate our food as excellent, we use local produce, much of it organic, fresh caught fish and often homemade bread.”

Since you are in a more remote, but pristine area, what type of guests do you attract?

“SCUBA divers and true nature lovers!  Most guests stay between 3 and 7 days to experience and relax. The beach is safe with no dangerous tides and we provide kayaks  at no extra charge. The two most popular tours are Corcovado National Park and Isla del Cano, and during the 45 minute boat rides, whales and dolphin are often seen. Isla del Cano is the home to world class scuba diving and snorkeling. Large pelagic and colorful reef creatures abound below the surface.  For horseback riders, Susanne keeps the most beautiful and well trained horses and you can ride along the beach and into the rain forests.”

“ This is the true, old Costa Rican, Pura Vida!  If you’re looking for discos, night life and casinos, city views from behind glass windows, don’t come here.  But if you’re looking for SCUBA diving and nature, then you’ll be in paradise – guaranteed!”

Pirate Cove in Drake Bay is  working towards “Bandera Azul”, the Blue Flag Award for beaches in Costa Rica, and  in the  final stage of becoming verified as an ecological hotel by The Rain Forest Alliance.  For more information, visit their websites:Pirate Cove Hotel and Cano Divers PADI Resort.

Related: New eco-resort near Manuel Antonio empahsizing sustainable tourism.

Love in the Wild – Ep. 8: The Finale

Seven adventures and it had all come down to this – the grand finale.  Mike and Samantha vs. Miles and Heather for all the marbles, or rather a first class trip around the world.  Having won three of the adventures together, including last week’s, Mike and Samantha came into the final the odds-on favorites.

On the morning of the final competition, Samantha read a card full of encouraging words from her mom. ( Watching this, I’m thinking if only mail service were that good in the city!)  Reading how much her mom loved her, how supportive she was, made Samantha cry.  Mike got all choked up too just because Samantha had allowed to him to read over her shoulder.

Where'd Mike and Miles go?

THE ADVENTURE

The girls showed up at the starting line in their itty-bitty, teeny-weeny (minus the polka-dot) bikinis for the second week in a row.  Although I can’t be sure, I assume from previous experience that Mike and Miles were there, too.  Once Darren counted down from three, the teams took off on a final adventure that would last not one but two days, and consist of swimming, canoeing, changing clothes in front of one’s partner, assembling an oxcart from scratch, coping with a dysenteric mammal, pitching a tent, pitching a fit, and climbing to the top of a volcano only to run back down again for no apparent reason.

Love in the Wild – Ep. 2: Peter’d Out, Karma’s A *****

Jessica and a frightened Derek on Costa Rica's Hanging Bridges

And, then there were nine – nine couples, that is, what with Dawn and Jared having been eliminated last week.  This week, the newly-minted – and not-so newly minted – couples were informed by affable Scotsman Darren McMullen that they’d have to circumnavigate a slew of bridges slung perilously across gorges, chasms and voids – and even a bat cave for good measure – in pursuit of six so called tethers.  Said tethers were not only charged with “symbolic” significance, but also tested the couples’ ability to work in tandem so as to avoid certain death in that they literally connected boy to girl like an umbilical.  Like last week, the winning couple would get a night’s luxe accommodation at some place called The Oasis and, as an added bonus, the next day, a scenic helicopter ride and romantically situated lunch for two with an outstanding view of the majestic and still quite lively Volcan Arenal.

Rapid Growth in Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, Through the Eyes of a Vacation Rental Owner

Even though the real estate market has slowed greatly in most areas of Costa Rica in the last several years, the Dominical and South Coast areas seem to be immune, with previous lot buyers now building their dream home.

Glen Love - rental owner

“When we first started building our luxury homes in Dominical in 2003, there were only 4 listings for the Dominical area on the entire VRBO website. Now, there are more than 90! That is certainly amazing growth for this once difficult-to-reach area,” related Glen Love, owner of Paradise Costa Rica vacation rentals. “Even before the improved Costaneras coastal highway from Manuel Antonio to Dominical was built, that didn’t seem to deter people’s interest in this pristine, remote area, including ours. It used to take almost two hours to drive the pot hole-filled dirt road with rickety, one lane decrepit wooden bridges – a real daring experience! Even so, the area grew rapidly.”

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.