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.”

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.

Restaurant Fire in Escazú Quickly Controlled

Diners at the Al Pinino Restaurant and the Saquella Café in the Multi-Central Paco shopping center in Escazu were surprised Saturday afternoon, August 11, at about 1:00 P.M. with thick billowing smoke emerging from what appeared initially to be a roof fire over the Saquella Café. Waiters were noticing customers to leave the restaurants for their protection and move their cars while the cause of the blaze was being determined and the fire department would soon be arriving.

From Luxury Yachts to Luxury B&B Bungalows in Caribbean Cahuita

Joe and Chris Cannon

Joe Cannon and his wife, Chris, owners and operators of Coral Hill Bungalows, reflect on their adventures, dreams, visions and plans that took them from working on private luxury yachts to buying, building and launching their luxury Caribbean bungalows five years ago in the small village of Cahuita, Costa Rica.

Chris says “Joe and I met back in the 80′s when we both worked as crew members on private mega-yachts. Joe was the Chef and I was the lead Stewardess. The standard of service, quality, presentation and congeniality that we learned while serving on those yachts were of the highest level. The people who owned or charted these mega-yachts paid for and expected that exceptional kind of experience and that is what groomed us for our present roles as proprietors of a boutique hotel.”

“We felt we wanted to offer a similar kind of attention to detail, but in a small land based Bed & Breakfast type of establishment somewhere in a remote ocean side area. We were looking for a place that had top of the line mattresses, thick plush towels, impeccably clean rooms, large luxurious showers and a unique high quality breakfast, but couldn’t find exactly what we were looking for, so we decided to create one ourselves.”

Local Rum Cakes Business Goes International

Tropicakes - Rain Forest Rum Cakes

Owners Don and Linda Martin of Tropicakes S.A. are excited to announce their recent approval for an export license for their rum cakes made in Costa Rica business, that they envision will soon be marketed all over the world.  Currently, their Rainforest Rum Cakes are available only locally, but with their new export license, especially difficult to obtain on food products, Don and Linda have plans to rapidly expand sales internationally.

To facilitate this distribution for individual consumers and retailers, a Consumers Online Store section has been set up on the website, www.costaricarumcakes.com, and in a few days, it will be activated with a shopping cart and checkout engine as one of the options for all his visitors.