Aerial view from airplane Packing for a flight on Costa Rica’s domestic airlines reminds me of one of those brain teaser puzzles from middle school. I spent three hours last night worrying and juggling numbers, converting kilograms to pounds and measuring my bag’s linear inches again and again, paranoid that I had made a careless [...]
Costa Rica Vacation Giveaway
Enter to Win a 7-Day Costa Rica vacation! Aerial View of Flamingo Beach Resort You, our blog readers, have taken armchair trips with us to some of Costa Rica’s most spectacular destinations — now it’s your turn! CostaRica.com is excited to announce our no-strings-attached Costa Rica Vacation Giveaway. Let me tell you a bit about [...]
National Horse Parade & the Zapote Parties
Equestrians From Around Costa Rica Train All Year for the Tope (© TDominey) One of Costa Rica’s rowdiest and most beloved Christmas traditions is the Tope Nacional, or National Horse Parade. Held in San Jose on December 26th, this annual event dates back to colonial times, when the festivities to honor Saint John began with [...]
Holiday Foods in Costa Rica
Tamales are a Popular Gift for Friends and Neighbors For many Costa Ricans the season’s culinary dishes are steeped in tradition. A favorite during the holidays, tamales (pronounced tah-mahl-ays) are a delectable treat made with fine corn flour, potatoes, vegetables, meat, and wrapped in a plantain leaf. It is unclear when the tradition of tamales [...]
Christmas in Costa Rica
School-front Christmas Tree in Heredia Christmas in Costa Rica is filled with festivities, parades, and family traditions that reach back generations. A joyous, celebratory atmosphere descends, touching many aspects of everyday life and making December the favorite month for many. The season unofficially begins in early November, when Halloween decorations are replaced with Christmas displays [...]
Zoo Ave: Cougars, Crocodiles and Macaws, Oh My!
Zoo Ave's Peaceful Trails Having loved animals of all kinds since I was a little girl, I’m drawn to places that guarantee wildlife sightings. Alajuela’s Zoo Ave, or “Bird Zoo” is committed to conservation and animal education, and offers visitors a chance to view an amazing variety of Costa Rica’s wildlife. Animal lovers are treated [...]
Day 4: Fishing and a Tortuguero Conservation Tour
Fishing Boat Wake At 6:00 a.m., Elvin picked us up for our grand Tortuguero fishing excursion. It was raining, but the cool raindrops were a welcome respite from the Caribbean humidity. I put on a heavy-duty poncho and hopped into the boat. We maneuvered out to the river mouth and, to my chagrin, found choppy [...]
Day 5: Wild for Wildlife
My Room at Mawamba After yesterday’s unseasonal rains — the Caribbean is usually dry during September and October — I was happy to awake to a sunny, beautiful morning. We ate a big breakfast, packed our bags and hopped across the canal to Mawamba Lodge, our final stop in Tortuguero. As soon as I got [...]
Day 6: Sport Fishing Success and an Exciting Canal Tour
Dawn Over Tortuguero When we met Elvin at 5:00 a.m. for this morning’s fishing excursion, he had good news and bad news. I asked for the bad first and he told me that the ocean was even rougher than it had been two days ago. A look of horror must have registered on my face [...]
Day 7: A Beautiful Tortuguero Sunrise and Ride Home
Pink Clouds Over Tortuguero Beach This was my last day in Tortuguero and Vincent and I were getting up early to stroll the beach — we were hoping to see green turtle hatchlings and a beautiful sunrise. At 4:15, I turned off my alarm, hopped out of bed, and grabbed my camera. The beach was [...]
