Costa Rica Expat Tours

find your new life in paradise

Archives for December 2014

My 10 Favorite Costa Rica Beaches

by Leave a Comment

Awhile back I stumbled upon a Travel + Leisure article that included two of Costa Rica’s beaches in their list of the “32” best beaches on earth. The two that made the list are Playa Montezuma at the tip of the Nicoya Peninsula and Playa Grande on Guanacaste’s “gold coast.”

While those two beaches are certainly nice beaches…I am not sure why those two were chosen to represent Costa Rica as opposed to many others that I believe could (or should) have been chosen.

So, I decided to put in my own 2-cents with the following list of my favorite Costa Rica beaches. The below list contains my top 9 (other than the one on the T+L list that I would also include).

Oh and later on in the post I will let you know which of the 2 that T+L listed that I would definitely include on my list of favorites.

So, here goes…

Southern Caribbean Beaches

Cahuita National Park – the southern Caribbean of Costa Rica certainly has some of Costa Rica’s most scenic beaches and Cahuita National Park is definitely one of them. It is a long stretch of white sand, crystal clear and calm water, with a great hiking trail loaded with flora and fauna.

Mazanillo-Gandoca – I have written before (most notably in my eBook) about this place. It is at the point where the southern Caribbean coastal road ends. It is private wildlife refuge with some of the most fantastic beach landscapes you can find anywhere. There are countless coves where you can generally have a beach all to yourself. The refuge is also great for hiking with a ton of biodiversity.

Southern Pacific Beaches

Playa Hermosa (the one south of Dominical) – this is my favorite beach to go to that is close to where I live in Perez Zeledon. It is a long and (at low tide) wide beach that is great for walking, biking, sunning and, especially, surfing. Located between Dominical and Uvita.

Marina Ballena National Park – This is where you will find the famous “whale’s-tail” formation. It is basically a rocky sand-bar that fans out to form what looks like a whale’s tail. That is quite ironic since the open waters where it is located are some of the best in the world for spotting migrating humpback whales. Best to always go at low tide to be able to hike out to the end of the whale’s tail.

Cabo Matapalo & Playa Pan Dulce – These two are located on the southern tip of the Osa Peninsula. It is not that easy to get to, but if you can make it there, well worth it. It is a great place to visit if you happen to be spending a few nights at the Lapa Rios Eco-lodge.

Central Pacific Beaches

Manuel Antonio National Park – How can you have a best beaches in Costa Rica list and not include this place? It is one of the most visited national parks in the country and is a veritable “natural zoo” with an extraordinary amount of wildlife. It also includes several spectacular white sand beaches.

Playa Blanca – this is a gorgeous crystal white sand beach that is located inside the Punta Leona Resort. It is consistently rated as one of the cleanest beaches in the country.

Nicoya Peninsula Beaches

Playa Samara – one of Costa Rica’s widest beaches. Samara is a happening little beach town and, unlike Jaco, this place also has a really great beach to boot. Well worth a visit.

Playa Guiones – Surfer’s paradise, hand’s down, but also just a really gorgeous beach.

And finally, drum roll please, the one on the T+L list that I would also include is…

Playa Montezuma, also on the Nicoya Peninsula – Okay, I will admit T+L got it right with this place. Truly one of Costa Rica’s best beaches and coolest little beach communities. I love Monte-fuma!

I just couldn’t sit by and allow only two of Costa Rica’s great beaches to get recognized over all the others. Even with my list of 10 above, there are many more that are worth visiting. Let’s face it, Costa Rica has some of the best coastal real estate on the planet

Thankfully, unlike most places in the world, here the beaches are generally not for sale.

Flickr Photos  of Costa Rica Beaches

Post by CRG

Costa Rica Seasons

by Leave a Comment

Growing up I always looked forward to the transition between seasons.  It always seemed to bring about a fresh outlook on life.  That things were changing, hopefully for the better.  I guess I’ve always been an eternal optimist, clinging to the idea that the future will be better than the past.

When one thinks of a tropical country like Costa Rica, so close to the equator, what comes to mind generally is a place like Florida where there really is no notable change in the seasons.  But that’s really not the case here.

We have two Costa Rica seasons, summer (or verano) and winter (invierno).  Winter is the longest season and lasts from say mid-May until the mid-November.  During that time we get rain most days.  In dense tropical areas like the deep southern pacific coast it can rain non-stop for days on end.  In the higher elevations, like San Jose, the rains are generally in the afternoons.  In the northern pacific area, the province of Guancaste, the rainy season is more compact and the dry season longer.  On the Caribbean coast the seasons are somewhat inverse to the rest of the country, with dry weather occurring at times of the most severe wetness on the Pacific Coast.

This tiny country is such an amazing study in contrasts, both environmentally and culturally.  It makes living here unique and always adventurous.  The period we are experiencing now in San Jose is the beginning of summer with winds blowing the clouds away for verano to ensue with full force sunshine.  This transition period will last through Christmas. I like this time of the year, especially in San Jose, when the days are fresh and the nights chilly enough for a nice warm coat.

Mornings are crisp and clear and the evening sunsets are extraordinary during this period.  I love it because just like during my Carolina childhood days, this changing of the seasons marks a change in the circumstances of life.

Change is good when viewed from the right, optimistic, perspective.

I love the Costa Rica seasons.  I love the sun and the rain. I embrace the change, the contrasts that make life seem more alive and worth living.

Prostitution in Costa Rica

by 4 Comments

How do I really feel about prostitution in Costa Rica?

Well, make no mistake about it, it’s BIG business here.

First of all, I certainly don’t write any of this with even the slightest hint of judgment against anyone who participates, or has ever participated.

I do certainly, however, condemn any form of exploitation of children and applaud the government and all organizations that seek to ferret out and bring to justice anyone who engages in such criminal behaviour.

Here I’m writing specifically about Costa Rican “legal” sex tourism, the kind that transpires every day and night in well known establishments, like the Hotel Del Rey and many others around the country.

Granted, there are no “victims” in this process.

Those girls make a willing decision to engage and I simply don’t buy the argument that it’s their only choice. I believe most hard working Costa Rican single mothers would take strong issue with any argument that these women are compelled to be prostitutes by their circumstances of life.

And on both sides of the equation you have the users and the used.

I’m not going to touch on the religious, or moral, implications of this. For that you can read your bible, or koran, or wherever your faith lies, and come to your own conclusions.

However, this activity does have consequences.

The prostitution “industry” is a black hole for any young lady who would succumb to the allure of “easy” money.

I say “easy” tongue in cheek because that money comes at the very high price of human dignity.

And it’s a black hole from which many never escape.

For the guys, it often comes as a shock that “love” cannot be bought…although many try.

The consequence sometimes being that marriages are ruined and families shattered.

I hate to be a party pooper, but those are the unexpected negative consequences, not to mention the risks of disease, rape, murder, theft, etc., that exist within the whole seedy environment created by the sex trade.

So, there you’ve got Costa Rica Guy’s two cents worth of opinion on prostitution in Costa Rica.

Oh for sure, let the party go on, as it has for thousands of years.

But when it’s over, the hangover always happens. I guess the question is whether the pleasure is worth that pain?

I’ll leave that to individual decision.

Maybe it all comes down to the idea that lives and the bodies they inhabit were created to be cherished, not used.

My advice to the curious, proceed with due caution and at your own risk.

A Costa Rica Bird Song

by Leave a Comment

I have written repeatedly about the incredible depth of biological diversity that exists in Costa Rica. And the variety of Costa Rica bird species is one aspect where that diversity is displayed dramatically.

There are almost 900 different species, more than in the entire U.S. and Canada combined…compacted into an area the size of West Virginia.

Have you ever wondered why out of all the creatures, birds tend to be the most delicate and beautiful of all?

Maybe it’s because they are the closest of all the species to angels, both of whom are not bound by the constraints of gravity, like the rest.

Just venture up into the Talamanca mountains to a place like San Gerardo de Dota. There’s something so serene and peaceful about this place deep in the heart of Costa Rica’s highest range.

San Gerardo de Dota has the reputation as the best place to see the mythical Resplendent Quetzal. However, even if you aren’t lucky enough to catch a Quetzal early in the morning midst dining on the fruit of the aguacatillo tree, a whole host of other species also await the bird watching enthusiast.

One of my favorite highland species is the Jilguero, which has the most hypnotic and other-worldy song of all the birds.

Some regard “bird watching” as a recreational activity for the old folks. Well, I turned 54 today, so I guess I’m finally getting on up there. Maybe that’s why this past-time has appeal to me these days.

But I believe it’s also because as we age we become wiser and more in tune to those little things that make life more meaningful.

Can you imagine what life would be like without birds?

We sometimes jokingly say that things are “going to the birds.” The truth is that we take birds for granted far too often, when in reality they are creatures that if we take time to really notice, will bring a deeper realization of the amazing complexity and simplicity of life.

In Costa Rica, if you’re not noticing the birds, well then, you’re just not paying attention.

The birds of Costa Rica have captivated me as have many things in this tiny piece of paradise I call home. I don’t believe I will ever grow tired of learning more about them. They are creatures that seem to exist for the purpose of adding a little color to the sometimes olive-drab hues of life.

Costa Rica Peace Dividend

by Leave a Comment

Costa Rica Peace Dividend

Costa Rica is unique in many ways.

One of its most dramatic and puzzling (to North Americans) attributes is its lack of a military and commitment to Costa Rica peace.

Many ask how can Costa Rica be safe when there has been so much strife to its north and south without a military to protect itself?

To understand more fully Costa Rica’s steadfast commitment to remaining neutral in the numerous conflicts of its neighbors, a bit of a Costa Rican history lesson is needed.

Like the U.S., Costa Rica was hit hard by the worldwide economic crisis of the late 1920’s known as the Great Depression. This gave way to increased influence of the Communist party and social unrest. The “New Deal” for Costa Rica came with the election of president Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, who served from 1940 to 1944.

His administration enacted sweeping economic and social reforms, such as social security and the labor code. However, the mercantile elite did not support Calderón’s reforms and linked him with the Communist party.

In 1944, Calderón’s candidate, Teodoro Picado was elected, but his election was declared fraudulent by Calderón’s opponents. Despite Picado’s attempts to appease the opposition, mistrust in government grew during the period from 1944 to 1948.

In the election of 1948, Otilio Ulate defeated Calderón, who was seeking re-election. But the results were annulled by the Congress, which was dominated with Calderón supporters.

This quickly led to Costa Rica’s only civil war, with the opposition led by José “Pepe” Figueres Ferrer.

The Figueres’ led militia defeated the weak Costa Rican military in an armed conflict that lasted only five weeks, but left some 2,000 dead.

Figueres’ first move was to outlaw the Communist party. He also rejected the so-called “Pacto Caribe”, that would’ve allowed Costa Rica to be used as a base for campaigns against its neighbor’s dictatorial regimes.

But the most famous decree came 66 years ago, on December 1, 1948, when Figueres abolished the military.

A new constitution was adopted that gave women and blacks the right to vote. The Supreme Electoral Tribunal was established to monitor elections and prevent future electoral fraud.

Figueres stepped down after 18 months, handing his power over to Otilio Ulate, and ever since Costa Ricans have settled their political arguments peacefully and democratically. Under Figueres democratic freedoms were enshrined in Costa Rica.

The abolition of the military allowed the government to invest more in social programs like health care and education. In the ensuing years the middle class was elevated.

Don Pepe, as he is affectionately called by the ticos, died in 1990 at the age of 84.

Costa Rican’s owe a great deal of gratitude to Don Pepe and his courageous actions that help to make Costa Rica perhaps the most free and democratic of all Latin American countries.

Since those days Costa Rica has remained neutral in the conflicts that have brewed in neighboring nations. During the late 80’s when the civil war was raging in Nicaragua, Costa Rica refused to allow the U.S. to use the country as a base of military operations.

And it was Costa Rica’s then president Oscar Arias who negotiated an accord that helped bring about peace in Nicaragua. Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize as a result of his efforts.

It has been that commitment to peace that has defined Costa Rica and made it an admiration of the world and a wonderful place to live and to visit.

Connect with Costa Rica Expat Tours