Legend tells that when God made the world, after he finished painting the sky a brilliant pastel blue, he washed his brushes in a beautiful Costa Rican river, coloring the river the same intense sky blue.…

More than 700 miles of beach on Pacific and Caribbean coasts, warm water, tropical climate, lush rainforest and cloud forest, jungle wildlife, stable country, and friendly people – Costa Rica entices millions to visit every year.

If you live anywhere in the Americas, and most likely even in Europe, then you have heard the buzz about this Central American…

by Shannon Farley



Costa Rica’s 2012 “Christmas Bird Count” at …

Costa Rica’s fabulous year-round sunshine, balmy weather and remarkable championship golf courses are fast earning the country the reputation as an “ace” place for world-class golf.

The best part? Located just a few hours’ flight away from North America, Costa Rica’s weather is best when all points north are frozen in winter’s icy grip. Missing the long,…

Walking in a winter wonderland is just a tad different on Costa Rica’s Santa Teresa Beach. Rather than the traditional “white Christmas” and “snow glistening in the lane” scene, it is closer to Frosty the Snowman’s situation … “The sun was hot…

They live in the sea, are on the World Wildlife Fund’s “Endangered Species List”, and frequent the waters around…

Personally, I prefer staying in small boutique hotels. Large chain hotels have their function, though I rather like when the receptionist remembers my name and is personable enough to care how I am and how my stay is going. I like waiters who remember I favor water without ice and that my mid-afternoon coffee is an absolute must … with a healthy shot of warm milk, if you please. I am…

Christmas car ols, traditional ballet, concerts, art tours and exhibits, and the magnificent annual Parade of Lights are all coming to town this holiday season in San José, Costa Rica.

The vibrant capital city is looking very festive these days in preparation for Christmas, New Year’s, and the kick-off to the summer “fiesta” season for 2013. Stores have already…

Do you like to work out in your hotel’s gym when you’re away? If you happen to be staying in Denmark’s Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, keeping fit while traveling will help generate the hotel’s electricity and earn you meal vouchers in their restaurant. The flagship eco-hotel is the first hotel in Denmark to generate all of its power from…

Any Olympic athlete or professional athlete, or high school or

university athlete, or even a child on a sports team for that matter, has a coach. Actors have coaches. Singers and dancers have coaches or trainers. Over the past decades, executives and businesspersons have joined the ranks of seeking coaching for success.

In today’s modern world, there is…

Now take your focus out to a global view, and you have a clear picture of what is happening in the Amazon Rainforest.

The Amazon is the largest contiguous tropical forest in the world, and releases 20% of the world’s life-giving oxygen.…

My cousin is probably the most efficient family traveler I know. She has her work cut out for her with 2-year-old and 4-year-old girls. Like a well-oiled machine, she’s ready for every contingency as if preparing for a survival operation. Sticky hands or nowhere to wash before eating? She pulls packets of wet wipes from a handy pocket of her…

One of the most amazing things I’ve learned how to do is scuba dive. It’s the closest thing to flying I’ve ever felt, and given my fear of heights (or, rather, falling from them), it feels a whole lot safer. When you get your buoyancy…

It’s been a good year so far for Nataly Bernold. The 19-year-old from Jaco Beach, Costa Rica, was just crowned Costa Rica’s National Surfing Champion in the Women’s divisionin August (2012), making it her third national…

When the coffee mill is roasting in my little town in Costa Rica, you can smell the aroma throughout our hills and valleys. The sweet, pungent fragrance entices you to a steaming cup or two in the morning, and following tradition, another at 3 p.m. When I first moved to this small Central American land, I was puzzled by how it seemed the entire country stops at 3 pm for its “cafecito”. After nearly 11 years of living here, I find the local custom…

This weekend the port city of Limón kicked off its annual Carnival festivities, a 12-day Caribbean street party celebrating the kaleidoscope of cultures on…

The Peñas Blancas River in north central Costa Rica is a good example. The clear tropical river runs through the…

I want to be part of a Blue Zone.

What is a “Blue Zone,” you ask?

It is a place where people live happily and healthily for a very long time.

The term was popularized by author-educator-explorer Dan Buettner in his 2008 book, “The…

A friend of mine is a consummate travel fanatic. She’s traveled all over the world and knows the ins and outs of internet travel websites like nobody’s business. Nevertheless, she still uses a local travel agentwhenever she plans her family’s holidays. Going to Ecuador? She contacts a travel expert in Ecuador. Going to the Baltics? She used an agency specializing in the region. Going to Chile? Same thing.…

While the rest of the northern surfing world is gearing up for snowboarding for the winter, Costa Rica is heating up for the 2012-2013 summer season. Sunny days, blue skies and dry trade winds are soon headed our way … ideal for…