One of the year’s most important holidays, Costa Rica celebrates its 196th Independence Day anniversary this Friday September 15th. Festivities begin traditionally on September 14th, when the Torch of Freedom arrives in Cartago. The torch represents Central America’s freedom from colonial Spain. Every year, it makes the journey south from Guatemala through five nations, arriving […]
IPAI School Connecting Strangers Through Love of Languages
August 11, 2017 by
Breaking Barriers August Cano moved to Costa Rica from his native Peru 27 years ago due to social and political unrest that had placed his family in danger. He finished a Teaching and Translation degree at ULACIT, the Latin American University of Science and Technology. He founded IPAI, Instituto Pacifico de Idiomas, in the city […]
Visions Becoming Reality: Jaco Walk Focuses On Positive Growth
July 14, 2017 by
Recently we had the opportunity to talk with Francisco “Chico” Gonzalez, one of the administrators responsible for the ongoing development of Jaco Walk. Francisco is a “Jacobeño nativo,” a Jaco native. He was born in Jaco, grew up in Jaco and has deep roots here. His grandparents were part of the first family to […]
The Diverse and Historical Province of Alajuela
April 21, 2017 by
The city of Alajuela is also known as the “City of Mangos” due to the large number of mango trees found there. It is the capital of the second largest province in Costa Rica and located about 11 miles (17 km) northwest of San Jose, along the General Cañas highway. The province contains one of […]
Temperamental Volcano Turrialba
April 10, 2017 by
The beautiful Turrialba Volcano is covered in dense vegetation and looks out over approximately 3,900 acres (1,577 ha) of mostly mountainous rain forest. It is the second tallest volcano in Costa Rica (Irazu being the first). A large area of the national park is composed of both primary and secondary rainforest, where it is common […]
Karma Tribe Celebrates Its First Year Anniversary
April 7, 2017 by
“How can we, in our short lives, make a significant positive impact in the world?” This was the question David Grillot and his friend Allan Campbell were contemplating some years ago. Both were active members of Couchsurfing at the time, a website service that allows you to offer and request free travel lodging. “It occurred to […]
A Visit To Manuel Antonio National Park
March 7, 2017 by
Manuel Antonio National Park is located off the the main road going from Quepos to Manuel Antonio. It is the smallest national park in Costa Rica, yet one of the busiest. Covering 1,700 acres (688 ha) and over 130,000 acres (52,609 ha) of water, the park offers some of the best wildlife watching with more […]
Corcovado Is The Crown Jewel of National Parks
February 27, 2017 by
Corcovado National Park is located on the Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica and, as the largest national park, it protects approximately one third of the peninsula. It is one of the most complex freshwater and saltwater ecosystems in the world. There are at least thirteen distinct vegetation types identified within the park boundaries that […]
Scarlet Macaws and Crocodiles: A Visit To Carara National Park
January 24, 2017 by
Carara National Park ranks among the most popular of Costa Rica, perhaps due to its location. It it just an hour’s drive south of San Jose and 9.3 miles (15 km) north of the popular beach town of Playa Jacó. Established in 1978 as a biological reserve, it was upgraded to a national park in […]
Tamales, Rompope and Lights: Christmas Costa Rica Style
December 7, 2016 by
Christmas is less than three weeks away and excitement is building throughout Costa Rica. The whole month of December vibrates with a noticeable excitement. Costa Rican families typically have vacation beginning mid-month when the traditional school-year ends. Families living in the capital city of San José often flock to the beaches while others enjoy the […]
