Beach
Costa Rica is a beach lover’s paradise. Sittin in the sun, snorkeling, surfing or just relaxing in a hammock tied to two palm tress…Costa Rica does not lack picturesque coast line for beach dwelling.

Canopy tours
Zip-line through the canopy while howler monkeys stare at you, canopy tours are a must do for all those visiting Costa Rica. Glide from one treetop to another and see the rain forest from an entirely different vantage point.

Whitewater
Whether you are looking for a thrilling white knuckle rafting trip or a calm cruise down the river, Costa Rica caters to both. Expect nothing less than spectacular scenery!

Waterfalls
There is no shortage of waterfalls in Costa Rica with its countless rain forests, canyons and mountains you may just stumble on a secluded local swimming hole.

Surfing
Costa Rica is world renowned for its awesome breaks. From Tamarindo on the Pacific to the epic break of Salsa Brava on the Caribbean, you’ll find a place for beginners as well as barrel seekers.

What are your favorite things to do in Costa Rica?

Add your comments below.

By Lisa Leuthesser

Contributing writer to Latinworld.com

One of the most appealing elements of Panama’s geography is the wide variety of micro climates that can be experienced in a very short time. Few places in the world offer a visitor the opportunity to luxuriate in a bathing suit on a pristine beach one day and don a jacket the next day to hike the slopes of a dormant volcano in a cool cloud forest. Of the many attractions in the Republic of Panama, the province of Chiriquí probably offers the most variety for the visitor in a manageable space.

Chiriquí occupies the northwest corner of Panama and shares a border with Costa Rica. For outdoor enthusiasts, Chiriquí provides an extraordinary variety of ways to take full advantage of nature’s bounty. It is possible here to fish for record-size Blue Marlin one day and fly fish for trout in a mountain stream the following day. There are several rivers where the traveler can experience white water rafting comparable to any in the world. And the mountains also offer the exhilaration of a forest canopy zip line tour that would thrill even the most jaded adventurer.
There is an excellent variety for the ocean lover in Chiriquí, too. The Pacific shore at La Barqueta is a broad, dark sand beach where each year Panama hosts its international surf contest. At the Pedregal River estuary the tiny hamlet of Boca Chica is home to a number of upscale resorts offering fishing and diving activities. Just across the mouth of the river, on the island of Boca Brava secluded lodges and romantic hideaways beckon even seasoned travelers with tropical allure complete with the cacophony of tribes of howler monkeys in the treetops. The calm waters of the Bahia de Charco Azul are protected by the jutting Burica Peninsula shared by Costa Rica. Here at places like Punta Piedra, you will find dramatic, rocky seaside landscapes interspersed with quiet palm-lined beaches where yours are the only footprints in evidence.

For the avian enthusiast, Chiriquí offers opportunities for bird watching that rival any in the world. More than a dozen hummingbird varieties make their home here and countless variations of parrots. The harpy eagle, national bird of Panama, soars through the canyons of the Chiriquí highlands with majestic grace. The famous Los Quetzales trail goes through the Baru Volcano National Park and connects the towns of Cerro Punta and Boquete. This mountain rainforest is part of the Talamanca Mountain Range, an interesting geological formation that contains unique flora and fauna perfect to harbor highland species of Chiriquí.

These absolutely beautiful forests have the highest peak in Panama, the Baru Volcano 11,398 ft. The Quetzales Trail goes to at an altitude of 6000 ft, on a ridge with amazing views, and full of ancient trees, like oak, cedar, magnolia and laurel or aguacatillo (Quetzals main food). Ferns and mosses provide habitat for a great number of birds, such as Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner, Spotted Barbtail, and Spectacled Foliage-Gleaner. Heliconias and flowers attract a variety of gorgeous hummingbirds such as White-throated Mountain-Gem, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird and Violet Sabrewing.

Chiriquí is also home to some of the world’s finest coffee plantations in the world. The area surrounding Boquete has earned top cupping honors in recent competitions and the highest price ever paid for any beans in the world was lavished on one of Boquete’s boutique growers. A tour of a coffee plantation is not to be missed when visiting the highlands. Many different growers offer tours and cupping sessions for visitors.

Finally, no description of Chiriquí would be complete without mentioning the Chiricanos themselves. If you meet a person from Chiriquí he or she is likely to tell you “Soy Chiricano” (I am Chiricano) rather than “Soy Panamaño” (I am a Panamanian). Among these friendly and industrious people there is great pride in their provincial heritage. They will tell you proudly that Chiriquí is the breadbasket of Panama. The farms and gardens of Cerro Punta produce the vast majority of fresh vegetables consumed in the Republic of Panama. Vast greenhouses yield everything from fresh greens and herbs to long-stemmed roses to ornament the tables where those foods are served.

The city of David is a thriving commercial hub for the province boasting modern shopping, theaters and dining for visitors and locals. A small international airport serves as a regional hub and the Pedgregal Marina is one of a only a handful outside of the capital city. Excellent roads connect most points of interest and a reliable bus service runs to all points. In short, Chiriquí Province offers a varied and exciting opportunity to explore Panama’s rich natural and cultural attractions within a convenient, accessible framework.

Lisa Leuthesser is a managing partner and marketing director for http://www.buyingrealestateinpanama.com a company specializing in real estate in Panama’s undiscovered interior provinces.

internal photo #1 provided by Young in Panama at http://www.flickr.com/photos/young-in-panama/3134424240/
internal photo #2 provided by atour_a at http://www.flickr.com/photos/artour_a/2069964406/
internal photo #3 provided by default user at http://www.flickr.com/photos/defaultuser/113098493/

Costa Rica is a very small country, but yet still represents 5% of the bio diversity of the planet. Places like Corcorvado park is a haven for back packers, jet setters and those looking for eco-adventure. Being conscious about your carbon footprint is crucial to the success of sustainable tourism. The local community needs to be encouraged to take care of the environment and preserve nature.

Bocas del Toro:

Located on the west part of Panama near the border of Costa Rica, the Bocas del Toro Archipielago consists of nine islands, 52 keys and around 200 tiny islets. The biggest and most developed island is Colon Island.

Bocas del Toro

Panama City:

Located on the Pacific Coast, east of the Panama Canal, the city has tons of tourist attractions that include worl class hotels and restaurants. Investors from all over the world are constantly pulled to Panama’s real estate market due to the fact that the Canal has undergoing plans for expansion.

Panamá City

Boquete:

Located on the Chiriquí Province, one of the most developed provinces in the country, with an economy that is based on the production of agriculture and tourisim. Boquete is known as the flower garden of the nation and as one of the top places in the world for retirement with espectacular mountain views and cattle ranches.

Boquete

El Valle de Anton:

Located in the province of Coclé on the southern coast of Panama, inside a 20 square kilometer crater of a volcano atop a mountain. It’s a magical experience full of waterfalls, hot water springs, square trees and golden frogs.

El Valle de Anton

San Blas Islands:

Located to the northeast of the Panama Canal with 365 islands, one for each day of the year. There aren’t too many destinations in the Caribbean quite like the San Blas Islands Panama archipelago were you will find some of the oldest reefs in the world, beautiful arts and crafts and the Kunu Indians, who run the islands as an autonomous province.

San Blas Islands

Bocas del Toro pic provided by Jason’s Travel Photography at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonweaver/2478375748/sizes/l/

Panama City pic provided by seracat at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mserarolsbcn/2932517286/

Boquete pic provided by Rita Willaert at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rietje/2319517510/

El Valle de Anton pic provided by g[wiz] at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ggunter/2331421859/

San Blas pic provided by meytevidri at http://www.flickr.com/photos/maytevidri/2474614966/

By Victor Loza and Sharon Heafey

Contributing writers to Latinworld.com

Tourism is not new to Baja California or the Rosarito area. The first tourists to visit Rosarito arrived around 1874 to hunt and fish, but it was another 52 years, in 1926, that the Rosarito Beach Hotel was founded. The opening of this historic Hotel is generally credited with the beginning of the tourist period and was very much the forerunner in the development of the area.

During the 1940’s Rosarito became a haven for the Hollywood set welcoming Rita Hayworth and her husband Prince Aly Khan as regular patrons as well as other Hollywood visitors such as Orson Wells, Mickey Rooney, Ava Gardner, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Gregory Peck, Kim Novak, Clark Gable, Lana Turner and the legendary beauty Marilyn Monroe. In fact, Marilyn Monroe loved the ambience of Rosarito so much; she had furniture made for her first and only home in Brentwood, California, which included the bed where she died.

Frank Sinatra and the “Rat Pack” were also frequent visitors to Rosarito, spending many long hours at the Rosarito Beach Hotel’s bar. It was not unusual to have an impromptu concert in the wee hours of the morning by Frank, Dino, and Sammy, which brought in staff members who worked in the hotel. It has been said that some waiters got as much as a $1,000 tip just to cater to Frank and his buddies.

John Wayne, who was always attracted to Latin women, would visit Rosarito to surround himself with the culture and to woo an occasional beauty or two. Ava Gardner would visit the Tijuana bull fights and then come to Rosarito Beach where she knew she would be unnoticed.

Clark Gable, one of Hollywood’s “man’s man” loved to visit Rosarito for deep sea fishing; while Gregory Peck loved to stroll on the beach and Lana Turner cherished having local cobblers custom make shoes for her. Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn also frequented Rosarito which allowed them to spend some quality time alone and away from the prying eyes of the press.

James Cameroon, fell in love with the city and brought Rosarito and the Hollywood Connection to the spotlight once again with the construction of Fox Studios, Baja. Built specifically for the Academy Award winning film, Titanic, the studio boasts the biggest indoor water tank in the world. A mock up of the ship was constructed on the grounds, and the sinking of the mighty Titanic was filmed in the water tank.

Cameroon spent years of research and huge amounts of money to make sure that every detail in the movie was as close to the original Titanic as humanly possible. You can now tour the set and see the china used during the filming with the Titanic logo, playing cards with the same logo, visit the room where Rose took the ax and freed Jack, see the boiler room, or take a picture on the same replica deck where Jack proclaimed, “I’m the King of the World.”

Johnny Depp in Rosarito during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean

Following Titanic, Fox used the studio to film other movies including Master and Commander with Russell Crowe; 007’s Quantum of Solace and Tomorrow Never Dies, and Pirates of the Caribbean, just to name a few. During the filming of these movies it was not unusual to see Russell Crowe walking down Benito Juarez, or Johnny Depp and Laurence Fishbourne having dinner at a local restaurant and eating with locals as if they were old friends. Once again Rosarito became “the Hollywood Connection.”

Some of the recent visitors that have been seen leisurely walking the streets of Rosarito include stars like Jessica Simpson, Sandra Bullock, Jesse James, and Cuba Gooding Jr. In fact, Cuba Gooding Sr. loves the city so much that he now lives in the Calafia Condos Resort and Villas.  Follow his performance at a local hotel by clicking here

It is no doubt that Rosarito has continued throughout the years to be the best kept secret in Hollywood. Even the Hollywood superstar’s cannot deny the beauty of walking under the stars in this wonderful piece of paradise. And that’s why we call it “The Hollywood Connection.”

Victor Loza and Sharon Heafey are co-founders of Your Baja Connection. YBC provides real estate and relocation services for buyers in Mexico.

Yes, you can have a good experience purchasing property in Mexico. You want to make sure that you have a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical agent. When you are ready to make an offer there are a myriad of additional considerations and concerns, but if you have selected the right agent, you will have the right person to guide and protect you.

At Your Baja Connection we understand all these issues and we have purchased and gone through the process ourselves. We want to be Your Baja Connection and are ready to assist you in a worry-free purchase of your new retirement or vacation home or condo in Mexico. YBC can be reached at 858.748.5870, via email at YBC@YourBajaConnection.com, or at http://www.Your BajaConnection.com.

internal photo #2 provided by Stuck in Customs at http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/3026078169/

By Patrick Connelly

In the United States, timekeeping and punctuality are extremely important. In Costa Rica, on time is thirty minutes late.

This single cultural difference is the cause of incalculable headaches, marital verbal jousts (usually in public), and the occasional complete gringo psychological meltdown. For the uninitiated, the manner in which life progresses in Costa Rica can be a quite a shock. Life is slower, catered to be savored.

Costa Rica is unique in that its culture has been carved and crafted by so many different nationalities. Geography is the culprit here. The country lies in a peculiar spot on the Central American isthmus that allows for cultural invasions to occur freely; most notably, because it lacks a major indigenous population. A whopping ninety-four percent of Ticos classify themselves as white or mestizo, while less than four percent are Afro-Caribbean or indigenous. Consequently, Costa Rica is an anomaly on the isthmus in that there is not the prevalent indigenous culture or the indigenous versus white dynamic as seen in Guatemala or Belize, nor the visible social ills that often accompany it.

To make up for the lack of indigenous civilizations, Costa Rica became a land of immigrants, much like the United States. Perhaps this is why people from the U.S. find the country so appealing; indeed, the idea of the American dream is alive and well here. Europeans and Chinese immigrants arrived en mass at the turn of the twentieth century, bringing with them their respective cultures; more recently, North Americans have added to the cultural dynamic. As far as Latin American countries go, it is a real melting pot.

Which is not to say that San Jose is like Rome or New York. This is, after all, a Latin American country, and with it comes the standard-bearers of Latin cultures. For instance, driving. The first time a highway built for two lanes becomes a makeshift four lane monster – with motorbikes weaving between cars and trucks – one realizes they are definitely not in Kansas anymore. As in much of the Latin world, the siesta has gone the way of the dodo, replaced by the need to improve the bottom line; however, in the more rural and mestizo parts of the country a post-lunch nap is still enjoyed. As with the first point on punctuality, make a mental note: businesses – sometimes all businesses in a town – may be closed for a few hours in the afternoon. Find a nice hammock, a good book, and relax.

While the Central American staple of beans and rice – comida típica ­- is ubiquitous throughout the country, Costa Rican food is as diverse as its people. As a result of the large immigrant population, tourism, and the McWorld which we now live in, everything from fast food to filet mignon can be found quite readily, even in remote locales. One will definitely not go hungry in Costa Rica, nor will one end up eating fried ants and monkey stew.

Like people from the U.S., Ticos have forged their own culture and identity from their unique geographic position and diverse racial makeup. They are incredibly proud of their country’s achievements, particularly the fact that Costa Rica has not collapsed into civil war or ethnic slaughter like so many of its neighbors. “More teachers than soldiers” is a popular claim to fame. A certain mean between the extremes is the goal of most Ticos; in other words, proud but humble.

While they may be humble, machismo still exists among Costa Ricans, albeit not to the extent of other Latin countries. In the Meseta Central and along the coasts machismo has been replaced with modern day liberalism, and the old vestiges seemingly only exists within the taxi and bus driver community. However, in more rural areas with large mestizo populations women may occasionally receive inappropriate catcalls (dubbed piropos); ninety-nine times out of a hundred these are innocent, merely males asserting their masculinity to their nearby amigos. Ignoring the calls and whistles usually does the trick.

Back to the first point. We estadounidenses often forget that our culture is one of the most work-driven and fast moving in the world. Not always being punctual does not mean that Ticos are lazy or inefficient; in fact, they are very industrious…when its deemed necessary. A business meeting at five thirty starts at five thirty; similarly, a bank will open its doors promptly at the same time every morning. To exemplify the achievements of their country, Costa Ricans will go out of their way to make foreigners feel at ease, trying their best to impress. Additionally, altitude defines attitude. In the urban mountain ranges things are generally a bit more punctual, a bit more scheduled, a bit more…U.S.. Along the coasts and in the rainforests life moves slower; manaña is said to be the national answer to everything. But this is part of Costa Rica’s charm, the ability to live life at the perfect pace. It is truly pura vida.

Picture provided by barnabywasson on flickr

Now that the holiday season´s started tons of people are still wondering where to spend their vacation. Well, here is my personal top three places you cannot afford to miss while visiting Mexico:

Cancun

By far, one of the best beach resorts in  Mexico, well known among foreign visitors, Cancun is a good place to start the new year laying down on white-sand beaches and surrounded by the kindest people in the country.

Tulum

Not so much into the sun and beach kind of vacation? Tulum is the place to go. Enjoy discovering the marvelous Mayan ruins and learning all there is to know about one of the most legendary civilizations in Latin America.

Los Cabos

Looking to have fun on the beach and not going broke in the process? Then Los cabos is the stop for you; with its great beaches, white sand, crystal clear water and the wildest nightlife out there Los Cabos will provide you with a lifetime experience at a relatively low cost.

In this interview Scott Bower highlights the must see sights in and around San Jose, Costa Rica. He also gives his take on the environmental impact that new real estate developments are having on the coastal areas. Scott owns a travel company, Package Costa Rica, and has been living in the country since 2001.

Download the mp3 file by clicking the right button of your mouse and selecting “Save Link As…”