Posts tagged Pura Vida
Top 5 Reasons I Love Costa Rica Living
Sep 2nd
Green and beautiful Costa Rica
Everyone has their own reasons for falling in love with Costa Rica. The uncomplicated lifestyle, natural beauty and low cost of living always top the list. For me, these five factors of Costa Rica living have improved the overall quality of my life. Don’t you want to discover if Costa Rica is right for you?
1. Costa Rica is one of the greenest, cleanest countries in the world. Its progressive environmental policies and eco-friendly practices are evident everywhere you look. Did you know that Costa Rica is one of the few countries worldwide to actually reverse deforestation? I love waking up to the pure country air lightly scented with orange blossoms in our Central Valley home.
Top 5 Reasons I Love Costa Rica Living
This is the pura vida
2. ?Costa Ricans are some of the happiest people on Earth! According to the Happy Planet Index (HPI), an independent think-tank, “Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world and have the second-highest average life expectancy of the Americas.” Now, if that doesn’t speak for itself, I don’t know what does. Friendly, gregarious, welcoming, patient and happy: the people of Costa Rica are its greatest national treasure.
3. It’s easy to live and eat healthfully. Whether you’re an organic foodie, vegan or all-out carnivore, you’re bound to treat your body better in this tropical nation. Believe it or not, it’s actually more economical to eat healthy foods than junk in Costa Rica. Twenty US dollars will buy you a week’s worth of gorgeous fruits and veggies, fresh tuna and mahi mahi cost less than $3 a pound, and many Costa Rican towns have yet to see a McDonald’s or Pizza Hut. Roadside “fast food” snacks include farm-fresh fruits, agua de pipa (coconut juice), and tart slices of green mango.
I’ll always be a beach girl at heart
4. The great outdoors! The moment you set foot in Costa Rica all you want to do is explore. Mountains, rivers, volcanoes, cloud forest, rainforest, and more than 800 miles of sublime beaches: it’s all accessible in this tiny country. One of the great things about living – and traveling – in Costa Rica is its compact size, enabling you to traverse varied terrains in short amounts of time. In less than four hours, I can go from chilly cloud forest to sultry beaches, and still have time to relax and enjoy my day.
5. Easy acclimation with little culture shock. I lived in South East Asia for years and always struggled with the language and feeling like I truly “belonged.” Learning Spanish was a breeze compared to Thai, and for the linguistically challenged, you have a built-in community of English-speaking locals and expats. In many ways, Costa Rica is much like the States in terms of access to modern amenities, but it’s the peaceful lifestyle coupled with a true appreciation for family and friends that sets this country apart. For me, this is the “pura vida,” and it will keep me rooted here for many years to come.
Aparhotel Vista Pacifico – Hotel Review
Aug 10th
Probably the best place to stay for the money in Costa Rica. Charm, hospitality and the quintessential “PURA VIDA”
Things totally started off on the right foot pre-arrival to this cozy boutique inn. My wife was having trouble getting her VISA (Colombians need a VISA to travel to Costa Rica) and I urgently called Jan and Greg so they could send me the hotel confirmation with my wife’s name on it. They sent it over in a flash. I also asked Jan to if she could drop into town and pick up some flowers to be left in our room (delivered). Jan showed us our room and with a warm smile told us she decided to upgrade us to a bigger suite free of charge.
Unfortunately it was a short stay at Aparhotel Vista Pacifico, but I highly recommend this place for a quiet stay just 5 minutes driving from downtown Jaco. It has a quaint quinta-like feel and sits atop a hill overlooking the pacific ocean. It’s not a stuffy hotel, but more like your second home in Costa Rica. We hit duty free on the way in and the balcony was the perfect place to unwind after a long day of traveling with a bottle (or 2) of vino. The room was spacious, clean and comfortable. It had a kitchen, fridge, stove, silverware, glasses and pretty much anything you need.
In the morning, I woke up to fresh fruit, tasty pastries, coffee and yogurt with granola. Jan sat with us going over a map pointing out different beaches or places to checkout during our way down the pacific coast to Manuel Antonio. She has the vibe of someone that truly cares about leaving a positive impression on you and that’s exactly what happens. I would definitely go back and regret that we couldn’t stay longer.
The hotel is a bit of a walk into downtown, but you can take a 5 minute cab ride (we had a car so we drove). I actually preferred to not be smack in the middle of the main strip because it was much more tranquilo. Despite being more secluded, you’ll find all the necessary amenities and you can even check your email from the wifi connection while you snack on some fresh fruit or sip your morning coffee poolside.
