I visited the Lake Arenal region a few weeks back with family from out of town. When people visit us here in Costa Rica, we usually end up there at some point. Just three hours by car from our home in the Central Valley (and the international airport), it's an easy drive—very picturesque as you pass through the rain forest, farmland, and small villages of the countryside.
Wanted: intrepid explorers...adventurers with a thirst for different cultures...must be willing to taste new and exotic foods...have a deep and friendly smile...age unimportant...you choose your working hours but remember to leave enough time to travel, an instant social life filled to the brim with colorful people who will genuinely try to make your life as easy as possible and you'll even get paid!
What if you were sitting in the shade of a palm tree looking out at coral white sands on a tropical island? Yesterday, you were learning to paddleboard from a hidden cove, and tomorrow you’ll explore surfing spots farther up the mainland coast. Tonight you’ll choose from French cuisine, Italian pasta, or feast on fresh-caught tuna while watching the game at Smileys bar.
Head out of San Jose, crest the cloud forest-covered mountains to the west of Costa Rica's capital, and in about two hours you're on the Caribbean coast. Another two hours or so south and you're in the heart of the region. A pretty short ride...but it's like a different world. The tourist development of the Pacific coast never made it out here. So no big resorts, no golf courses, no high-rise condos...
When I'm back visiting the U.S. and tell people I live in Costa Rica...I already know the picture they have in their mind. It's a shoreline. First, the brilliant blue water...a strip of sand unmarred by footprints...a fringe of palm trees...then a rain forest with towering trees and lush vegetation alive with toucans and capuchin monkeys...and finally jagged green-covered mountains looming behind it all.
People ask me all the time what it is that I love about Ecuador and I rarely have a good answer. Not because it's difficult to come up with an answer but rather there is so much to love that I never know where to start. Sometimes I fall back on the standard lines about the low cost of living, great climate, and close proximity to the U.S. Every one of those traits makes Ecuador appealing, but those are just bonuses, not what I've come to love. I love that I can...
Last weekend my wife, Suzan, and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary in one of the most unique spots we’ve ever visited. We left our home in Cotacachi before noon and drove north, deeper into the Ecuador province of Imbabura. Our driver had asked if we wanted to take the “scenic route” instead of taking the Pan American Highway, and we happily agreed.
Panama’s artisans are perhaps the best-kept secret in the world of handicrafts. In every region you’ll find master craftspeople quietly selling their wares in small stores and on roadsides. Little-known festivals celebrate their skills. And Panama’s oldest families pass their creations on to their children…from the fine linen and Valencian lace of the dress known as the pollera, to the instruments needed for the distinctive sounding tipico music.
To me, there's something almost magical about the beach. From the peaceful sounds of the surf breaking against the shore to the squawking of the gulls high above, it conjures up visions of simpler times when the only worry in the world was whether or not the water would wash away our sand castle.
The capital of the Los Santos province, Las Tablas is in the heart of Panama—the provincias centrales or “central provinces.” And in an area known for its traditions and folklore, Las Tablas is as Panamanian as it gets. A small colonial town with a big party reputation, Las Tablas is considered Carnival Central by fun-loving locals.