Author Archives: examiner

About examiner

Having traveled throughout the world, Lynn Farris now lives in Costa Rica, teaches English in a one room school house and writes a column for the “National Examiner” on Costa Rica.( http://www.examiner.com/costa-rica-in-national/lynn-farris)

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Birding

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Magnificent Frigate Bird

Magnificent Frigate Bird. Photo provided courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Many people come to Costa Rica to see birds and Manuel Antonio is a great place to see a wide variety of birds. There are approximately 350 different species of birds in this area. Even people that aren’t normally birders, find themselves taking note of the interesting species.

You can go on an organized tour to see birds with guides that know where the birds that tourists want to see are commonly found. Or you can just enjoy the birds as you walk the beach, eat in open air restaurants or sail on a sunset cruise.

Some of the best romantic places to stay in the area which have only one bedroom are the appropriately named Villa for Romance and the Romantic Wood Chalet.

Some of my favorite birds to see are the water birds, which include the Magnificent Frigate bird (which is pictured above) the brown pelican, the roseate spoonbill, the white ibis, the neotropical cormorant and the anhinga.

The brown booby is a harbinger of dolphin as they eat the same food.  Become familiar with this bird, so that you can easily find dolphin when you are out on the water.

Other water birds include a wide variety of herons, sandpipers, kingfishers, gulls and ducks.

If you have more people that you wish to accommodate on your vacation, consider The Ocean Penthouse which has 3 bedrooms and sleeps up to 6 or Los Elementos: Villa de Agua which has 4 bedrooms and sleeps 8.

As many water birds as there are here, there are more birds to be found in the nearby jungles. Here you will hear parrots and parakeets. I love seeing the variety of the colors of the tanagers, warblers and the cuckoo birds. The chestnut-mandibled toucan and firey-blled aracari are two of my favorite birds.

There are many varieties of hummingbirds and honey creepers which always delight visitors and many locations have hummingbird feeders to attract these popular birds.

If you have a large party to house, consider Villa Vigia which has 4 bedrooms and sleeps up to 12 or Tanager Villa which has 7 bedrooms and sleeps up to 16.

Birding isn’t limited to the day at Manuel Antonio.  At night you can hear and see a wide variety of owls that call this area home.  There are also night herons, nighthawks and nightjars.

There are many excellent birding books that you can purchase either before your trip or after you arrive in Costa Rica that can help you identify these birds.

 

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Dining

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El Avión Restaurant in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica.

Manuel Antonio is a popular tourist location in Costa Rica and there are a wide variety of places to dine here, from simple coffee shops to gourmet restaurants.

Some of my favorites include:

El Avión  – This restaurant offers a history lesson within the restaurant.  It features inside the restaurant a Fairchild C-123, airplane, the sister plane to the one in U.S. that was shot down over Nicaragua during the Iran Contra affair. Learn more about this incident, while dining on delicious seafood and enjoying a great view of the ocean.

While in Manuel Antonio you can stay at the Villa Mot Mot which features 2 bedrooms, or the Carpe Diem (‘Seize The Day’) which offers 4 bedrooms. Both can accommodate up to 8 people.

Another very popular place to eat is Kapi Kapi which translates to “Welcome” in the language of the Maleku Indians of Costa Rica, This restaurant features elegant food with an Asian influence.  Desserts here are spectacular.

Other places to stay if you have a slightly larger group are Villa El Salto and Casa Feliz both of which sleep up to 12 people. 

El Patio de Cafe Milagro-Bistro Latino is a great place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  It offers a wide range of coffee drinks, fresh-baked sweets, salads, sandwiches and wraps.  It received the 5 out of 5 spoons! Tico rating.

Another great vacation home is The Beach House which sleeps up to 8 people in 3 bedrooms.  If you have a large group, an amazing facility is Casa Fantastica which can accommodate up to 22 people in 8 bedrooms.  This is an amazing 10,000 square foot home featuring a 30 seat cinema, a 20 person jacuzzi, a huge gym and a game room.

 

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Beaches

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casa romantica manuel antonio

Casa Romantica, boasts 5 bedrooms and sleeps up to 12 with 6,000 sq. feet of living space and 7 bathrooms. http://costaricabedfinder.com/vacation-rental/746/award-winning-luxury-estate-home

I have a hard time choosing my favorite beach in Costa Rica, because they are all so beautiful and different in so many ways. However, Manuel Antonio is high on my list because it is really the tale of two very different kinds of beaches.

In Manuel Antonio National Park, you have several fabulous beaches to explore, Playa Manuel Antonio, Playa Gemelas, Playa Puerto Escondido and Playa Espadillo Sur.  As admission to the park is limited, these beaches are never too crowded and the areas around the beaches are packed with nature. The last time I visited, I saw deer, sloths, all four types of monkeys, raccoons, coatimundi and a wide variety of beautiful birds.  The water was clear and beautiful and we took lots of photos. Some of my favorite places to stay when I visit here include: Mot Mot Villa which has 4 bedrooms and sleeps up to 8 and Discovery Beach House which has 3 bedrooms and sleeps 6.

Right outside of the National Park is Playa Espadillo Norte.  It is a fun beach full of activities. There are makeshift kiosks selling clothes, jewelry, art and food.  There are places for renting beach chairs and umbrellas. The beach is set up for volleyball and other activities. You can rent boogie boards, take surf lessons, or go parasailing.  This is also the place to schedule a time to go snorkeling, dolphin watching, sailing or fishing. Playa Espadillo also offers great people watching.  You can walk to bars and restaurants to get a bite to eat.

If you visit with a large group there is a beach for everyone and activities to keep even the most energetic group members busy.  Several of the vacations homes can house large groups. Both Casa Grande and Casa Elsa have 4 bedrooms and sleep up to 12 people. Another popular vacation home in Manuel Antonio that sleeps 12 people is the 5-bedroom Casa Romantica. Closer to Quepos, Tropical Jacana House has 5 bedrooms and sleeps up to 13.

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica: Monkeys

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Central American Squirrel Monkey near Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Photo by Michelle Reback

Manuel Antonio is at the top of my list of places to visit in Costa Rica. In the next few weeks I will be describing many of the reasons to come here and some of my favorite places to stay, including two huge vacation homes, Casa Maravilla, which has 6 bedrooms and sleeps up to 16 and Casa de Anjali, which has 7 bedrooms and sleeps up to 15.

One of the things I love about Manuel Antonio is the monkeys, which are called monos in Spanish.  Most of my friends that come to visit me want to see monkeys. You can find monkeys many places in Costa Rica, especially the howler monkeys (congo in Spanish) that live in the trees and howl as their name implies. Manuel Antonio is one of the few places that you can see all four different species of monkeys that exist in Costa Rica.  A few of my other favorite places to stay here include Casa Paraiso, which has 5 bedrooms and sleeps up to 12 and Casa de Agua also boasting 5 bedrooms that accommodates 10.

Here you will also find the white-throated capuchin monkey (cara blanca in Spanish).  These are what we think of as the “organ grinder” monkeys. They are smart and curious.  Be careful what you pack to take to the beach as these are the monkeys that may steal bananas right out of your picnic basket.

The spider monkey (mono colorado or arana in Spanish) is the acrobat of the monkey world and moves very quickly.  Unfortunately the number of spider monkeys are declining due to loss of habitat, but can still be found in Manuel Antonio.

However, the reason many people venture to Manuel Antonio is to see the Central American squirrel monkey (titi in Spanish). The status of this monkey has recently been upgraded from endangered to vulnerable. This monkey exists only in Costa Rica and Panama and Manuel Antonio is one of the best places to spot one. Like the howler monkey the Central American squirrel monkey lives only in trees.

One last place that I recommend staying while you are here is Casa Fleur de Lis, this is a fabulous vacation home with 4 bedrooms that accommodates 8 guests.

 

Nosara, Costa Rica: Surfing

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http://costaricabedfinder.com/vacation-rental/210/guiones-village-center-beach-house-built-for-surfers

With dependable beach breaks year round, Nosara is a premier spot to surf. Compared to some of the other locations, such as Tamarindo, which we covered previously, Nosara offers a more remote, less crowded place to learn to surf or to perfect your surfing. Two of my favorite places to stay when I am here are Casa Tranquila, which has two bedrooms and sleeps 4, and Green Fish, which offers 3 bedrooms and sleeps 6.

There are three quality programs which offer instruction and board rentals:

Safari Surf School - Teaches you how to surf or improve your skills. They focus on ocean awareness, environmental awareness, basic surf stretching exercises and safety. They try to maintain a 3 student to 1 instructor ratio and employ the latest methods to help students learn. Board rental is included in the lessons. Safari Surf School features women’s programs, and kid’s camps. If you are bringing a large family or group, I recommend staying at Casa Paulina, which has 4 bedrooms and sleeps up to 12.  

Coconut Harry’s Surf Shop – Boasts the largest selections of boards and the closest school to the ocean. They offer standup paddle lessons. You have the option of having single or multiple day lessons. Coconut Harry maintains a 3 – 1 student to instructor ratio and offers camera rentals. Two good options to stay if you come here include Vista Hermosa which has 2 bedrooms and sleeps 4, or if you have a larger group, there is Las Palmas Rojas which offers 3 bedrooms and sleeps up to 8. 

Corky Carroll’s Surf School – Prides itself on being the first surf school in Playa Guiones.  As such they claim to have had the best location options since the beach was undiscovered at the time. They tout the fact that they get all directions of swells and various types of waves. This allows for practice in all types of conditions and is ideal for all levels of surfing. A perfect budget rental for your stay while you are here is Casa Maple Sun, it has 2 bedrooms and sleeps up to 4.

Nosara, Costa Rica: Turtles

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Just north of Playa Nosara is Playa Ostional, site of the Ostional Wildlife Refuge.  This remote beach is the marine turtle nest ground of the Olive Ridley (Lora) and Leatherback (Baula).  The arribada, mass nesting, at this beach is one of the largest in the world.  It is estimated that as many as a million sea turtles lay their eggs in the beach each year.  The largest arribada was recorded in Ostional in November 1995, when a calculated 500,000 female turtles came ashore.  Some of the places that you can stay if you want to see this spectacular event include: La Sencilla – Nosara Playa Guiones, Dos Corazones – Nosara Playa Pelada, and Los Pericos – Nosara Playa Pelada, all of which sleeps 6.

The best time to see an arribada is between July and December.  The arribadas tend to occur on a lunar cycle of approximately 28 days. The majority occur around the last quarter of the cycle. Because of the infrequency of the turtle visits, no one runs standard tours.  However when the arribada is in full swing, several local guides and agencies run tours.  If you happen to be in the area during a nesting, make it a point to visit this fascinating event.  One tour group that you can contact to see if the turtles are nesting is Iguana Expeditions 2682-4089. A few other places to stay include: HeartWaves 3-Bedroom – Nosara Playa Guiones, which can accommodate six people and Casa de Piedra – Nosara Playa Pelada, which sleeps up to ten.

 

Nosara, Costa Rica: National Parks

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Looking for some excitement on your vacation?  Consider the sport of spelunking.  You don’t have to be an experienced spelunker to visit the caves at Barra Honda National Park.  This park features an extensive cave system with some caves reaching a depth of 655 ft.

The main portion of the cave that is open to the public is La Cueva Terciopelo.  It reaches a depth of 62 ft.  You climb straight down a wooden ladder with a safety rope attached.  You rent equipment and hire a local guide at the park entrance station.  They will provide you with harness, helmet and a flashlight.  Here you will visit several chambers of various sizes with impressive stalactites and stalagmites.

The cave is open only during the dry season from mid November to April.  It is a short drive to this area from Nosara and really any of the rentals would work for a visit here.  Some of my favorites include: Casa de Olas One – Nosara Playa Guiones as well as Casa de Olas Two – Nosara Playa Guiones, both of which sleep ten people. I also really like Costa House, which sleeps four and Iguana Blanca which sleeps six.

If you aren’t into spelunking, there is still plenty to do at this National Park. Hike the trails around the area.  Birding is terrific here.  La Cascada is a gentle waterfall that fills a series of pools, some of which you can swim in.  A few other locations that I like to stay include: Las Palmas Inclinadas – Nosara Playa Guiones, which sleeps five, Marisol – Nosara Playa Guiones, which sleeps four and Olas Playitas – Nosara Playa Guiones, which also sleeps four.

As of this writing the cost for admission to the park is $10. And a guided tour ranges from $20 to $35 per person.  You can call 2685-5267 or 2659-1551 for more information.

Nosara, Costa Rica – Yoga

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Las Palmas Rojas – Nosara Playa Pelada http://costaricabedfinder.com/vacation-rental/96/tastefully-designed-beach-villa-on-playa-pelada-nosara

When I think about Nosara, the first thing that comes to mind is the Nosara Yoga Institute.  The Yoga Institute is an internationally recognized retreat and training center for Yoga.  They offer 100 hour, 500 hour and 1,000 hour professional certifications.  If you are planning to come for professional certifications, staying at one of Costa Rica Bedfinder’s vacation locations that are within walking distance makes a great deal of sense.  One of my favorite vacation rentals in this area is the Peace Retreat which is only 100 yards from the Nosara Yoga Institute.  Another one that is very close is Namaste.  Las Colinas boasts a 40-foot infinity-edge pool with a view over a seven-mile beach.  If additional room is desired the Casita de las Colinas can be combined with this rental.

However, the Nosara Yoga Institute is not just for professionals.  They have classes available for a wide variety of levels including beginners.  Classes are 90 minutes long and are taught in English and some instructors are bilingual.

Some of my favorite cost conscious options include Ocean Heights Apartment – Nosara.  In Playa Pelada two very cost effective locations offer great rates.  Michelle’s Hideaway and Villa Domingo.  The Villa Domingo location is a great option for a large family.

 

Nosara, Costa Rica – an overview

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Casa Pauline, located between the beaches of Guiones and Pelada. Photo provided by Costa Rica Bedfinder. Find more about this beautiful vacation home at http://costaricabedfinder.com/vacation-rental/152/pelada-beach-rental-home-in-quiet-shared-compound

One of my favorite locations in Costa Rica is Nosara.  In fact, this is one of the places we strongly considered living, when we purchased a vacation home in Costa Rica.  When I think of Nosara, I immediately think of yoga, surfing, and turtles.  In a country that prizes the environment, Nosara combines tourism with respect for the environment admirably.

Located in the Guanacaste province on the Pacific Coast, Nosara offers a remote beach destination; however, there is a small airport that can easily access the area.  If you want to stay away from the crowds and enjoy some privacy, this is the place for you.  Mel Gibson has a home in this area.

It is important to realize that Nosara is generally an umbrella term which refers to several towns located in this area.

These towns include Playa Guiones, a beach town which is known for surfing. The highlight is the seven kilometer stretch of white sand.  This is the most southern of the beaches that comprise what is loosely called Nosara.  Some of my favorite places to stay here include: Descano which sleeps 6 and Tortuga Feliz,  which can accommodate up to 8 people. 

Playa Pelada is the next beach.  It is separated from Playa Guiones by Punta Pelada, a peninsula that divides the two beaches.  This is a gorgeous but small curving white sand beach.  It is still an operating fishing village and you will see several small fishing pangas lining the beach. At the southern end of the beach a blowhole is visible when the tide is right.  Come to this beach for walks, shell hunting, drinking at Olga’s Bar or dining at La Luna Restaurant.  This beach is frequented by locals and their families.  A few of my favorite places to stay at Playa Pelada include: Villa Mango which accommodates up to 18 people in 7 bedrooms.  I also love Casa de Piedra which sleeps up to 10.

Playa Nosara is the northern most beach in the area, stretching to the mouth of the Nosara River.  Before the river empties into the ocean, it forms lush mangrove estuary filled with birds and other wildlife. Explore this area by kayak or standup paddle board.  This beach is often deserted.  You will occasionally see a fisherman, a surfer or an Olive Ridley turtle here.  This is the place to come if you crave some peace and quiet.  My favorite places to stay here include: Nosara Retreat Villa, which sleeps 4 and Libelula which accommodates 14.

Tamarindo, Costa Rica: Learn Spanish

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Learn Spanish while enjoying Tamarindo’s perfect weather

In part 1 of this series, Tamarindo, Costa Rica: Surfing, I discussed the schools where you can learn or perfect your surfing.  In part 2 of this series, I outlined some popular locations to surf near Tamarindo.  Part 3 addressed some of my favorite places to dine in Tamarindo. Part 4 talked about my favorite places to dance.

In this article I will share about a great place to learn Spanish.

It is always better to learn a language when you are in a country where it is spoken and you can immerse yourself in the culture.  In many occupations, the knowledge of Spanish is essential or at least desirable.  Some companies are requiring proof of some level of Spanish ability.

The Diplomas de Español como Lengua Extranjera (DELE) which translates as Diplomas for Spanish as a Foreign Language are the only standardized certificates for non-native Spanish speakers issued by the Cervantes Institute.

There are a wide variety of places where you can learn Spanish in Costa Rica, and Tamarindo offers an excellent one, the WAYRA Instituto de Español.

There are a variety of options that you can pursue here.

They offer DELE preparation classes, Spanish for children, Spanish for Professionals with the emphasis on medicine, business, real estate and other areas.  They can also combine Spanish language classes with Volunteer Programs and with Surf lessons.

As with each article, I want to share with you some of the wide variety of accommodations that are available in Tamarindo from Costa Rica Bedfinder.  While I have posted previously some of my favorite places that are spectacular, Costa Rica Bedfinder can also offer the budget conscious traveler some excellent options.  Here are some of my favorite cost effective options:

2-bedroom ground floor ocean view beach condo

Hillside top floor condo with amazing ocean view

Walk to town and beach from this 2-bedroom townhome condo