Frustrated and fed up with U.S. domestic politics and agenda, we have seen the majority of our buyers looking at Costa Rica real estate as an alternative to living in the U.S. As an escape from the high taxes in the US, Costa Rica is fast becoming a business hub for corporations and the self employed. Multi-national corporations are opening up plants here because of the educated work force and the governments willingness to help provide tax relief. The government has the same attitude towards the self-employed which makes Costa Rica an ideal location to relocate.

As a result, more and more people are quickly discovering that with modern technology they can completely move their businesses to Costa Rica, keep all the comforts of their U.S. lifestyle and most importantly pay much less in both taxes: business tax and personal tax.

In addition, Costa Rica is a very short plane ride from the US, in fact it takes less time to fly from Boston to Costa Rica than it would take to L.A. With the certainty that taxes in the states will continue to rise, the tranisition costs associated with such a move are becoming affordable in lieu operating and living in the US.

If you are serious about exploring the tax benefits in Costa Rica property just give us a call and we would be happy to put you in touch with an accountant that can assist you more, once you are ready to make the move Coldwell Banker Jaco will be happy to help you find the right property, make the move, and join the party in Costa Rica!

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The vessel offers spacious cabins and its decorated with old engravings and pictures of other ships. It is 115 meters long and has a traditional style with the deluxe amenities and the capacity to host 170 passengers.

Costa Rica is an interesting destination for the Spanish market and it is expected that the new route will be popular among those who love cruise travel. The cruise runs along the eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, and French Polynesia.

In two years, Star Clippers also wants to incorporate a new ship into the fleet. Currently besides the Star Flyer, the company has the Royal Clipper, which has capacity for 227 passengers in its 134 meters by 1800m2 deck.

Costa Rica is increasingly being added by international travel companies seeking to appease its client’s worldly desires. While Costa Rica is known for its “green” stance on global issues, many tourists flock to Costa Rica to see the last vestiges of wildlife in a democratic society. Security is an important point with travel companies because they want to focus on conducting tours not on security.

Many companies offer safari tours in Africa but a large percentage of the planning is security for its clients. Without a doubt, Africa offers greater variety of wild animals to be viewed by the public but its security problems hampers its growth. Costa Rica being a stable country in the central American isthmus has practiced democracy for the past 60 years and it tourism sectors recognizes this advantage over other destinations.

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The ecology of Costa Rica isn’t the only thing that’s diverse — so are the travel options: from the Caribbean to the Pacific, cloud forests in the mountain and white sand beaches on the coast, the list of activities to enjoy and places to visit is just about endless as well!

To help narrow down the options, here are top recommendations on where to go month by month:

	Central & South Pacific: whale watching, #1 fishing season (through March) & great weather Playa Grande, Guanacaste: Leatherback turtles, Surf season starts in region Poas Volcano: Great viewing Caribbean: Surfing
	Entire Pacific: Whale watching Central & South Pacific: Fishing season Playa Grande, Guanacaste: Leatherback turtles, surfing Cartago: Orchids blooming Caribbean: Surfing
	Entire Pacific: Whale Watching, surfing Central & Southern Pacific: Fishing Season Cartago: Orchids blooming Monteverde: Quetzals nesting Caribbean: Surfing
	Monteverde: Quetzals nesting and huge butterfly migrations Osa Peninsula: Best weather Guanacaste: Surfing Everywhere: Low season prices after April 15
	Guanacaste: Best diving in May (not too windy or too rainy) Everywhere: Spring bird migration lots of species Central & South Pacific: Best surf (through to November)
	Guanacaste: mix of rain and sun, means the coast gets a lot prettier (greener) Everywhere: Off season rates, lots of sun Central & South Pacific: Surfing
	Everywhere: Little summer means great weather throughout the country Tortuguero: Turtles nesting Central & South Pacific: Surfing
	Tortuguero: Turtles nesting Entire Caribbean: great weather in the Caribbean Arenal: good weather and great for viewing volcano Northern Pacific: Best month for fishing (sailfish, roosterfish, marlin, wahoo, snapper) San Jose: Peak rafting season begins on the Pacuare river (tours depart San Jose) Central & South Pacific: Surfing
	Entire Caribbean: Lovely weather, turtles nesting, end of month baby turtles hatching, also peak of fishing season for Tarpoon and Snook Arenal: Good weather and great for viewing volcano San Jose: Great rapids for white water rafting the Pacuare River Central & South Pacific: Surfing
	Tortuguero: Baby turtles hatching Entire Caribbean: HUGE Raptor migration on the coast, great weather Arenal: Great for viewing volcano Ostional: Olive Ridley turtles nest during new moon Everywhere ELSE: Lots of rain
	Everywhere: Low season prices, less visitors to National Parks means more wildlife to see Pacific & Central Valley: weather starting to improve (less rain), good rafting conditions Caribbean: Surf season starts (through March)
	San Jose – Lots of Christmas-related fiestas and celebrations Everywhere – High season means lots of visitors, great weather everywhere Guanacaste – Best surf season starts (through April) Caribbean: Surfing

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With zero trans fat and a wealth of free vitamin D, a trip to Costa Rica might just be what the doctor ordered to get you in a healthy state of mind and body. According to Conde Naste Traveler’s September 2009 article “Your Next Vacation Could Save Your Life”, denying yourself vacation can lead to negative changes in your health and wellbeing.

Even the anticipation of going on vacation helps people to de-stress and improve their emotional health. While on vacation, travelers tend to get more sleep, try a broader range of foods, get out in the sun more and perform an increased amount of physical activity.

According to a 16-year study published by the State University of New York, Oswego in 2000, male patients at risk of heart disease who did not take an annual vacation had a 30 percent greater chance of dying from a heart attack than those who did.

Of course certain vacation habits like excessive drinking, self-inflicted sun poisoning, or spreading your time so thin you end up with no sleep or energy, are not exactly ideal when you’re in need of a recharge. It is important that you choose your destination and activities well and don’t forget to schedule in plenty of down time to relax.

So does Costa Rica fit the ticket for the perfect rejuvenating getaway? Taking the following points into consideration, the country might just be the perfect cure for depression, heart problems, obesity and more! It sure beats going to the gym…

1. World Class Spas & Yoga Retreats — From Arenal’s natural volcanic mud treatments to ocean front massage opportunities on the Nicoya Peninsula and yoga retreats paired with surf schools in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica is a health nut’s paradise. From the exotic to the tried and true, you are never too far from pure relaxation while traveling around the country. Sample Tabacon’s ayurvedic cuisine or a hot stone massage at Reserva Conchal and say goodbye to unwanted toxins and bad vibes.

2. A Jet Setter’s Dream — Costa Rica is less than 3 hours flying from main U.S. hubs like Miami and Dallas and direct flights leave from most of the major cities including Denver, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., Orlando, Boston and more. That means instead of spending your first day dreary-eyed and jet-lagged, you can head straight to the beach or on a tour.

3.Sunshine – We weren’t joking about that vitamin C. As Brits will attest, a little bit of sun goes a long way! Let your body store up on this essential vitamin while you work on your jealousy-inspiring tan. There are worse ways to care for your health — just don’t forget the suntan lotion!

4. Fresh Air — Most visitors are shocked when they first witness the endless plots of undeveloped land that anchor this tiny eco-conscience nation. More than 25% of it is actually government protected in national parks and wildlife reserves, while so many more acres remain untouched. Be it a cool Guanacaste evening or a night of start watching on the Caribbean coast, you can’t help but breath deep and enjoy a heightened feeling of purity and freshness.

5. Fresh Food — The fruit salad you order here didn’t spend 3 weeks frozen in a cargo container before reaching your supermarket shelves. Costa Rica is known for its fresh produce which includes avocados, mangos, papaya, coffee, bananas and more. Local coastal cuisine is also infused with fresh seafood, while protein-rich black beans are a staple throughout the country.

6. Natural Thermal Hot Springs — The prevalence of active volcanoes in Costa Rica has brought with it naturally heated rivers throughout the center of the country. Imagine taking a dip in a natural river or one of the many landscaped hot springs properties. You can feel your worries melt away as the warm water and steam open your pores and relax your muscles. No wonder they are fabled to have healing powers according to local lore.

7. Adventure Sports – Depending on your level of fitness, a trip to Costa Rica doesn’t have to be just lounging around dining on fresh fruits — the dynamic landscapes and plentiful coastline have given way to a wide availability of adventure sports as well. Try your hand at surfing in Tamarindo, ocean or river kayaking, white water rafting down the Pacuare or even kite surfing on Lake Arenal. Even a refreshing hike to see exotic wildlife or a stroll down the beach may be an improvement on your regular home exercise regime!

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My husband and I have discovered the best empanadas north of Argentina, which are conveniently located here in Costa Rica. Donde El Ché on the east side of San Jose in San Pedro, comes highly recommended.

The difference between Tico empanadas and Argentinian empanadas are the crusts. Ticos love their corn-based dough and Donde El Ché’s are made of flour. I definitely prefer the flour and baking them as opposed to frying them into balls of grease.

The fillings offered at Donde El Che were amazing. We tried the chicken, spinach and the tomato-garlic flavors. Surprisingly, the tomato garlic empanada had the most unique, intense and delicious flavor of all three. I of course ordered that one and didn’t want to share, but how do you brag about what you’ve got without letting others try it out?

For the next course, my husband and I split the Vacío de Horno (or something like that), which means ‘Empty Oven’. This was by far the best cut of meat I’ve tried in San Jose. It was cured first giving it a taste similar to corned beef and then baked to perfect tenderness in a delicious savory sauce and accompanied by a baked potato and salad.

Our friend ordered the Churripan, which was a slice of marinated pork on homemade bread with a chimichurri sauce to DIE for. My flavor detectors suggested that the chimichurri was made with olive oil, pimentos, whole black peppercorns, garlic, herbs and some sort of secret magnificence that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“A fiesta in his mouth”, is how my husband described his Argentinian food experience at Donde El Ché and vowed that if we ever opened a restaurant he would never be satisfied unless we could evoke the exact same urge to return as that restaurant did. We will be back, you can count on that. We were so inspired after the trip that we tried to make our own empanadas. They were not worthy.

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Five regions you cannot miss on your next trip

Costa Rica vacation specialists often produce cookie cutter itineraries for travelers, which trap them in the tourist circuit from San Jose to Arenal Volcano or Jaco to Manuel Antonio. Or if your unlucky you are sent to Guanacaste where there are many nice all inclusive resorts but that is not Costa Rica, what you experience is customer service. Each of these tourist circuits owes its popularity to the natural beauty, tourist infrastructure but there are many other Costa Rican hideouts that are overlooked. The following destinations are suggestions if you want to experience the real Costa Rica. Even if you add one of them to your cookie cutter itinerary, you will not be disappointed.

Southern Costa Rica
This is a destination for the true adventurer, surrounded by the only remaining primary rain forest in Central America, untouched wildlife and verdant nature. From the La Amistad national park, which runs along the border with Panama, to the numerous indigenous Indian populations and bio-reserves, this area, is as wild as it gets in Costa Rica.

Talamanca, on the Caribbean side, you can experience Costa Rica’s pre-Colombian past. The Bribri indigenous Indian tribe has its reserve here, as well as two other native tribes. For the Boruca Indians they can be visited closer to the southern Pacific coast. Visits to both tribes can be reserved.

South Caribbean
The Costa Rica I idealized was a tropical paradise where the jungle overflowing with monkeys meets white sand beaches. If you thought the same then the Caribbean side of Costa Rica is for you. With a local culture more reflective of Jamaica than that of Costa Rica, locals are laid back and grow up speaking English. Towns like Cahuita and Puerto Viejo cater to the budget minded surfers; there are some boutique hotels that offer nicer accommodations. One unique experience is the Tree House Lodge where paying to sleep in a tree sounds crazy, but after your visit you will see if was well worth it.

The Cahuita National Park and Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge are home to turtles, monkeys, snakes, beautiful marine life and even large cats.

Mountains of the Central Valley
When most people think of Costa Rica, they think of hot steamy jungles from the Jurassic Park movie. Many travel here to get out of the cold and into the warmth but Costa Rica can be as cold as back home. High up in the mountains you can find yourself sitting in front of a warming fireplace inside the cloud cover. While these areas are not the typical advertised image of Costa Rica, it is something everyone should experience. There is a wonderful peace up in the mountains amidst misty drizzle and lush green trees.

Destinations like Cartago, Bajos del Toro and Poas, which offer views of volcanoes and access to beautiful waterfalls and cloud forests. Luxurious boutique hotels have opened to meet a specific clientele such as the El Silencio Eco-Lodge or the Peace Lodge, each promise a relaxing stay with a breath of fresh air. Being one of the tourist roads less traveled, you will get to see and experience the ‘real’ Costa Rica as you pass through the small towns, street side fruit stands, oxcarts and men on horseback.

Tortuguero
Tortuguero is one of those amazing destinations that get overlooked due to its difficult access. However, coming to Costa Rica and the journey to the destination is in and of itself part of the experience. First, you need to take a bus to the region, then a local shuttle, and finally to a boat which is the main transportation in this area. During the ride from San Jose, there are plenty of stops where you can experience beautiful tropical gardens that are home to monkeys, sloths, and toucans. In addition, if the bus you use has a tour guide you will mostly likely here about Costa Rica’s banana history, which put this region on the map. Many of the tour guides themselves have worked the banana plantations and are very happy to be able to server as guides. The work on a plantation is grueling and difficult. Rain or shine, workers labor 10 hours a day in the intense heat.

Upon arriving in Tortuguero, you can find almost every tourist activity offered such as boat tours, turtle tours, jungle hikes, and bird tours. Most tours are a combination of boats and walking since the rivers work their way through the heavy jungle. When you think of steamy jungle riverboats with the tree canopy encroaching your skyward view Tortuguero promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Southern Nicoya Peninsula
There are two ways to get to this isolated region; fly to Tambor and then take a taxi or a bus to Puntarenas to catch the ferry and then the local buses. The final destination is the towns of Santa Teresa and Mal Pais. These towns have beautiful white sands beaches, hidden waterfalls, and abundant wildlife. If you should decide to visit this area and you are in Jaco, there is a high-speed boat shuttle that runs twice a day that will bypass the ferry and land journey and take you directly to the small artist town of Montezuma. From there you can taxi your way to a number of places.

The tip of the Nicoya Peninsula has features that range from hidden waterfalls to iguanas and monkeys galore, these secluded beach towns make for an unforgettable adventure. Besides the dusty dirt roads, this area is an utter paradise. Surfers love the breaks in this region and national surfing contests are held in this area each year. For those not on a budget, beautiful boutique hotels like Florblanca or Latitude 10 provide complete privacy and unbeatable proximity to nature.

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This is a significant event for tourism in Costa Rica because it is proof that the tourism sector is still growing while many other nations experience decreases. In addition, JetBlue adds many seats that were desperately needed to accomodate this tourism increase.

Without the extra seats from JetBlue tourism in Costa Rica will not be able to grow as fast as the demand. We mentioned in a previous article that Continental Airlines has plans to add more to their Costa Rican flight schedule later this year.  The JetBlue Embraer aircraft has a 100-person seat availability and departs Orlando at 10:05 am to arrive to Costa Rica at 11:18am.  Returning flights leave San Jose at 12:09pm and arrive Orlando at 5:19pm. Please verify these times with the carrier.

This news is a great moral boost to the tourism market which has been reorganizing itself since the Liberia airport opened up a few years ago in Guanacaste. Many people have not been able to understand that tourism is on the increase each year but traditional local markets have seen stagnation or reduction. For example, many Costa Rican hotels in the San Jose market used to cater to overnight travelers from the Guanacaste region who would stay the night before their airline departure. With the Liberia airport this is no longer necessary and has impacted this particular market segment.

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1. Driving – If you can avoid driving, it is best.  It’s expensive, somewhat risky and time consuming. Better to fly and if necessary, rent a car once you’ve reached your destination. Many hazards exist that foreigners cannot predict and there is a culture of driving here that is very different from the carefully cultivated autopistas back home. 

2. Believing Travel Forums  - There are many sites, but don’t take one site or posters comments’ as the gospel. The majority of poster’s have never actually visited Costa Rica. There’s always one guy who hates ice cream and chocolate. Contact local hotels and ask them questions, many will give you straight and honest answers. For example, DayStar Properties, fields calls from potential guests who are asking basic travel questions. While many hotels will see this as a nuisance, many guests appreciate DayStar’s clerks help and often book with them as a result of their help.

3. Not exploring – Costa Rica is a country of rich and diverse landscapes, climates and wildlife. To sit in one location, in one hotel or resort, for an entire vacation would prevent you from experiencing this diversity.  A great Costa Rican vacation is a balance between adventure and relaxation, in other words, between the beach and the rain forest.

4. No Pre-Booking A Few Tours – The best tours in Costa Rica often sell out, so it’s best to plan and pay for one or two tours in advance. Once you get here, it will be very easy to convince yourself to not get up at 7 a.m. for a rafting tour unless you’ve already pre-paid for it. Some of the best Costa Rican vacation experiences are the Canopy, Rafting, Rapelling and Sailing tours. Your local tour guides or front desk clerks  are also great resources of information regarding how to spend your free time.

5. Not Packing The Right Stuff – Understand the season’s here and the different climates in Costa Rica. The central valley is often chilly and wearing long pants is customary. The higher elevations like Chirripo Park can be downright cold! The beach towns are always hot even when you see locals wearing sweaters. It is best to ask your hotel managers for suggestions of clothing to pack. If coming during green season, a rain jacket or poncho is a must. If you need special hypoallergenic sunscreen lotions, pack them along, you will only find the basic variety here. These simple suggestions help you avoid what many have experienced and that is the new airlines baggage wieght restrictions, so if you overpack you can be sure you will suffer a hit to the wallet.

6. Assuming All-Inclusive Is Better - Maybe in Domincan Republic or Mexico, but not here. Costa Rica is blessed because 80% of the hotels have 30 rooms or less. That is one of the major factors that makes Costa Rica one of the most sustainable, authentic destinations on earth. Coming all the way here just to stay in one of the few mega-resorts is a mistake, you could go to Mexico. Costa Rica is a country that is to be experienced and explored. You cannot do that behind the moat and draw bridge of all inclusive resorts. This country is far safer than Mexico or Jamaica, so staying behind the guarded walls of a disney-style resort just isn’t necessary. If you’re of the impression that you’ll save money at an all-inclusive, this is not the case most are very expensive. Dining out in the popular tourism towns of Costa Rica is reasonable and if you’re willing to explore “tico sodas”, they are cheap.

This article was edited and partially based on a posting from Costa Rica Pages.

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Either way, Jaco is buzzing with sun burned, hung-over students attempting to wake up early and take surf lessons. After all, Costa Rica is synonomous with surfing to the 18-25 age bracket. Almost all spring breakers have signed up for surf lessons and those who know already have rented boards like they were going out of style. Just ask some of the local surf instructors, they are busy, busy, and busy. Joss, Chuck’s WOW SurfOutfitters, and Fischel Brothers all have experienced the flood of business that many merchants thought would never come during this high season.

The upsurge in college spring breakers in Jaco certainly took many merchants by surprise and it has been a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, only a few hotels in town actually benefitted from the Mexico drug violence. It seems that their vacation wholesalers in San Jose have been pitching Costa Rica as an alternative to Mexico’s beaches to their travel agents in the states. 

Many of the hoteliers that have students residing are very happy, as it is another opporunity for them to show off their services in hopes they will return for the 2009 World Surfing Games in Playa Hermosa during the north American summer vacation. One hotel owner said it was a lucky break for him since he felt only diehard surf fans would organize a trip solely for the surf competition. He further explained, that now the students are here they have experienced the ease of travelling to Costa Rica and are more apt to make  shorter return trips rather than once a year. He finished by saying the Mexico drug wars are a blessing in disguise for the Billabong WSG 2009 games and for his hotel. Of course it is a blessing, he has already sold 50% of his rooms to the same wholesaler in San Jose during the weeklong surf games. 

I would have to agree with the hoteliers observations. Many students want a packaged spring break vacation but they  are not readily available in Jaco unlike Mexico which is their specialty. But now that students are here, they are learning that the freedom to explore Jaco and Costa Rica without an intinerary is manageable for a 7 day trip.  Jaco is lined up with tour operators who sell one or half day tours to the many attractions people desire. So it is very easy and spontaneous to decide in the morning after a surf lesson to sign up and go zipping through the rainforest canopy by noon and take a sunset cruise in the evening. And speaking of the evening, Jaco nightclubs have been rocking. Ganesha, Plankton, The Backyard. and even the new spot Liquid have been filled with student bodies dancing and partying all night.

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The first direct flights from the budget airline will arrive at the Juan Santamaria Airport on Thursday, March 26. According to a JetBlue spokesperson, the brasilian aircraft, an Embraer E190, with capacity for 100 people is filling up fast. The company already turned in all necessary application documents to the Civil Aviation Authority and is just waiting for a three month provisional license to be awarded by the Technical Council. Jet Blue is also set to open six other routes in the first half of this year to destinations such as Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico, if approved.

Jet Blue is based out of New York and currently offers flights to 12 destinations departing from Orlando including Boston, Mass, and flies to eight other international destinations including. They will be the 21st airline to service the Juan Santamaria International Airport, and will add an additional 36,000 seats annually for those wishing to travel to Costa Rica. Currently, 2,750,000 seats are available on flights destined for Costa Rica.

For flights, visit their website: www.jetblue.com

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