Costa Rica's Favorite Volcano

Positioned just about 90 kms. northwest of San Jose, Costa Rica, you can view the breathtaking Arenal Volcano. The Arenal Volcano is in the province of Alajuela in the town of La Fortuna. Arenal Volcano is known as the most active volcano in the country of Costa Rica. Scientists consider the Arenal Volcano as the newest as well as the most active mountains in the country of Costa Rica.
Arenal has been named a volcano since the 1800’s, although in those times it had other names such as Costa Rica Volcano and Rio Frio. Some experts say that the volcano is more than 4000 years old. This region of Costa Rica was unexplored up to 1937, when a group of explorers climbed to the summit that same year.

The largest eruption of the Arenal Volcano occurred in 1968 following around 400 years of no activity. That explosion destroyed the whole town of Arenal, and ended the lives of 87 people. It destroyed about 232 square kilometers and continued for a number of days. The eruption was so strong that it created three additional craters. Ever since this massive eruption, the Arenal Volcano has continued to be active and people are able to see tiny eruptions very frequently, especially at night.

Arenal has become a very well-visited tourist spot, the majority of them enjoying the nightly volcanic activity not to mention the wonderful hot springs. The most well-known hot spring in Arenal is Tabacon. Arenal is one of the seven

Costa Rica Whale-Watching-A New Idea for your next Vacation

Have you been considering taking a trip to Costa Rica for your next vacation? If the answer to this question is “yes”, then you might want to add whale watching to your list of activities. This new adventure may seem a little unusual compared to the typical beach trips and volcano tours, but it is rapidly becoming one of the top activities to do in Costa Rica.

The best time to see these majestic beasts is from August to October in the Southern Hemisphere, and December to April in the Northern Hemisphere. The most common whale that is seen in Costa Rica is the humpback whale. They are accustomed to spend the summer months in the colder waters and retreat to the tropical waters during their mating periods.

There are now over 50 Costa Rican tour companies that provide day trips to see the humpback whales. Some estimates say that Costa Rica received over 100,000 visitors in 2007, specifically to see these whales. Over the last 10 years Costa Rican whale-watching has increased over 70%, one of the largest growth spurts in all Latin America.

Costa Rica has recently invested money in the Ballena National Park, which has the task of protecting these creatures and providing them a safe area for reproducing. It is located on the southern Pacific Coast, near Punta Uvita in Puntarenas. This protected area includes areas of Costa Rican land and sea. The humpback whale has been a protected species since 1967, and there are an estimated 10,000 whales in the world.

North America’s economic troubles not affecting Costa Rica’s real estate

One might suspect with the economic crisis that the U.S. is experiencing recently, Costa Rica’s beach properties would be negatively affected. According to some knowledgeable real estate agents, this could be a misconception. During the past five years or so, the real estate market in Costa Rica has been booming. The majority of this is due in part to North Americans travelling to Costa Rica with lots of cash, ready to purchase anything on the market from lots to condos or even beach properties.

Lately, things seemed to have changed; due in part to decreasing stock markets and elevated interest rates from lending banks. The Costa Rican real estate circumstances, one might think, could be taking a turn for the worse. Not so, say some very knowledgeable real estate agents. One negative factor of the big real estate “boom” was the fact that many green agents were selling costly properties, now things are starting to level off. What will happen with an high priced property is, it will sit on the market for a long while, the seller will have to decrease the price, and then it will finally sell when the property owner becomes more realistic.

Another concern, potential property purchasers, are faced with is the growing cost of construction materials. The costs of raw materials are definitely climbing, but this is true in all countries not just in Costa Rica. Even with these growing costs, Costa Rican land continues to have a very inexpensive price-per-square foot to build and is a big draw for baby boomers and other people looking for a more laid-back lifestyle. Loads of real estate experts claim that the real estate market in Costa Rica will start to increase once again, when the price of construction materials reduces or stops rising. Potential real estate buyers, property owners, and real estate agents really have nothing to worry about. Things have just made a full circle and are back the way they used to be, before the big real estate “boom”.

Playing poker in Costa Rica

Poker is a very popular game among the people of Costa Rica, and finding a place to play is relatively easy. The Costa Rica’s Casinos are scattered all over the country, but the biggest concentration can be found in the capital San Jose. Some casinos in Costa Rica feature live action and tournaments in local card rooms as well as a series of variations including 3 card poker and Omaha, but most of the poker rooms offer No Limit Texas Hold'em which is the most popular game in the country. There are several good casinos located on the beaches of Costa Rica, Jaco for example, features several card rooms and at least two big poker tournaments every year. Jazz Casino in Jaco Beach is only a few hours away from San Jose. It is currently the only beach town with poker games, though some ex-pats run home games, mainly seven Stud, in near beaches including Quepos and Manuel Antonio.

The Hotel Radisson Europa is by far the most popular poker rooms in Costa Rica. Located down ton San Jose, the casino is famous for holding several poker tournaments including several stages of the WPT. The Colonial Casino in downtown San Jose also offers Hold’em Poker and the Friday night tournaments. And if you’re on your way back to the airport, you can also visit the Fiesta Casino and Card Room, which is located only a few blocks away from the Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela. The Tara ResortiIn Escazu, is about as far from downtown as the Fiesta, but the place has a different vibe and atmosphere that reminds a cotton plantation in the southern U.S.

You don’t have to speak Spanish to play in the Costa Rica casinos; most dealers speak English or at list known the poker lingo in English. Costa Rica’s poker scene may not be as sensational as Las Vegas or Atlantic City, but at list the ambiance of each casino has its own flavor that make gambling in Costa Rica a truly unique experience.

Playin poker in Costa Rica

Poker is a very popular game among the people of Costa Rica, and finding a place to play is relatively easy. The Costa Rica’s Casinos are scattered all over the country, but the biggest concentration can be found in the capital San Jose. Some casinos in Costa Rica feature live action and tournaments in local card rooms as well as a series of variations including 3 card poker and Omaha, but most of the poker rooms offer No Limit Texas Hold'em which is the most popular game in the country. There are several good casinos located on the beaches of Costa Rica, Jaco for example, features several card rooms and at least two big poker tournaments every year. Jazz Casino in Jaco Beach is only a few hours away from San Jose. It is currently the only beach town with poker games, though some ex-pats run home games, mainly seven Stud, in near beaches including Quepos and Manuel Antonio.

The Hotel Radisson Europa is by far the most popular poker rooms in Costa Rica. Located down ton San Jose, the casino is famous for holding several poker tournaments including several stages of the WPT. The Colonial Casino in downtown San Jose also offers Hold’em Poker and the Friday night tournaments. And if you’re on your way back to the airport, you can also visit the Fiesta Casino and Card Room, which is located only a few blocks away from the Juan Santamaria Airport in Alajuela. The Tara ResortiIn Escazu, is about as far from downtown as the Fiesta, but the place has a different vibe and atmosphere that reminds a cotton plantation in the southern U.S.

You don’t have to speak Spanish to play in the Costa Rica casinos; most dealers speak English or at list known the poker lingo in English. Costa Rica’s poker scene may not be as sensational as Las Vegas or Atlantic City, but at list the ambiance of each casino has its own flavor that make gambling in Costa Rica a truly unique experience.

Properties in Costa Rica

Properties in Costa Rica Real Estate are located in San Jose, the capital city of this beautiful country. Costa Rica is a wonderful place to live, retire or invest. If you're looking for peace and tranquility with natural unspoiled beauty, a place the world has left behind, look no further than Playa Tambor Costa Rica. Costa Rica's tropical micro-climates offer something for everyone, well except for snow! Whether you want to feel the heat on the beach, enjoy the rich air of the rain forest or be cool in the high altitude, your home in Costa Rica can offer it. For these reasons, the Costa Rica real estate market has experienced major appreciation in certain areas over the last 10 years that the American-European Real Estate Group has operated here. The house and retirement of your dreams is still possible here as most real estate is still a bargain compared to the prices in the US and Europe. Costa Rica is definitely one of the last peaceful places where to live and invest in the world. Many residents commute to San Jose for jobs, preferring to raise their families in the peaceful mountains with cooler temperatures, friendly neighbors, clean air and incredible views. The Costa Rica national parks are arguably the best thing that the country has to offer. Braulio Carrillo National Park is home to five different kinds of forests, tapirs, ocelots, jaguars, and many types of flowers, while Poas Volcano National Park hosts the namesake volcano and a color changing lake. Purchasing property is always a smart investment, especially on the ocean, in a nice, safe, tourist destination. Costa Rica Vacation Packages. Costa Rica travel specialists are waiting to help you create your dream vacation.

Focusing on outdoor fun and Costa Rica biodiversity, this might just be our most diverse and active With the Kids trip. Exclusive offers are available with the lowest online rate guaranteed. For decades Costa Rica has stood out for its stability and has benefited from the While relatively free of crime, Costa Rica has been used as a transit. For these reasons, the Costa Rica real estate market has experienced major appreciation in certain areas over the last 10 years that the American-European Real Estate Group has operated here. The house and retirement of your dreams is still possible here as most real estate is still a bargain compared to the prices in the US and Europe. Costa Rica is definitely one of the last peaceful places where to live and invest in the world. Many residents commute to San Jose for jobs, preferring to raise their families in the peaceful mountains with cooler temperatures, friendly neighbors, clean air and incredible views.

Adventure Trips

Costa Rica is one of the most wanted locations for Adventure Tours. No matter what’s you’re idea of adventure, Costa Rica offers a wide range of options including some unique tours to the most amazing sites in the country, Costa Rica has more options for the wild hearts looking for some excitement than any other country in the region, from kayaking to canopy tours to some of the best locations in the world for surfing and bird watching.

Adventure can mean different things for many people, getting out of the bed can be an odyssey for a lot of human beings that can’t conceive anything else but monotony, but venturing into a rainforest, rafting a tropical river, hiking near a volcano, or kayaking through remote wilderness definitely has no comparison once you have experienced any of these activities in one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world.

Costa Rica features more eco-nature protected areas, biological reserves, national parks, beautiful beaches than any other country. By taking a tour to this amazing country you will have the chance to enjoy the eco beauty of Costa Rica. With an entire population of 4 millions, the country is covered with a majestic series of volcanoes, jungle rainforest, wild life, wild and clear water rivers, beautiful beaches, reserves and national parks. Once perceived as dangerous and inaccessible wilderness blocking the way to development, tropical rainforests are now recognized as the world's greatest repositories of biodiversity and irreplaceable filters of the air we breathe. Today's imperiled rainforests attract travelers seeking to understand, and in some way, help ensure their preservation. From sultry Caribbean lowlands to cool and misty cloud forests, people of all ages and all physical conditions can enjoy the tropical forests and have and adventure trip into this magnificent tiny tropical paradise.