Neo Fauna in Jacó

Neo Fauna in Jacó: Saving the world, one snake at a time Macaws raised at Neo Fauna have to learn how to fly before they can be released into the wild.  Michael Krumholtz/The Tico Times JACÓ, Puntarenas — While we were admiring a curled-up Bothrops asper pit viper, the infamous snake that kills…

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Whale watching in Uvita

In Uvita, the whale brings a big wave of tourism People in Uvita refer to the whale as the engine that drives the local economy.   (Courtesy Bahía Aventuras) UVITA, Puntarenas – Layers of brilliant emerald climb toward the clouds, walling off a coastal village from all else but the seemingly endless reach of the…

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Middle Eastern fare in Jacó

Cafe Namaste in Jacó packs huge flavor into Indian and Middle Eastern fare MICHAEL KRUMHOLTZ | JULY 16, 2015 Husband and wife Niv and Noa Turgeman opened Cafe Namaste eight months ago right next to Jacó beach.  Michael Krumholtz/The Tico Times JACÓ, Puntarenas — When the chef comes out from the…

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Playa Hermosa, the unknown turtle-watching haven

Playa Hermosa, the unknown turtle-watching haven A baby turtle from a 2012 hatching in Playa Hermosa.  (Courtesy of Greg Miller) PLAYA HERMOSA, Puntarenas — Every morning the tracks tell a story from the night before. How many there were. How long they had to travel. And, tragically, whether their labor was immediately…

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Carara National Park

Carara National Park: Birds galore, easy access A long-billed hermit hummingbird, spotted through a telescope at Carara National Park.  (Courtesy of Enrique Cambronero) CARARA NATIONAL PARK, San José — We saw a black-mandibled toucan, a blue-crowned motmot, a slaty-tailed trogon, a mealy parrot, a long-billed hermit hummingbird and a pale-billed woodpecker.…

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La Paz Waterfall Gardens

Jaguar Alert: La Paz Waterfall Gardens Has A Lot More Than Butterflies La Paz Waterfall Gardens is the most visited private park in Costa Rica.  Karla Aurora Alvarado/The Tico Times VARA BLANCA, Heredia — When I walked out of my room in my swimsuit and flip-flops, my Tica friend examined me  skeptically and then…

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Poás Volcano

Poás Volcano on Mother’s Day: Wish you were here, Mom The crater of Poás Volcano on a clear day.  Andrés Madrigal/The Tico Times POÁS VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK, Alajuela — I once stayed at an all-inclusive resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where an attractive young woman in a bikini would come out to…

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