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Posts Tagged ‘nature’

South Pacfic Region Of Costa Rica

September 20th, 2010 No comments

This region is most commonly known as the Osa Pennsula. Some of the things you will find in it are: the highest mountain in Costa Rica, Mount Chirripo; Pavones, one of the longest left surf breaks in world; and Corcovado National Park, one of the most biologically diverse places in the world. You will find the Osa Peninsula extending from Playa Dominical, south to Panama. Nature lovers go crazy here because this is where you can find the largest portion of preserved land in national parks of Costa Rica.

What places can I visit in the Osa Peninsula?

Dominical

This is a laid back town where you will be able to experience walking barefoot or swinging in a hammock in this cool seaside village. This is one of the best places to see whales and dolphins. This is also a popular surf spot but if you want to do it be careful it’s not for beginners.

Drake Bay

This is a secluded spot of Costa Rica popular among nature lovers and eco-tourists. You can only access it by plane or by boat and sometimes by taxi. Don’t be surprised by how remote this place is because locals want to preserve the natural environment of a natural world.

Puerto Jimenez

This is also a secluded place of the Osa Peninsula, Puerto Jimenez. In it you will find dirt roads, well developed tourist infrastructure, luxurious hotels and variety of restaurants.

Pavones

It is famous for its left point break. It is one of the longest surf breaks in the world and is the pride of Pavones. It has been recorded to last up to three minutes on a slow, south swell.

What are the most popular National Parks?

Ballena National Marine Park

This water park is named after the humpback whales that migrate here from August to October and December to April and give a brautiful spectacle. It also welcomes the Olive Ridley turtle as they come ashore to nest along more than nine miles of coast.

Corcovado National Park

It was called by the National Geograhic one of the “most biologically intense places on our planet” and with good reason. It has over 4% of the world’s total plant and animal species. It home to 370 species of birds, 140 species of mammals, 40 species of freshwater fish, 117 species of reptiles & amphibians.

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Belize – Central America’s Smallest Country

September 15th, 2010 No comments

Belize is the smallest of all the Central American countries but don’t let that fool you because it has Mayan archaeological sites such as: Caracol, Xunantunich and Lamanai, lots of miles of beautiful white sanded beaches, rain forests filled with wildlife, lots of animal species and a culture with a very noticeable British influence but unique at the same time.

It is believed that this country’s name comes from the native word be’lix, meaning “muddy water”, as they referred to the Belize River. They have an estimated population of only 333,000 in an area twice as big as Jamaica. Here you can find lots of different cultures including Garifunas, Creoles, Europeans and Mayans. There might be a lot of cultures in Belize but all of them have a thing in common: They are warm and friendly people.

Belizean cuisine is influenced by British, Mexican and Western Caribbean cooking. In this country plantains, rice and coconut milk are ingredients of almost all traditional dishes.

This is the only country in Central America where the official language is English but Spanish and creole are common too. It has a tropical weather with a range of 16 to 30 C year round, yes even during the rainy season! This along with national parks and a Barrier Reef, over 1,000 offshore Cayes or islands offers tons of fun things to do such as:

* Fishing close to the reef

* Scuba diving among colorful fishes

* Snorkeling around the coast

* River rafting

* Mangrove kayaking

* Hiking in the rain forest

* Bird watching guided tours

* Discovering Mayan ruins

* Cave tubing

* Cruising tours

And for all for all of those travelers concerned about the environment this is also a place where eco tourism is becoming very popular in this country.

So stop giving it too much thought and come over to this Caribbean Paradise!

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

5 Fantastic Things To Do In The Mountains

May 23rd, 2010 No comments

Contemplating heading to the mountains and curious about what you can get into? There are plenty of fantastic activities out in the wild and depending on how much time you might have depends on how ambitious you may be.

1. Fishing – If you are in the mountains, angling in a cold mountain stream for trout is a must. Fly fishing has been a popular fishing method since man commenced fishing with hooks. Fishing for trout seems be getting hot by May and continue throughout the summer. Salmon fishing is good between September and December in most areas. Be sure to study up on the area you are going and find out what is biting when you are going to be there. There are also some big bass in mountain lakes as well as crappie and other species.

2 Biking – Finding a cool biking trail can be tough to find and really depends on where you are. In Alabama, we are lucky enough to have a number of genuinely amazing trails. Our state parks have done a nice job of developing awesome mountain bike trails. Bike riding is enjoyable to do in groups or on your own. Always study your trail before you set out and make sure you have the proper tools. I usually carry an Allen wrench for my brakes and a container of air with a patching kit! Always wear a helmet while your riding! A helmet can save your life if you hit a tree or a rock!

3. Camping – If you intend to really get near to nature and brave the climate, camping is a wonderful way! There is nothing like waking up beside a stream sensing the fresh mountain air. Cooking fish right out of river and experiencing a fire is a fantastic way to savor a vacation. Always keep in mind wild critters like bear, wolfs, snakes, spiders and

4. Hunting – Depending on what time of the year you vacation determines what you can hunt. You can find hunting clubs or guides for day hunts or for full retreats! Many areas have prime deer hunting, Turkey, elk, moose, quail, chukar, duck and many others. Also many ranches and guides offer hunting and vacation packages. Enjoy fine dining and fine hospitality on a vacation hunt! Have the hospitality of a bed and breakfast with the adventure of a wild game hunt.

5.Snow Skiing – High Mountain areas host ski lodges and resorts that wait for winter guest to hit the slopes every year. Some resorts have advanced snowmaking systems that allow more snow and in some cases extends the season.

Whether you’re hiking, fishing, biking, hunting, camping, skiing be sure to take many pictures. Just remember don’t become too comfortable around wild animals, many are territorial and don’t take kind to anyone invading their space.

Find a great Vacation Rental or a secluded Mountain Bed & Breakfast today!

Blue Mountain Chalets: A Great Place For A Family Holiday

February 20th, 2010 No comments

A holiday in the Blue Mountain area near Ontario in Canada will open up a whole new world of family fun. It doesn’t matter which time of the year you go, there will always be lots to do and to see. For the family man Blue Mountain chalets offer the best alternative by far.

For a family or 4 or more, chalet accommodation makes perfect sense cost wise if compared to a stay in a hotel. Should you stay in a hotel, you will have to rent at least two rooms, which will sharply increase the cost of your holiday. To pay for two rooms in a hotel for a week or more will make a serious dent in the family budget and simply mean that there is a lot less money available to do all the things that you planned to do.

If you stay in a hotel, you will also not have any facilities to prepare your own meals. That means you will be forced to eat all meals in either the hotel’s restaurant or at a restaurant in town. This will further escalate costs quite sharply and once again mean that you will have less money to spend on all the activities in the area.

Another aspect of a chalet holiday is simply the increased space it provides to every member of the family. The majority of chalets are quite roomy. There will in all likelihood be a lounge area where the family can watch television, play games or just relax. Most chalets also have a large kitchen counter with bar stools where all of you can gather to have your meals or just sit and chat.

The Blue Mountain area can get very cold in winter. This is the reason why very often your chalet will come with a fireplace where everyone in the family can cuddle together on a cold winter’s evening. Most of us will agree that the ambiance of a log fire is far above that of an electric heater in a hotel room. These evenings will become fond family memories in the years to come.

Chalets often even have such facilities as a pool table to keep everyone busy during a long, cold evening when it’s pouring outside. A few of the upmarket ones even come with a private swimming pool and a hot tub. If there isn’t a private pool, you will most likely have access to a communal swimming pool, which is excellent for hot summer’s days.

Staying in a chalet doesn’t cut you off from the activities in the surrounding area. You can eat out every evening if you want and do so in a different restaurant if that’s your choice. There are sufficient restaurants in the vicinity to please every palate. If the children want pizza and mom and dad want a cozy candle-lit dinner, there’s no reason why everyone can’t have exactly what they want.

Blue Mountain chalets provide the perfect family holiday in so many ways. There such a lot to see and to do in the immediate area that nobody will ever be bored. There are activities and entertainment for all age groups and every single family member will return home feeling refreshed and ready to face life’s challenges again.

Planning to ski or snowboard but don’t have a place to stay? Save money by staying in Blue Mountain chalets instead of hotels. Enjoy the comfort of a home while being close to the mountain in these Blue Mountain accommodations. With breathtaking views and in an area with many unique experiences, you’re bound to enjoy yourself.

Fiery Arenal Volcano Of Costa Rica

June 21st, 2009 No comments
by Frank Scott

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All our luggage and camera gear is packed in the van by 8 a.m. and we are on our way to our first destination, soon to become a real life adventure. We are on a photography tour so everyone is talking cameras and pictures. This is the first day, we are getting to know one another, and the level of excitement in the van is high looking forward to the tour.

We are on our way to Arenal, an active volcano in Costa Rica, but there are a few stops along the way. First, we stop in Sarchi, famous for its tropical furniture, where magnificent, brightly decorated ox carts are made in an eighty plus year old water powered factory. From there, we drive to the little mountain town of Zarcero where the focal point is the old wooden church with its much-photographed double row of topiaries leading to its entrance. You can fill your camera’s memory card just at these two places with the colours and patterns in Sarchi and the fantastic shapes of the topiaries in Zarcero.

The roads in Costa Rica are famous, not only for the magnificent land which they traverse but for their condition. Our driver, Luis, knows that we will encounter many potholes so he is cautious and as a result we are passed by most everything on two or four wheels. Many drivers here, from the ubiquitous taxistas to truck drivers, think they are Formula One drivers. Indeed, reportedly there is a bus driver whose passengers frequently find religion on his overland route.

After Sarchi and Zarcero we stop for lunch in La Fortuna and are now just a few miles from the lodge in Arenal. Upon leaving the main highway for the lodge we find ourselves traveling in, out, and around potholes. The rainy season ended about the beginning of December so many roads are still in very poor condition. Our road is unique because it was built out of crushed lava.

We round a curve and a come to a clearing at a river and there is Arenal Volcano! Most have never been face to face with a volcano before and it is truly an awesome sight to see, a perfectly shaped volcano.

The top of the cone is shrouded with little fluffy white clouds against a blue sky. It is picture perfect and we quickly stop and everyone piles out of the van attaching cameras to tripods, some of us wading into the river to capture an image from a different perspective and others shooting from the riverbanks.

Who is to say how dangerous being this close to an active volcano can be? Fortunately, Arenal is very predictable and today is closely monitored so there is a very low risk of a serious, catastrophic, unexpected eruption. Only 1 km away from the base of the volcano and 2 km to the top of the cone is the lodge where we stay and without a doubt any activity attracts the attention of everyone.

While unpacking and getting settled in, Arenal speaks. It is a great roar, smoke and gas billowing many hundreds of feet into the sky and the sound of the rocks tumbling down the slopes. After the eruption, the Mantled Howler monkeys are extremely vocal but we do not know if they are protesting the roar of the eruption or just answering back.

While sitting in the lodge dining room enjoying our dinner Arenal speaks again. Everyone had been told of the many photo opportunities in Costa Rica but who would imagine eating dinner and having something like this happen? And this was only our first day of the tour!

Most of us do not get much sleep for the first two nights. Instead, we find some comfortable chairs in the common area outside our rooms and attach cable releases to our cameras and put them on a tripod. From past experiences I decide to use an 80-200mm lens set at 80mm and an aperture of f8, the camera shutter set at “B” for time exposure.

With the activity of the small flare-ups at the cone and the lava flowing down the opposite side I think a time exposure of more than twenty minutes will produce an ugly yellow blob of light, so if there had been no eruptions after this length of time I will close the shutter and start another exposure. Using a cable release makes these exposures very easy and Arenal puts on quite a display while we are there.

What a magnificent first day of the tour in Costa Rica. Eight more days of photography to go and everyone is anxiously looking forward to what exciting adventure tomorrow will bring.

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