TRAVEL
Sick of paying airline surcharges for your board?
Join the Surfboard Airline Petition!
If you ever need to see a list of flights to and from San Jose airport plus their arrival or departure gates, just check their web link here.
ERA Adventures trains lifeguards in Playa Guiones. Read more from the Voice of Nosara online.
10/9: Click to see the latest news and photos from the Carnival in Limon.
10/9: Garage Sale in Puerto Viejo is seeking supplies for 'recycled art' projects. Find out more..
9/9: Teams from National Geographic will visit Isla del Coco in submarines between Sept. 9 and Oct. 1. While scientists gather data, film crews will shoot scenes for an hour-long documentary to be aired on the National Geographic Channel. Follow the trip at www.ocean.nationalgeographic.com. Scientists will upload daily photos, videos and reports to the website during their visit.
8/26: Puerto Limón was chosen this year as the finish line for the Transat Jacques Vabre, the third most important yacht race in the world. The starting point will be Le Havre port, in northeast France. The course over the Atlantic, covering some 5,000 nautical miles or 4,350 miles, is expecting more than 50 vessels to compete at the end of this year. The beginning of the long voyage is scheduled for the 7th and 8th of November and is expected to end 12 days later in Puerto Limón, in the Costa Rican Caribbean.
Upcoming Event: The inaugural Tamarindo Film Festival. The dates are set for 24th - 27th March, 2010. More details will be released onto the website www.tamarindofilmfestival.com in the first week of September. Guana productions believes that this festival will become a regular date in Tamarindo’s calendar. Tamarindo is the ideal place for such a festival with a great variety of hotels, restaurants and bars as well as stunning surrounding scenery giving visitors another reason not to miss out on the region. Any individuals or businesses wishing to be involved should contact tamarindofilmfestival (at) gmail.com.
8/30 - The last day of August will be celebrated in Costa Rica – as well as in many places around the world – as a day to promote and commemorate black culture, with the annual Gala Parade through the streets of the Caribbean port city of Limón. For more information, go to www.limonroots.net.
Upcoming event: Expo Manuel Antonio 2009: Travel fair, Sept. 24-26, Costa Verde Hotel, Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas, call 2777-3822 for more information, or visit www.expomanuelantonio.travel.
8/12 - The lifeguard program in Dominical has been without funding for over a month and now there is no one on the beach to protect swimmers and surfers. Since 1996, the group when active had made over 100 rescues per year. Without them, there have been over a dozen drowning. If you wish to find out more or to help, visit www.dominicallifeguards.org.
** If you are thinking of heading over to the Caribean, Puerto Viejo Satellite has a list of great restaurants in the area. Check out the list here..
After hearing about a 7 year old who died while on a ATV tour in Costa Rica, I would like to remind all travelers to check with prospective tour companies about their certifications to offer tours. Also be sure to check all safety equipment and see if any waivers need to be signed. This is not just for ATVs, but for zipline tours, white water rafting, and even surf lessons. Better to be safe than sorry.
What to know Before booking a boat trip to Witchs Rock / Ollies Point
Costa Rica may seem at times an idyllic paradise, so it's easy to leave common sense at the door of your cabina. Top ten safety tips for traveling in Costa Rica -
• Never leave anything of value in a parked car, even if it’s locked.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of cash or important documents. Carry a copy of your passport, not the original.
• Stay alert. Thieves usually work in pairs and distract their victims.
• Steer clear of overly friendly streetwalkers; they often are pickpockets or muggers.
• Never leave luggage, cameras or other possessions unattended in public places, restaurants, taxis or buses.
• Avoid placing luggage on overhead racks on buses – a favorite target for thieves. Keep all valuables
with you at your seat; if you must place items on the racks, keep an eye on them.
• Bring a small flashlight. If you have car trouble or another car bumps yours, avoid pulling over until you reach a well-lit, public area.
* Don't go surfing or swimming alone and watch for rip currents.
* Clean out your ears if you surf or swim near rivermouths.
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Don't speed. "It's better to lose a moment in your life then your life in a moment."
Get your basic travel questions about Costa Rica answered by ICT (Costa Rica Tourism Institute)
From CRMercado.com - add the number 8 before all numbers starting with 3, 8 or 9 (cell phone lines) and that you add the number 2 before all landlines, such as 6 and 7.
Examples:
222-1234 > 2222-1234
643-1234 > 2643-1234
886-1234 > 8886-1234
377-1234 > 8377-1234
Here is a great new report on backpacker hostels, from www.amcostarica.com.
Check out a cool aerial view of the Southwest and Northwest Pacific coastline at www.vrskytour.com
Featured Hotels for Surfers
