Not to confuse tourists, Nosara is a peaceful beach community located in the province of Guanacaste. What confuses tourists is that the town of Nosara is well hidden within the tropical jungle at a distance of 6 kilometers from the beach. Nosara does not offer much except for tranquility and its own landing strip.

The town of Nosara and its surrounding beaches is home to one of Costa Rica’s oldest expatriate communities which date back to 1962. An American had come down to Costa Rica over 40 years ago and bought the entire strip of land along the coast of Nosara. He wanted to develop a 500 residential lot which included commercial sites, green zones and a golf course.

He was able to build roads, establish water systems and install electricity. However, after a few years he had to stop due to financial reasons and Nosara was then managed by the Nosara Civic Association.

Nosara has 3 different beaches which are Playa Guiones, Playa Pelada and Playa Nosara. Playa Guiones is a 6 kilometer beach with white sand and great waves which attract hundreds of surfers year round. The surf is consistent and offers long breaks from right and left. Towards the south end of Guiones is Playa Rosada which has a rare strip of pink colored sand.

North of Playa Guiones is Playa Pelada. This beach is packed with shells and has really fun blow holes which become particularly active during tide transitions. Playa Pelada is protected by an offshore barrier which makes it perfect for swimming and snorkeling. This beach also has tidal pools and a rocky area with caves and bat colonies.

And finally, the most remote of the beaches is Playa Nosara. This is a black sand beach is backed by mangroves and ends at the beach of Ostional. Nosara is sought after experienced surfers due to its high waves as well as strong currents.

Located within Costa Rica’s central highlands at just 20 kilometers north of the town of San Ramon is the Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve.

This 800 hectare reserve is the property of Costa Rica’s former president, Rodrigo Carazo. The reserve is based around the Carazo family’s diary ranch and offers the tranquility and fresh cloud forest air distinctive of this region.

The Los Angeles reserve has an elevation that ranges from 2,300 feet above sea level to up to 5,900 feet above sea level. Due to its elevation, the mountains and hills are normally covered with rolling white clouds and fog. However, on atypical clear days the view can extend all the way to the Arenal Volcano.

The reserve has two non-slip boardwalks which allow visitors to get up close and personal with the magnificent vegetation. The two board walks cover a 1.5 kilometer and 2 kilometer area each one.

Another trail is also available for experienced hikers or if on horseback. This trail can be chosen if you plan on taking a whole day in exploring the area and will be well worth it. The trail descends past incredible flora and fauna to reach cool waterfalls and natural swimming pools from the Balsa and Espino Rivers.

Keep a sharp eye during your adventure and you may spot a variety of bird species which include bellbirds, trogons and aricaris. Mammals such as ocelots and jaguars are hard to see but not impossible. Howler monkeys and a couple other monkey species are easily spotted and heard.

The Los Angeles Cloud Forest Reserve also offers a recreational zip line tour which includes 7 platforms. Tourists may rent horses for the day as well as hire experienced naturalist guides for a thorough experience.

National Theatre Presents XXV Choreography Festival

Costa Rica’s historic National Theatre has annually held its “Graciela Moreno Choreography Festival” for the past 24 years.

This year marks the event’s 25th Anniversary at which organizers have decided to turn the Festival into an International Caribbean and Central American Event.

The Choreography Festival has come to occupy and important position within Costa Rica’s artistic and cultural offer. Locals and tourists alike wait for this presentation due to its combination of traditional and modern performances by renowned dancers as well as impressive newcomers.

Each year, choreography groups must audition and go through a pre-selection process before finally being able to star in the lineup. For this year’s event, the invitation has been extended to the rest of the Central American countries as well as the Caribbean.

Rules will be sent out to the countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and the Dominican Republic. Each country will have its internal selection process and will send the winners to Costa Rica in representation of their country.

Inscriptions are still open and will be receiving applications until August 13th. Categories are divided into “Best Choreography”, “Honor Mention I”, “Honor Mention II” and “Public’s Choice”. The National Theatre in downtown San Jose will present this International Festival on December 4 through 7.

Our second visit to Whales & Dolphins was just as rewarding and pleasurable as our other visits here. The place is just awesome -the tranquility of the rainforest trails quite amazing.

The friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness of the cozy rooms, the wonderful fruits and delicious meals are also what makes our stay here so much fun. But if you decide to leave the resort, there are several tours we’ve taken that were real adventures and quite reasonably priced.

What we like best about Whales and Dolphins though is their commitment to local conservation and community efforts, and their dedication to sound environmental practices.

We look forward to our next visit, yes, there is gonna be plenty more to W&D - to see our old friends there, and to make new adventures!