October 2015 posts from Javi the Frog's Travel Blog

Tip or Not to Tip in Costa Rica, That's the Question

As I travel around Costa Rica, I meet so many interesting foreign people, and I learn all about their homelands and their customs. Each culture is different, as I eat, drink and travel with these visitors, there is one topic that I see come up pretty often: when and where to tip, and how much. Tipping is a fairly new idea in Costa Rica; it has really only been a few decades that it has been part of our culture...[More]

The Costa Rica National Park System

When you visit Costa Rica, you are visiting a country that is so devoted to preserving its own natural environment that 25% of its land is designated as a protected, national park or reserve. That means that the land will never be torn up or torn down for development. That there won’t be deforestation or logging that leaves the land bare. That there won’t be commercial real estate, parking lots, or apartment buildings replacing the lush green forests and displacing the wildlife species that call those areas home... [More]

Beautiful external room view at Alma del Pacifico

On Location: Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa

I’m so lucky to get to travel around Costa Rica and stay at some of the best hotels that the country has to offer. Recently, I got to stay on location at Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa, a beach resort in the Central Pacific region, along Playa Esterillos Este...[More]

What El Niño Weather Pattern Means to Costa Rica

El Niño is a weather event that is associated with severe climate changes – causing either extreme drought or heavy rainfall, depending on which ocean side you are on. El Niño can trigger droughts and heat waves in parts of Costa Rica, as the ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean can become unusually warm... [More]

Best Pools in Costa Rica