After sleeping for nine hours last night, I woke up at 6:30 a.m. with my body’s batteries completely recharged. I started my day at Upstairs @ the Rip Jack restaurant, where I feasted on eggs, pancakes and fruit. (I really appreciate this egg/sugar combo. Normally pancakes don’t come with any type of protein, and I cannot justify ordering pure sugar for breakfast.)
As I was waiting, Gregory, Rip Jack Inn’s charming and knowledgeable manager, showed me a  yoga series called the Five Tibetans. Between these new moves and the surf lesson I was about to have, …

Location: Gold Coast, North Pacific, Playa Grande, Tamarindo »

Activities: Massage, Pacific Beaches, Surfing »

Today I was able to dive the legendary Catalina Islands for the second time with Aquacenter Dive Company.  Our first immersion was at Roca Sucia, presumably named “Dirty Rock” because it is covered in bird droppings. Visibility was between 30 and 40 feet and in addition to the tropical species we spotted yesterday, we also observed an unbelievably large school of bigeye jack along with blunthead triggerfish, guinea fowl pufferfish, spotted porcupine fish and blennies.
However, the most amazing sighting of the day was not what we discovered underwater, but what we spotted from the boat …

Location: Gold Coast, North Pacific, Playa Flamingo, Playa Grande »

Activities: Bird & Wildlife Watching, Massage, Pacific Beaches, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling »

Looking back at my journey to Guanacaste’s Gold Coast, I realize that there were four recurring themes as I traveled from Playa del Coco through Playas Flamingo, Brasilito, Grande and Tamarindo: scuba diving, surfing, spas and sushi.
The trip began on my birthday and ended two weeks, five dives, three surf lessons, four massages and countless smoked salmon rolls later. Although I was traveling near the peak of the rainy season, the beautiful Guanacaste sunshine miraculously held out for the majority of my  journey.

First I visited Playa del Coco, where I managed to complete the next …

Location: Gold Coast, North Pacific, Playa Brasilito, Playa Conchal, Playa Flamingo, Playa Grande, Playa del Coco, Recent Trips, Tamarindo »

Activities: Day Spas, Horseback Riding, Sailing, Scuba Diving and Snorkeling, Surfing »