L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa celebrates the magnificence of life and water on Costa Rica’s extraordinary Nicoya Peninsula.Nestled in exuberant vegetation, L’acqua Viva borders the unique Nosara Coastal Forest Preserve & Wildlife Refuge and is within a short distance to the spectacular beaches and surfers’ paradise of Guiones, Pelada, Nosara and Garza. Nearby is the Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, which is a famous Costa Rican nesting site for the Olive Ridley, giant Leatherback and Pacific Green sea turtles.

L'acqua Viva, meaning “live water,” is the element of nature that gives life to the resort – guest bungalows and buildings seem to float on abundant surrounding water mirrors, ponds and pools. A highlight at L'acqua Viva is "Coral Creations," an amazing living Coral Garden featuring a complete collection of living corals gathered from all of the planet's oceans. The resort’s professional laboratory works to preserve these astonishing underwater living organisms.

Getting to L’acqua Viva Resort & Spa is easy! Your ticket to the wonders of Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula is Trans Mira Tours. The full-service tourist transportation company has a fleet of 5 different-sized buses from mini-vans to full tour buses, with friendly bilingual drivers and guides. Fly in to either the Liberia International Airport, or hop on an additional quick local flight to Nosara, and be picked up hassle-free by your smiling Trans Mira Tours driver. The company is based in Liberia and is expert at getting around Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula.

By Shannon Farley from Enchanting Costa Rica

Endless summer lasts forever on Costa Rica’s Gold Coast!The northern Pacific province of Guanacaste is a treasure trove of spectacular beaches, dry tropical forest and grassy plains stretching inland to a towering line of volcanoes and mountains.Vista Bahia Beach Resort welcomes you to the splendors of Guanacaste and the many beaches and adventures of the Golfo de Papagayo region.

Only a 20-minute ride from the Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia, Vista Bahia Resort takes you away from the hustle and bustle of modern life to a tranquil place engulfed in nature and spectacular vistas of the sea, mountains and volcanoes beyond. The resort is located on a gentle, forested hill overlooking the calm waters of the Golfo de Papagayo. Its park-like grounds shelter a wide variety of wildlife, including exotic birds, colorful iguanas and a troupe of howler monkeys that use the trees as their highways. In addition to the resort’s private beach, countless other splendid beaches are easily reached within minutes, and your options for ocean, river, rainforest and mountain adventures are limitless.

Trans Mira Tours is your transportation specialist for Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Gold Coast. Simply choose from Trans Mira’s fleet of 5 different-sized buses, from mini-vans to full tour buses, and away you go! Their friendly drivers and guides are bilingual in Spanish-English, and they offer wonderful extra services like VIP airport greet service, cold bottled water, cold face towels, snacks, meals, and special group services. Trans Mira Tours makes your Costa Rica holiday easy, safe and worry-free!

By Shannon Farley from Enchanting Costa Rica

Adventure beckons at the exceptional and exciting Hacienda Guachipelin Hotel in Costa Rica’s northern Pacific province of Guanacaste. Lying at the base of the active Rincon de la Vieja Volcano, Hacienda Guachipelin is a working horse and cattle ranch celebrating Guanacaste’s cowboy heritage in the heart of the savanna.

An average day at Hacienda Guachipelin … ride Costa Rican ranch horses to natural volcanic thermal springs, bounce down the fun rapids of Rio Negro on a rafting inner tube, hike in the Rincon de la Vieja National Park, swing like Tarzan on the many cables and rappel ropes of the Canyon Canopy Tour, and my personal favorite … steam in a natural thermal sauna, then smear yourself from head to toe in volcanic mud, soak in thermal pools and finish it off with a cold river shower to seal the “beauty treatment”. You’ll feel reborn!

Since 1985, the ecotourism-focused Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin has been hosting visitors from all over the world, helping them enjoy the unforgettable beauty of jungle forests, pristine waterfalls, natural thermal springs, and bubbling volcanic mud pools, along with the working ranch and neighboring national park.

Getting to Hacienda Guachipelin is easy! Trans Mira Tours, a full-service tourist transportation company, will get you there in style. Trans Mira Tours offers a fleet of 5 different-sized buses from mini-vans to full tour buses, and friendly bilingual drivers. The company is based in Liberia and is expert at getting around the Guanacaste area

By Shannon Farley from Enchanting Costa Rica

The civil war ended more than 20 years ago, and today, Nicaragua is one of the safest countries in Central America. The bi-coastal country boasts the oldest city in Central America, a lake so vast it is called the “Sweet Sea,” and a rich and colorful history.here is gorgeous colonial Granada, the most photogenic of Nicaragua’s cities, nestled on the shores of mighty Lake Nicaragua. Thick-walled adobe buildings and colonial porticos in rich tropical colors are set against red clay tile roofs. Beautiful courtyards hide behind carved wooden doors. Volcano Mombacho towers above. Founded in 1524 by Spanish explorer Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba, Granada is the oldest city in Central America. Constructed as a showcase for Spanish beauty, in present day it is a lively foreign scene with hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries.

The civil war ended more than 20 years ago, and today, Nicaragua is one of the safest countries in Central America. The bi-coastal country boasts the oldest city in Central America, a lake so vast it is called the “Sweet Sea,” and a rich and colorful history.here is gorgeous colonial Granada, the most photogenic of Nicaragua’s cities, nestled on the shores of mighty Lake Nicaragua. Thick-walled adobe buildings and colonial porticos in rich tropical colors are set against red clay tile roofs. Beautiful courtyards hide behind carved wooden doors. Volcano Mombacho towers above. Founded in 1524 by Spanish explorer Francisco Fernandez de Cordoba, Granada is the oldest city in Central America. Constructed as a showcase for Spanish beauty, in present day it is a lively foreign scene with hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and art galleries.

Just next door to Granada is the “City of Flowers” – Masaya. The town is a center of art, culture and indigenous handicrafts by the native Chorotegas. It is best known for its excellent shopping at the Gothic-style old Spanish fortress that now holds the Artisan Market (Mercadeo Artesanias). A block long, the market is filled with the best indigenous crafts you can find. Masaya is also known for its volcano and national park by the same name, famous because you can drive all the way to the rim of this mammoth crater.

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