Howler Magazine Costa Rica June 2019

HOWLER June 2019

C o s ta R i c a Li fest yle, T ravel & A dve nture

magazine

since 1996

Life in the Ring of Fire

Free copy

howlermag.com

#S earch F ind Howl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 1

2

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 3

EDITORIAL

Integrity:

You Only Own Your Na me Once

S

tand up for what you believe in.

Stand up for what is right. Don’t listen to the bashers.

It seems less common nowadays for people to uphold their convictions no matter what. Being popular and going with the flow is the more prevalent path of ease. Being wrong is trumped by being popular. It is disturbing when those seeking to expose wrongdoings are ignored or condemned as pariahs.

I call this the lemming syndrome.

Weaker individuals in the crowd follow their leaders over the cliff to their own demise. Taking the right turn might have saved them lots of embarrassment.

I see this as a societal problem, not merely a character flaw.

Some of my previous editorials have stressed the need to be cautious and thoroughly informed when purchasing property or conducting any kind of business in a foreign country. Yet, even the savviest and wariest among us can be duped by unscrupulous and deceptive tactics, be it misleading advertising or outright fraud. We know this happens, not only in Costa Rica but around the world, and the perpetrators — like their victims — can be of any nationality.

Recognizing this reality does not mean we have to accept it and succumb.

For those who are victimized to put their heads in the sand, or pack up and go home, will only perpetuate the predatory behavior. Even worse is not pointing the finger of blame where it belongs — on the predators. It might be easier to scapegoat someone else or to turn against each other. Some might be in denial that their trust was betrayed as their loss of faith in the human virtue of honesty is too uncomfortable. For others, the discomfort lies in standing up for the truth alone or against the unwilling majority.

That is exactly what predators count on … continued unopposed access to prey who will not fight back. And unless they are held ethically and legally accountable by members of the wider business community, governments and local citizens, any country can be unfairly judged as a risky place to live and invest.

Costa Rica’s pura vida is an easysell marketing dream come true when it comes to enticing corporate names and catchy slogans. Delivering on the promise of that dream is another story.

Even the most seemingly reputable company can be guilty of falling short and cheating unsuspecting consumers.

One such offense is once too often, if a company values its reputation. And that is where integrity becomes pivotal, not only in righting wrongs already committed but also stopping would-be repeat offenders in their tracks.

It could very well be an uphill and lonely battle. Again, the more popular path might be the path of least resistance — turning a blind eye in hopes the problem will go away on its own. Another option is to stay silent, hoping someone else will go out on a

limb to expose the wrongdoing for what it is and defy the culprit. Or you can fold in the face of opposition and give in, accepting defeat from the stance of a loser.

For me, it always comes back to the unique opportunities in Costa Rica for making significant and positive changes. As expats and tourists, we should strive to leave this place better than we found it. Pura vida is not something you can sell in a fancy sales brochure … a gated community with 24-hour security, edible trees, beautiful pools and tilapia ponds. While finding your pura vida is ultimately an individual search, it does not exist in a vacuum. Pura vida is about individuals contributing within communities. They start with the foundation and build upon it to create a truly rich, pure life.

Oasis or not, Costa Rica is hardly immune to problems and challenges.

But generally, once you adapt to the surroundings and the ebb and flow of situations, it becomes a very peaceful place. That is not to say passive is the best policy when injustices occur.

There’s a saying that Costa Rica is a harbor for the wanted and the unwanted. Often, in the middle is the best place to be. We are all running from or running to something. Either way, our word speaks to who we are and what we will be known by. Those who operate in a predatory, underhanded fashion will not last here. I have seen such individuals and companies fail and leave. I love this statement: you only own your name once.

HOWLER John B. Quam

Read all current and past articles online

4

howlermag.com

| #searchfindhowl | online

#S earch F ind Howl

howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 5

HOWLER T r o o p

M

ulti-talented photographic contributor Tony Roberts was exactly where the Howler needed him to be when we planned this month’s mini-mag of Surfing CR. His photos capture the action on and off the waves in three different spots: the cover page, Surf Profile and Skateboarding Costa Rica.

Tony Roberts. A lifelong surfer, skater, artist, musician, photographer and filmmaker. A native of Santa Cruz, California, he was a staff photographer for Surfing magazine, and later worked for Quiksilver Crossing and Quiksilver Latin America. For the past three decades, Tony has been living and pursuing his passions in Central America. He is the go-to guy for tourist surfers of all levels in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Panama and the Caribbean with his surf trip company Real Surf Trips. Contact him at tr@tonyrobertsphoto.com or visit realsurftrips.com

WRITERS Sylvia Barreto Benites. Owner of Spanish for Expats, a tutoring and translation service. spanishforexpats23@gmail.com Joanna Blanco. An integrative nutritional health coach who helps clients embrace wellness in five inter-connected areas of life: relationships, livelihood, physical activity, spiritual awareness and diet.

Juan Diego Evangelista. Owner of Cheboards and native of Argentina. JD has been a dedicated surfer and surfboard shaper since he was a little boy. He lives with his family in Tamarindo.

Charlene Golojuch. Co-owner of Hidden Garden Art Gallery with husband, Greg; HiddenGardenArt.com Ellen Zoe Golden. Former entertainment biz PR flack, now living the dream as a travel agent and journalist in Tamarindo.

Ivan Granados. Managing Partner at GM Attorneys.

He specializes in real estate and corporate law. igranados@gmattorneyscr.com Steve Love. The Real Estate Detective, with 40 plus years of living, working, surfing and adventuring in Costa Rica. Eco-adventure / wellness lodges are his passion. greenland55@gmail.com.

E d i t o r i a l S ta f f Debbie Bride - Copy Editor Marian Paniagua - Creative consultant Pura Vida and ACE departments Graphic Design Cover Designs - Holland Henton Debbie Bride - Design Consultant M. Alauddin - Print Specialist

C o n ta c t

Tom Schultz. BS Biology and Geology, avid birder and nature photographer, retired software executive. tom@pananima.com Herbert Weinman, MD, MBA. thedoctorisinsharkfm@gmail.com Patricia Sterman. Argentinian fashion design graduate, living in Costa Rica for 20 years. Owner of Azul Profundo Boutique, jewelry manufacturer and co-founder of SalveMonos animal protection group.

Rachel Cherry White. Chases the sun from Michigan to Costa Rica with her four children and husband.

She is a contributor to Fodor’s Guide to Costa Rica, Michigan HOME & Lifestyle and online. She is working on a novel.

Tatiana Vandruff. Principal LEED GA, at Grupo Pacifico Architects and Builders, sustainable design and construction for over 30 years. tvandruff@ . grupopacificocr.com

PHOTOGRAPHY and DESIGN

Holland Henton. This month's designer of all three magazine covers has received an Emmy and many other prestigious international awards.

Jenn Parker. An avid writer, traveler, and nature lover on a mission to surf the earth and share her stories.

Nath M. Méndez. Costa Rican photographer and traveler who sees the world with many creative lenses.

Tom Schaller. California photographer who focuses on storytelling. Mainly working with natural light, he keeps it as simple and emotional as it gets.

Read all current and past articles online | #searchfindhowl | online

C r e at i v e D i r e c t o r Martin Svoboda

Joseph Simon. Owner of Superior SK8, Surf, Style in Tamarindo. Grew up skateboarding the streets of New York City.

Marian Paniagua. Certified nurse and yoga Instructor, and local artisan, born and raised in Guanacaste.

8914-0199. marianpaniagua@gmail.com

6

BUSINESS DEVELOpmENT Martin Svoboda - Managing Partner John D. Lane - Director of Business Development

O p e r at i o n s Nikki Durling - Office Manager

Eduardo Gamboa Piedra. From San José, currently living in Guanacaste. Owner of Caracola Grafica art company and Dj Flix.

howlermag.com

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-in-CHIEF John B. Quam

Fabricio Riggioni. Investment Consultant at NATIVU. 8301-0663. fabricio@nativu.com

Laura Méndez. Founder of Pura Vida Vibrations.

Offering sound journeys, breath work experiences, cacao ceremonies and other activities. hello@puravidavibrations.com

Nicole Rangel. Freelance writer and editor. Making memories forever with her family. nicole.rangel@gmail.com

June 2019 Vol. 24 No. 6

#S earch F ind Howl

John Quam - Managing Partner headmonkey@howlermag.com Martin Svoboda - Managing Partner martin@howlermag.com Editor: editor@howlermag.com Advertising: ads@howlermag.com CR Office: (506) 4701-5942 US Office: (720) 507-7596 (leave message) Howler Magazine Costa Rica @thehowlermag @howlermagazine The Howler Gold Coast CR S.A. Ced. Juridica: 3-101-725213 The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Howler organization or its advertisers.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests write to: info@howlermag.com.

The Howler Magazine does not assume responsibility for the content of its advertisements.

Images not credited are acquired from stock photography services.

Copyright © 2019 The Howler Gold Coast CR S.A. howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 7

HOWLER

CO N T E N T S

Ring of Fire Cover Story

12

Up Front

4 - Editorial 6 - Contributors and Howler Troop 10 - Community Services 12 - Cover Story: Under the Volcanoes

16 Travel & Adventure 16 - Feature: Bocas del Toro 22 - Featured Park: Piedras Blancas National Park 26 - Creature Feature: Costa Rican Cuckoo

Bocas del Toro Feature

16

28 Surfing Costa Rica & SK8

28 - Surfing CR: Surf Events 29 - Tide, Sun & Moon Chart 30 - Surf Profile: Kai and Teo Gale Grani 32 - Skateboarding in Costa Rica

34 ACE - Arts Culture Entertainment

34 - Cultural Heritage: Costa Rica’s Oldest Church 36 - Urban Tourism: Sala Garbo 38 - Artist Spotlight: Al Alexander

40 Pura Vida - Living Costa Rica

32

40 - Wellness Feature: Avoid These Ingredients 42 - The Doctor Is In: Intestinal Parasites 44 - Mindfulness: Conscious Parenting 46 - Yogapedia - Balasana: Child’s Pose 48 - Fashion Flash: Animal Magnetism

50 Directories Flip Mini-Mags CR Biz & Dining Guide

CR BIZ

HOWLER

This is Skating in CR

June 2019

SK8 CR

Oldest Church in CR Cultural Heritage

t MAga zine and Inves tmen Esta te, Busin ess Cost a Rica Real

34

CA COSTAHotRI spot for the Latest

W Hotelss

DINING GUIDE Th ree Restaurants at W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal are Open to the Public

#howlermag #SearchFindHowl howlermag.com/diningguide HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 25

Busines

Page 21

Free copy

how lerm ag.c om

#S earch F ind How l

MAGAZINE HM HOWLER

|1

Read all current and past articles online

howlermag.com 8

| #searchfindhowl | online

#S earch F ind Howl howlermag.com

Elevate your expectations

Splendor Del Pacifico, Luxury Residences Flamingo Beach, Costa Rica Perched high on a peninsula, stretching into the ocean, 360 Splendor del Pacifico is the ultimate destination for those seeking expansive coastal views, warm tropical breezes and a no-hassle getaway. Enjoy panoramic views from our rooftop terrace, ocean views from every residence and vibrant sunsets from our alluring saltwater infinity pool. Paradise awaits!

For real estate sales or rental inquiries: info@360flamingo.com Costa Rica: +506 8802 4848 US Toll Free: +1 (877) 405-4996

360flamingo.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 9

COMMUNITY SERVICES

FIRE UNIT

1118

EMBASSY CONTACT INFO UNITED STATES +506 2519-2000 CANADA +506 2242-4000 EUROPEAN UNION (EU) DELEGATION +506 2283-2959

POLICE & FIRST RESPONDERS

TOURIST POLICE

FLAMINGO +506 2654-5086 VILLARREAL +506 2244-6173 PLAYAS DEL COCO +506 2670-0258 SANTA CRUZ +506 2680-0136 LIBERIA +506 2665-0609 LA FORTUNA DE SAN CARLOS +506 2479-9689

NUEVO ARENAL +506 4001-6911

TILARAN +506 2695-5001

FIRE UNIT 1118 FILADELFIA +506 2688-8733 HUACAS FIRE STATION +506 2201-9079

AMBULANCE, HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CLINICS EMERGENCIAS 2000 +506 8930-2000 LIBERIA AMBULANCE

911

SAN JOSE AMBULANCE

911

TAMARINDO, FLAMINGO, POTRERO AMBULANCE

911

CARTAGENA RED CROSS AMBULANCE

911

POISON CENTER

+506 2223-1028

LIBERIA HOSPITAL

+506 2666-2300

CRUZ ROJA LIBERIA

911

HOSPITAL SAN RAFAEL +506 2666-1717 ARCANGEL (PRIVATE) LIBERIA NICOYA HOSPITAL +506 2685-8400 SAN JOSE HOSPITAL +506 2257-7922 PLAYAS DEL COCO CLINIC +506 8808-8111 LIBERIA CLINIC +506 2665-3038 SANTA CRUZ CLINIC +506 2680-2222 HUACAS CLINIC +506 2653-9911

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS TAMARINDO | Waves of Sobriety Mon / Thur • 5:30 pm | Wed / Sat • 10:30 am Behind the Tamarindo circle, through Pedro´s Surf Shop Ellen 2653-0897 / 8484-1360 ellenzoe@aol.com Suzanne 8507-5407 smchannell@hotmail.com AlAnon meeting Fri • 10:30am cherylthepsychic@yahoo.ca VILLARREAL (Español) |Vida Real Jose Chops 8720-1984

(CONCHAL) FLAMINGO / POTRERO | Beach Front Serenity Group

SANTA CRUZ +506 2680-0090 Tue / Fri • 5:30 pm, Upstairs Costa Rica Sailing Center

OIJ CONFIDENTIAL +800 800-0645 Craig 8699-0254

LIBERIA +506 2690-0128

+506 2690-0129 PLAYAS DEL COCO

SANTA CRUZ +506 2681-4000 Monday / Wednesday / Friday • 6:00pm LA FORTUNA DE SAN CARLOS +506 2479-1553 Sardinal Beach

TILARAN +506 2695-8475 Centro Plaza Sardinal(50 mts east from police), store N. 6.

Max 8917-2222 or John 2672-1163

SAN JOSE +506 2295-3851

ACCIDENT REPORT & VEHICLE ASSISTANCE 800-800-8001 HIGHWAY PATROL 1117 10

| #searchfindhowl | online

If you have updated or additional information for useful numbers, please contact editor@howlermag.com or +506 4701-5942 howlermag.com

BLISSFUL, REJUVENATING AND RELAXING - award-winning world-class hotel and spa in Tamarindo -

SITUATED IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING OVERLOOKING THE COSTA RICA JUNGLE AND PACIFIC OCEAN. WE OFFER AN ARRAY OF UNIQUE EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR INDULGENCE. SPA IS OPEN TO OUTSIDE GUESTS.

www.losaltosdeeros.com

email: info@losaltosdeeros.com

Tel: (506) 8850-4222 or 8850-4203

Stem cells are being used to treat:

Contact the experts at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute to learn more about stem cell therapy!

∙ Diabetes. ∙ Orthopedic injuries and chronic conditions. ∙ Wounds. ∙ Spinal cord injuries and spinal stenosis. ∙ Traumatic brain injury. ∙ Cardiovascular disease. ∙ Erectile dysfunction. ∙ Some neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

THE BENEFITS OF STEM CELL THERAPY Stem cells have the ability to grow, repair and regenerate any type of human cell or tissue. Stem cell therapy is a medical procedure that uses stem cells to repair damaged tissue from certain diseases or physical injuries.

Stem cell therapy can offer relief to patients suffering from chronic pain, difficult-to-heal injuries, and certain chronic conditions.

info@stemcellstransplantinstitute.com

Tel US: +1 305 506 6405 / CR: +506 2208 8618 HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 11

Ahh … life under the volcanoes

I

t’s beautiful until something ominous happens and the Jimmy Buffett song* hits you: Ground she's moving under me Tidal waves out on the sea Sulphur smoke up in the sky Pretty soon we learn to fly Let me hear ya now I don't know I don't know I don't know where I'm a-gonna go when the volcano blows

COVER STORY

* “Volcano" written by Jimmy Buffett, Keith Sykes, and Harry Dailey

12

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

Life Under the Volcanoes

Costa Rica and the Ring of Fire

by Tom Schultz

I

f you live in Costa Rica long enough, it becomes almost boring. “Honey, did you feel that one?”

Earthquakes, strong and not so strong, become part of your life here. And in recent years, if you live in the Central Valley, so does sweeping volcanic dust from your porch … or running outside to watch Turrialba or Poás erupt. But why? Why the earthquakes and volcanoes?

One of Arenal Volcano's spectacular eruptions in modern times.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 13

COVER STORY

Images of the three tectonic plates affecting Costa Rica are superimposed on this map of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Right place, right time

Costa Rica today has 40 extinct volcanoes and five active ones.

Costa Rica sits on what is called the Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped loop stretching 40,000 kilometers from New Zealand to Chile, passing through the coasts of Asia and the Americas.

The Ring of Fire contains more than 450 active volcanoes and about 90 percent of the world's earthquake sites. It’s all due to the geologic phenomenon of “plate tectonics” — pieces of the earth’s outer crust colliding and grinding against each other. In the Ring of Fire, these interactions occur between the huge Pacific Plate and smaller tectonic plates such as the Philippine Sea Plate (or three others in Costa Rica’s case). The impact, in what are known as subduction zones, causes magma uplift, volcanoes and faulting.

Wait ... what did I just say? Tectonic? Plate?

Subduction? Magma? Faulting?

I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.

Earth reinvents itself

For billions of years, the earth has been reinventing itself. Huge masses of molten rock, called magma, arise from deep inside our planet.

14

| #searchfindhowl | online

Then, after cooling into a solid crust, they travel along the earth’s surface before sinking back down. This is the process known as plate tectonics, derived from the Greek term tectonic meaning “to build.” Tectonic plates are the massive moving slabs — a dozen in all — that make up the earth’s outer layer. A useful analogy is that of a cracked egg, with the plates being pieces of shell.

Like a giant conveyor belt, the rising and outpouring of hot rock from inside the earth adds new material to tectonic plates; this is called mantle upwelling. Over time, the cooling plate becomes thicker and heavier. Ultimately, after millions of years, the oldest, coolest parts of the plate sink back into the earth’s mantle — the thick, mostly solid, rocky layer between the crust and core — where they remelt again. Observing a lava lamp will give you some idea of how this works.

Naturally, the movement of plates causes significant action and impact, for the most part at the edges of the plates. These collision points where the plates crash against each other are called subduction zones.

Oceanic crust, composed of magma cooled

howlermag.com

under the ocean, is denser than air-cooled continental crust. Some tectonic plates transport both continental crust and oceanic crust, while others contain just one type of crust. At its subduction zone, oceanic crust usually sinks into the earth’s mantle beneath lighter layers of continental crust. Abutting edges create deep ocean trenches, while the other sides rise as mountains.

In some instances, plates slide past each other at places known as faults. The San Andreas Fault in California is a famous example. Although fault movement is usually very slow, more dramatic occurrences can trigger earthquakes. In recent years, Costa Rica has experienced earthquakes caused by fault movement in Nicoya and Golfito.

Tectonic triple threat

As part of the Ring of Fire, Costa Rica is affected by three tectonic plates.

On the east is the Caribbean Plate, subducted under it on the west the Cocos Plate, and — just for added fun — the Nazca Plate is pushing the whole works to the northwest. Earthquakes in this

country are caused by the downward movement of the Cocos Plate, plus the slippage of all three plates to the northwest. The subduction zone on the west side of Costa Rica is also what caused the uplift that created its mountain ranges … and volcanoes.

Volcanoes are another common occurrence in a subduction zone. As the crust and the plate get dragged down deeper into the planet, fracturing and melting start to occur. Hot magma from inside the earth can rise through these cracks and force its way to the surface, causing a volcano. If the fissure is stable

for a period of time, the volcano can build itself into a mountain. Poás and Irazú, for example, are almost 3,000 meters high. As the plate moves, however, the cracks move in turn.

That is why some volcanoes change eruption sites — notably, Rincón de la Vieja has three different old craters — while others, like Barva Volcano, stop altogether and become extinct.

Costa Rica today has 40 extinct volcanoes and five active ones: Rincón de la Vieja, Arenal, Poás, Irazú and Turrialba. Drawing a line through those five active volcanoes, you can see where the Cocos Plate is being pulled under the Caribbean Plate. Recently, all of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes except Arenal have shown signs of new activity. However, with no scientific correlation between volcanoes yet proven, activity in one is no indication of another one erupting.

Plates, subduction zones, faults and volcanoes — all these forces of nature combine to give us both the beauty and the danger of living under the volcanoes here in Costa Rica.

Turrialba is one of Costa Rica’s active volcanoes.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 15

FEATURE

Boats, Bikes, Buses and Big Yellow Taxis

16

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Where is it?

Navigating Bocas del Toro, Panama

by Jenn Parker

T

he archipelago of Bocas del Toro, off of Panama’s Caribbean coast, has become internationally popular in the last decade or so.

Travelers seeking any or all of the following will find it here: sparkling turquoise seas, pristine palm tree-lined beaches, starfish, dolphins, and sloths; coconut rice and umbrella-laden tropical drinks, coral reefs and reef breaks, and weather that is as pleasant as the locals.

While the main island of Isla Colon is less than 50 miles from the border town of Sixaola in Costa Rica, getting there requires some savvy navigational skills.

There are multiple routes from almost anywhere in Costa Rica to the Bocas del Toro islands, but one given: you should expect to take some combination of planes, shuttles, and boats.

Then, at the end of a road that is neither smooth nor straight, you can expect to often find something beautifully unexpected. This will be as much the case getting around Bocas del Toro as it was getting to that destination.

There are no rental cars available, so even after arriving, you will have to navigate the islands via bike, boat, bus, or big yellow taxi, among various unique modes of transportation.

Southeast for the summer Early in 2019, I boarded a plane in Liberia with my surfboard and my dog (that’s a whole other process to navigate!) and headed southeast for the summer — Costa Rican summer, that is.

During my extended stay in Bocas del Toro — about 14 weeks at the time of writing this — I’ve explored the islands of Caranero, Solatre, Bastimentos, and of course, the island where I am living, Isla Colon.

My main mode of land transportation is my bicycle, which has a surf rack and milk crate basket. Bike rentals are widespread and cheap here, but good luck finding one with a surf rack. I had to bring my own.

The roads are a mix of pothole-laced asphalt, golden sand, gravel and dirt.

The big yellow truck taxis patrolling Isla Colon are speed demons, so if you aren’t in one, watch out for them. I prefer to bike though, because believe it or not, biking is often more efficient than driving. Plus, you might miss a roadside sloth hanging in the low-lying trees if you are inside a car. It just feels right to bike here! You’ll see what I mean when you get here.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 17

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Starfish Beach on Bocas del Toro island, Panama

First Things First - Get There Biking the Bluff

Route #1 • Travel to San José from wherever you are in Costa Rica (e.g., by Interbus, Grayline or Alfaro bus, or a Sansa flight).

• Spend the night in San José and take the 6 a.m.

Caribe Shuttle to Sixaola.

• Cross the border into Panama and take Caribe Shuttle to Almirante.

• Catch a boat taxi from Almirante to Bocas Town on Isla Colon.

Route #2 • Travel to San José or Liberia from wherever you are in Costa Rica.

• Fly from San José or Liberia to Panama City, Panama.

• Clear customs and then take a taxi or Uber across the city to Albrook International Airport (approximately 30 or 45 minutes depending on traffic).

• Fly Air Panama to Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro.

Photo: Jenn Parker

18

| #searchfindhowl | online

One of my favorite bike treks is to Playa Bluff. The bike ride up there is every bit as lovely as the actual beach.

Once the asphalt road ends just after Skully’s, the road alternates back and forth between gravel and sand for the next three miles as it hugs the coastline heading north. The further north you bike, the more remote it feels. Playa Bluff is over four miles of golden sand, palm trees and beach break surf, discreetly dotted with little bars, restaurants, and eco-lodges.

At the end of the driveable sand road, you can walk or bike for miles more into the forest. There you will find a maze of trails and hidden bays, home to howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, and a kaleidoscopic collection of tropical birds. As a seasonal quasi-local, this is where I like to get away from it all. This part of Isla Colon is the polar opposite of Bocas Town. howlermag.com

SCHANTZ STUDIO PRODUCTIONS Video & Post-Production Services

INSHORE AND OFFSHORE

Social Media Videos Commercial Production Photography Events

FISHING CHARTERS UP TO 6 GUESTS

For more information contact

info@schantzstudio.com Visit us online

SchantzStudio.com @SCHANTZSTUDIO

MENTION THIS AD FOR

A DISCOUNTED RATE / We provide drinks and snacks.

Lunch for the longer rides. / HALF DAY 4 to 4 ½ Hours

¾ DAY 6 to 7 Hours

PLEASE INQUIRE FOR PRICING.

FULL DAY 8 to 9 Hours

FISHTALE2COSTARICA.COM

Be a Happier Community HOA management with integrity and transparency.

We optimize our clients´ time and investments.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 19

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Mangrove islands in the archipelago of Bocas del Toro, Caribbean Sea, Panama.

Bike rentals are widespread and cheap here, but good luck finding one with a surf rack. I had to bring my own.

20

| #searchfindhowl | online

Getting around Bocas Town Bocas Town has its charms though. It’s a place where you can easily hail a water taxi to the beaches, bays, reefs, restaurants, bars and other popular local attractions on the neighboring islands. Because all of the islands are close to one another, taking a water taxi to lunch or happy hour is a breeze. Getting around this way is genuinely novel compared to the most common transportation modes for locals and visitors in Costa Rica.

A water taxi out to the ocean-onlooking Blue Coconut bar and restaurant on the island of Solarte, or the Red Frog Beach (akin to Lola’s in Playa Avellanas) on Bastimentos, will cost you about $5. For anyone seeking the ideal day-drinking and sea-soaking location, these are two of my favorite spots to spend a leisurely afternoon.

Boats are also your Bocas del Toro connection to giant sea stars, bottlenose dolphins, two-toed and three-toed sloths, colorful corals and sea sponges, intricate mangrove forests, and intriguing indigenous communities.

Another boat awaits The deeper you explore Bocas del Toro, the more enchantment you’ll discover. You can’t see Bocas in a day, even though you’ll surely be approached by tour operators claiming that you can. You don’t have to go to Sloth Island to see sloths, or Starfish Beach to see starfish, you just have to slow down and look around.

Some of the most memorable experiences are found in the journey and not in the end destination. The road to Bocas isn’t all paved and perfect, but there is always a boat waiting for you.

howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 21

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

The Other Osa

FEATURED PARK

Piedras Blancas National Park

by Tom Schultz

Boat travel is highly recommended for any day visit, given the opportunity to look for dolphins, whales and even whale sharks.

22

| #searchfindhowl | online

F

amously proclaimed by National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on earth,� the Osa Peninsula has a special stature in Costa Rica. Home to an amazing 2.5 percent of all biodiversity on the planet, and to its last coastal tropical rainforest, Osa has become a destination for not only researchers, but also nature-loving and ecologically minded tourists. With most peninsula-bound visitors heading to the renowned Corcovado National Park, few even realize it is not the only national park in Osa. howlermag.com

Where is it?

Photos: Tom Schultz

A little history Our story begins with an Austrian classical violinist, Michael Schnitzler, who in his youth was an avid hiker, world traveler, and environmental activist.

Having arrived in Costa Rica in the late 1980s, he bought a small house in the Osa area near La Gamba. Alarmed at the illegal logging activity he witnessed, Schnitzler started a non-government organization called “Rainforest of the Austrians” to protect the area.

In 1991, the group succeeded in having a designated portion of Corcovado National Park named as the Esquinas Sector (named after the Esquinas River).

However, as has often occurred in Costa Rica, it was a park “on paper” only, with the land and logging rights still in private hands. Schnitzler launched a fundraising campaign and was ultimately able to purchase more than 10,000 acres, which became Piedras Blancas National Park in 1993. The park still has an Austrian research station in La Gamba.

Now spanning 14,000 hectares (about 35,000) acres, Piedras Blancas National Park stretches along the Golfo Dulce coast, from near Rincón de Osa and the Esquinas River, to Golfito. With its lush tropical forests and plethora of indigenous plants and wildlife, the park safeguards an ecologically important and diverse biological corridor of the northern Golfo.

With mangroves and some of Costa Rica’s last remaining coral outcrops, it is also one of the few remaining jaguar habitats in the country. The fauna population

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 23

Photos: Tom Schultz

includes approximately 140 species of mammals, 350 bird species, 37 kinds of amphibians and 42 reptiles, as well as several thousand types of insects.

Wanna get away The exotic beauty of Piedras Blancas lies largely in its remoteness. La Gamba is the only spot you can drive to; otherwise, you need a boat. For those interested, La Gamba is also the shortcut to the Deposito in Golfito.

Day trips by boat are available out of Golfito or from Puerto Jiménez, on the other side of the Golfo Dulce.

Boat travel is highly recommended for any day visit, given the opportunity to look for dolphins, whales and even whale sharks en route in the Golfo. You can also have a nice snorkeling experience in one of several protected coral head areas.

Another option for seeing nature up close is to head up the Esquinas River by boat or kayak into the mangroves. There are several tour companies offering great itineraries. On our most recent visit, we chose Changing Tide Tours, run by a young British turtle researcher married to a Corcovado park ranger.

A real highlight of some boat outings to Piedras Blancas is the Osa Wildlife Sanctuary. Within the national park’s protection, Carol Patrick has rehabilitated on the premises, and returned to nature if possible, hundreds of animals, birds and reptiles since 2003.

24

| #searchfindhowl | online

Visiting the sanctuary is truly a rewarding and unique experience.

Once you meet Sweetie the spider monkey, you’ll understand.

For a longer stay in the park, there are two possibilities. One is to take the only land entrance from the town of La Gamba, where the still-active Austrian biological research station, Tropenstation, is located. With enough planning, you may be able to stay there; we did in 2015. The second option, Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, is down the dirt road from the station. Arrangements can be made for pickup at the Golfito airport for anyone wanting to fly in. Known for its hiking trails and wildlife, especially birds, this remote lodge is an exquisite place to get away. You can even hike all the way through the jungle to the beach.

If you’re seeking even more remoteness, there are three ecolodges along the park coast, all accessible only by boat. Departure is from either Golfito or Puerto Jiménez, which you can reach by land or air. We have stayed at Saladero Eco Lodge, which has cabins and “glamping” accommodations. You can also experience the wilds of Piedras Blancas at Playa Cativo Lodge and Playa Nicuesa Rainforest Lodge.

All of these lodges offer hiking, bird watching, kayaking, snorkeling, and even sport fishing trips. With prices ranging from moderate to “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it,” these are some of the best places in Costa Rica for truly being alone with nature. howlermag.com

Tamarindo Area Beaches Need YOUR Support!

Getting There Piedras Blancas National Park By car

From San José, take the Pan-American Highway south towards Panama to Palmar Sur, or Route 27 to the Costanera Sur. Continue some 30 kilometers further south of Palmar Sur until you see a right turn for La Gamba village. You will also see signs for Esquinas Lodge. You can also drive to Puerto Jiménez or Golfito, especially when boarding a boat to one of the lodges. All have places to safely leave your car.

By bus

The trip from San José to Puerto Jiménez takes about eight hours (Transportes Blanco at 2771-4744).

Another bus takes you from San José to Golfito, also in about eight hours (Tracopa-Alfaro at 2221-4214).

By plane

Sansa flights from the Juan Santamaria Airport in San José to Puerto Jiménez depart five times a day, and to Golfito three times daily. From here you can rent a car and drive, take a taxi, or make lodge transportation arrangements for the boat trip.

Come Celebrate International Surfing Day BEACH CLEANUP

9 am - Tamarindo Rotunda Bags, gloves and refreshments provided

FUNDRAISER

6:30 pm - Langosta Beach Club Raffle prizes donated by local surf shops Food and drink specials all evening Admission: 5,000 colones includes raffle ticket

Everyone, all ages welcome at both events

To learn more or donate a prize:

Mike or Wendy Clifford: mwcl4d@hotmail.com Follow on

Surfrider Foundation Tamarindo Chapter

for updated information for all things International Surfing Day and more.

Park Hours and Costs

The park is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is the same as for all national parks: 1,500 colones for residents or citizens, and $15 for foreigners. (This is seldom collected directly but usually included with tour or lodging costs.)

Glamping cabins at Saladero Eco Lodge

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 25

CREATURE FEATURE

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Roadrunner Rufous-vented ground cuckoo

Squirrel cuckoo, photo: Tom Shultz

Cuckoo, Cuckoo!

CREATURE FEATURE

Not a Rare Sound in Costa Rica

by Tom Schultz

The cuckoo has long been associated with superstitious beliefs.

26

| #searchfindhowl | online

Y

ou probably know the familiar sound, if not the little bird, of Bavarian clock renown. In fact, these clocks originated with the cuckoo bird species found in the forests of Germany. But did you know there are also cuckoos here in Costa Rica?

The cuckoo bird family is widespread throughout the world, found on all continents but Antarctica . For the same reason motmot is the moniker of a different bird species, the cuckoo is named for the sound of its bird call in most languages. In France, for example, it is known as coucou, in Germany kuckuk, in Russia kukush-ka and in Japan kak-ko. In Spanish, it’s cuco.

Cuckoos are very common in Costa Rica, although you may not know them as such.

There are three cuckoo categories here, 11 species in all.

Ani

Ani, the most common and visible type found in Costa Rica, is large, social and black in color. Commonly confused with blackbirds and crows, two ani species may be seen in this country. Predominantly, the grooved-billed

ani has the field mark of a striated or grooved bill. Only in the southernmost part of Costa Rica will you find the smooth-billed ani, with its relatively large and smooth bill. With this being the north end of its habitat range, the smooth-billed ani is much more common in South America.

Squirrel cuckoo and others

The best known and most widely seen member in this category is the squirrel cuckoo, whose long tail and coloration bear resemblance to a squirrel while sitting on a branch. In fact, the squirrel cuckoo’s long tail is said to act as a rudder for navigating thickets and brush. Although this bird does have a cuckoo call, it sounds more like a wolf’s whistle to me!

Other members of the same bird group in Costa Rica are harder to see. The mangrove cuckoo can be found along the Pacific coast mangroves, while the yellow-billed and blackbilled cuckoos are relatively uncommon migrants.

howlermag.com

BRAULIO CARRILLO • JACÓ

Aerial Tram Hanging Bridge Zip Line Gardens and more...

Mangrove cuckoo

Ground dwellers

The last group consists of cuckoos that like living on the ground, including the one famous for its intelligence and “beep-beep.” Yes, the roadrunner cartoon character is a cuckoo! Costa Rica has two types of ground-dwelling cuckoos. The easiest to see is the striped cuckoo, which lives along forest edges. Its difficult-to-find relative is the pheasant cuckoo.

Two other species are named for their preferred ground habitat. The lesser ground cuckoo, with its beautiful eye pattern, is found in the Nicoya Peninsula vicinity, while the hard-tospot rufous-vented ground cuckoo, may be spotted on the east side and into the area around Rincón de la Vieja.

Fact and folklore

On the darker side of cuckoo lore is that most

members of this bird family are regarded as “brood parasites.”

That means they sneak into the nests of other birds to lay their eggs. The unknowing host bird hatches and raises the cuckoo babies, which often kill the other young in the nest.

In Costa Rica, only the striped and pheasant cuckoos exhibit this behavior.

The cuckoo has long been associated with superstitious beliefs. For example: it’s good luck to have money in your pocket when you hear a cuckoo. It’s also been said that whatever you are doing when you hear a cuckoo should be repeated throughout the year, as the call is a sign that the activity is beneficial. For single people, the number of cuckoo calls or notes signifies how many years they will remain unmarried.

Cuckoo, cuckoo!

15% OFF

Book adventures online at rainforestadventure.com

Book lodge online at tapiruslodge.com Discount code:

HOWLER

Onsite, phone or email reservations, 10% discount HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 27

SURFIN G HOWLER

COSTA RICA

Real Surf Trips with Tony

MOON PHASES

June 3 New Moon

June 10 1st Quarter

The elusive nature of surf trips fuels the fire of what one hopes to score. When everything lines up for that perfect session, true glory is realized. Andrea Diaz in the moment.

Words and photo: Tony Roberts

June 17 Full Moon

June 25 3rd Quarter

SUNRISE Surfing Events June • • • • •

Sat-Sun, June 1-2, Playa Negra, Circuito Guanacasteco de Surf Fridays, June 7, 14, 21, 28 - 4pm - Playa Hermosa, Backyard Bar Saturdays, June 8,15, 22, 29 - 4pm - Playa Hermosa, Backyard Bar Sat, June 15 - Uvita, National SUP Race Circuit Sat-Sun, June 29-30, Jacó, 2019 Kolbi Circuito Nacional de Surf

July

28

• Fridays, July 5, 12, 19, 26 - 4pm - Playa Hermosa, Backyard Bar • Saturdays, July 6,13, 20, 27 - 4pm - Playa Hermosa, Backyard Bar • Fri-Sun, July 26-28, Playa Hermosa 2019 Kolbi Circuito Nacional de Surf

| #searchfindhowl | online

June 1 June 30

5:17 am 5:22 am

SUNSET June 1 June 30

5:57 pm 6:04 pm

howlermag.com

TIDE CHART

June 01 - June 30, 2019

DAY

HIGH TIDES

LOW TIDES

HIGH TIDES

LOW TIDES

HIGH TIDES

1 Sat

1:10am 7.64'

7:03am 1.37'

1:23pm 8.67'

7:40pm 0.65'

2 Sun

1:54am 8.00'

7:47am 1.06'

2:05pm 9.05'

8:20pm 0.23'

3 Mon

2:36am 8.35'

8:29am 0.77'

2:47pm 9.36'

9:02pm -0.11'

4 Tues

3:18am 8.64'

9:13am 0.53'

3:29pm 9.56'

9:46pm -0.32'

5 Wed

4:02am 8.86'

9:57am 0.39'

4:13pm 9.61'

10:30pm -0.40'

6 Thurs

4:46am 8.99'

10:45am 0.36'

5:01pm 9.51'

11:14pm -0.33'

7 Fri

5:34am 9.02'

11:35am 0.45'

5:49pm 9.27'

8 Sat

12:04am -0.14'

6:26am 8.97'

12:27pm 0.62'

6:43pm 8.92'

9 Sun

12:54am 0.14'

7:20am 8.87'

1:25pm 0.83'

7:41pm 8.54'

10 Mon

1:50am 0.46'

8:18am 8.78'

2:27pm 1.00'

8:43pm 8.22'

11 Tues

2:50am 0.75'

9:20am 8.74'

3:33pm 1.07'

9:49pm 8.02'

12 Wed

3:54am 0.94'

10:22am 8.80'

4:41pm 0.99'

10:55pm 7.98'

13 Thurs

4:56am 1.02'

11:24am 8.95'

5:43pm 0.79'

11:57pm 8.09'

14 Fri

5:58am 0.99'

12:20pm 9.14'

6:41pm 0.53'

15 Sat

12:55am 8.28'

6:54am 0.90'

1:14pm 9.31'

7:35pm 0.29'

16 Sun

1:47am 8.48'

7:46am 0.82'

2:02pm 9.42'

8:23pm 0.10'

17 Mon

2:37am 8.65'

8:34am 0.78'

2:50pm 9.43'

9:07pm 0.01'

18 Tues

3:23am 8.75'

9:20am 0.81'

3:34pm 9.35'

9:49pm 0.02'

19 Wed

4:07am 8.76'

10:04am 0.91'

4:16pm 9.17'

10:31pm 0.13'

20 Thurs

4:49am 8.70'

10:46am 1.07'

4:58pm 8.89'

11:11pm 0.33'

21 Fri

5:33am 8.56'

11:30am 1.29'

5:42pm 8.55'

11:53pm 0.61'

22 Sat

6:15am 8.37'

12:14pm 1.54'

6:24pm 8.17'

23 Sun

12:33am 0.94'

6:59am 8.16'

12:58pm 1.78'

7:10pm 7.78'

24 Mon

1:17am 1.28'

7:45am 7.96'

1:46pm 1.99'

7:58pm 7.42'

25 Tues

2:01am 1.61'

8:31am 7.81'

2:38pm 2.12'

8:50pm 7.14'

26 Wed

2:49am 1.88'

9:21am 7.75'

3:32pm 2.13'

9:44pm 6.98'

27 Thurs

3:39am 2.04'

10:13am 7.81'

4:26pm 2.01'

10:42pm 6.98'

28 Fri

4:33am 2.07'

11:03am 7.98'

5:22pm 1.75'

11:36pm 7.14'

29 Sat

5:27am 1.95'

11:55am 8.27'

6:14pm 1.37'

6:19am 1.70'

12:43pm 8.64'

7:02pm 0.92'

30 Sun

12:30am 7.45'

SURF EAT STRETCH SLEEP REPEAT #gogrande

We h a v e y o u c o v e r e d .

Free 2 hr

Board Rental with surf lesson

simply mention

HOWLER www.frijoleslocos.com

Sunset

Happy hour

Daily, 4-6 2x1 cocktails 1000c beers Discount bocas menu

www.ripjackinn.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 29

SURFING COSTA RICA

Kai and Teo Gale Grani

by Ellen Zoe Golden

SURF PROFILE

Kai coming off the top.

Photo: Tony Roberts

They free surf and train regularly in Indonesia, but have also logged water time in Tahiti, California, Portugal, Italy and Nicaragua.

W

ith an awardwinning film producer father from Argentina, and a television and events producer mother from Italy, one has to wonder how two brothers raised in Bocas del Toro, Panama would become competitive surfers at such a young age.

Actually, it makes sense because Kai and Teo Gale Grani were heavily influenced by the recreational surfing of their father, who from the time the boys were five and six years old, respectively, would

Athlete: Kai Gale Grani Sport: Surfing Age: 14 About: Surfs with a mix of innovation and power

wake them up each morning to go with him into the waves.

In total, during the family’s time in Bocas del Toro, their parents owned and operated four restaurants, one hotel and a surf shop.

Kai has gone on to amass an impressive resume that includes Panama national titles for Grom, Under 10 and Under 12, an Under 14 silver medal at the 2016 Central American games, and appearances as a Panamanian team member in the World Junior Surfing Games in California and Portugal.

He was also the first from Panama to win a category here in Costa Rica at the Circuito Nacional de Surf.

Volcom not only picked Kai up to sponsor, but also sent the then-12-year-old to its house on Hawaii’s North Shore to be the first Panamanian to surf Pipeline.

Meanwhile, Teo has been gathering his own surfing accolades. In Panama he was

Athlete: Teo Gale Grani Sport: Surfing Age: 13 About: Lots of flow with beautiful lines in his surfing

Sponsors: Volcom, Cheboards, Bocas del Toro Surf Shops

30

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

FACTORY & SURF SHOP Custom + Stock Boards Ding Repair Tamarindo

Teo focused down the line.

Photo: Tony Roberts

the Under 10 champion two years in a row, as well as the Under 12 winner, and earned a bronze at the 2016 Central American Games. Also a Volcom team member, Teo now participates in Costa Rica’s Circuito Nacional.

Today, both boys live with their parents and other brother, Luc, at Hacienda Pinilla near Avellanas in Costa Rica. They free surf and train regularly in Indonesia, but have also logged water time in Tahiti, California, Portugal, Italy, Nicaragua, and of course at home in Costa Rica’s various waves.

“Right now my ultimate goal for surfing is to have the most fun possible, to enjoy every moment,” said Kai. “I want to travel the world meeting new people and getting to know new surf spots.”

Teo added, “We get awesome support from our family. I’ve always been a very competitive person. I want to become the best surfer I can, but be different than the others.”

www.cheboards.com In this country, both boys have taken advantage of the surfing opportunities within reach.

“I actually prefer living in Costa Rica because there are more spots to surf and it’s very different than Panama,” explained Kai. ”Also now with our new board sponsor being Cheboards, we go to the shop and hang out with JD. We share our ideas on how to make our next surfboard, then see him just go do it. It’s just super cool.”

Teo steps out by making music as well. He has written, sung and produced a few songs that can be found on YouTube under Teo Gale.

But as you’d expect, outside of school at CRIA, he loves to surf, particularly the contests.

All three brothers are very well rounded. Together, they have created a t-shirt business called Mouthless and are learning about implementing design ideas, product quality, producing and selling. A portion of the proceeds go to Boca’s Asilo, a home for the elderly in Bocas del Toros.

+506 8556 2910

Cheboards

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 31

SK8 COSTA RICA

s i s i h T ng in i d r a o b e t Ska Costa Rica

by Joseph Simon

Photos: Tony Roberts

32

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

S

kateboarding in Costa Rica? How can you skateboard on dirt roads? With howler monkeys and sandy beaches … but without ramps, skate parks, ledges, handrails or stairs to ollie off?

Pura vida — it’s 2019 in Costa Rica!

Skateboarding here is strong and on the rise.

With surfing influences since the early ‘70s and the birth of street skating in the late ‘80s, Costa Rica has had a small-scale skateboard scene for longer than you might think. With growing international impact from traveling surfers and skateboarders, the addictive radicalness and pure fun were irresistible, ultimately spreading across this wonderful tropical country.

It started in San José, where an urban subculture scene emerged from the exploding popularity of skateboarding in the United States during the late ‘80s. The capital cityscape’s roughly paved streets, sidewalks and concrete jungle provided enough terrain to get skateboarders craving more challenging obstacles. They sought to progress in the sport as it was depicted in U.S. magazines and videos (remember VHS tapes?) by iconic skaters like Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain and Tommy Guerrero.

Meanwhile, more surfers who also skateboarded were traveling to Costa Rica for that perfect wave. They heard local rumors about backyard concrete bowls, some skateparks and street spots. In my own case,

as someone who came to Tamarindo years ago to learn to surf, the Oneida Bowl was an attraction that made me fall deeper in love with this town. Surfing in the morning and skateboard sessions at sunset … tuanis mae, I'm staying!

Fast forward to 2019, and skateboarding and surfing now go hand in hand. From the influence of tricks we are seeing a growing number of concrete parks. Kids are skateboarding as early as their parents let them (or try to dissuade them). The 40-something-year-olds reminisce about ‘80s music like The Cure and The Now (old school scene). Skateboarding is even rumored to be an up and coming Olympic sport.

So yes, there is no stopping the rise in skateparks and skateboarding culture being seen today throughout Costa Rica. From San José, Moravia, Tilarán and Jacó to Nosara, Playa Negra, Villarreal and Tamarindo (the talk of the new park got all of us so excited!), the list keeps growing. All towns want a skatepark to keep their skaters safe and give them a place to progress, get stoked and have fun. Each skatepark has its own vibe, just like surf spots have their own wave or break styles. Some offer huge gnarly barrels or big deep concrete bowls; others have cruisy, chesthigh peeling waves or smaller transitions like mini-ramps with snake runs to pump and flow.

Skateparks do have in common one awesome thing you can almost always count on — smooth and glassy conditions, except when it rains.

So now we advise everyone planning a trip to Costa Rica to pack all the usual items: sunscreen, bugspray and shorts … plus, don't forget your skateboard! If the waves are too small to surf, the skatepark might be just where you want to be. Trust me, there's a session going down somewhere not far away.

The Howler plans to feature different skate spots and skateboard scenes on a regular basis. So stay tuned, stay stoked, and go skateboarding!

8435-7430 SUPERIORTAMARINDO.COM TAMARINDO PLAZA HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 33

ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT

Church in 1916, photo courtesy of José Gerardo Suárez Monge

LA IGLESIA DE SAN BLAS CULTURAL HERITAGE

The Oldest Church in Costa Rica

by Sylvia Barreto Benites

A modern facelift is being facilitated through private donations and government funding.

34

| #searchfindhowl | online

J

ust one hour from Tamarindo is a historic building that dates back nearly 500 years and represents the first interactions between the indigenous Chorotega tribe and Spanish conquerors. Currently undergoing an extensive restoration, Nicoya’s church is the oldest church in all of Costa Rica. The back story is worth the trip to see the building.

It begins with the expedition of Gil González Dávila and Frier Diego de Agüero to the Nicoya region in 1523. There, they met and struck a friendship with Chief Nicoya, the Chorotega king, who allowed for the construction of a church to guide the souls of his people. It is believed that the church was officially founded in 1544 and the original building was a simple structure with a thatched roof. After being destroyed in a fire, the church was rebuilt, but all the original documents were lost. The building later suffered damage from two earthquakes and was rebuilt again between 1827 and 1850, using

the walls of the original structure.

The church’s Baroque colonial style is characterized by its facade and limestone color, preserved since the time of construction. Once again due to earthquake-induced structural damage, this time in 2012, the church was closed for renovation. A modern facelift is being facilitated through private donations and government funding. While staying true to its original design, the updated building features a fiberglass roof and carbon fiber reinforcements to the foundation and walls.

Shady oasis Situated next to Nicoya’s central plaza, the church continues serving as a vibrant local meeting place, but is now enhanced with a brand new playground, stage and sculptures scattered throughout — all under the shade of massive trees. Surrounded by Nicoya’s shopping district, municipality and the town howlermag.com

Recent photos: Eduardo Gamboa Piedra

Where is it?

mayor’s office, the plaza is an oasis of green and calm in the middle of Guanacaste’s second largest city.

Although the church was expected to be finished by 2018, the refurbishing is still ongoing. Chambers were recently excavated and the unidentified remains of hundreds of people were found in an underground room.

Historians point out that it was once common practice to bury important people inside the church building itself.

For most of us nowadays, a trip to Nicoya is about getting our vehicle inspected or shopping in the many large department stores and hardware or home goods stores. Next time, take a moment to sit in the plaza and imagine how long this has been a meeting place for Costa Rica’s original citizens. The Chorotega people date back 2,000 years and are believed to have been immigrants fleeing the Olmecas in Mexico to settle in Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica.

Commercial hub Chief Nicoya was an important figure in Costa Rican history, leading a society whose culture and traditions were richly complex. At the center of trade and commerce was the city we now know as Nicoya, where gold, jade and metals figured prominently in the economy. The Gold Museum in San José is a modern showcase for this extraordinary legacy.

Closer to home, Costa Rica’s oldest church will soon reopen its doors in Nicoya. We can see what the original building must have looked like, while imagining what the ringing of church bells and gathering of believers every Sunday morning will mean to the community. So next time you need to visit Nicoya for any reason, take a drive down the main street until it veers towards the plaza.

There you can enjoy the sound of children playing and people stopping for a moment to enjoy the shade.

Church in 1950, photo courtesy of José Gerardo Suárez Monge

1950

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 35

ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT

SALA GARBO URBAN TOURISM

Where Indie Film Buffs Flock

by Sylvia Barreto Benites

Sala Garbo is all about the art of cinema and not the gross box office profits.

W

hen Sala Garbo opened its doors in 1977, the goal was to give San José moviegoers a taste of independent film culture. Conceived as a venue for homegrown and international independent movies, the theater was founded by Nicholas (Nico) Baker, together with artists Carmen Naranjo, Samuel Rovinski, Sergio Ramírez, Antonio Iglesias and Óscar Castillo. More than 40 years later, Sala Garbo remains synonymous with vanguard alternative cinema, feeding people’s passion and curiosity for films that scare, scandalize or move their emotions.

Having become sole proprietor by the 1980s, Baker expanded Sala Garbo’s single-dwelling structure to incorporate the Lawrence Olivier Theater and Shakespeare Bar, the latter as a gathering place before and after showtimes.

The integrated artistic premises thrived until 2015, when new legal requirements for disabled accessibility in buildings forced Baker to close the theater and bar. Although films could still be shown in the remaining original space, business declined dramatically before Sala Garbo was shut down altogether in April 2017. The previous summer, Nico Baker had died at age 83, but not before collaborating with other family members

in asking his granddaughter, Isabella Mesalles Baker, to get involved as his successor.

Fortunately, Isabella agreed and was up for the challenge of restoring Sala Garbo to its former vibrancy. With Nico’s cinematic passion in her blood, she had spent the previous seven years in London pursuing masters degree studies in theater production. Returning home to Costa Rica with a mission to revive Sala Garbo was only natural.

Isabel had every intention of preserving her grandfather’s legacy of showing independent and classic films. Meanwhile, the theater needed a hefty cash investment in upgraded digital film projection equipment, as well as longer-term plans for staged-in remodeling of the three Sala Garbo spaces.

Wider focus

Adopting a broader focus for last year’s reopening than her grandfather had pursued, Isabel envisioned a common ground for local artists, filmmakers and musicians to call home. To that end, she opened Sonido Garbo to showcase local bands, and also embraced the need and opportunity to feature stand up comedy and other weekly shows. Rental space Photos by Nath M Méndez

36

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

is also available at Sala Garbo for organizers of concerts, comedy shows and theater performances.

Otherwise, Sala Garbo offers something for everyone seeking a unique movie experience in San José, any day of the week. Stop

by Monday for the weekly showing of a “Cine Arte Garbo” classic film. On Tuesday, enjoy a “Nico Baker Memorial” tribute to one of the theater founder’s favorite flicks. “Cine Terapia” (Movie Therapy) on Wednesdays puts the spotlight on particular directors each month with showings of their films.

“Garbo Serie B” Thursdays are dedicated to B-movies,

while classic erotic films are reserved for “Krinégrafo” on Sundays.

True to its longstanding tradition of cinematic achievements that may be weird, quirky or unsettling and almost always intriguing, Sala Garbo is all about the art of cinema and not the gross box office profits. It may be where you first meet Pedro Almodóvar or Stanley Kubrick, but it’s much more than that. It is a center of culture that is constantly evolving into a bastion for the next generation of Costa Rican artists. Whenever you visit San José, don’t miss Sala Garbo.

Sala Garbo Avenida 2, Calle 2. San José Check out the daily schedule at www.salagarbo.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 37

ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Painting title: Hollywood Boyero

Artist Al Alexander

by Charlene Golojuch

‘Costa Rica introduced me to a whole new culture, environment and settings.’

38

| #searchfindhowl | online

THE PATH TO COSTA RICA

F

or an artist whose imagination has clearly never let him down, anytime or anywhere, Al Alexander could not have found a better place to thrive than Costa Rica. Endless sources of inspiration keep him painting with fervor and passion since retiring and settling here with his wife, Jean, in 2006.

"I always drew as a child and my mother encouraged me to go to art school," recalled Alexander, who is originally from Ohio. "When a scene, a cultural event, a land or seascape inspires me, I try to capture it, and most times enhance it, according to my mind's eye."

Al's Permanent Exhibition Location: Hidden Garden Art Gallery, located 5 kilometers west of the Daniel Oduber International Airport - Liberia, Guanacaste

howlermag.com

Melding of technique and subject Inspired by a subject or event, Alexander feels his paintings are most successful when the technique and subject become one.

"As a realist," he explained, "I use traditional methods and techniques in my paintings. I use modern materials such as gesso and tone the primed canvas with a neutral gray or raw umber wash, then draw in the composition with a brush. Over time I've gained confidence and I feel comfortable painting any subject — portrait, landscape, seascape, still life — I love it all."

The Epcot Center at Florida's Disney World was home to Al for a short while. He was the project manager tasked with executing dozens of murals, which he then installed on site.

Al has also designed and installed more than 50 commercial and private murals, including at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Jersey.

His artistic talents were further recognized when he was among 13 artists chosen by the White House Historical Society to contribute to its 2000 Commemorative calendar. In addition, he was commissioned to create 13 paintings for the U.S. Army's 2000 Vietnam calendar.

Internationally showcased Collectors of Alexander’s paintings include executives in the Merck Pharmaceuticals corporate offices in New York City and New Jersey; the president of Burlington Mills, the publisher of Yachting Magazine and the late Malcolm Forbes.

His work is also showcased in numerous corporate and private collections throughout England, Europe, the United States, and now in his adopted homeland of Costa Rica.

One of the greatest impacts on his art was living in and around New York City, Alexander told us. He found those surroundings, with the exposure to enormous collections of world-renowned art, both challenging and inspirational.

"But the move to Costa Rica," he said, "introduced me to a whole new culture, environment and settings. I find the tropics beautiful and visually stimulating — the colorful fiestas, the colorful birds, and the varied and exotic landscapes. They call out ‘paint me!'"

Antique photo courtesy of José Gerardo Suárez Monge

Painting title: Rio Fisherman

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 39

PURA VIDA / LIVING CR

WELLNESS EATWELL

Four Ingredients to Avoid to Regain Your Health

by Laura Méndez

S

peaking as a holistic health coach, I am about to get extremely transparent about the things you might be eating that can create lots of problems you aren't even aware of. We’re going to focus on four ingredients and some reasons to consider avoiding them.

I want to start by asking you one question: Isn't your HEALTH the most important factor in determining your quality of LIFE? Take your time… close your eyes for a minute and really sit with this question.

Now, let's go to work!

So-called ¨bad¨ bacteria then feasts on this sugar and overpopulates your gut, knocking that environment out of balance and directly affecting our immune system response.

Also, candida yeast will party on with the sugar, creating problems related to chronic inflammation. There’s a negative ripple effect throughout the rest of your body.

1. Sugar

There is a reason why sugar is the number one ingredient that creates health problems.

40

| #searchfindhowl | online

Hey! You´ve probably heard this too many times, but bear with me. There is a reason why sugar is the number one ingredient that creates health problems. It is found in virtually ANY packaged, canned or processed food from the supermarket. What I want you to remember are two things: sugar creates inflammation in your body AND is 10 times more addictive than cocaine. That makes it the perfect killer match!

How can this be possible? Think about this truth: your gut is your second brain and the main location of your immune system.

When you consume loads of sugar, your gut bacteria will shift, depending on what you eat. howlermag.com

2. Dairy

The quality of dairy ingredients you consume is crucial. Ideally, they come from an animal raised in a pasture finished and ethically treated for disease. When I was in vet school I learned that 99 percent of milk-producing animals are treated on a regular basis with hormone protocols. (This was my thesis topic.) Antibiotics, dewormers and other medications are used to treat the effects of unbalanced nutrition. Commonly, the majority of animals used for milk are in a state called subclinical acidosis due to the grain diet they are fed to increase milk production, whereas in nature, they would consume mostly grass. Since the unnatural grain diet provokes various health issues in these animals, it affects the milk they produce. It means we are typically drinking milk and consuming other milk-derived products from sub-clinically sick cows in a state of acidosis.

In addition, dairy products increase your body’s production of mucus, which can aggravate symptoms of allergies, sinusitis, bloating, excessive mucus, skin issues and other conditions.

3. Gluten

Consider that a significant proportion of grains nowadays are genetically modified, so our body can tend to overreact to these altered wheat components once they are in our gut. Many people won´t have troublesome symptoms.

However, if you suffer from depression, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, bloating, fatigue, headaches, I encourage you to look into the possibility of a gluten-related cause and do some research.

Remember, our gut is our second brain, and if it overreacts to certain foods, the chemical response will affect our mood and other organs in our body.

4. Aspartame

This artificial sweetener (also known as “non-nutritive sweetener,” with no calories) has been associated with increases in weight and waist circumference, and higher incidence of obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular illness.

My challenge for you this month: If you ever experience any of the symptoms mentioned here, read the ingredient labels for products you are consuming and look for these four ingredients.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 41

PURA VIDA / LIVING CR

INTESTINAL PARASITES INVISIBLE TROUBLEMAKERS

THE DOCTOR IS IN

by Dr. Herbert Weinman

T

he risk of contracting an intestinal parasite infection is present in both urban and rural areas of Costa Rica.

Although the associated illnesses are seldom fatal, they can mask other diseases when travelers return home. As general physicians in your community may be unfamiliar with symptoms related to intestinal parasites, it is important to tell them that you have traveled to a foreign country where the risk of exposure exists.

Parasitic worms, also known as helminths, are soil-transmitted organisms that can live and replicate in your gastrointestinal (GI) system. Human contact occurs through the fecal-oral route as a result of poor sanitary practices.

Children are particularly susceptible to intestinal parasites because they tend to play in and eat dirt.

Travelers can get ill when worm eggs are ingested by: • eating raw, unwashed, or improperly handled fruits and vegetables • drinking contaminated water or beverages • touching the mouth with dirty hands or through improper hand washing • practicing poor body hygiene

42

| #searchfindhowl | online

The three most common parasitic infections affecting travelers are described below. In any of these instances, people with slight infestations and a healthy immune system may not exhibit any symptoms. Treatments for all intestinal parasites are individualized, using prescribed medications known as anthelmintics.

Ascariasis (roundworm)

Symptoms start with a persistent cough, wheezing and shortness of breath within one week of exposure, as a result of larvae migrating to the lungs and throat. The second set of symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody or worm in stools, fatigue and weight loss.

These later symptoms might appear a few weeks following infection, or up to three months later, as the roundworms become adults and the females lay eggs which are shed through feces. The roundworm parasite can live in humans for up to two years.

Tre

Hookworms

This parasite is commonly found in many tropical and sub-tropical areas. An initial symptom may be a skin rash where

larvae penetrate the skin. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue can occur as the migrated larvae grow into adults and mate in the gastrointestinal system. The eggs produced by the females are shed through feces.

Note that the ancylostoma duodenale hookworm can also be acquired by ingesting soil or sand through dirty hands or unwashed fruits and vegetables. A typical sign of this infection is anemia (iron deficiency).

Trichuriasis (whipworm)

This infection in humans is caused by the trichuris trichuria whipworm. It occurs worldwide, especially in areas with lack of proper sewage disposal.

Those exhibiting symptoms have diarrhea containing blood, mucus and water. This is a result of swallowed eggs hatching in the caecum (pouch-like area of the large intestine) followed by the larvae migrating to the lining of the colon to grow into adulthood and mate. The eggs produced by the females are shed through feces.

Severe cases include abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, and rectal prolapse.

Whipworms can live in humans for years.

howlermag.com

Allinsurance CR.com 1BROKER 11 INSURERS

Across the street from Automercado, Tamarindo

COMPARE ALL PROGRAMS Health • Life • Auto • Home • Property • Commercial

Marketing for Phil Eitman Lic.15 -1299 Prisma Corredora de Seguros

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 43

PURA VIDA / LIVING CR

Conscious Parenting Children don’t do what you say, they do what you do.

MINDFULNESS

T

by Marian Paniagua

To be fully present is the best gift we can give to another human being.

he best teacher I have had as an adult to learn about leadership, and the quality of presence in parenting, is my own child, Sebastian. It was not until I observed his interaction with a friend, using the same words I do when greeting and expressing excitement, that this realization became clear: kids are constantly listening and recording in their amazing minds, moment by moment, every word, behavior and event they witness. Most of us probably know this on some level, but as adults we tend to forget or overlook it, sometimes acting unconsciously in front of our children.

It is not enough to tell your child what to do.

You need to be observed doing it. Children are forming their self-image based on the example they see in the people who play a fundamental role in their lives. For example, it doesn’t matter how many times you tell them they should be gentle with animals, if you are not being gentle with yourself and others, children will imitate your behavior. Most importantly, it will be imitated in their relationship with themselves.

As adults and as our children’s guides on this planet, we have the duty to be present, to know ourselves deeply and to align with love first before trying to teach anything to a child.

When we are aligned with love and joy, our kids will naturally gravitate to us and recognize themselves in us. Once children are tuned into our loving energy, all we need to do is to practice

Tamarindo's Only New And Used BookStore 44

| #searchfindhowl | online

what we want to teach and they will naturally follow.

What does it take to be a mindful, love-rooted and present parent? Clinical psychologist Dr. Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D, explains it beautifully. She believes parents must somehow deconstruct their own emotional legacies and conditioning to find their own truth, which they can then unleash in their children. Children are wise and intuitive enough to easily absorb every piece of information we give them. This happens without needing to use words and just by interacting with us.

I learned that when I do things I truly enjoy, my son sees it and imitates me. It’s not a matter of what I am doing but the joyful emotion that I am projecting. Quickly, this uplifting emotion spreads through Sebastian’s entire world, reflecting on his self-respect and loving relationship with others. Creativity overflows and the impact extends to his profound connection with his environment and mother earth. Consciousness is contagious and joy is contagious, as well as loving, caring and happiness.

To be fully present is the best gift we can give to another human being. That is especially so if the other human being is your own child, observing you with forever-loving eyes and a boundless open heart. Make a commitment to be the highest and truest version of yourself to honor your child’s growth.

Monday - Saturday 8-4 (506) 2653-2670

alei@bookstoreofthewaves.net TheBookStoreoftheWaves

howlermag.com Stamps, mail delivery, free WiFi and so much more.

Open Enrollment Costa Rica Identity • Bilingual School

www.educartecostarica.com

ESL - SSL Programs Electives - Drama, Music, Art and Sports

info@educartecostarica.com • (506) 2653- 6363 HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 45

PURA VIDA / LIVING CR

BALASANA

Child's Pose

YOGAPEDIA

Bala = Young / Infantile asana = pose

B

by Marian Paniagua

alasana, or child’s pose, is a yoga posture that offers physical and mental relief for many practitioners. As a calming posture, it provides a feeling of being held and supported by yourself and the earth, awakening you to the movement and sound in rhythm with your breath. In this space, intimacy between your body, mind and emotions can be nurtured.

Balasana is classified as a resting posture, which can mislead new practitioners to think of it as an easy posture.

But as deeper observation of its elements reveal, the actions of many muscles come into play. For example, the extensors of the spine must lengthen to bring the sitting bones to the heels and the forehead to the floor. Gravity plays an important part, drawing the yielding body deeper into the posture and causing the yogi to actively surrender breath by breath.

Benefits of child's pose

Physically • Stretches the hips, thighs and knees.

• Depending on knee position, it rounds and stretches the back, including the lower back.

• Activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers blood pressure and heart rate. Together with breath, gives a massage to the organs.

Mentally The greatest gift of this tender posture is teaching you to let go of resistance and open yourself to receptivity.

Emotionally Balasana provides a space to experience emotional relief and sense of surrender, just like a child resting on the mother’s chest.

46

| #searchfindhowl | online

How to do child's pose 1. Start on your knees and sit back on your heels, with hands facing up placed on your thighs.

2. Close your eyes and take a moment to become more deeply aware of your breath and your body. Start by sensing the points of your body that are in contact with the earth like the top of the feet, calves and knees. Note how the spine starts lengthening as you move your attention up to the heart, shoulders and chest.

3. If you want to round and lengthen your spine, keep knees together. When you fold forward, your spine will be more rounded as you reach your forehead to the floor and sitting bones to the heels. Another variation is to widen your knees, keeping toes together; this provokes a natural release in your lower back and makes room for the belly.

4. Once you’ve chosen how to place your knees, inhale with a slow and deeply felt breath. Then let your body melt down towards the floor after you exhale.

5. As you land softly on the floor, place your forehead on the mat or turn your head to the side. Give yourself the freedom to adjust your posture to the needs of your body in one of these variations: extend arms over your head, clasp heels with your hands or cross arms under your forehead.

6. As you hold the child’s pose, practice conscious attention to your breath. Intentionally inhale towards your back and exhale toward your chest, hips, knees and top of the feet.

To be mindful

Avoid practicing if you have diarrhea or if you feel any discomfort on your abdomen. Squeezing your belly as you fold forward can cause pain. Also avoid this posture if you have any pain or injury on your knee.

howlermag.com

Learning how to properly use your brain can open doors you didn't even know were there.

EAT • SLEEP • SURF • STRETCH

The Yoga Shala at RipJack Inn

Classes Workshops Retreats

www.ripjackinn.com

•

(506) 2653-1636

Try the 10-hour challenge 10 hours of intensive Spanish that builds a strong foundation

Services

• Private classes and group classes available in your home • Ongoing group classes in Surfside and Tamarindo • Written and spoken translation Spanish and English spanishforexpats23@gmail.com spanishforexpatscr.com (506) 8729 4857 HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 47

PURA VIDA / LIVING CR

Animal

Magnetism

T

by Patricia Sterman

he true story of the animal print was born in the caveman era, when people used animal skins to protect themselves from the wind and cold.

Thousands of years later, during medieval times, fur garments were used to mark a symbol of wealth as well as a social class.

In the beginning of the 20th century, movie actress Gloria Swanson started wearing elegantly styled animal print garments. From then on, the animal print has enjoyed many fashionable comebacks, especially in Hollywood and international celebrity circles. Famous women such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy, among many other fashion icons, helped elevate this trend to the height of glamor.

In 1971, National Airlines launched a new flight crew uniform incorporating animal-printed coats and hats worn by stewardesses.

Nowadays, animal print designs are widely seen in all manner of furniture, decor and objects, as well as clothing and accessories. Fortunately, the adoption of all-synthetic materials in modern times has ensured animals remain unharmed.

Tips for wearing animal prints

FASHION FLASH

• Never combine with any other pattern.

• Camel, black, and brown are classic neutral tones, but fashionistas this year are jumping into red or yellow for a funkier look.

• Less is more … keep your makeup and hairstyle as natural as you can.

• If you are not quite daring enough to wear an animal print garment, start with accessories such as earrings, bags, scarves, bracelets, shoes or belts. It’s a good way to include the animal print motif in your outfit with an added touch of glamor.

Start with accessories such as earrings, bags, scarves, bracelets, shoes or belts.

48

| #searchfindhowl | online

If you need any type of fashion advice or recommendation for a special event, contact

howlermag.com fashion@howlermag.com

Odry’s Massage Massage Pedicure

Manicure Waxing

Tamarindo - main intersection, above Tamarindo Transfer & Tours Daily, 9am-6, call for appointment, walk-ins welcome 2653-0939 ordrys.massage@hotmail.com

HOWLER Read all current and past articles online

howlermag.com

#S earch F ind Howl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 49

CR BIZ DIRECTORY Real Estate, Property Management

Playa Tamarindo 7 days a week, 9-5 2653-0073 www.remax-oceansurf-cr.com

SPECIAL PLACES COSTA RICA Property Management & Rentals Full management, rental and concierge services Flamingo and Playas del Coco Mon-Sat, 8-5 2654-4493 / 2670-2198 specialplaces@crvr.net

50

igh-quality construction and design in a quiet secluded area … it’s all yours, within an easy 10-minute drive to the area’s beaches, and just 20 minutes from Tamarindo and Flamingo beaches.

PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT

| #searchfindhowl | online

KRAIN Luxury Real Estate Member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

BROKERS COSTA RICA Property Management & Rentals We specialize in luxury rentals and property management Hermosa del Mar Plaza #7 Mon-Fri, 8-5, Sat, 8-noon 4702-7098 / 2665-8746 info@costarica-brokers.com

Home Commercial Property FOR SALE FOR SALE More information in CR BIZ flip mag, page 14

H For more information Contact: crre88@gmail.com Brokers welcome

RE/MAX OCEAN VILLAGE Making Dreams Come True Experienced professional real estate sales team serving the entire Papagayo region Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama Daily, 8-5 2670-2175 remax-oceanvillage-cr.com

Ocotal, Flamingo, Potrero Daily 8-5 2654-4010 info@kraincostarica.com

PLAYA HERMOSA

$269,000

RE/MAX OCEAN SURF & SUN Nobody Sells More Real Estate Sales of residential condos, homes and single-family home sites

OCOTAL

RPM REAL ESTATE Sales, Management and Rentals RPM has 60 dedicated staff focused on providing great service to our clients, guests and owners.

Plaza Tamarindo #17 Mon-Sat, 9-5, Sun 9-2 2653-0738, US: 866-631-6958 kevin@rpmvacationrentals.com rpmrealestatecr.com

Flamingo, Potrero, Tamarindo Daily 8-5 2654-4010 info@kraincostarica.com

PLAYAS DEL COCO

HORIZON PACIFIC Property Management and Rentals A leader in quality properties and services: Vacation rentals, management, association administration Tamarindo, Plaza Palmas #17 Mon-Sat, 9-5, Sun 9-2 2653-0390 horizonpacificvacations.com

KRAIN Luxury Real Estate Member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

ABC REAL ESTATE Fine Selections by the Beach We offer personalized service and a full range of real estate services Plaza Tamarindo Mon-Fri, 9-5, Sat, 9-1 2653-0404 tamarindo@abccostarica.com

T

he best commercial corner in the Huacas area just became available! Hundreds of vehicles pass by this corner property every day on their way to Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa Grande and to Liberia airport.

Contact: Fabricio Riggioni (506) 8301-0663 fabricio@nativu.com

howlermag.com DEVELOPMENT SPOTLIGHT

COMMUNITY & SERVICES DIRECTORY

GUANACASTE DENTAL Comprehensive Dental Care Advanced family, implant and cosmetic dental services Tamarindo - Garden Plaza Mon-Fri, 9-7, Sat, by appointment 2215-5715, US (866) 978-8305 info@guanacastedental.com guanacastedental.com

MAR HOLÍSTICO COSTA RICA Wellness Tours & Event Planning Wendy Abarca 8390-5375 marholisticocr@gmail.com marholisticocr.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

Mar Holístico

INSURANCE

TAMARINDO DENTIST First Dentist in Tamarindo Implants • Orthodontist • Endodontist • Cosmetic Dentistry Tamarindo 24/7 for emergencies 2653-2020 smile@tamarindodentist.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

EVENT PLANNING

COMMUNITY

CEPIA Nonprofit Organization We promote culture, health, sports and education for children Huacas Mon-Sat 2653-8365 cepiacostarica@gmail.com

DENTAL SERVICES

BUILDING SUPPLIES

M&G DE HUACAS Marble, Granite and Quartz Custom countertop, highest quality and materials, free inspection and quote 50m east, 150m north, 75m west Huacas Community Center M-F, 7:30-5, Sat, 7:30-2 8840-3815 litomtz74@gmail.com

DENTAL SERVICES

BOOKSTORE

THE BOOKSTORE OF THE WAVES New and Used Bookstore Stamps, mail delivery, free WiFi and so much more Tamarindo 2653-2670 Alei@bookstoreofthewaves.net TheBookStoreoftheWaves

PACIFIC SMILE DENTAL CARE Kids & Adults - English Speaking Highly experienced staff— orthodontics, implants, endodontics, gums Near Auto Mercado, Tamarindo Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat by appt.

2653-4354 info@pacificsmilecr.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Tamarindo and Flamingo Mon-Fri, 9-1, 2-5 2654-4367 / 2653-2155 info@gmattorneyscr.com

DENTAL SERVICES

ATTORNEY

GM ATTORNEYS Legal Services Full service in all areas of law

CARACOLA GRÁFICA Eduardo Gamboa Art, Graphic Design and Music Villarreal, Guanacaste 8330-1687 eduardogamboa.djflix@gmail @caracolagrafica

SALTY.CO FILM & DESIGN Graphic Design and Film Owner Karen Moroto provides excellent customer service and ensures her team delivers superior results +61 7272-5734 saltyfilmdesign.co@gmail.com @saltyfilmdesign.co

ALL INSURANCE CR - TAMARINDO Health, Auto, Homeowners and More Offering the best coverage with customer service a priority Across from Auto Mercado Mon-Sat, 8-5 2653-4300 / 973-536-1191 (24/7) info@allinsurancecr.com

CARIVE PRODUCTIONS Photo and Cinema High-end professional photography and cinematography based in Tamarindo.

Tamarindo 6105-1069 info@cariveproductions.com www.cariveproductions.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 51

COMMUNITY & SERVICES DIRECTORY

| #searchfindhowl | online

TONY ROBERTS PHOTO VIDEO Complete Photo and Video Services Shoots by appt for sports, portraiture, properties, exterior/ interior and video editing Guanacaste & all Central America (506) 8754-0798 tr@tonyrobertsphoto.com tonyrobertsphoto.com @tonyrobertsphoto @realsurftrips

EDUCARTE Preschool, Primary, Secondary Private bilingual school 5km south of Huacas Mon-Fri, 8-3:30 2653-6363 info@educartecostarica.com

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

52

SCHOOL

PHOTOGRAPHY

GUSTAVO JIMENEZ Surf Photography, Wildlife, Portraits, Landscape, Art Photography Playa Avellanas, Guanacaste 8384-6198 bagheera_05@yahoo.com selvaazulphoto.com @Selva_Azul Gustavo Jiménez Selva Azul

TAMCAM MEDIA Seize the Day. Then relive it Videography, social media management & GoPro rentals.

La Plaza Flamingo Suite #A6 8am - 9pm +506 7197 9127 (what's app) tamcamrentals@gmail.com tamcamrentals.com

PEST CONTROL

6004-1039 quetanchiva@gmail.com @quetanchiva @quetanchiva_cr

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

NATH MÉNDEZ Photographer and Videographer Native Costa Rican

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

GALLO PINTO TV Esteban Delgado Surf, aerial and water photography and videos.

Playa Grande, Guanacaste - 24/7 8622-4036 & 2282-6429 estebandg7@gmail.com @estebandelgadophoto @dg7photo

SHAKA MEDIA Photography Services Shaka Foods - Tamarindo 8330-5436 Shakamediainfo@gmail.com @shakamedia @ShakaMediaCR

SOUND & BREATH

8794-7679 / 8466-6484 costaricaantigua@gmail.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

COSTA RICA ANTIGUA E INEDITA José Gerardo Suárez Monge Photographer and historian, collects and analyzes historical photos

PURA VIDA VIBRATIONS Sound Baths, Breath Work & More The power of Sound and Breath Work.

These activities lead to a state of total relaxation and introspection in which healing and connection to our higher consciousness take place.

Tamarindo Call for appointment 8828-8947 / 8812-0100 hello@puravidavibrations.com puravidavibrations.com Pura Vida Vibrations @puravidavibrations

CABO VELAS PEST CONTROL Pest Control - English Speaking Bug Busters is now Cabo Velas Pest Control with 10 years of experience El Llanito, Villarreal Mon-Fri, 7-4 8416-4860 / 8702-6807 bamboopq@yahoo.ca

B FIT RETREAT Training, surf and adventure Tamarindo Adapted to tides and activities 8720-0438 www.bfitretreat.com bfitretreat @bfitretreat

CAVALLINI VETERINARIAN Animal Hospital Full-service veterinarian hospital for all animals and wildlife Royal Palms Plaza, Santa Rosa M-F, 8-noon, 1-7, Sat, 8-12, 1-4, Sun, 9-noon, 1-5 (pet shop only) 2652-9009 / 8815-5713 (24/7) howlermag.com

CR BIZ

HOWLER

June 2019

C osta Ri ca Real Estate , Busine ss and Inve stme nt MAga z ine

COSTA RICA the Latest Hotspot for

W Hotels

DINING GUIDE

Business

Page 21

Free copy

howlermag.com

#S earch F ind Howl HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 1

BRAULIO CARRILLO • JACÓ

Aerial Tram Hanging Bridge Zip Line Gardens Tapirus Lodge and more...

15% OFF

Book adventures online at rainforestadventure.com

Book lodge online at tapiruslodge.com Discount code:

HOWLER

Onsite, phone or email reservations, 10% discount 2

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 3

HOWLER

CO N T E N T S

COSTA RICA RIGHT CHOICE FOR W BUSINESS Cover Story

CR BIZ

6 - Cover Story: W Costa Rica is the Chosen Destination 10 - Doing Business Right: Dual Education is Giving Back 12 - Investment Chat: Adding Value to Developments 14 - Property and Development Spotlight 16 - Entrepreneur: Healthy Social Media Relationship 18 - Building CR: Sustainability by Design 20 - Legal Ease: Important VAT Reform Coming Soon

6 ADDING VALUE TO DEVELOPMENTS Investment Chat

at Th ree Restaurants rva Conchal W Costa Rica – Rese Public are Open to the

#howlermag #SearchFindHowl howlermag.com/

diningguide

INE | 25 HM HOWLER MAGAZ

25 Dining Guide

26 - Feature: W Costa Rica - Come On In, We're Open 32 - Simply Spanish - Going to a Restaurant

12 W RESTAURANTS ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Dining Guide Feature

26 4

| #searchfindhowl | online

Restaurants

28 - Reserva Conchal - Cocina de Mercado 28 - Reserva Conchal - Latitud 10° Norte 28- Reserva Conchal - Zona Azul 30 - Huacas - New York Pizzeria 30 - Huacas - Soda Guaymy 30 - Huacas - La Playita Restaurante 31 - Playa Grande - El Oasis Chill Out and Lodge 31 - Playa Grande - Pots & Bowls 31 - Playa Grande - Rip Jack Inn 31 - Villarreal - Black Stallion 32 - Tamarindo / Langosta - El Barco Del Capitán 32 - Flamingo - Vaca Loka Italian Restaurant 33 - Flamingo - Margaritaville: 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar & Griill 33 - Flamingo - Margaritaville: Banana Wind Cafe 33 - Flamingo - Margaritaville: Capriccios Pizza Bistro & Cafe 34 - Surfside / Potrero - Nasu Restaurant 34 - Surfside / Potrero - The Beach House 35 - Las Catalinas - Sentido Norte

Read all current and past articles online

howlermag.com

#S earch F ind Howl howlermag.com

TWO STYLES OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING LL AMA DEL BOSQUE LOTS

AROMO TOWNHOMES

Lots starting at 1048 m2

Ocean view, 4 bedrooms,

From: $ 2 3 5 , 8 0 0

4.5 bathrooms, 236 m2

Discover Llama Del Bosque, an exclusive residential community just a few minutes away from the restaurants, beach club and Playa Conchal’s beautiful white sands.

From: $ 6 7 9 , 0 0 0 A one-of-a-kind gated community overlooking the Paci�ic Ocean and the groomed fairways of our golf course. The panoramic view allows you to take in all of Reserva Conchal.

CO N TAC T O U R R E A L E STAT E O F F I C E : 26543100 / 83162014 w w w. r e s e r vac o n c h a l .c o m

i n fo @ r e s e r vaco n c h a l .co m

a b /r e s e r va c o n c h a l

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 5

We're

List

COVER STORY

the

on

6

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

W ESCAPES EMBRACES COSTA RICA LIFESTYLE

D

by Rachel Cherry White

ubai, Ibiza, and ... Costa Rica? Prime business destinations and must-have locations. For the very same reasons motivating most people who move here — friendly, highly educated people, a good economy and an infrastructure that grows stronger every day — many businesses are following. Tourism continues to be the largest, fastest-growing sector and the world’s top hotel chains have taken note.

Notably, the W.

Conchal development, where the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal opened in late 2018.

The Westin is on the property and thriving, so they partnered with Marriott to add another hotel. But this time, they went in a new direction. They wanted something more casual, but still lavish. The W Escapes was a perfect fit. The 150 guest rooms feature private balconies, rain showers and Cheboards bars — and plunge pools in every suite!

World class

Welcome all

So what is the W’s business? Luxe but never buttoned up, playful but all grown up. It’s a next-level escape for those of us so inclined, in the very place we came to get away. The W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal is all that and more, and now we get to play there, because it’s right in our own backyard — that is, for those of us in Guanacaste, but well worth the trip for anyone further afar.

The owners of Costa Rica’s omnipresent Imperial beer, Florida Ice and Farm Company S.A.(FIFCO), own the Reserva

Unless you were a guest of someone living or staying at Reserva Conchal, historically the residential community / resort has been pretty much closed off.

That’s no longer the case.

“W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal's facilities are open to the public. You can enjoy the lifestyle at any of our bars, restaurants and beach club,” says Hector Ladeveze, general manager of the hotel.

“The W brand is inclusive; all are welcome: families, solo travelers, LGBTQ+, even pets!

Everyone is invited.”

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 7

Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher was given a concept.

Be bold.

Be authentic.

And boy did he run with it.

8

| #searchfindhowl | online

How to get in on the action: simply contact W’s Whatever / Whenever team.

W does thing differently, starting with language. They don’t have a concierge, they have something much better – the Whatever / Whenever team. If you are not staying at the W, it’s your contact for everything the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal offers and more. Team members are on the scene, 24/7. Contact them to make your reservations.

Pro Tip: For VIP service, ask for Gina, the W Insider. It’s not just for people staying at the hotel! She can personalize any experience — from birthdays to first dates, she’s got you covered.

Wow factor

The design narrative at each W locale in the world tells a unique story.

This one is totally Tico … and, well, also “eco.” Costa Rican architect Ronald Zurcher was given a concept. Be bold. Be authentic. And boy did he run with it.

It all starts when you enter the property. Along the winding drive more than 2,000 gumbo limbo trees have been

planted, a nod to the living fences ranchers in Guanacaste make to corral their cows.

Then you pull into the valet area, a bold red corral that echoes the bullrings ubiquitous in every village throughout the province. Music is a very important part of the W brand, so the Marimba (xylophone) sculpture that you walk through should come as no surprise. The lobby design is reminiscent of a forest of Guanacaste trees, replete with pendant lights that mimic beehives. The guest rooms and suites are lighthearted and the overall atmosphere is fun, in keeping with Guanacaste’s coolest luxury spot.

For example, step into the “Living Room” for après dinner drinks. Over the bar, you’ll find a tree made up of over 8,000 recycled Imperial bottles in a pattern giving the impression of a hummingbird tail. This bar is edgy, it’s a fusion of New York and Costa Rica, and it’s got the best cocktails this side of San José.

Pro Tip: Tell the mixologist your fave flavors, and they’ll create a custom beverage just for you! Try “The Rachel” — it’s divine.

howlermag.com

Wind down

Water

Need to chill? Zona Azul, the W’s private beach club, is actually open to the public. Yep, you’re on the list. Soak it all in by purchasing a day pass for $100 per person, with $75 of that credited to food and drinks at the poolside restaurant. Besides the pool, you get access to the (pretty much private) beach, non-motorized water sports like stand-up paddleboards, and kayaks and snorkel equipment.

Parents, check out the Games Room for the kids in the wee ones section below.

Ready for some self-care?

Pamper yourself at Away Spa. Exclusive to the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal, it offers a full range of spa services plus a champagne bar. Treat yourself to a couple’s massage, then while away the afternoon at the private pool in your own cabana. How about a pedicure while you sip some spumante? Open from 8 am to 7 pm, book your appointment by calling 2654-3620.

Photos courtesy of W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal

Call: 2654-3600 WhatsApp: 8489-7458 Spa: 2654-3620

Winning events and business retreats

There are three restaurants, all open to the public: Cocina De Mercado open for all three meals, Zona Azul at the beach club for a chill meal by the pool, and Latitud 10° Norte for an upscale dinner (check out the Howler Dining Guide for detailed info), plus the Living Room which features a bocas bar.

The W brand is historically an adult playground, but families, have we got news for you!

The hotel has a supervised Games Room for kids. IT’S FREE if you are a guest (hello, getaway) or even if you purchase a day pass to the beach club. Open 9 to 5 daily, it’s for ages 4 to 12.

Different activities are planned every hour and a bilingual babysitter is available, along with a special kids menu, a large screen TV with video games, and more. Moms, take a break and get over there ASAP!

How to get in on the action Contact the Whatever / Whenever team to make your reservations, 24/7.

Pro Tip: Ask about Bubbles and Beauty, a monthly event featuring champagne and spa treatments at a discount.

What’s cooking

Wee ones

WHATEVER / WHENEVER®

Event spaces at the W are exceptional. Airy and inviting, personalized and posh, they can accommodate any party or incentive event. The state-of-the-art Convention Center holds up to 250 people. Thinking about your wedding rehearsal dinner?

Book the entire Beach Club. For more intimate gatherings you can book a private room in Latitud 10° Norte. So pretty much anything you need, the W has got it.

Pro Tip: Celebrating an anniversary or just want to do something special? Ask about the W’s “Fuel the Passion” deal. Your room comes with a sunset cruise, four-course dinner for two at Latitud 10° Norte, sparkling wine and a couple’s massage at the spa. What more could you ask for?

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 9

CR BIZ

Learning, Growing and Giving Back DOING BUSINESS RIGHT

Dual Education at Reserva Conchal

by Nicole Rangel

More than 30 of the original 40 enrolled students will complete the program, with a graduation ceremony like no other.

10

| #searchfindhowl | online

J

oseph is the oldest of five children who grew up in a drug- and crime-ridden area of San José. At age 13 Joseph experienced a life-changing event that caused him to realize he needed to get out of that place. He moved to Guanacaste to live with an aunt and turn his life around.

Today, working as a lead bartender — or captain as they call it internally — at Reserva Conchal Beach Club, Joseph is living in a thriving community full of supportive friends and family. With the career preparation skills he acquired through Reserva Conchal’s Dual Education program, he has learned that hard work reaps its rewards with promotions and a better life.

Offered in conjunction with Costa Rica’s National Apprenticeship Institute (Instituto Nacional de Aprendizaje or INA), the Dual Education program provides hands-on training as professional chefs or as waiter-bartenders at the Westin Resort, the W Costa Rica and Reserva Conchal, as well as post-graduation employment opportunities. The one-year program offers added support for a healthy and well-balanced life by transporting and feeding the students physically, emotionally and socially.

Reserva Conchal’s innovative partnership with INA reflects a need for companies to

get out of their comfort zones in helping communities build a more skilled labor force, in turn enhancing the quality of life for all. The goal is to lift up local communities by giving citizens hirable skills that allow for future retention and training, thus creating a circular economy.

Student success stories

A previous Howler overview, in the September/October 2018 issue, emphasized the Dual Education program’s extensive scope, in terms of both curriculum and enrollment uptake. But its greatest measure of success may be the stories of transformation in the lives of students like Joseph. When INA Instructor Jairo Varela talks about his students, his eyes light up. Passion and joy illuminate his descriptions of the leaps and bounds students must overcome when attending the program.

He has known some who were once practically living on the streets, without dependable access to meals; now they are fully employed, living in safe housing and providing meals for themselves and their families.

When asked what he finds most rewarding about his work with students in the program, Varela said, “To see them develop socially, have confidence, to feel empowered to do something … they mature so quickly, but into professionals ready to work.”

Photos courtesy of Reserva Conchal

howlermag.com

Left photo: Because of the Dual Education program and his work at Reserva Conchal, Joseph has been able to bring his mom and youngest brother to Guanacaste and take care of them.

Right photo: At the beginning of the program, no one knows each other, but by graduation they are like a tight-knit work family.

Ana Francis is an outspoken, observant student who wants to open up her own restaurant. She travels over 70 kilometers each way to Reserva Conchal for her training. Depending on the day, she wakes at 4 a.m., walks to the main street in her town and takes a cab to Filadelfia.

There, the Dual Education bus picks her up for delivery to the Westin Hotel. This is not a program for the weary.

When asked about their hardest learning challenge — from recipe memorization and knife techniques to laws and regulations … sometimes even basic manners and etiquette — the classmates resoundingly said, “ENGLISH!” The training incorporates four weeks of intensive English and this is where most students drop out. Even then, more than 30 of the original 40 enrolled students will complete the program, with a graduation ceremony like no other.

On that special occasion, you can feel the excitement, pride and unity of the group.

Family members fill the room with flowers and signs, dressed in their best, so obviously proud that their

sons, daughters, wives, cousins, mothers or fathers are finishing such a rigorous program. But that is not where this story ends.

Graduation just the beginning

Approximately 90 percent of these graduates are then hired by the Westin or W resorts, securing consistent employment with the ability to continue growing and developing their skill set. Jairo regards this as a cornerstone of the Dual Education program that needs to be shared with other companies.

“Reserva Conchal provides a safe social and educational base for the program; the students [and their families and communities] thrive because of this.”

The Dual Education program offers so much more than workable skills in a technical environment.

It’s all about the life skills that will enable students to have a better future, learn something new every day, provide support for their friends and family and give back to their community.

Inspiring a better way of living www.reservaconchal.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 11

CR BIZ

Adding Value to Real Estate Developments

INVESTMENT CHAT WITH NATIVU

T

by Fabricio Riggioni

he way we travel, shop and live has changed The future of commercial and residential drastically in the last 10 years. So why are we development seeing commercial and residential projects still Technology startups in the last 15 years have shown being created with the old success formulas? Is it lack that someone is always trying to revolutionize how we of creativity, or are developers just not taking into live. Amazon has changed the way we shop and Airbnb the consideration the whole picture? way we travel. Real estate companies like RealtyMogul There used to be a time when big malls and big have added new possibilities for viewing and investing in department stores, along with "anchor companies� commercial properties. The one thing all these companies onsite, would do the trick for investors and shareholders. have in common is a culture that is However, with all-time low constantly looking to add value for clients. occupancy rates in shopping malls As real estate investors analyzing a in the U.S. and Canada, there has The most beautiful particular development, we should always been a growth of different types of natural scenery ask ourselves these three questions: developments in recent years. It's our 1. How is this development adding value job as professionals in the real estate can harmonize to the overall community and targeted industry to identify which are the most with healthy and clients? successful trends and find innovative ways to invest. We seek unique ways creative real estate 2. Is the project conceived with consideration for future tendencies while to develop and increase value in the developments. analyzing the current demand? regions we work, achieving a balance 3. What makes this development unique between protecting the environment and how we can duplicate it elsewhere? and what we create as developers and You may notice that none of these questions are investors. financially driven. It makes no sense to look only at Human behavior and state of mind are directly numbers if the project lacks a clear path towards creating affected by our environment, which entails both natural value. We must always be looking ahead of the curve, and humanly created spaces. It's the correct balance identifying the future picture. Our investment decisions between these two that enables us as human beings to today should take into consideration what our lives will be develop a better quality of life. The regions of Costa Rica like 10 years from now. have tremendous potential as places where the most The residential real estate canvas has changed as well. beautiful natural scenery can harmonize with healthy and New homeowners and tenants are looking to connect creative real estate developments. It's really sad to see with others, live close to where they work and fulfill great locations for a lot or bigger piece of land destroyed all their needs faster and more efficiently. I believe we by short-sided developers and investors. That's why will start seeing different and more creative residential our efforts should always be focused on adding value to developments in Costa Rica over the next decade, driven the development, while also achieving a solid return on by the mix of local talent and foreign expertise. investment. .

Investment Consultant: Fabricio Riggioni Phone: (506) 8301-0663 • Email: fabricio@nativu.com 12NATIVU | #searchfind•howl | online howlermag.com

WE ARE AS NEAR

TO HEAVEN

BY SEA AS BY LAND

For information (506) 8918-3592 / mark@solrealtycr.com www.solrealtycr.com / By appointment only: Mark Price

SOL REALTY INVESTMENT CONSULTING

*Fee simple beachfront titled ‘Estate For Sale’ Inquire Within

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 13

CR BIZ

Home FOR SALE $269,000 ABOUT THIS PROPERTY

H

igh-quality construction and design in a quiet secluded area … it’s all yours, within an easy 10-minute drive to the area’s beaches, and just 20 minutes from the popular communities of Tamarindo and Flamingo.

Special spaces throughout

This classic Spanish hacienda-style house optimizes all its tropical living space, inside and out: 125 square meters under interior roof, expansive front and back patios measuring 55 square meters with a two-vehicle carport. This is all situated on a 1,645 square-meter, tree-covered lot in a small, off-the-beaten-path subdivision of quality homes.

The three-bedroom floor plan incorporates two bedrooms / common bathroom and a master bedroom / bathroom. The open great room features exposed beams and high vaulted ceilings encompassing the spacious kitchen, dining and entertainment areas. The covered patios bring the tropics to your doorstep.

Ready and waiting to live in

As a turnkey property, “Casa Escondite” is completely ready to live in or rent out. The home is tastefully finished and fully furnished with all necessities.

Highly desirable location

This home offers the best of both worlds — privacy and convenience. With no through-traffic at this dead-end, lowtraffic gravel road, the only noise is that of monkeys and birds. The house is located just 450 meters off the main road and two minutes either way to the small towns of Matapalo or Huacas for shopping convenience. The drive to Playa Grande or the south end of Playa Conchal takes just over 10 minutes. Tamarindo and Flamingo are both a 20-minute drive.

For more information Contact: crre88@gmail.com Brokers welcome

14

The Subdivision: Pase de Terras

Pase de Terras is a residential oasis with a sense of remoteness. The landscape configuration of buildings and trees ensures adequate shade and breeze for reduced reliance on air conditioning, as well as protection from the strong north winds and dust during the dry season.

PROPERTY SPOTLIGHT

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

Commercial Property

FOR SALE $995,000

ABOUT THIS PROPERTY

T

he best commercial corner in the Huacas area just became available! Hundreds of vehicles pass by this corner property every day on their way to Tamarindo, Flamingo, Playa Grande and other well-known exotic beaches in Costa Rica, as well as on the way to Liberia airport.

Location analysis

It's no secret that Guanacaste has become a world-class destination and Huacas is in the middle of it all. Huacas has experienced enormous growth in the last three years.

New businesses have decided to establish their operations in this city and it's rapidly becoming one of the most important intersections in Guanacaste.

Property analysis

The current owner has put this property’s income potential to the test during the past year, and it has been a huge success. Four fast food restaurants, one fruit stand and three signed deals have emerged, with a small investment in infrastructure for the vacant land. All of these businesses are doing really well and are enjoying the prime property location. The potential is limitless. You can continue with the current owner's vision and enlarge the current rental income or make a bigger investment and turn this property into a mixed-use building. The property has six electricity and two water meters installed already.

Nativu analysis

This is one of the best deals under $1 million in the area, and a great short-medium term investment for the right investor with the right vision. We have applied some financial models to different scenarios for usage of the property; please feel free to contact us and we will share our research with you.

Details • •

Lot: 3,500 square meters Inclusions: Two water meters Six electricity services

Contact: Fabricio Riggioni (506) 8301-0663 fabricio@nativu.com

DEVELOPMENT SPOTLIGHT

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 15

CR BIZ

ENTREPRENEUR COSTA RICA

Have a Healthy Relationship with Social Media

by Joanna Blanco

W

e live in the era of digital marketing.

Let’s be clear: you are “in” or you are out. Typically, that means you must be on Facebook because if not, you are missing out on too much.

If “too much” seems like an impossible measure, think in terms of access. Nowadays, your business and personal profiles must be easy and fast to view. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and YouTube are just some of the most recognized platforms.

As most of us have learned in life, too much of any good thing can become less than ideal and start taking a toll. So how can we have a healthy relationship with social media and still have time to enjoy other good things in life … including our non-digital world?

Best for your business

Don't be afraid to be choosy about who you follow. It will save you time.

16

| #searchfindhowl | online

If you want to have a successful business, all the information about it needs to be in as many places as possible. Yet, you need to be selective in choosing which platform will work best, depending on the product or service your business offers, and the target market.

Facebook is one of the most commonly used platforms, followed by Instagram. For showing and telling more about your business in a graphic, hands-on way, YouTube is the way to go. I can go on and on, but my focus here is to keep you healthy by helping you make choices that work best for you.

I offer these social media management tips for ensuring your business interactions and relationships are beneficial and rewarding.

1. Schedule time for your social media activities and set a reasonable time limit. It is better to know how many hours per week you can use to create posts, advertisements or any other digital marketing actions. Being in control of your social media time makes it more likely you will have time for other things you need or want to do.

2. Post and promote frequently to maintain a constant social media presence.

Make an action plan that keeps your business visible at all times. A consistent publication schedule allows your audience to stay engaged with your company regularly.

3. Know your budget. It is good to invest in social media advertising as much as you spend on printed materials like brochures or newspaper and magazine ads. If you allocate part of your marketing budget to social media promotions, such as on Facebook or Instagram, you will connect with your target audience and keep your business visible. That will help you save money in the future.

4. Keep your camera handy. Photographs

are one of the most important business promotion tools for social media. Thanks to technological advances, cameras are more affordable, practical and portable. For a small or medium-sized business, your smartphone camera can likely take good enough photos, if not great ones, and will cost you nothing.

howlermag.com

5. Know who to follow. Connecting with your

social media followers is important, but that doesn’t mean you need to follow everyone. If an account has relevant information that you can use, it makes sense to follow it. But, if not, don't waste your time. You need to focus on those who will have time to like and comment on your post MOST of the time. Don't be afraid to be choosy about who you follow. It will save you time.

6. Use notifications. They are really helpful! If you get a notification from someone who sent you a message, this will help you respond fast. Enabling notifications can help you be more selective and efficient with your time.

Personal pointers

Having a healthy personal relationship with social media is what will give you enough time and energy to run your business. I have two simple but important tips.

1. Keep your personal accounts private. This

ensures you are aware and in control of everyone who can access information about your personal life.

2. Set a timer. Social media activity can consume huge chunks of time and attention while rendering us oblivious.

Having a social media action plan will help you to manage your time, money and relationships, both in your business and personal life. It can free up time to exercise, prepare healthy meals and even meditate.

Remember, being in balance will keep you healthy.

Nutrition Advice / Time Manage / Body & Mind Wellness

If you are looking for a healthier and happier lifestyle, Follow @MovimientoSattva Joanna Blanco offers tips and ideas to make your goals clear and reachable, and become the best version of yourself.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 17

CR BIZ

BUILDING COSTA RICA

By Design

Sustainable, Attainable and Affordable

by Tatiana Vandruff

Create your own low-cost, slow drip irrigation system from repurposed beverage bottles.

18

| #searchfindhowl | online

C

osta Rica inspires many vacationing visitors to reflect on sustainable living ideas they can take home with them.

Seeing pristine human landscapes in this country alongside magnificent forests — so vulnerable, yet well protected — makes them ponder what anyone can do, anywhere in the world, to enjoy a better quality of life without hurting the environment. They wonder, how can I do more? Is sustainability attainable no matter where I live … and is it affordable?

The answer is probably “yes,” and the possibilities more widely conceivable than most realize. Sustainable living is largely a matter of proper design. One of the most common misperceptions is that it’s not only too difficult but too expensive for most home building or home renovation budgets. This does not have to be the case when we look at the essence of sustainable living by design from these perspectives of efficiency.

Energy

Reducing energy consumption wherever and however possible is the goal. There are more options than ever for installing

photovoltaic solar energy panels or creating eolic (wind) energy on the roof of your new or existing home. But if that’s not feasible, never overlook the relatively basic considerations for saving energy, at little or no additional cost.

When designing a new home, what is the most favorable positioning on the property to promote sun for heating and natural breezes for cooling? The same applies to strategically creating shade where desired, both to optimize and filter sun exposure. Decisions about the placement of shade trees around your property and built-in structural features on your home’s most sun-exposed facades can make a significant difference.

Another simple solution is to paint your roof white to maximize reflectivity of the sun’s rays and thereby lower the interior temperature of your home. Painting the exterior walls a lighter color can enhance the impact on interior temperature, as well as incorporating energy-efficient insulation in the roof and exterior walls.

Inside your home, help expedite the ecoresponsible lighting trend by using only CFL or LED bulbs. Besides making careful choices of howlermag.com

new appliance purchases — ideally bearing “energy star” labels — be mindful of checking energy consumption charts. It can be that simple to save on your energy bill.

Water

Water efficiency, both inside and outside your home is imperative. That means reducing as much as possible your consumption of potable water for tasks that do not require it.

Water-efficient plumbing fixtures in today’s consumer market generally require a lot less water than older models to function properly. Faucets, shower valves and toilets are readily available and do not necessarily cost much more than the traditional fixtures. Just beware in asking for basic water-efficient models.

There is a tendency for retailers to promote more sophisticated higher-end models that perform the same as basic energysaving fixtures but cost a lot more.

Even in the absence of a septic system for the treatment and recycling of household wastewater, rainwater harvesting can be a viable solution for substituting “gray water” when potable water isn’t required. Rudimentary, reasonably priced systems have become more widely available for collecting, storing and redistributing rainwater on your property.

Other water conservation measures can be as simple as planting native species of flora that grow well in dry conditions.

Or create your own lowcost, slow drip irrigation system from repurposed beverage bottles. Fill with water and puncture tiny holes in the caps before

placing upside down in the soil around plant roots and tree trunks.

Building materials

This aspect of home design has become the most important application of the sustainable philosophy. It means being informed and conscientious in selecting construction materials that are sourced as close to home and with as little environmental impact as possible. Factor in the logistics of location for production, processing and transportation, as well as the life cycle, energy consumption and overall carbon footprint. The questions to ask when choosing materials are: how, when and where? If they are locally harvested and created with care, so much the better as an asset for your home. If on the other hand, you are fixated on a material sourced from India, for example, evaluate the carbon footprint on land and on sea as a motive for seeking a local and equally beautiful alternative.

In essence, sustainable living goals can be attainable in more ways than you might have thought possible, and perhaps with a lower price tag too. It’s all about making choices in designing your new home or modifying your existing space, and these decisions don’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the cost savings and resource conservation benefits come enhanced quality of life and peace of mind.

As always, you are well advised to consult with knowledgeable professionals who will help implement your vision.

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 19

CR BIZ

Important Tax Reform Basics

YOU Need to Know LEGAL EASE

Changes to the VAT in Costa Rica

by Ivan Granados

A

s covered in previous Howler articles about the ongoing implementation of tax reforms in Costa Rica, the Value Added Tax (VAT) is replacing what is currently known as the Sales Tax. This change takes effect on July 1, 2019, while the first date for tax filing to the government with the new VAT rates is August 2019.

VAT must be collected on all applicable goods/services and then paid MONTHLY to the government. No carryover from month to month is permitted. The entire amount collected must be fully paid every month to the government.

Obligation to file Every person or company that sells any goods or services must file a VAT form monthly, even if the filing indicates no tax is payable for that period (calendar month). In that instance, you would indicate “0 tax due” on the form.

Again, this becomes effective for the calendar month beginning July 1, 2019, with the first filing due in August 2019.

The obligation to collect VAT and remit to government extends to goods and services provided to non-resident clients and customers.

Tax rates for some of the most common goods and services are shown in the chart below.

Type of Goods or Services

The entire amount collected must be fully paid every month to the government.

| #searchfindhowl | online

Fiscal year change Also of paramount importance under Costa Rican tax law reform is the change in fiscal year to mirror the calendar year. Effective on a stillundetermined date (likely 2020 or 2021), future fiscal years will be January 1 to December 31.

Previously, Costa Rica’s fiscal year was October 1 to September 30.

During the ongoing transition period, the current fiscal year is October 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019.

Tax Rate Effective July 1, 2019

General VAT rate

13%

Tourist services not registered with the Costa Rica Tourism Agency (IVA)

13%

International & national flights

4%

Private education services

2%

Private healthcare

(charged by provider)

Personal insurance premiums

Charged by Provider (vehicle, property insurance, etc.)

20

What are “most” goods and services?

These will include the services provided by housecleaning staff, gardeners, electricians and others employed for maintenance of primary and rental properties. VAT also applies to general consumer services at facilities such as veterinary clinics, auto mechanic shops, gyms and spas. Finally, entertainment-related goods and services are subject to VAT such as digital streaming services, concerts and sporting events.

While the majority of these services are already taxed at 13 percent, some will be new additions under the VAT law.

Year 1 (2019) is exempt until further notice. Watch for a published notification when the tax rate becomes 4%.

2%

howlermag.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 21

Luxury Real Estate

Costa Rica

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES, WORLDWIDE

Buy | Sell | Rent | Property Management June 2019

Finca San Blass | $2,95,000 | 6 Bed/4.1 Bath | 359 Hectares

Villa Cristopher | $2,895,000 | 6 Bed/7.1 Bath | 5500 SF Playa Flamingo - Beachfront

Farm Estate Located in Coyolito Bougainvillea |$2,495,000 | 4 Bed/5 Bath

Oceanica | $1,595,000 | 6 Bed/3.1 Bath

Casa Tigre | $1,199,000 | 7 Bed/7.1 Bath

Playa Flamingo

Playa Potrero - Beachfront Potrero | $1.1M | 3 Bed/3 Bath Casa Kai - Potrero - Beachfront

Casa Kai - Potrero -

Ocotal | $675K | 8 Bed/7 Bath

Ocotal | $624K | 3 Bed/3 Bath

Flamingo | $599K | 7 Bed/7 Bath

El Sueño de Ocotal Villa Marina - Flamingo Estates 2 Home Compound - Walk to Beach

Azul Paraíso 3B Other Units Available!

Ocotal | $529K | 2 Bed/2 Bath Azul Paraíso 9A Other Units Available!

Potrero |$519K | 4 Bed/3.1 Bath

Hermosa | $499K | 4 Bed/3 Bath

Hermosa | $468K | 3 Bed/2 Bath Hermosa del Mar 2-6C Oceanview Condo

Villas Catalina 6 Oceanview & Walk to Beach!

Hermosa Heights Separate Rental Apartment!

www.KrainRealEstate.com | 2654-4010 | 1-866-994-9163 22

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

Flamingo | $399,K | 2 Bed/2 Bath

Flamingo | $399K | 2 Bed/2 Bath

Hermosa | $374K | 3 Bed/2 Bath

Potrero | $365K | 3 Bed/2.1 Bath

Hermosa del Mar 1-4C Garden View

Flamingo Marina Resort 413 Beachfront!

Oceanica Resort Oceanview & Walk to Beach!

CoCo $299K | 3 Bed/2.1 Bath PaciÞco C-309 Oceanview Condo!

Ocotal | $285K | 4 Bed/3 Bath Vista Ocotal NEW CONSTRUCTION! Walk to Beach | Tennis | Gym

Walk to Beach!

Potrero | $279K| 2 Bed/2 Bath

Hermosa | $179K | 3 Bed/2 Bath

Sueños del Mar 5 Oceanview & Walk to Beach!

Villa Sol 26

KRAIN Costa Rica | COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SERVICES Hermosa | $9M | 58 Hectares

Flamingo | $6.95M | 6782m2

Hermosa - Oceanview Mixed-Use Development

Titled Beachfront - FLAMINGO

Coco | $1.395M | 11,830 m2

Hotel Site - Residential Development

Potrero | $1,.32M | 66,106 m2

Coco | $4.5M | 1.18 Hectares

Beachfront Zoned - Tourism Hotel or Mixed-Use Brasilito | $1.285M | 16 Rooms

Bagaces|$4M|1200Hectares

Burdeos Cattle Ranch Various Uses | Land Bank Potrero | $825K | 15 Rooms

5 Units | 15 Bedrooms 10 Baths | Reception | Pool

Commercial Road Frontage Mixed-Use Development

Mixed-Use Development or Private Estate

Tamarindo | $2.5M | 26,956m2

Tamarindo Paradise Hotel Site or Residential +1M Existing Improvements Flamingo | $650K | 1807 m2

Mixed-Use Development

Conchal Hotel & Papaya Restaurant

OUR PASSION IS REAL ESTATE. Our team is comprised of U.S. and Canadian licensed agents who have chosen real estate as their profession and value the high standards imposed by U.S. and Canadian licensing requirements. KRAIN’s local reputation and expertise is backed by its selection as a member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, a global community of over 550 international real estate companies awarded membership based on rigorous standards for service and performance. KRAIN is also the exclusive Costa Rica affiliate for NAI Global, the 4th largest commercial brokerage in the world, and Mayfair International Realty, a London based firm with a global reach. KRAIN’s Luxury Marketing is fueled by Luxury Portfolio. Simply put, we are the best at what we do. Our professionalism, knowledge, and high quality of service is the cornerstone of our unprecedented success and is our continued promise to you, our clients.

Breitlander Team

Peter & Sarah | Owners

Jeff Goode

Broker Associate

Chad Turner

Broker Associate

Jane & Dennis Broker Associates

Les McIntyre Broker Associate

Rick Swindell Broker Associate

Monett Team

Doug & Sharon | Brokers

Jesse Lobb

Broker Associate

8413-7165 or 6148-0406 C.R. Cell: 8411-5347 C.R. Cell: 8511-1625 C.R. Cell: 8410-5180 8844-2577 or 8701-8697 C.R. Cell: 8419-4602 C.R. Cell: 8510-1154 C.R. Cell: 8530-0275 info@kraincostarica.com Jeff@kraincostarica.com Chad@kraincostarica.com Jane@kraincostarica.com Les@kraincostarica.com Rick@kraincostarica.com Doug@kraincostarica.com Jesse@kraincostarica.com

LeadingRE.com | LuxuryPortfolio.com | MayfairInternationalRealty.com

Offices in Tamarindo, Flamingo, Potrero, and Ocotal

Costa Rica

Luxury Real Estate

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 23

+506-2654-6070

www.overseaspacificrealty.com Beautiful Home Steps From Playa Grande

Potrero-Surfside Multi-Use Lot

$ 550,000 3 Beds / 3.5 Baths / 2,691 ft2

OPR Exclusive Listing

Golf & Beach Condo - Reserva Conchal

OPR Exclusive Listing

Profitable Waterfront Hotel PRICE REDUCED

24

| #searchfindhowl | online

OPR Exclusive Listing

Las Ventanas Amazing Ocean View Home

OPR Exclusive Listing

Stunning Ocean Views in Potrero

$ 549,000 Playa Grande / 3 Beds / 2,300 ft2

OPR Exclusive Listing

Flamingo Marina-Front Lot Prime Location

$ 149,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 1,109 ft2

OPR Exclusive Listing

OPR Exclusive Listing

Mixed Use Lot Walk To Playa Grande

$ 945,000 3,070 Square Meters

OPR Exclusive Listing

New Home Playa Grande Golf Community

$ 1,800,000 3 Beds / 2 Baths / 3 Hectares

$ 1,100,000 10 Rooms / Large Restaurant

888-597-3126

info@overseaspacificrealty.com

$ 199,500 1,953 Square Meters

$ 489,000 4 Beds / 4 Baths / 2,092.82 ft2

TOLL FREE

$ 250,000 2,206 Square Meters

OPR Exclusive Listing

howlermag.com

Three Restaurants at W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal are Open to the Public

#howlermag #SearchFindHowl howlermag.com/diningguide HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 25

26

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

Come On In … We’re Open!

by Rachel Cherry White

W

e love Costa Rica: the weather, the beaches, the people and the food. Now, by opening three new restaurants in Reserva Conchal, the W Costa Rica – Reserva Conchal has significantly enhanced our foodie scene in Guanacaste, adding new variety to tempt our tastebuds while putting a fresh twist on the Tico cuisine we know and love.

Head chef Julio Cesar Valdivia oversees all of the restaurants and was integral in creating the concept for each.

His philosophy is simple, but fun. “I always try to use local ingredients,” he says. “I simply use the best products and try to

surprise the guest.”

His innovative menus feature “elevated Costa Rican dishes”, and you may be surprised at what he can do with our humble gallo pinto.

While Valdivia hails from and studied the culinary arts in Peru, he’s worked all over the world including Dubai, Colombia and India.

The three restaurants are open to the public and each features different foods for whatever your mood. All of the menus are seasonal and will be changed periodically to freshen things up, while keeping signature dishes in place.

ZO NA A ZUL B E AC H C LU B

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 27

Cocina de Mercado

With an open kitchen allowing guests to interact with the chef, this market-inspired restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s a casual place to mix and mingle, with both an air-conditioned indoor space and outdoor seating. Breakfast is international with a local flair, featuring café chorreado, a juice bar, pancake stations and more. Lunch and dinner items include salads, brick-oven pizzas and other comfort foods.

Must-try: Lamb shank cooked 18 hours and served with coriander risotto, with warm apple pie for dessert, topped with cerveza ice cream (a nod to the hotel owners who also own Imperial) and caramel sauce.

WHATEVER WHENEVER®

/

How to get in on the action Contact the Whatever / Whenever team to make your reservations, 24/7.

Call: 2654-3600 WhatsApp: 8489-7458

Latitud 10° Norte

Explore a labyrinth of exotic flavors in this boutique bistro, serving more sophisticated fare. Both Costa Rica and Thailand fall on the same latitudinal lines, and the dining room takes full advantage, serving traditional Latin American cuisine with Thai inspiration.

“Costa Rica is home to 4 percent of the world's biodiversity, which means we have 4 percent of the ingredients right at our fingertips,” says Hector Ladeveze, general manager of the W. Must-try: Slow-cooked short ribs or shrimp chorreada (the chef ’s reinvention of a classic Latin American breakfast food is the breading for the shrimp). Then for dessert, take your tastebuds to indescribable heights of delight with la degustación del cacao, a multi-layered fusion of cacao tastes and textures.

Zona Azul

At this vibrant adult playground, the food is beach club but better. The irreverent menu serves up big portions and even bigger flavor. The food is relaxed, unfussy and easy-to-eat poolside.

Must try: Boss burger, followed by pecan pie for dessert.

We haven’t even talked about the mixologists and the wide array of cocktails served up at these new W Hotel dining spots. Check out our Dining Guide in future Howler issues for more information. In the coming months, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at each restaurant, including interviews with the chefs. In the meantime, go taste for yourself how they’re breaking new ground in Costa Rican cuisine.

28

| #searchfindhowl | online

howlermag.com

cool things to do every day Monday 3 to 4pm MASTERS OF MIX Cocktail tasting and mixing lessons at the Living Room Bar so you can be a Mixmaster too. $25 Tuesday 11:30am to 12:30pm HANDS ON Hang out with the chefs and learn some new cooking tips for your fave meal. $45 includes welcome cocktail and ceviche bar with four recipes.

Wednesday 7 to 9pm UNPLUGGED Chill in the Living Room with some live music.

Thursday 8pm to Midnight FUNK SESSIONS Get dressed in your funkiest outfits and enjoy classic cocktails while grooving to the oldies.

Hours Breakfast: Mon-Fri, 6:30-10:30am

Sat, Sun 6:30-11am Lunch: Noon-3pm Dinner: 6-10pm

Friday 8pm to 1am FRIDAY NIGHT OUT It’s just what it sounds like. Get down to the Zona Azul Beach Club for the party.

Saturday 1pm to Sunset FIESTA NO SIESTA The cool kids are having a pool party and you’re invited. Dive into Veuve Clicquot specials while the DJ plays your favorite songs.

Sunday Noon to 5pm DETOX. RETOX. REPEAT. It’s bottomless brunch at the beach club. $55

Hours Dinner:

6-10pm

ZO NA A ZUL B E AC H C LU B

Hours Lunch: Dinner:

Noon-3pm 6-10pm

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 29

HUACAS

New York Pizzeria 200m west of the Brasilito/ Huacas crossroads, Huacas www.nypizzeriahuacas.com @nypizzeriahuacas Hours Daily, 5pm-10:30pm Tues-Sun 3pm-11pm Phone: 2653-6296 8729-5640

Pizzeria

New York Pizzeria is your go-to pizza spot in Guanacaste, for an authentic New York style pizza.

Dine-in or take-out available.

Enjoy!

Specialties Authentic New York style pizza Freshly made breadsticks

MENU SELECTIONS

Huacas - Main road, north side halfway between Super Compro and intersection to Brasilito Hours Daily, 6am - 9pm Phone: 2653-6273

Soda Guaymy

Typical Costa Rican Food If you want great quality typical Costa Rican food and an ice-cold beer, Soda Guaymy's delivers! And its as economical as it gets!

jimemurillo98@hotmail.com

MENU SELECTIONS

Meat Lover's Pizza

Casados

House Special Pizza

Rice with shrimp or chicken

Pepperoni, ham, salami, bacon, and ground beef

Pepperoni, ham, mushrooms, onions, and sweet peppers

HUACAS 3km south of Huacas, road to Tamarindo Hours Daily, 7am-9pm Breakfast 7am-10am

Fish, chicken and beef served with rice, beans and whatever is fresh A traditional favorite: Arroz con camerones o pollo

La Playita: Poolside Dining Located at the Seis Playas Hotel, La Playita Restaurant & Bar is open to hotel guests and the public and is known for its friendly and inviting environment. It is the ideal setting for sharing good food and drinks with family and friends, or a romantic dinner poolside while enjoying the convenient distance to our six local beaches.

MENU SELECTIONS

Phone: 2653-6818 info@seisplayashotel.com

Broken Yolk Sandwich

$12

Pasta

Specialties Food cooked to your taste! — con mucho gusto Friday Night Texas Barbecue

Breakfast Quesadilla

$12

Open Grill

BLT La Playita

$10

Fried egg, bacon or ham and cheese on toast, served with seasonal fruit Eggs, tomato, onion, sweet pepper and cheese, served with seasonal fruit Always a favorite for a light bite to eat: bacon, lettuce and tomato

30

| #searchfindhowl | online

$14

Build your own pasta bowl, with a mixed salad

From $16

Pork tenderloin, chicken breast, ribeye, New York strip, beef tenderloin & catch of the day

Pineapple FlambĂŠ

$4

Our most popular dessert served hot with vanilla ice cream

howlermag.com

HUACAS

DINING GUIDE

Hours Fri - Sun, 4pm-10pm Phone: 2249-6166, 8496-2221

El Oasis Chill Out

and Lodge

Pots & Bowls:

Authentic Asian Food

Main road to Playa Grande

Enjoy traditional Vietnamese and Thai cuisine in a tropical garden setting.

Hours Daily, 8am - 5pm

Specialties Smiles and good vibes private Asian chef cervice, pho, Free delivery to Playa Grande and Matapalo

Phone: 4701-2394 potsandbowls@gmail.com

Spring rolls, rainbow salad and nems

Entrees Pad Thai, bun nems bowl, Cantonese rice, stir-fried wok

PLAYA GRANDE

Playa Grande proper Hours Daily, 8am - 9:30pm Breakfast, 8-11am Lunch, 11am-5pm Dinner, 5-9pm Happy-Hour 4-6pm Sunday Brunch 8am-2pm Phone: 2653-0480 ripjackinn.com

Rip Jack Inn Tree Top Dining

A diverse menu that includes fresh local seafood as well as tasty treats from the land, crisp salads, veggie bowls, local dishes and options for kids!

Specialties Smoothie bar, fresh and frozen cocktails, bocas menu, vegetarian menu available, gluten-free options, full service for retreats and weddings.

MENU SELECTIONS

Fresh, healthy and fun. Focus on homemade ingredients. Different dietary options: gluten-free, lactose-free vegan.

Specialties Coffee, plants and pots Costa Rican boutique Workshops

MENU SELECTIONS

MENU SELECTIONS Appetizers

Coffee Shop and Plants

Choco-Banana NiceCream

Peanut butter, cacao, almond milk, granola, bee pollen, nibs

$9

Tuna Poke $14 Sushi rice, avocado, edamame, wakame, mango

8 min. drive from Tamarindo, 2km south Villarreal Hours By reservation Phone: 8869-9765 Specialties Zipline and BBQ buffet for only $85.

Black Stallion:

Rustic Outdoor BBQ

Dine with the stars of Guanacaste on a private ranch. Enjoy a delicious BBQ buffet with sides. Wine, beer and sangria included! Call for reservations.

Available for private parties and events.

MENU SELECTIONS

Grilled Mahi

Mixed BBQ Buffet

$45

Greek Chicken

Seafood Buffet

$45

Served with a yogurt cilantro lime sauce, mixed veggies and grilled polenta Grilled chicken breast with a creamy caper sauce served with roasted Mediterranean vegetables & cauliflower rice

Baby back ribs, chorizo and chicken, sides included A delicious array of seafood and sides dishes

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 31

VILLARREAL

PLAYA GRANDE

Main road to Playa Grande, 20m after Wil-Mart

PLAYA GRANDE

DINING GUIDE

DINING GUIDE

TAMARINDO/LANGOSTA

Hotel Capitán Suizo, Playa Tamarindo Hours Daily, noon to 9:30pm Mon, 7-9pm, Live Marimba Wed, 7-9pm, Avellino Fri, 7-9pm, Live Marimba Phone: 2653-0075 restaurante @hotelcapitansuizo.com Specialties Healthy dishes made from scratch with local and fresh products All taxes included in price

El Barco Del Capitán: European-Tico Fusion, Beachfront Restaurant

El Barco del Capitán is nestled in a beautiful tropical garden within the Hotel Capitán Suizo and offers a modern, healthy and fresh cuisine. Our chef, Jujo Molina, has created the dishes inspired by his European heritage and the incredible products available in Costa Rica. Using our homegrown ingredients from our organic garden, we strive to offer an environmentally friendly menu and an authentic experience to our guests.

Tacos Carne (Lunch)

MENU SELECTIONS $15

Tartar Capitan (Dinner)

$13

$15

Linguini (Dinner)

$23

Lomito (Dinner)

$28

Beef in tortillas with mixed cabbage salad, guacamole and tamarindo sauce

The Veggie (Lunch)

Tuna and mango tartar with capers and a cilantro, ginger and soy dressing

Grilled portobello, tomato, zucchini, chilealmonds-garlic sauce, homemade bun

Calamari, jumbo shrimps, mussels, Spanish chorizo, cherry tomatoes, white wine

Calamari Crujientes (Snack) $13

Crispy calamari with homemade green pesto and a honey, red onion escabèche

200g of tenderloin with a tamarind sauce over Swiss Roësti and vegetables

PLAYA FLAMINGO

SIMPLY SPANISH Going to a Restaurant el comedor (m) — dining room

Flamingo - 100m south of road to Potrero Hours Daily, 5:30pm-10:30pm Closed Wednesday Phone: 8532-8613 Specialties Perfectly grilled ribeye, fish, pizza and, of course, pastas

los cubiertos (m) — cutlery

Vaca Loka:

el cuchillo (m) — knife

Italian Restaurant True Italian cuisine. Pasta like you are in Roma! Fresh bruschetta served when you arrive. We've been told countless times, we have the best grilled ribeye in Costa Rica. Buon appetito!

la cuchara (f ) — spoon la entrada (m) — first course el menu del dia (m) — fixedprice menu la mesa (f ) — table

el plato principal (m) — main course los platos (m) — courses el postre (m) — dessert una propina (f ) — a tip la sal (f ) — salt la silla (f ) — chair el tenedor (m) — fork

la pimienta (f ) — pepper Useful phrases Permiso. — Excuse me. (to attract the waiter's attention) Quisiéramos pedir. — We'd like to order.

Bien hecho/en su punto/poco hecho — well done/medium/rare ¿Qué hay de postre? -— What is there for dessert? ¿Hay mesas libres? — Are there any free tables? ¿Dónde están los servicios? — Where are the toilets?

MENU SELECTIONS House Lasagna

c6.500

Ribeye c6.500 32

| #searchfindhowl | online

¿Hay ...? — Do you have any … ? ¿La cuenta, por favor? — Can I have the bill, please?

spanishforexpats23@gmail.com spanishforexpatscr.com (506) 8729 4857 howlermag.com

PLAYA FLAMINGO

DINING GUIDE

SOMEWHERE OMEWHERE BAR AR Margaritaville Beach Resort, Playa Flamingo Hours Daily from 4pm - 11pm Happy hour: 4:30-6:30 Phone: 2654-4444, ext. 3264 Specialties Nachos, tacos, burgers, salads and sandwiches

World Famous Margaritas!

5 o'Clock Somewhere Bar & Grill: Drinks and Casual Dining Best place on the Gold Coast to take in panoramic oceanfront views and multi-screen sports TV while enjoying hand-crafted cocktails and a delicious casual dining menu. You will want to return again and again for juicy cheeseburgers and mouthwatering tacos, not to mention the perfect margaritas and other specialty cocktails. Enjoy a beautiful sunset view during the daily Happy Hour 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday nights feature live entertainment with the best of the area's local bands and musical talent.

Sat. June 1 - Joss Araya, 8-10 Fri. June 7 - Charly Lopez, 8-10 Sat. June 8 - José Vega, 8-10 Fri. June 14- Charly Lopez, 8-10 Sat. June 15 - Joss Araya, 8-10 Fri. June 21 - Charly Lopez, 8-10 Sat. June 22 - José Vega, 8-10 Fri. June 28 - José Vega, 8-10 Sat. June 29 - Joss Araya, 8-10

More to come

A perfect blend of Costa Rican and international cuisine that includes freshly caught local fish and grass-fed beef. Enjoy the oceanfront sea breeze on the outdoor patio or dine inside in air-conditioned comfort.

An Italian bistro with a tropical view.

Choose from a selection of pizzas, pastas and paninis, or build your own dish with a variety of fresh, delicious ingredients.

Hours Daily 6:30am to 9:30pm breakfast, lunch, dinner

Hours Daily 5pm to 11:30pm Pizza only from 9:30pm

Phone: 2654-4444 ext. 3269

Phone: 2654-4444 ext. 3268

Specialties Fresh fish, grass-fed beef, international buffets, kids menu

Specialties Specialty artisanal pizza oven; design your own pizzas and pastas

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 33

DINING GUIDE

SURFSIDE / POTRERO

1 km east of Banco Nacional in Flamingo Hours Daily, 6:30am-9:30pm Phone: 2654-4671, 2654-5340 Specialties Fresh seafood and pasta

NASU: Creative Tropical Cuisine Welcome to Nasu Restaurant, tropical creative cuisine. Join us oceanside, where the freshest catch is prepared every day by our acclaimed chef. Enjoy the culinary treasures of Costa Rica, where tradition and innovation meet.

MENU SELECTIONS NASU Salad

Shrimp Spicy Tacos

SURFSIDE / POTRERO

Potrero, 800m north of Banco Nacional Hours Breakfast, 8-11am Lunch and Dinner, 11am -10pm Kitchen closes 9pm Phone: 2654-6203 Specialties Fresh seafood Epic sunset view Call for reservations

Now Serving Breakfast 34

| #searchfindhowl | online

Grilled Octopus

$14

$16

Cheesecake

$8

Flour tortilla, breaded shrimp, mango coleslaw and spicy mayonnaise

Pacific Lobster All taxes included in price

$10

Lettuce mix, avocado, hearts of palm, blackberries, orange and passion fruit dressing

$25

Grilled lobster, garlic buttered baby-potatoes with with rosemary and mixed vegetables

Served with garlic buttered baby-potatoes and carrots Homemade cheesecake with blueberry topping

Keylime Pie

Special dessert of the chef

$8

The Beach House: Beachfront Dining Renowned for its fresh seafood, this quaint restaurant and bar was transformed from a private residence. Come and enjoy incredible food with awesome sunsets and views of the Pacific Ocean.

MENU SELECTIONS Grilled Scallops

c10000

Shrimp Ceviche

c10500

Catch of the Day

c19000

Bang Bang Shrimp

c10000

Seafood Platter

c19000

Grilled Lobster Tails - Market Price

Grilled in a bath of Cacique liquor, lime and garlic With tropical salsa, grilled vegetables & potatoes or rice

Fresh mahi mahi, grilled jumbo shrimp, sautĂŠed calamari, with rice pilaf and grilled vegetables

Peruvian style marinated shrimp, red pepper and onion, tomato and cilantro with plantain chips Crispy, creamy, sweet, and spicy shrimp in cornmeal breading with tangy Thai chili sauce

Two roasted lobster tails in wine-garlic butter sauce with grilled vegetables and rosemary potatoes

howlermag.com

LAS CATALINAS

DINING GUIDE

At Casa Chameleon, 4km north of the Potrero soccer field Hours Daily, 7am-10pm No children under 12 years Phone: 2103-1200 concierge@ casachameleonhotels.com Specialties Fresh fish, sunset cocktails, "boquitas" menu

Sentido Norte: Fine Dining Sentido Norte, a restaurant and bar at Casa Chameleon, proudly offers an adult fine-dining experience that celebrates the best of Costa Rican cuisine. Your drive through winding roads above the quaint beach town of Las Catalinas is rewarded by an unforgettable but affordable taste of luxury.

Just a few steps uphill from the bright and welcoming entrance, your table awaits in a gorgeous, open-air perch framed by a panoramic view of the Pacific. A design motif incorporating responsibly-sourced teak adds a sense of warmth and well-being to the romantically lit atmosphere. All food and drinks are inspired by the country’s bountiful abundance, combining uniquely local and native ingredients in the glass and on the plate.

MENU SELECTIONS Overnight Oats

$8

Casa Chameleon Burger $19

Guacamole and Salsa

$12

French Toast

$12

Ceviche $14

Moules Frities

$26

Knife & Fork Tortillas

$14

Grilled Chicken Wrap

$17

Grilled Skirt Steak

$32

Chicharrón or vegan huevos rancheros

With greens, avocado & tomato, spicy aioli

Vegan Omelettes

$14

Vegan Bowl

$19

Mushroom Lamb Risotto $33

With almond milk, yogurt, fruit, cashews, local honey or tapa dulce

With sweet plantains and coconut milk cream

With asparagus, mushrooms and caramelized onion

Angus burger with arugula, Swiss or goat cheese and aioli Fresh fish ceviche, leche de tigre, homemade "chilero"

Quinoa, mushroom and squash picadillo salad, spicy garbanzo beans

Hearts of palm ceviche, avocado & tomato Wok sautéed with garlic butter and chardonnay broth

Skirt steak, chimichurri sauce, salad, french fries

Slowly braised with porcini, portobello and crimini mushrooms

Prices shown include 13% tax and 10% service / Prices subject to change

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 35

Book online at www.DiamanteEcoAdventurePark.com Book online at www.DiamanteEcoAdventurePark.com

HM HOWLER MAGAZINE | 53