5 Ways to Live the Spirit of the International Day of Happiness Everyday

Today marks the celebration of the very first International Day of Happiness! Last June, the United Nations established March 20th as the International Day of Happiness. Their resolution establishes this new holiday as a day to celebrate the pursuit of happiness as the "fundamental human goal."

Costa Rica has been considered the Happiest Place on Earth since 2009 in the Happy Planet Index, a study by the New Economics Foundation.

In the spirit of the day and of Costa Rica, here are 3 Ways that You Can Celebrate International Day Of Happiness:

1. Spend quality time with loved ones. Can you think of anything that makes you happier than spending time with the ones you love? A great way to bond with family is a new experience- I suggest a horseback tour or a zip line. Even after the tour is over, you have a wonderful memory!

2. Put down the camera/cell phone/tablet/laptop/etc. and BE WHERE YOU ARE! One of the keys to happiness is losing yourself completely to the moment. So, even if just for today, put down your technology and take the time to look at the world around you. Our Endless Summer Surfing Package includes photography, so you won't need to take your own pics!

3. Watch the Sunset. Join us at the Beach Bar at Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa to watch the sun sink below the Pacific. It is a sight not to be missed!

4. Pura Vida. Do you know why Ticos are so happy? Because they have a way of looking at life from which we could all learn a thing or two. Literally translated, Pura Vida means "pure life" but that doesn't even begin to explain what it means to live a Pura Vida life. To live a pura vida life, you need to slow down, enjoy each moment, focus on the good and make family & friends a priority. Just for today, focus on what really matters...live, laugh & love one another.

5. If number 4 seems too daunting of a task to take on today, then book a vacation to Costa Rica. I don't know about you, but I'm happiest when I am anticipating an exciting trip. Book here or give us a call at 410-727-6444 for help planning your Costa Rica vacation.

Pura Vida & Happy Happiness Day!

Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa Honored in the 2013 TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards

We are pleased to announce that our hotel, Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa, was chosen by TripAdvisor as 9th place winner in the Small Hotels of Costa Rica category and 21st place winner in the category of Small Hotels in Central America in TripAdvisor's 2013 Travelers' Choice® awards.

Now in its eleventh year, the annual TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards honor the world’s best hotels, earning their distinction from those who know them best – real travelers. Unlike any other hotel honors, TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners are based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from travelers around the world.

“TripAdvisor is once again thrilled to recognize the world’s most outstanding hotels with the help of more than 75 million reviews and opinions from travelers around the globe,” said Christine Petersen, president, TripAdvisor for Business. “From the best bargain hotels to top luxury properties, outstanding service, value and quality are the hallmarks of our Travelers’ Choice winners.”

For reviews of Alma del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa, go to our TripAdvisor page

Del Pacifico on Pinterest

Are you totally obsessed with Pinterest too?

We are loving this latest craze in the social media world. Pinterest is a visual pinboard- a place to gather all those articles and images you come across on the web in one convenient place.

We have set up a Del Pacifico Pinterest account- you can check us out on Pinterest here for Costa Rican recipes, activity ideas for your next Costa Rican vacation, travel tips, destination wedding ideas and much more!

5 Tips for Combining Your Vacation with a Real Estate Scouting Trip

Many pre-retirement Baby Boomers like to combine their dream eco-tourism vacation in Costa Rica with a preliminary scouting trip to see what's available in Central American real estate. This is very easy to accomplish, but some advance planning can help you to best utilize your time.  Here are some tips: 

1)  Call our US office at +1-410-727-6444 to get an overview of the current market and also to talk about your objectives and some reasonable expectations.  We can help get you up to speed on the different regions of Costa Rica  and the terminology. Unless you're an Indiana Jones wannabe, the odds are that you will want to either look at the Central Pacific region (where the Del Pacifico and Los Sueños resorts are located), the Nicoya peninsula (Guanacaste and where the Four Seasons resort is found) or the Osa Peninsula (down near Panama- very pretty, but also very hot and very, very humid). If you're looking to retire full time in Costa Rica, you might want to look in the Central Valley (the areas around San Jose) This is popular with US retirees who want to live full time in Costa Rica because of the very mild weather and proximity to good hospitals.

2) Come stay in either a condo or house at Del Pacifico or at our Alma Del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa. We can arrange to have a rental car delivered to you; take 1 full day to explore the Central Pacific coast.  We can help you with an itinerary and can give you the scoop. Since there is essentially just one road, it's very easy to navigate the area.

3) Should you work with a Costa Rica real estate agent? Not really for your first visit. The level of professionalism and ethics is much different than in the US.  We'd recommend that on your first time, you look around the larger resorts such as Del Pacifico and Los Sueños and get a feel for what's available and whether it meets your needs.

4)  Plan a half day to tour Del Pacifico. Given some advance notice we can arrange a leisurely horse back tour of the resort, ending up at the beach bar at Alma Del Pacifico. Since sunset is pretty much at 6 PM year round, don't plan a real estate tour at 4 PM! The sun sets quickly.  To arrrange a tour, call our local office +1-410-800-4773 or our US office +1-410-727-6444.

5) Remember, we are here to help so give us a call (410-727-6444) or shoot us an email with your questions.

Foodies in Paradise...the Locavore Movement in Costa Rica

The New York Times(September 9, 2012) recently ran an article talking about the locavore or "farm to table" movement coming to Costa Rica. What condescending muck!  With a 12 month growing season for fruits and vegetables and  being right on the Pacifico Ocean, Costa Rica was locavore before locavore was cool.

Our ocean view Pavilion restaurant at the Alma Del Pacifico Beach Hotel & Spa has been getting rave reviews on Trip Advisor and our chef just uses local ingredients. Aside from wine (we get many fine wines from South America) about the only exception to this on the menu is our imported angus beef for that staple of the American teenage tourist diet, the 1/2 pound hamburger. Our menu regularly features fresh yellow-fin tuna, red snapper, and mahi mahi. Our onsite garden provides fresh herbs & vegetables for our restaurant- you  can't get more local than that!

C'mon down and chow down with us!