Pura vida or “pure life” is the local saying here in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. It describes the lifestyle of the local people and through eco-tours like horseback riding and canopy, zip lining you can certainly understand and participate in local Guanacastean or “Ticos” past times. When we came to La Hacienda de Norma we had a great welcome. We had the opportunity to experience the eco-tours offered here at Pura Aventura.
For the horseback riding, we were paired with horses before moving through the pasture to head to the mountains. All horses were great and tame, especially for a first time rider like myself. There are many chances throughout the tour to learn about the local fauna and flora in the area including the Guanacaste, or “ear tree” which was given its name because the seeds are shaped like an ear lobe. This tree is also the province’s national tree. The one we stopped by was more than 100 years old and had sprawling branches reminding me of the Live Oaks found in the North American. It is important to note that throughout the year there are two very different climates at Pura Aventura. In early May, Guanacaste is still experiencing the semi-arid climate which usually lasts from September to April. While riding up the mountain range and going to the canopy, we could notice the dry season is still in effect now during the second week of May.Some of the trees in the valley are green but the rest are dry and waiting for the rainy season. I was surprised to learn that the river (more like a stream now) that we rode across and the horses drank from flows into the pasture in October. The good thing about the changing climates is that on the tours you will experience different species throughout the year.
On our trip, we saw two families of howler monkeys in different locations as well as the woodstork, green parrot, motmot and magpie bird. The canopy zip lining provided safe, fun, and exciting experience. The views were of the valleys and mountains and were spectacular with few notions of any civilization. The guides pointed out one coffee farm in the distance. One of the guides, Amed, was our “paparazzi” and took many pictures and videos of us on the zip line.
At the end of the day, the guides told me about the local myths or “legendas” in the region including “the Mona” or monkey and “the Mayor.” Both concern rebellious women who turn for the worst after neglect from their husband. Mona, is a story of a man who womanized his wife and drank all night. As a result she turned into a monkey and locals to this day claim they hear the sound she produces in the night (most likely the howler monkey). One account had said Mona arrived at someone’s house and videos of her may be found on You Tube.
In the time since I have been very busy helping the eco-guides here write in English and post their everyday experiences to the Pura Aventura blog. I also have been conducting interviews with the local “Ticans” here about the saying Pura Vida and documenting their history and culture. I will post more on my findings next week!
-Toni Granato, Global Sustainability Master’s student
Hi Katherine, thank you for commenting. I was pleasantly surprised with the eco-tourism aspect of Costa Rica from the moment we got off the plane. At the airport, there were big photos of monkeys, sloths, and frogs displayed at the airport to welcome tourists. The money or colones also is colorful with different animals on each! We had the amazing opportunity to reside at an eco-tourism destination, Pura Aventura and saw first hand the low impact eco-tourism can have to the environment. At the destination, guests arrive mostly by one public van that travels to and from the high volume tourist city, Tamarindo. Though, the van will not come on days when there are no tourists! Also, the activities of horse back riding, canopy zip-lining, and mountain biking only encourage preservation of the the 800 acres of primary forest (old wood), 250 acres of secondary forest (new wood), 350 acres of tree-lined pastures, six rivers, multiple natural springs and two sets of waterfalls located on site! I cannot comment on Panama, but will ask Brian Clair or you to share any comments on the comparison.
Adios!
Costa Rica’s ecotourism industry is amazing. I feel they do a great job of striking the balance between offering sustainable nature-based activities and providing a variety of options for everyone with protecting the environment. It’s interesting to note that although Panama and Costa Rica have essentially the same type of environment, Costa Rica does a better job of offering sustainable ecotourism options.