1/1/11 - 2/1/11 | Good Morning Pavones, News from Costa Rica

Pavones Hotels: Rancho Burica, Punta Banco

Pavones Hotel: Rancho Burica
Crawl out of bed and into the surf

This will be the first of many hotel profiles in the Pavones, Costa Rica area. We'll start at the literal end of the road and work our way up.

Rancho Burica is at The End end of the road.. Guests can crawl out of bed and into the surf. Heck, they can stumble into it. NO other cabinas in Pavones put you this close to the beach.

Best Costa Rican rum
from Ron Centenario,
makes a great souvenir.

We're starting a brief series on the best souvenirs to bring back from Costa Rica, but if you live in Costa Rica, these are the best gifts for special occasions. Number one on the list is Ron Centenario 20 years, a dark, aged rum in a leather-wrapped bottle. We've brought Ron Centenario to Europe and shared it with friends and family, and we've brought it to special birthday parties in Pavones. If your friends don't like this, you need new friends.

SUP Champs spread Stand-Up Paddling Love at New Pavones Yoga

Two leading stand-up paddlers who have paddled the 9 channels between the Hawaiian islands are coming to Pavones to join with the new Pavones Yoga Center to create a SUP and Yoga Adventure, February 22nd to 26th, 2010.

Morgan SUP-ing through the Hawaiian Islands

Jenny Kalmbach and Morgan Hoesterday have crossed the 7 channels of the Hawaiian islands to document plastic litter above and below the waterline, in an effort they've dubbed Destination 3 degrees.
They come to Pavones' new Yoga Center, an exquisite new retreat in the hills above the ocean.

The Escuela Camino ClaroOther provides a full range of educational and business services for very reasonable prices. If you're in need of child care, a fax machine, or someone to translate another person's words or your documents, visit or call the school.

And thanks to the angel named Sandy who brought supplies.

Children playing soccer in Pavones

Baby it's cold outside, so anyplace warm and tropical like Pavones, Costa Rica will be a treat for you and your children, and more interesting than Disneyworld. But what can you do in Pavones that you may not be able to do anywhere else?

YOLO Stand Up Paddling (SUP) group
at Stand Up Costa Rica in
nearby Zancudo Lodge

The YOLO stand up paddle board (SUP, as if you didn't know) is the board of choice at the Zancudo Lodge.

“The YOLO Board mantra of ‘You Only Live Once’ so closely aligns with the Pura Vida lifestyle that we felt Costa Rica was a natural choice for our first international connection,” explains Jeff Archer, co-founder of YOLO Board.

Home in Cuervito de Pavones,
click here for more info
on this rental property

Pavones, Costa Rica real estate owners can now get mortgages for 100% of their home's value, a new service offered from Costa Rican banks. The mortgage is provided for 80% of the home's assessed value, and a line of credit for the remaining 20%.

Homes in Costa Rica may not be purchased in leverage. One must purchase a home, and once the owner holds title, only then can the owner apply for a mortgage.

Dean Fujioka of Venus Surf Adventures

What you bring and don't bring on your surf camp trip south of the border can literally make or break your vacation. Wrong sunscreen? Uh-oh. I'm lobster red and can't go outside anymore. No extra bathing suits? That can be an irritating, chafing affair. Read it. Pack it. Enjoy! by Dean Fujioka

Hotel Desire, for weary travelers
to San Jose, clothing optional

We're always on the lookout for a new place to stay when we have to go to San Jose, though we have yet to try the Hotel Desire. But is Hotel Desire following the traditions of the Hotel Del Rey?

Time for a surf safari to catch
next week's swell, cheap.
Photo Brian Neumann.

Forecast calls for excellent surfing conditions towards the end of next week, so maybe it's time to pack the surf boards. Even last minute flights are cheap. Get out of snowbound Charlotte, South Carolina to San Jose next Wednesday -- that's less than a week away -- for $464 on Continental. Escape NYC next Wedneday and catch the well for $364 on Aeromexico.

~1 in 5 paternity tests in Costa Rica proves negative, says Caja Seguro researcher. Apparently, the rise in paternity disagreements is growing. Last year demand for paternity tests was 36% higher than in 2009.

Retirees, exercise care.

The personal information of foreign retirees living in Costa Rica is now in the public domain. Lawyers and notaries will now have access to "rentistas" and "pensionados" photographs, residence status, name, nationality, date of birth, signature and other information disclosed on the certificate or residence.