April 2nd Vote Planned to Form a Development Association for Pavones' Infrastructure

How would you have spent 80 million colones...$160,000.. to improve Pavones, Costa Rica?

Bring your identification -- residency card or passport or cedula -- to a meeting this Saturday, April 2, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. to form the Asociacion de Desarrollo de Pavones (Association for the Development of Pavones), at Escuela Las Gemelas, by the fishermens' center.

101 votes are necessary for the association to become a legal entity. This gives Pavones the legal ability to request government funds for local infrastructure improvements and have direct oversight and accountability for funds... like the $160,000 which was spent 2 years ago (more below). We're told expats can vote as long as you're in Costa Rica legally, i.e. with a visa stamp in your passport.

Fundraising Drive For Pilon Airport

Fundraising for an airport in Pilon to serve the area of Pavones, Costa Rica, now begins in earnest.

Community activist Vela Miles has established a fund at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica for the benefit of the Aeropuerto Rancho del Mar.

With Ms. Miles at the helm, and promising to publish the banking statements, the community has assurances that funds will be wisely used, for their stated purpose, and with transparent reporting to the public.

Added 3/30/2011 -- You can also contribute labor -- time and sweat. If you are an employer, you can donate man-hours.

Forecast Calls for Chubascos as Rainy Season Comes to Pavones

Rainy Season
Starts in Pavones

Rainy season starts next week for Pavones, Costa Rica and the rest of the southern zone, thanks to the effects of this year's La Niña weather pattern.

The forecast calls for sunny mornings and late afternoon Chubascos, with possible aguaceros, according to a forecast from Costa Rica's meteorological institute.  A chubasco is a fast downpour that starts and ends suddenly in a localized area. An aguacero is a more sustained, heavier rain.

Surf and Waves>>    Pavones Microclimates>>

The New National Stadium, A Gift from China: San Jose Businesses Hope for a Boom

Prices for business and residential
real estate are +30% around new
national stadium in San Jose,
but no parking for 30,000 fans.

In San Jose, Costa Rica, prices of properties near the new National Stadium have risen at least 30% in the last 9 months. An undeveloped property behind the ICE tower is available for $1 million. One plot of land 524 square meters is selling for $895,000.  "For sale" and "for lease" signs are common in the streets of La Sabana.  Demand for vacant land has almost doubled.

More of this story + VIDEO

Pavones Surfer Noe McGonagle Wins Quiksilver King of the Groms

Noe Mar McGonagle of Pavones,

Costa Rica won King of the Groms,

photo: Maripaz Chinchilla

Noe Mar McGonagle of Pavones, Costa Rica, won the first national Quiksilver "King of the Groms" competition in Playa Hermosa on March 19, 2011. He will now go to Mexico for the Latin American final in June.

Noe competed against 35 other competitors in the under-16 competition. Conditions in Playa Hermosa were good when the surfers entered the water at 3:00 p.m., with waves 1.5 meters high, mild winds and a crowd of 1,000 spectators. Saturday's contest was the final round of a regional competition.

April 2nd Community Development Meeting, Pavones, Costa Rica

Community Development

Meeting April 2nd, 2011, 2 p.m.

Escuela las Gemelas

Rio Claro de Pavones, Costa Rica

The Association for Comprehensive Development in Rio Claro de Pavones invites you to a meeting on Saturday, April 2, 2011, in La Escuela las Gemelas (near the fishermen's center) from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

"We want our community to progress and enjoy positive changes. Help us as we choose the group of people who will have the responsibility to ensure future growth and create jobs in our community. Remember that we can not go backwards, only forwards. Most communities have their association, now it's time for us to create ours, to determine the future of Pavones and to meet our many needs. We invite all, and hope to have more than 100 people attend."  From Gerardo Mendoza Barrantes.

Tourists Spending More in Cost Rica, But Still Below Peak Levels

Spending per tourist (blue line)
is rebounding, according to analysis
by Good Morning Pavones

Visitors to Costa Rica are spending more money while in the country, but spending per tourist remains below peak levels, according to an analysis by Good Morning Pavones.

"Spending per tourist" in Costa Rica, shown in blue in the chart above, peaked in June, 2008 at $1,056. The latest available data for December 2010 shows spending per tourist is $954. Spending in the past few months is above trend (green line).

Costa Rica Fishing Law Says Leave the Sailfish in the Water for Photos

The legal way to get a sailfish photo

without harming the fish,

photo credit: Crocodile Bay Resort

on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Hauling a sailfish aboard your charter fishing boat to shoot a photo is illegal in Costa Rica, and can cost $4,000.00 in fines.

"Research has shown that [hauling sailfish aboard a boat] greatly reduces the fish's chance of survival. It puts added stress on the fish, damages internal organs and removes the protective slime from the body."

Tropical Caterpillars of Pavones, Costa Rica: Insect Photo Essay

Photos: Barry Donaldson

Local surf photographer Barry Donaldson captured these images during the past rainy season in Pavones, Costa Rica.

What are caterpillars good for?

"Decomposition of litter, pollination, suppression of plant growth, and serving as prey for carnivores", writes Jeff Miller, Professor of Entomology at Oregon State University, and co-author of the beautiful book 100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Forests of Costa Rica.

Part 3: Uvita Whale's Tail Gone, Tsunami Damage

Whale Tail at Uvita, Costa Rica after

Tsunami.  Even at low tide, the famous

Moses Passage is underwater,

report oceanographers

At Uvita's Whale's Tail, the famous Moses Passage -which allows visitors to walk to the end of the tail at low tide - has disappeared, report Costa Rican oceanographers.

The tail was damaged by the tsunami of March 11, 2011.

Part 2: Eyewitness Reports of Secondary Tsunami Damages in Pacific Costa Rica

The secondary Tsunami waves and currents were very destructive, reaching 4 meters high in some parts of the Pacific coast in Costa Rica on March 12, 2011.

Pockets of coastline that are open to a north-west swell received the brunt of this force, says a preliminary report prepared by noted oceanographer Quirós Guillermo Alvarez.  Sr. Alvarez collaborated with oceanographers and Jose Maria Diaz, Andrade Gutierrez and Alejandro Echeverria.

Part 1: Secondary Tsunami Waves Damage Costa Rica Pacific Treasures

Fishing Grounds of

Costa Rica and Central America,

source: ANEP

On Saturday, March 12th, the day after the Tsunami, strong secondary waves and currents reached Costa Rica and damaged national treasures in Pacific waters and the coastline.

Damage to the Flamingo Marina and yachts in its harbor, changes in the behavior of fish, and the disappearance of the Whale Tale near Uvita are among the damages reported. Additionally, material from Costa Rica's famous offshore Thermal Dome washed up on shore, indicating damage to fishing areas.

Save 20%-35% on Gasoline In Southern Costa Rica

Gas prices in Costa Rica
make a trip to the border worth it.

Pavones residents lower their cost of living expenses by filling their cars and trucks at the Panamanian border instead of paying Costa Rican gas prices.

This week's report by CCHAC confirms what we all know:  Costa Rica's gas prices are the highest in Central America, and Panama's are the lowest.

Full Coverage: Costa Rica's Pacific Coast Responds to "Green Level" Tsunami Warnings from Government, Readying for Possible Emergency without Panic

Tsunami passes Costa Rica, surfers feel effects, land stays dry; Pavones, Costa Rica, a natural wave funnel, lies outside high risk tsunami area on map (below).

PAVONES FINAL -- Update 10:  6:30 p.m.  Surfers and hotel owners along the Golfo Dulce report no unusual tides between 4:00 and 5:00, when the tsunami waves were predicted to arrive on the shores of Matapalo, Pavones, Golfito and Zancudo, in Costa Rica. The sea is calm, and there has been no flooding. The early and conservative predictions of Costa Rican scientists were prudent. Surfers reported long period between waves, and the swell did grow between 4pm and 5pm, so the effect was felt in the water, but not on land, in Pavones, Costa Rica. All is well here. 

• Tsunami map of Costa Rica, 
• Video of day's waves,
• US Embassy warning
• Hour-by-hour updates

READ:  SECONDARY TSUNAMI WAVES DAMAGE COAST RICA PACIFIC COAST TREASURES, REPORTED MARCH 17TH, ONLY ON GOOD MORNING PAVONES, CLICK HERE.

Continue reading this coverage from March 11, below.

News from Pavones, Costa Rica for March, 2011

CLICK HEADLINE TO READ, OR SCROLL DOWN PAGE
Rent a surfboard or SUP in Pavones or Pilon  
Costa Rica tourism -- how competitive is it?
Nu in het Nederlands
Protecting sharks, turtles at hot diving spot
Rare land comes to market at Pavones Point
The airport in Pilon
Bus Travel from Golfito to Pavones
Turtle laying eggs (video)
SUP etiquette (video)
Mooring and anchoring a sailboat
A SUP and surf story of friendship, not tension in Pilon
Tangled knot for new cell phone companies
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News Briefs:   The farmer's market is now every Saturday morning at the Escuela Camino Claro.  Henry Castrillo won the $1,000 cash prize in a local surf contest two weeks ago.  We add a "contribute" page where you can donate towards the fight against the Tuna Farm or to the libraries in Punta Banco and Pavones, Costa Rica.
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FAQ:  A health clinic is located in the town of Comte, a 30-45 minute drive from Pavones (30 minutes from Pilon, 15 minutes from Cuervito).  Regional hospitals and private health clinics in Golfito (1 1/2 hours by car) and Ciudad Neilly (2 hours by car) offer outpatient and emergency services.  While 1 1/2 hours may seem far for a hospital, it is comparable to some rural and resort areas in the United States; e.g. in Montauk, New York, one has to drive 1 1/2 hours to reach Southampton hospital.
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Please send us your questions, story ideas, comments or criticism through the comments' sections or via e-mail at blogger@goodmorningpavones.com.
Thanks for visiting us !  Big hello to our Canadian friends !

Need to rent a surfboard or SUP in Pavones?

Surfboards for rent in
Pavones, Costa Rica

An open letter to our friends who want to rent a surfboard or SUP in Pavones, Costa Rica.

So stoked you're coming!  Yep, it's hard to leave friends behind, can't bring your favorite stick.  No worries, visit our friends at Clear River Adventures (they used to go by Clear Water Adventures) or Surf-and-Kite, they'll hook you up with a rental.

BTW, if you're going to SUP in Pavones, watch this video before you leave: SUP etiquette from Pavones to Zancudo.  Here are the details and prices:

Costa Rica Travel and Tourism Industry Ranks 2nd Highest in Latin America

The Competitiveness of Costa Rica's travel and tourism industry ranks second highest in Latin America, behind Mexico, but Asia is nipping at our heels, reported the World Economic forum today:

Nieuws uit Pavones en Costa Rica nu beschikbaar in het Nederlands van Good Morning Pavones

Wij verwelkomen onze lezers uit Nederland met een nieuwe functie. Wij bieden een one-click verwijzen naar Good Morning Pavones vertalen naar het Nederlands. De link is te vinden op de uiterst rechtse kolom.

Costa Rica Moves to Protect Sharks at Cocos Island

Sharks and sea life will be safer in Costa Rican waters, as the country creates a new protected area larger than Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

photo Barry Peters

A diver's favorite 300 miles off Costa Rica's Pacific Coast, Cocos Island has long gone under-protected. The area is home to many large sharks such as hammerheads and whale sharks, tuna, corals and sea-lillies.

The new protected area is called the Seamounts Marine Management area, named for its underwater mountains.  It covers nearly 1 million hectares (2 1/2 million acres) adjacent to an existing Cocos Island reserve.

Point Break Land Comes on Market in Central Pavones Location

Pavones, Costa Rica
development real estate
offered for sale, first time on market
Click photo for larger view

In Pavones, Costa Rica a rare development property has come on the market, a much-coveted piece of real estate at the epic Rio Claro point break.

Large parcels are rarely available in Pavones, Costa Rica, where most land has been subdivided several times over.

Pilon Airport Plans Boosted by Golfito Municipal Government

A new airport in Pilon for
the area of Pavones, Costa Rica,
is getting support.

(Clarification, Para. 4)  Plans for a new airport in Pilon, to serve the wider Pavones, Costa Rica area got a boost from the Municipality of Golfito. "Next Steps" were detailed, and these include the need to raise funds in Pavones to pay for a portion of the land preparation work.

Insider Travel Tips: Bus from Golfito to Pavones and Punta Banco, Part 1

Pavones, Costa Rica bus service
featuring Gerrardo, our faithful and
fearless driver. Photo B. Donaldson.

The bus trip to Pavones, Costa Rica is cheap, scenic and memorable for budget travelers from Golfito to Cuervito, Pilon, Pavones and Punta Banco.  Compared to hiring a taxi for seventy five dollars or more, the bus is a bargain at c2,000 (about US$4). Schedule follows: