Feliz Navidad from Playa Flamingo!

What a difference a season makes! The scene during Christmas week at Flamingo Beach is famous if you are a Tico, possibly infamous if you're not. Meaning that for almost two decades, residents from the capital city of San Jose between the ages of 16 and 26 have made Playa Flamingo the place to see and be seen and to party away the nights from December 26th through January 2nd. During the days, the wide, white stretch of sand--normally quiet and uncrowded--fills up with dozens of Costa Rican families and gorgeous young people clustered in amiable groups along the mile-long beach. The gals are typically chatting and sunbathing, while the guys play soccer and frisbee. Occasionally there are beach volleyball competitions or concerts organized by a soft drink company or brand of surfer gear. The atmosphere is laid back and friendly, but there's a buzz of excitement in the air. Everyone gathers at 5 p.m. to witness the incredible show that nature puts on: sunsets like nowhere else on Earth! The sky goes from a gentle blue-gray to a hot orange to reddish violet and pink-purple tinged with golds and greens and aquamarines. The ocean calms, the waves grow gentle and both sand and surf reflect the incredible palette of the sky. Of course, the North Americans, Europeans and other tourists appreciate the beach and its beauty, but maybe they weren't expecting the crowds or the craziness. Still, if they happen to be vacationing with teenage or young adult children, they have hit the jackpot! The kids will think they have died and gone to heaven, with the parties that go on every night! It's like a giant tailgate in the tiny town of Flamingo, mostly due to a tradition started by the local nightclub/disco/casino called Amberes, that quite frankly, has gotten a little out of hand. But that's a viewpoint from a person already "over the hill," because I have to admit that the street parties are one of the reason my now adult children continue to want to come here year after year. December 30th is the craziest night of all. Forget about driving in or out of Playa Flamingo, you just want to stay around and enjoy the show. It reminds me of that old Van Morrison tune, "Wild Nights": with the "girls, dressed up for each other" and the boys "doing the boogie woogie down on the street." It's all in good fun, and all the local businesses contribute to pay for private security and clean up the mess early the next a.m. It's actually one of the things that helped to make Flamingo a united community, really, everyone coming together for a common cause: to keep the young people safe, and the town clean and tourist-friendly. The next day, while the 18-25 year olds are mostly nursing their hangovers, older and younger folks are gearing up for New Year's Eve.

The Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa puts on the best party in town, and everyone knows it! Residents who have condos in the area invite all their friends to see the spectacular fireworks the Resort puts on every year at the stroke of midnight...even better than 4th of July! An amazing dinner is served at the Resort, while guests are drinking and dancing to the music of one of Costa Rica's best live dance bands. The fun is to see the locals getting up and teaching the "gringos" to dance Latin! It is such a blast! The party is for young and old: there are grandparents dancing with their grandchildren, honeymooners having a romantic evening, families of all nationalities sharing an unforgettable time with one another. OK, it's not peaceful, it's not pristine, but it's the other side of Costa Rica: the zest for life, the emphasis on family, the hopeful attitude that each coming year will always be better than the one before.

Experience Fin de Año en Costa Rica just once, and you'll never want to spend New Year's Eve anywhere else!

"Mega" Resorts Not For Me

Now that most travelers are shopping more carefully, looking for vacation bargains, why would someone want to stay at the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa rather than one of those big, 350+ room "mega" resorts, which lately have been running specials to try and fill up all those empty rooms? Well, for one thing, if you compare, the Flamingo Resort's prices are usually better anyway. And secondly, the Flamingo is literally just steps away from the beach. You can hear the sound of the ocean while eating your breakfast at Arenas Restaurant or when lounging by the pool. If you or your kids want to go back and forth from the ocean to the pool during the day, it takes no more than a minute--you don't have to think about taking a 10 - 15 minute walk each time! If you do want to walk, the beautiful horseshoe -shaped, white sand beach is perfect for strolling or jogging. Instead, at most of the mega all-inclusives, your room is usually quite a hike from the beach, and sometimes you even have to drive a cart or wait for a shuttle to get there.

PHOTO: An Intimate Wedding On the Beach at Playa Flamingo, Just Steps Away from the Resort

Third, the FBR&S is big enough to offer almost all of the amenities of the mega-resorts (an optional all-inclusive package, activities, tours, two swimming pools, swim-up bar, casino, full-service spa, Internet, library, room service, mini market, souvenir shops, a dive shop, playground, pool tables, lighted tennis court, etc.) yet small enough so that the service is intimate and personal. After a few days you get to know the staff and they get to know you, and it feels like you are part of the family. There are no lines to wait in to get your breakfast or dinner, no scrambling around rows and rows of identical chairs to find a lounge right next to the pool. When you go on a tour from the Flamingo, it will be you, your family and maybe a few other folks, but never a crowd.

But most of all, you get to experience Costa Rica. The FBR&S is not isolated, off in the middle of nowhere, a resort you arrive at to never leave the premises. At the mega-all-inclusives, they may boast having 7 restaurants, but they are usually all served by one big enormous, industrial kitchen that basically puts out the same kind of food with different sauces. At the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa you can also enjoy fabulous food and get it cooked to order, but it's not the only place you'll be able to eat and drink. Since it's the center of a small, international and local community, with other bars and restaurants within walking distance, you can enjoy a variety of venues and cuisines, and meet locals and tourists alike. Of course, everyone has their likes and dislikes, but a crowded resort with over 1,000 guests is just not my cup of tea. No, especially in beautiful Costa Rica, mega-resorts are not for me!

Action-Packed Natural Adventure

The Guanacaste Combo Tour is one of the most exhilarating, fun day trips you can take during your stay at the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa. Especially if you want to enjoy a relaxing, beach vacation but at the same time want to experience some of the unique things about Costa Rica, this full-day tour is for you.

I had this delightful experience on a beautifully sunny day toward the end of the last green season. We left Flamingo around 8 a.m., right after breakfast, in an air-conditioned van en-route to the Buena Vista Lodge near Rincon de la Vieja National Park. During the approximately 2 1/2 hour ride, our guide enlightened and entertained us with an astounding amount of facts about Costa Rica's flora and fauna, history and culture. Once we arrived at Buena Vista, the adventure truly began. We started off with an easy 10-15 minute hike up to the launching platform for the Jungle Canopy Zipline. We were provided with helmets, gloves and hanging gear, along with very clear safety instructions, and off we went, flying among the treetops of this pristine tropical forest! As we landed exuberantly on the third of twelve platforms, we were treated to the sight of two colorful toucans in the branches nearby. The views were lovely and we could hear the grunts of the howler monkeys in the distance. Upon the final landing, we had another treat in store: A one-of-a-kind waterslide zipping downhill along the forest floor. The water was cold and refreshing, and as I bumped and bounced my way around curves worthy of a bobsled run, I found myself laughing hysterically, partly from terror but mostly from the sheer rush of the good time I was having. This was followed by a plain but satisfying "comida tipica" buffet lunch in the spacious, rustic Lodge. Next, we were outfitted with horses for a gorgeous 40 minute trek deep into the forest, following our guide single-file down a narrow, winding path along the river bank. Before emerging near the hot springs, we saw a variety birds including another toucan, along with a family of white-face monkeys playing in the trees. After changing again to our swimsuits in the simple, clean locker rooms, we were led to a kind of sauna built into the lave rocks, so that we could "open our pores." After that we were taken straight to the mud room, where we slathered warm volcanic clay all over our bodies, like Indian warriors preparing for battle. We showered the cleansing, soothing mud off a short while later, and began to explore the thermal pools of varying temperatures. Once again, the monkeys were putting on a show and kept us entertained while we soaked up the minerals from these healing springs. After an hour there, it was still hard to pull ourselves away. We changed back into jeans and t-shirts, ate a small snack, and piled on an open air tractor/jeep for the ride back to the Lodge and the bus ride to The Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa. We were tired but happy, full of wonderful stories to tell the folks back home.

Sunny, Sporty Long Weekend

The weather during Labor Day Weekend (U.S.) and the week that followed at Playa Flamingo was a pleasant surprise, with beautiful clear blue skies every day and not a drop of rain. The surf temperature was delicious and the tranquil waters excellent for swimming, diving and fishing. Unfortunately, the Costa Rican national soccer team, La Seleccion, which started out with a very promising bid for World Cup qualification, fell to 4th place in its division (CONCACAF) after very discouraging losses to both Mexico (3-0) on September 5th and El Salvador (1-0) on September 9th. Locals and tourist alike viewed the matches on the giant flat-screen at the Sunset Lounge at The Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa, while enjoying cocktails and snacks. While "La Sele" truly disappointed its fans, the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament provided some excellent sports entertainment and action. One of the things I love about being at Flamingo is that you can be in this remote, beautiful spot, but still keep up with some of your favorite things from civilization!

Congrats to Flamingo General Manager Donovan Garcia and his wife Maria Teresa on the birth of baby Natalia, on Dia del Nino (Sept 9th). The family is welcoming their first daughter after three boys!

With Costa Rica's Independence Day falling on Tuesday, Sept. 15th, many San Jose residents will be heading out to soak up some of that Guanacaste sunshine now that it's their turn for a long weekend. Enjoy!

Getting There By Air

Now that discount airlines such as Condor, Jet Blue and Spirit Airlines have initiated flights into San Jose, the competition has really heated up and there are some great roundtrip air fares available from dozens of U.S. cities into Costa Rica's capital city (SJO). Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for direct flights into Liberia (LIR), which is much closer to the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa in Guanacaste. While Delta, American, United and Continental continue regular service into Liberia, the schedules are limited and the cost is usually more than the typical airfare to San Jose. Don't let this stop you from enjoying Costa Rica's Northern Pacific Coast, which truly has the best climate and most beautiful beaches in the entire country!! If you want to save money by flying into San Jose, you have several options. You can either rent a car and drive yourself, or hire a tour company to provide transportation and help you plan an additional adventure on your way to Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa. For example, you can take a couple of extra days and explore the cloud forest in Monteverde, visit the hot springs near Arenal Volcano, and even take an African-style wildlife safari outside of Liberia. All of these wonderful attractions can be found en-route from San Jose to Flamingo, with just a little detour here or there. Or, if the beach experience is all you crave, you can simply hop on a scenic 45 minute flight to Tamarindo on either SANSA or Nature Air. These airlines are both well-managed and have an excellent safety records. Sansa Regional is part of Grupo Taca, a major global carrier serving all of Central and South America. Nature Air is part of the largest charter airline in Central America, used regularly by many corporations and government agencies for their top VIPs! Both airlines have the latest in equipment and technology, employ only top-notch, experienced pilots and put them through their own rigorous training programs. And as an added bonus, both local airlines strive to be carbon neutral. Now that's a real GREEN reason to fly to your favorite Costa Rican resort!

Super Summer Vacations

This past month has been a great time at the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa for some super summer vacations! The Merriam family from Memphis, TN brought a multi-generational group and everyone had a wonderful time. Some highlights included zip-lining at Congo Trail, snorkeling with Pacific Coast Diving, a sunset catamaran cruise, and a tour to Tabacon Hot Springs and Arenal Volcano. Linda from Miami found heaven on earth in the Serenity Spa. She claims that the aromatherapy massage she enjoyed on her last day totally energized her for getting back to reality once she returned home. The Greenlee & Gvodas families enjoyed a lovely destination wedding at the resort last weekend; the sunset cooperated and the happy couple were delighted with the newly redecorated Honeymoon Suite. The Scott family from Parkland, FL had an unforgettable fishing expedition with our in-house fishing charter operator, Vic Tours; Francis' 12- year old son reeled in a 160 pound sailfish--and they've got the photo to prove it!

Several university soccer teams from the U.S. visited the resort recently playing local teams and having an overall blast! The athletes enjoyed starting their day with a rousing game of beach volleyball with Manuel, Flamingo's super-energetic Activities Director. After dinner and drinks at Arenas, the late-night partying took place at Las Brisas over in Potrero. Nina R. and Luisana E. were enjoying a girls' weekend and certainly didn't mind the company!

Loving the Green Season

Last month's visit to the Flamingo Beach Resort & Spa reminded me why I love Costa Rica's "green season." Looking down over the lush countryside while flying into the Tamarindo airstrip, I was reminded just how many lovely shades of emerald are in evidence here. While the dry season months do offer a guarantee of blue skies and sunshine, during the green season even the arid Guanacaste countryside transforms into a magnificent and magical tropical rainforest. Now that the word "green" has become a synonym for sustainability and environment-friendly, it applies to Costa Rica even more! At my favorite vacation spot, the Flamingo Beach Resort, they're doing their part to go green by switching to energy-efficient lightbulbs, separating and recycling trash, and planting native trees. While it's true that the original builder obviously id not design it as an eco-resort, we love the efforts the management has recently made to naturalize the property with Palapa roofs, natural stone decking around the pool, waterfalls and verdant landscaping. The dazzling rainbow we saw arched across the sky as we walked the beach following the afternoon's typical tropical deluge is just one more of the many delights of the green season!