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!