How to Be Happier and Healthier in the New Year with a Costa Rican Vacation

Happy 2020!   The new year is here, and it’s going to be the best one yet!   As you’re making your plans for the year and thinking about how to focus on well-being, don’t forget that a Costa Rica vacation is one of the healthiest choices you can make.  Forget Disney World–come to the happiest country on Earth, where the air and water are clean, monkeys swing through the trees, and the sun shines 365 days a year!

Photo by Oliver Sjöström

When we say a Costa Rica vacation is a healthy vacation, we’re not making it up.  One of the world’s Blue Zones, where longevity is unusually high, is right here on the Nicoya Peninsula only a few miles from Tamarindo.  If being healthier than ever is one of your resolutions for 2020, coming to Tamarindo is the right way to get started. A Tamarindo vacation rental is the perfect way to relax with family and friends and get your healthy year started off the way you want to.  Here are a few of the reasons Costa Rica is good for you: 

1. It’s the Perfect Place to Unwind

Photo by Dean McQuade

The best thing you can do for yourself this year is unwinding and relax.  Stress ties your body and your mind in knots, and the first step to a healthy 2020 is letting go of your worries. Tamarindo, Costa Rica is the perfect place to do just that.  We have the beaches, the sun, the flora and fauna, the bars and restaurants, the health and wholeness spas, and the perfect Tamarindo vacation rentals to make this trip the one that points your year in the right direction.  

Tropical vacations are special because they are geared toward relaxation.  No matter what time of year you chose to visit us, you’ll enjoy warm weather, lush gardens, and warm ocean water. Leisurely sunset walks on the beach are an ideal and even romantic way to unwind.  Costa Rica’s laid-back atmosphere and favorite expression “Pura Vida” will quickly loosen the knots and help you unwind.  

Spectacular Tamarindo sunset

We’ll help you pick a Tamarindo vacation rental with what you really need to let the stress melt away: a hammock, a private pool, the sound of the ocean nearby, and a five-star concierge to make sure you have everything you want at your fingertips.

2. Sunlight is Good for You

Photo by Maciej Serafinowicz

Newsflash!  Direct sunlight is good for you!  Simply receiving sunlight can increase the vitamin D levels in your body, set circadian rhythms which improve sleep, strengthen your bones, improve your mood and mental health, make your heart healthier, improve your brain function and overall help you live longer.  You might feel better just thinking about it!  

Of course, too much sun in the middle of the day can cause sunburn which we don’t recommend, but human beings were made to be in the sun, so put that bikini in your suitcase and get on a plane!  It’s good for you! A hat and a light-colored long-sleeved shirt can cut down on the amount of chemical sunscreens you need to use on your skin, which is a healthy way not to get too much sun.  

3. Being in or Near the Ocean is Good for You

Photo by Limor Zellermayer

Historically, doctors often recommended that their ailing patients go to the seaside to breathe in the salty air absorb sun on their skin and bathe in the natural mineral salts.  Unfortunately, your health insurance probably doesn’t cover seaside visits–but maybe it should.  

Breaking waves fill the air with negative ions that purify the air and have an antidepressant effect in the human brain.  The fact that looking at the ocean relaxes you, and that being near it makes you feel better and immediately calmer is not in your imagination.  It’s chemistry. 

Come surf with us in Tamarindo!

For even more negative ion benefits, get out there in those waves and go for a swim or grab a board and catch some waves.  A Tamarindo surf lesson is not only one of the most fun things you can do in Costa Rica, it’s also excellent for the health of your brain.  Ever wonder why surfers are so laid back and happy?  

4. There Are All Kinds of Exercise Options

Photo by Jared Rice

It’s a pleasure to exercise in Costa Rica where the sun is shining and the weather is beautiful.  Forget the gym! Walk or run on the beach. Hike. Surf. Swim. Snorkel. Go kayaking or whitewater rafting.  Try a stand-up paddle board. Enjoy yoga in a shady open-air dojo, or on the beach in the cooler hours of the early mornings.  As your mind relaxes and your body strengthens, you’ll feel better and better with each day of your Costa Rica vacation.    

5. The Environment is Clean

Photo by Alexander Aguero

A Costa Rica vacation is a healthy vacation because our environment is one of the cleanest and greenest on the planet.  25% of Costa Rica’s territory is either a national park or a protected area. Imagine what that does for our air quality, the cleanliness of our water, and the health of our ecosystems.  The air pressure at sea level gives your blood cells an oxygen boost with every breath you take, so come get energized!  

6. Costa Rican Food is Healthy Food

Enjoy a meal like this at Nogui’s Restaurant in Tamarindo

You are what you eat, and an obvious product of Costa Rica’s clean environment is clean food.  It’s easy to eat healthy and be healthy in Costa Rica. Organic farms all over the country make chemical-free meals something you can find almost anywhere, and most towns have local farmers’ markets.  You won’t want to miss our Saturday farmers’ and craft market here in Tamarindo!

Traditional Costa Rican meals are comprised of rice, beans, corn tortillas, simple salads, and a protein–usually chicken, fish, or beef.  Eat a variety of these items, mixed with a variety of fresh tropical fruits, fresh cheese and eggs, and you’ll be amazed by how wonderful you begin to feel.  

We have the Tamarindo Vacation Rental you need for your vacation

2020 is going to be your best year yet.  Contact us now and let us help you get started planning your healthy vacation to Costa Rica.  Start 2020 off right!