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Adventure Rafting in Costa Rica
 Tina and I often say how lucky we are to live in Dominical as it represents the ‘real’ Costa Rica to us. Well, I got even luckier at the end of July. I was able to go on an adventure trip in my own ‘backyard’ and witness even more of the pristine Costa Rican landscape and the true nature of the people.
I traveled with Pure Life Expeditions for 4 days to a remote spot near the upper Savegre River. Leaving in a 4x4 from San Isidro we journeyed for 2 hours until the road ended, and then we hiked and rode horses a total of 7 more miles into the jungle valley.
We arrived at an open-air farmhouse where we stayed with the Lopez family. Although not all of their 18 children still live with them, there were plenty of family and grandchildren and travelers around to fill the house with an overflowing energy. Even the butterflies couldn’t seem to resist floating through the house for a visit. (While at night the whole valley seemed to alight with fire flies creating a mystical setting.) It almost seems cliché, but the Lopez family home was truly a happy one filled with love and respect and a generous spirit. My stay with the family was a definite a high point.
The pure raw nature that surrounded us on this trip was hard to beat in terms of experiences. And once I was safely harnessed in, our guide helped me tackle the Costa Rican wild as I never thought I would – hurtling myself down a 70 foot waterfall in a sport called ‘rappelling’. If that wasn’t enough to write home about, my last day surprised me again by offering the biggest adrenaline rush of the trip. The Savegre River was swollen from all the heavy rains and our rafting expedition started off with 3 solid hours of continuous wild rapids – definitely the most exciting rafting I’ve ever done.
If you’re headed to Costa Rica and want a unique adventure component I’d recommend that you give Andrew at Pure Life Expeditions a call (866-431-PURE) or email info@purelifeexp.com. He can customize the perfect trip for you.
Stewart Winter, Marketing Director
Limited Opportunity at Canto del Mar
 For those who missed out on the initial release of
Canto del Mar villas, a few re-sales are now available. All of these homes have extended decks for more outdoor space and the new interior finishes add a level of tropical sophistication to these 2 bedroom, 2 ½ bathroom homes. We don’t expect these phenomenal hillside villas with dramatic ocean views to last long. Call Amanda or Kaisha for details on the homes available.
It's offical: Costa Rica's Southern Zone gets a new airport.
 Costa Rica'
s Southern Zone will have a new airport soon. A cooperation agreement was signed by Cost Rican President Oscar Arias and representatives from the Municipality of Osa and the Southern Zone Development Board recently.
The airport will be located in Valle del Sierpe, near the Osa Peninsula, making it easier for travelers to access the Puntarenas Region including Dominical. The airport will be built in phases; the first phase will allow medium-size aircraft to fly in and out with additional phases planned to accommodate 737 jets. For more information on the new airport go here to read the full article
Southern Zone airport project is a go.
Not only is flying to Costa Rica’s Southern Zone becoming easier, so is driving. The Journal (July 25 - August 1) reports the completion of the Southern Pacific Highway is expected by mid- 2009. Driving will be smoother and quicker with the new bridges and expanded road. Travel time and access to the Southern Zone will be faster, especially the 40 km stretch between Quepos and Dominical.
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