Posts Tagged ‘Costa Rica’

Win A Luxury Vacation For 2 In Costa Rica!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Four Winds Weddings & Events is excited to announce the giveaway of a luxury couples package valued at over $3200. The package includes a five night stay in a king room poolside at Los Altos de Eros Luxury Inn and Spa. This 5 star hotel has received top honors from Trip Advisor community. In 2010 alone, it was rated #1 Central/South America in Luxury, #2 Central/South America in Service, #4 Top 10 Luxury Hotels of the World. Perched on one of the highest hills in the area, the hotel offers stunning mountain and ocean views throughout the property. The yoga studio is an opened air, Zen-inspired structure that allows for ultimate peace and serenity. Included in the package is 2 days at Los Altos de Eros Spa, as well as a day cruise for two on The Blue Dolphin, an all-inclusive catamaran.

Photo credit: Toh Gouttenoire of Bi-Drop Photography

The drawing will take place on April 30th. To enter to win this package please fill out the giveaway submission found here. Limit one submission per person. We will announce the winner live on our website and on our facebook fan page at 6pm pacific time on 4/30/10. Check our blog at that time to see if you have won the vacation of a lifetime.


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Posted in Insider Guide to Costa Rica | 310 Comments »

Amazing Destinations: Arenal, Costa Rica

Monday, February 15th, 2010

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The Four Winds team has just returned from a tour of the Arenal area of Costa Rica. If you aren’t familiar with Arenal, it is one of the 10 most active volcanos in the world.  Located in the northern Guanacaste province of Costa Rica , this area offers tremendous hot springs, 5 star accommodations, a great variety of restaurants and some amazing tours that range from jungle adventures to high speed zip lines.

avatar mother tree

Our first stop was to La Ceiba Tree Lodge, a small Swiss owned hotel that overlooks Lake Arenal. What sets this 5 room lodge apart from the rest is that it sits in the shadow of a 500 year old Ceiba tree. The pure size and beauty of this tree is really magical. For anyone who has seen the movie Avatar, this is the closest thing to the tree of life that you will find on this planet. A wedding underneath it would be truly breathtaking. Each room has an outdoor lounge area with a hammock, where you can watch the sun set over the Lake Arenal.

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After La Ceiba Tree, we were off to play in the hot springs of Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort. This 5 star resort has some of the most amazing thermal pools in the world. The spa has over 30 pools ranging from 108 degrees to 50 degrees. Most of the pools are natural looking, but they do have several hardscape style pools and a water-slide. On a clear day, Arenal can be seen spewing ash and lava from one of the upper pools at the Spa. As for accommodations, we stayed in a garden suite and were pleased with the size of room and quality of bed. We didn’t spend very much time in the rooms, however. Most of our tour was spent exploring the sights of this beautiful nature wonderland that is Arenal. If you have plans to visit Costa Rica, we would strongly suggest incorporating a few days in Arenal and the nearby town of La Fortuna.

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The Perfect Surf Wedding

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

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Costa Rica has been a top destination for surfers from around the world for several decades. Ever since Tamarindo beach and Witches Rock were featured in Endless Summer II, surfers have been flocking to Costa Rica’s shores in search of amazing warm water surfing. The relatively small country offers amazing diversity with shores on the Caribbean as well as the Pacific. Since there are no private beaches in Costa Rica, it is a total haven for surfers and beach lovers alike. There is a wide assortment of accommodations from a rustic surf villas in Playa Hermosa to a 5 star hotel near Avellanas. If you are looking to have a truly unique wedding that celebrates your love with a surfer twist, then look no further than Costa Rica. The wedding planners of Four Winds Weddings & Events share an appreciation for surfing. We are constantly exploring the country looking for the perfect mix of great beaches, amazing accommodations and stellar surf.

If you are looking for the perfect gift for the avid surfer couple, check out these glass wave sculptures. David Wight is a good friend of ours. His signature work is a sculpted glass wave. Each sculpture is completely unique and he offers several different shapes.

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A Day in Playa Grande

Monday, January 11th, 2010

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Costa Rica offers amazing diversity within its relatively small confines. Each location appeals to different couples based on their lifestyle preferences. For couples seeking a relaxing wedding with epic ocean views, Playa Grande is a great choice. Although it is situated just across the estuary from Playa Tamarindo, Playa Grande couldn’t be more different in atmosphere. Both towns are known for their stunning beaches (they actually share the same bay), but there similarities stop there. A stroll through town on a Sunday, which admittedly is a slow day throughout Costa Rica, displayed a culture that is content with the simple things in life. Una Ola is a tidy hotel near the water with several clean, modern rooms and a plunge pool. They offer complimentary bicycles with beverage holders for all there guests. The owners are accomplished surfers and offer a surf camp option for guests looking for the ultimate beach experience. Una Ola’s neighbor, Rip Jack Inn, is a hotel/restaurant with several quaint cabanas. It is the epitome of simplicity; Every room has a bed, a bathroom and a hammock. It seems as though these are the only requirements for life in Playa Grande. While touring the ground, we could hear sounds of people laughing and enjoying their afternoon, so we decided to investigate. We walked up the mahogany stairs to the restaurant where we were surprised to find a panoramic view of the ocean. There were hammocks lining the railing, reggae music playing and a hand full of people casually socializing in the bar. This is one spot we will return to. Our next stop was to Taco Star. They feature typical surfer food (tacos, nachos, hot dogs and beer). Despite its simple cuisine, this spot has a lot of charm. Its motto is  displayed on a hand painted sign. It reads: “Eat, Drink and Relax”.  After grabbing a quick taco, its time to see the main attraction: the beach! Playa Grande is a 2 mile stretch of soft white sands beach. It was low tide when we were exploring and the beach was massive. Unlike its neighbor to the south, a walk on the beach feels rather private. There is a beautiful rock formation towards the north. Several large villas line the beach with private verandas. One thing that sets Playa Grande apart from the rest is that it is a giant Leatherback Sea Turtle nesting ground and the area was deemed a national park several years ago. This insures that Playa Grande will remain the same laid back town for many years to come!

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Bringing your Pet with you to Costa Rica.

Saturday, December 26th, 2009

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We are animal lovers here at Four Winds Weddings & Events. As the owners of two Golden Retrievers, we understand that pets play a very important role in the family. We also know that there is an emerging trend towards families vacationing with their pets. This blog entry will serve as a how to guide for planning a short term trip with your pet in Costa Rica.

kennelFlying with your Pet

Its quite easy to fly to Costa Rica and back to the United States. Unlike other countries, Costa Rica has no dog or cat quarantine period. This makes it a very ideal place to travel with a pet. There are two major airlines in the United States that allow pets to fly in the cabin and cargo internationally.  In order for you pet to be eligible to go through customs once in Costa Rica, the pet must be current on its rabies vaccinations and must have received its last vaccination at least 30 days prior to entering the country. Also, you must obtain a Certificate of Good Health from your veterinarian in the united states. (note- your vet needs the address in which you will be staying in Costa Rica). The crate must be large enough for your pet to stand up and it must have a rail that allows for easy lifting. Airlines also require that you feed your animal 3 hours in advance to flying.

  • American Airlines has flight service into San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica. They charge $150 per dog each way.
  • Continental Airlines also has flight service to San Jose and Liberia international airport. They charge around $175 per dog each way.

Finding Pet Friendly Accommodations.

Costa Rica, in general, is a pet friendly country. There are several ways to locate places that allow pets without having to call and ask each individual accommodation option.

craigslistscreenshotCraigslist Costa Rica is a great resource for people with pets. It allows you to narrow your search to listing that only allow animals

  • Make sure that you give yourself several months to research the locations that you would like to travel to. Traveling with pets requires a good amount of prior planning.
  • Check Craigslist daily for new updates as they happen quite frequently
  • Craigslist Costa Rica is not divided into regions because it doesn’t have the same kind of user submissions present in the States. In order to find houses in a specific area, you must type in the town in the “search for” section. The nice thing about craigslist is that it turns links that you have already clicked on purple, so you don’t revisit the same link twice.

homeaway1Home Away is another really useful resource when looking for accommodations in Costa Rica. This site is comprised of vacation rental properties from all around the world. It is quite handy, because it has a calendar that displays the dates in which the home is available. I find that this is a helpful tool when negotiating a price with the owner. If the schedule is all clear, then you have more negotiating power.

  • You can narrow your search for a number of special preferences. To do this, click advanced, scroll down and select your criteria.
  • Home Away is organized quite a bit better than craigslist. You can search by regions of the country.

Traveling Within Costa Rica with a Pet

Although Costa Rica is an animal friendly country, taxis, shuttles and busses tend not to be as embracing of your four legged friend. The best way to go is to rent a car. This is where the process gets a little strategical.  I would recommend having someone stay with the animal while a “family representative” goes to the rental desk at the airport.

  • Make sure that you print out your rental invoice from home and bring it to the rental desk with you. This prevents the rental car agent from charging you whatever he feels like
  • I would highly recommend renting a GPS. They typically cost an additional $8-10 per day and are well worth it.
  • Have the “family representative” take the shuttle to the rental location (usually a 2 minute drive from the airport) and return to the airport to pick up the rest of the family and pet.
  • If you don’t need a rental car for you entire stay, many rental companies offer one way rentals that you can return at your destination.

If you follow these steps, you can enjoy your vacation with the addition of your pet. Good luck and safe travels!

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Playa Tamarindo: A Taste of the Good Life.

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Playa Tamarindo has a great mix of gourmet food, beautiful beaches, fabulous nightlife, day trip adventures and zen like spas. This well established beach town is located in the heart of Costa Rica’s gold coast. We chose this as our hub for our Costa Rica branch of our business because it provides a full range of amenities and activities making it the ideal place for a destination beach wedding. Known for its amazing tropical climate, Tamarindo boasts an average summer temperature of 88 degrees (83 degree ocean temp). Surfers and ocean dwellers alike flock to the beach to enjoy the mild pacific waters and warm tropical breezes. If  you haven’t yet, we encourage you to check Tamarindo out using Google Earth. From the satellite perspective, one can really see the surplus of beaches that surround the entire coast of the Nicoya penninsula. In the coming months, we plan to do a full review of many of the hotels, restaurants and activities found in and around the area. Please check in with us often.

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