Tapping into the healing powers of Costa Rica

Living in a land teeming with sandy beaches, lush rainforest, and thermal springs, the Tico people of Costa Rica are amongst the happiest and healthiest in the world — but what’s their secret?

You will hear the phrase ‘pura vida’ a lot if you visit Costa Rica. It’s in every hello and every goodbye — but it is more than just a saying. When translated, it means ‘pure life’ or ‘simple life’, and Costa Ricans — also known as ‘Ticos’ — embody that to the full. This approach to life is one of the reasons that the Central American nation is home to one of the world’s very few ‘Blue Zones’, where locals enjoy longer, healthier, and happier lives.

I spend some time travelling the country and getting a taste of the ‘pura vida’ life for myself, connecting with the culture and experiencing wellness in a fresh light. I come to fully understand why Costa Rica is one of the happiest countries in the world.

As hard as it is to pry myself away from Nantipa and the friendly town of Santa Teresa, my next stop, at the volcanic region of Arenal (home to one of the largest craters in the world), proves to be just as mesmerising, in an entirely different way. Here, you can experience a multitude of activities, from hiking and zip-lining to swimming in cascading waterfalls so enchanting you will hardly believe they are real. Just beneath the majestic volcano sits the sleepy town of La Fortuna, home to an abundance of natural pools and hot springs. Though we had been blessed with nothing but blue skies up until this point — a rare occurrence for the start of the rainy season — it turns out a tropical storm is the most beautiful way to experience naturally flowing hot springs.

At dusk, I am serenaded into a trance-like state by the hum of birdsong, the gentle croaks of tiny frogs, and the ever-present trickle of water.

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