To learn how to dance on water, a mother takes her family on a trip to one of the world's Blue Zones.
Unfortunate aspects of traveling include the fact that I unintentionally bring myself with me wherever I go. My mental baggage constantly manages to sneak onto luggage racks. Traveling somewhere slower helps us to disengage, reconnect, and lose our mental baggage along the road if trips are the mothers of thought. The journey is more profound in isolated and undiscovered locations.
For spring break this year, I traveled to Nosara, a rural surf town on the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, because my mind, body, and soul craved a pure Vida spring clean. It's not surprising that this terra incognita community, where people focus their health and happiness and live the longest, is one of just five Blue Zones worldwide. The safety net of a close-knit community is the constant presence of familiar faces as soon as you step outside your front door. To keep the dust at bay, molasses is sprayed on dirt roads, which also gives the air a pleasant, candy-like fragrance. Every 100 yards, there are smoothie trucks and coconut shops where locals go to chat in the shade. Everything seems so lovely as if a set designer had selected every element.
Places to Stay
To accommodate our family of three adults and three children, villas have been our first choice. Because the kids' need for instant pleasure comes along on vacation with me and my emotional baggage. A fully stocked refrigerator prevents hangry meltdowns, while room service delays are the evening's death knell. Rick at Wanderlust Realty will find your family the ideal villa. The Harmony Hotel is a subtle, unexpectedly stylish retreat in the middle of the city for hotel accommodations.
Walking is the main mode of transportation in each of the five Blue Zones. You take in your environment and take in the intricacies as you are strolling. Things do not move quickly. Walking with a howler monkey ambient soundtrack is a wonderful reset for my Angeleno self, who spends hours each day in her car with her Spotify tunes. Having said that, we hired a golf cart from Limo Dan (which doubled as a surf mobile) as well as an ATV for fast coffee runs to transport weary individuals from dawn surf sessions to lunch.
Breakfast
The fluffiest croissants on this side of the Seine are exactly what Cafe de Paris serves. Though our children's favorites were the Pokemon cards for sale beside the cash register, don't miss the sandwiches and tartelettes.
The greatest coffee in town is at Olo Alaia's surf shop, so get in line there. You may get the inside scoop on the best breaks from owner Robbie. As a bonus, take one ice cream from his freezer to enjoy as a post-surf treat.
Juices and Smoothies
Hit La Ventana de Milly, a brand-new Nosara addition designed by the same people who brought you The Harmony Hotel, after your sunrise surf. Smoothies containing banana, peanut butter, chocolate, honey, and coconut milk were served to us in rounds. I boosted mine with an espresso shot in the morning. The egg is almost flawless as well. This is the ideal place to unwind after surfing because the terra-cotta patio is kept cool by ceiling fans and the cicadas sing in time to the chilled surf reggae music.
Maria will chop open your ice-cold coconuts with zen-master elegance and a smile if you visit her at the coconut stand close to the Beach Dog Cafe. This is a key component of the Blue Zone's prescription for long life, which also includes the mind, body, and spirit.
The almond butter banana bread with honey and cinnamon is now a morning staple in our home. The Harmony Hotel's Juice Bar and adjacent lounging nooks encouraged us to linger longer over our smoothies.
Lunch
We returned four times for the taco goodies, even though a Gaelic Fish & Chips Taco Truck feels like a collision of food categories. Our British-born children are experts in fish and chips, and they all agreed that the food served by the taco truck is the best.
With its relaxed picnic tables, craft beers on tap, burgers, and blackened fish tacos topped with kimchi, Fish Bar is Nosara's take on an Australian Beer Garden. You can eat your lunch at a picnic table while watching some iguanas lounge among the efflorescent bougainvillea shrubs.
Organico is the cousin of Erewhon in Costa Rica. This neighborhood grocery is a lovely little gem, offering organic, tasty takeout food, and fresh drinks.
Dinner
The locals congregate at Gabi's, a type of neighborhood food court that serves pagan surfers. Don't let the decor or self-service deceive you; the sushi at Sushi Mar, the food from Soda La Barra in Costa Rica, the spaghetti Bolognese at Garlic, and the plant-based fish tacos at Symbiosis are all quite delicious. The fine dining establishment next door, La Brasa, serves Argentinian steaks and has a wide selection of wines.
Visit Falafel Box for falafel pita hummus combinations of dreams and unexpected DJ sets under the fairy lights. Falafel Box is one of a trio of three food trucks that are located close to the pizza restaurant Dies Pies.
Activities
Give in to the siren melody of this moment and schedule your sessions with Agua Tibia. Even now, months after our trip, I can still remember how much fun we had spending our mornings with Adrian, Marcelo, Joel, Oscar, and Andy. With them, surfing has a spiritual significance; the mornings are like a commune with Mother Nature. They will educate you on how to submit to the ocean while teaching you how to read the waves and comprehend surfer lingo. You'll learn to dance on the water from them. The Agua Tibia crew will show you how to turtle roll under Playa Guiones setups, which is rolling under your board while maintaining a death grip on the rails, to help you avoid disaster and maximize the length of your rides. Your rational mind will shut down at their command, leaving you just with your feelings.
For information on the Bodhi Tree's evening sound baths and 5 p.m. sunset restorative yoga, check out their schedule. A satisfying escape from the rapids and recovery from a long day of paddling.
Yali is ideal for private yoga sessions at home. Because she teaches kids' yoga at the neighborhood school and conducts a brief sound bath after her family yoga classes, make an appointment with her in advance.
If riding the lefts and rights isn't enough to satisfy your need for adrenaline, dirt biking, zip lining, and horseback riding are quick ways to get your daily requirement. Ride down the hills and jumps by renting a bike and helmet from La Mona DirtVentures. There are a couple of viewing platforms above, as well as a bar below. Miss Sky is the world's longest canopy tour for flying over Mother Nature's splendor. During sunset, Playa Ponies will transport you through the sand-dusted vegetation and along the length of the beach.
A few days at Nosara are an emotional readjustment; it feels as though someone has just broken my spine. However, a few days are insufficient to fully experience the spirit of the place. Traveling is never as easy as we think it will be, and the five-plus-hour 737 flight and the two-and-a-half-hour drive on a very bumpy dirt road served as a reminder of that. You'll be tempted to stay indefinitely, but plan to stay for at least a week because Nosara is the benchmark for all other family vacation destinations.