KC Group Colaye Hotel Costa Rica

Sport fishing

2011-03-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Marlin was the main attraction this week as the lady in the blue dress entertained anglers along the entire Pacific coast. Most were blue marlin in the 200-to-500-pound range, but Matty Jorn of Fishing Nosara checked in with a 300-pound black marlin and some very good inshore action. He reported that Roy and Cathy Cox from St. Augustine, Florida, fished off Garza, on the Nicoya Peninsula, for three days last weekend and had great action on cubera snapper, amberjack and yellowfin tuna; however their biggest moment was a catch and release of a gorgeous black marlin, estimated at over 300 pounds.
Reports of good marlin action also came out of the Quepos and Los Sueños areas on the central Pacific coast. Both Jesús Vallegas and Leanne Batten of Quepos Sailfishing Charters reported multiple hookups on marlin with just a fair sailfish bite.
Batten said there have been some marlin out there, but the numbers on sails have not been that stellar. She also reported that the 2011 Harry Gray Fly-Fishing Tournament was held in Quepos this week, and that client Cindi Nelson, who has waited 15 years for her chance at offshore fishing in Costa Rica, had her “Wheel of Fortune wish granted,” releasing two sailfish and catching a nice dorado.
Down south, Greg Mufson out of Zancudo Lodge and my boats out of Crocodile Bay Resort in Puerto Jiménez saw similar action. The marlin bite has continued and the sails have been hit-and-miss with some very good days and some not so good. It seems the fish have moved into the area with some boats reporting double-digit sailfish raises on Tuesday, but an unusual north wind temporarily stopped the action on Wednesday. Several boats in the area have had the rare pleasure of seeing orcas this week, and a couple even came into the spread and played with the teasers.
On the Caribbean side, Eddie Brown said the tarpon action is great between Barra del Colorado and Tortuguero. The snook bite has really slowed, but the tarpon action is keeping anglers happy.
Mike Lilla sent in a note to say the calba (fat snook) action has been spectacular up on the backwaters of the Río San Juan out of Río Indio Lodge. As the water level continues to drop, the guapote will move out of their hiding spots deep in the jungle and into areas accessible to anglers.

Hotel Colaye - San Jose Hotel

2011-01-16T08:53:00.001-08:00

The excitement of watching a shimmering 5- to 9-foot, 80- to 200-pound tarpon leap in the air at the end of your fishing line never gets old. And that’s precisely why in Barra del Colorado has been a legendary spot for world-class tarpon and snook fishing on Costa Rica’s northern Caribbean coast.
In a matter of minutes from the dock, you enter the Caribbean Sea via the brown, brackish waters of the northward-flowing Río Colorado, a tributary of the nearby Río San Juan on the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border. With veteran guides at the helm, you troll the waters near the shoreline looking for the shining behemoths to surface one after the other, as they travel in schools. When a tarpon is spotted, a line is cast and the game is on.
Tarpon bite in these brown waters like tropical mosquitoes, particularly in September and October, when the rains are scarce and the days are long and warm on the Caribbean coast. A recent group of four Japanese visitors jumped about 90 tarpon during a five-day trip.
Exhaustion is common after a day of battling the giant, silver, scaly, copper-eyed beasts. Tarpon fishing is a challenge the likes of which a bass or trout fisherman has never known. After you cast, the curious tarpon tug on the lure. When the rod is yanked and the hook is set, the mammoth fish reveals itself, leaping high into the air before plunging back into the water to begin the battle.
This is the essence of sportfishing. It’s like fighting the heavyweight champion of the seas. The battle usually takes 30 minutes to an hour, with each combatant aiming to wear his opponent out

Costa Rica Travel Tips

2010-12-07T06:59:00.001-08:00

Costa Rica Travel Tips

How to Get There
Flying
Costa Rica can be reached from the following US gateway cities:
 Los Angeles - United
 Phoenix - America West
 Atlanta - Delta
 Dallas, Miami - American
Ticket prices have been pretty good lately - $350-$450 from most cities in the US.
Driving
It is possible to drive to Costa Rica. The advantages are obvious - when you get there you have your own car, and all your gear. The disadvantages may not be as obvious.
To drive from the US to Costa Rica, you have to cross as many as six borders depending on your route - US, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Each of the border crossings has its own requirements, especially when you are traveling with your car. Most countries stamp your passport with a car stamp - showing that you entered the country with a car. If your car gets stolen, you may have to pay the value of the car (plus taxes and duties) to leave the country. Some countries may also ask you to post a cash bond for your car.
Mexico and some other places in Central America have something of a reputation for stopping cars for no reason and demanding payment for bogus infractions. Don't be intimidated - it's really no big deal. The best thing to do is just to pay $20 on the spot and move on. Trying to argue or going to the police station is rarely worth the hassle.
Obviously, it is a real adventure to drive. The roads are a challenge in places, and you should try not to drive at night if at all possible. Driving from the US will take about two weeks at a reasonable pace. People have certainly done it - but none of our staff would choose this as our first option due to the significant border hassles involved

Economic crisis of 2010 Costa Rica

2010-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

For Costa Rica’s tourism industry, the economic crisis of 2010 is the sinking and unpredictable exchange rate.
As the U.S. dollar loses value, the colón has appreciated, hovering near the ₡500 mark during the past three months. While the stronger colón has resulted in one of the smallest increases in consumer prices in the last decade (around 4 percent so far in 2010), economic sectors that are fueled by sales in U.S. dollars, but pay most expenses in colones, are taking a beating.
One of the most important of these sectors is tourism, an industry that accounts for around 7 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) and generates annual revenues of around $2 billion.
Last Thursday, the Costa Rican National Tourism Chamber (Canatur) hosted a presentation to highlight just how severe the damage to the industry caused by the exchange rate has been. Amid the torrent of data and statistics put forth to demonstrate the financial strain placed on the sector in 2010, one fact stood out: in a Canatur survey, 66 percent of hotels and other tourism-related businesses reported being negatively affected by this year’s fluctuations in the exchange rate.

Medical Travel to Costa Rica

2010-10-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

• Spanish is the main language in Costa Rica. But English is frequently used in tourist-frequented spots like hotels, resorts, leading hospitals and clinics. In hospitals, there are always interpreters available.
• At most places in Costa Rica, the American dollar is accepted.
• Most US cell phones do not work in Costa Rica. Before you set out from your home country, it is a good idea to check with your cell phone provider about the coverage and call rates in Costa Rica.
• Do not expect the blazing internet speeds that you may be used to in Canada or USA.
• Travellers should use licensed taxis, which are red with medallions (yellow triangles containing numbers) painted on the side. Licensed taxis at the airport are painted orange.
Medical Tourism Corporation has arranged with its network hospitals in Costa Rica to have special guest suites designed to comfortably accommodate the patient and the accompanying guest while in the hospital. Also, MTC has made special arrangements with recovery resorts that have 24 x 7 nursing for any post-hospital discharge care, with adequate arrangement for the comfort of the accompanying guest. There is always an English-speaking personal case manager at the medical destination.
So, if you are looking for medical care abroad, Costa Rica is one of the places to consider seriously. Even if you are just planning a vacation, you may go to Costa Rica for pleasure and save some money by getting any pending medical or dental care done while there! There couldn't be a better place than Costa Rica to recuperate and unwind.
Thus, medical tourism in Costa Rica is a complete package of health, fun, and savings. We hope this information will be a valuable aid on deciding on Costa Rica as a medical tourism destination of your choice.

Vacationing with a Medical Trip to Costa Rica

2010-10-01T08:03:00.001-07:00

Costa Rica's unique geographic location - it has the Pacific ocean on the one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other - has endowed it with beautiful pristine beaches, lush green mountains formed by past volcanic eruptions, dense rainforests, lakes, and rivers. All these help support one of the most diverse plant and animal life on the planet. Costa Rica also has many active volcanoes and hot springs. Most medical tourism destination is not ideal for a vacation or a touristic holiday, not in the case of Costa Rica, which is not only a great medical care destination, but also a popular tourism destination.

Why Costa Rica as a Medical Tourism Destination?

2010-09-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

Medical treatments are usually about 50-70% cheaper than in the US and no one has to wait their turn for surgery.
Easily accessible from US and Canada. There are frequent flights from important cities in both these countries. Also Americans, Canadians and most Europeans staying in Costa Rica for less than 90 days do not require a visa. They do need a passport that is valid for at least 30 days.
Presence of top private accredited hospitals and clinics in Costa Rica. It is very common for leading doctors and surgeons in Costa Rica hospitals to have gained experience, certifications or trainings from the USA.
Traditionally, the procedures that have been popular with medical tourists in Costa Rica have been cosmetic and dental treatments. But with growing standards of medical care, there is rapid medical tourism demand for various other surgeries and medical procedures.

ICT, Facebook y Twitter

2010-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Al ingresar a www.facebook.com/visitcostarica los cibernautas encontrarán contenido promocional y noticias sobre el destino Costa Rica. El Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (ICT) incursiona desde ayer con la campaña “Visit Costa Rica” en Facebook, Twitter y YouTube para acercar el país aún más a millones de potenciales visitantes internacionales, principalmente estadounidenses y canadienses, acostumbrados a buscar en internet información sobre el próximo destino que visitarán.
Con más de 145 millones de usuarios de Facebook en Estados Unidos y Canadá, las redes sociales son una herramienta esencial para promocionar a Costa Rica como destino turístico en su mercado más importante.
Frente a este escenario, el ICT alimentará estos perfiles promocionales en Facebook, Twitter y YouTube con información, imágenes y videos que cautivan la esencia del país. Los usuarios podrán planear sus vacaciones hacia Costa Rica, o compartir historias de su viaje al país en una plataforma interactiva que conectará a profesionales del turismo con consumidores.
“Cada día, millones de personas comparten en sitios como Facebook y Twitter conocimientos, experiencias, fotografías, recuerdos y lugares favoritos. El ICT reconoce la importancia de este intercambio y el potencial de las redes sociales para compartir con un consumidor selecto información sobre las bellezas que cada año atraen a Costa Rica a cientos de miles de visitantes", dijo el ministro de Turismo, Carlos Ricardo Benavides.

Turismo en Costa Rica

2010-08-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

El más reciente Índice Turístico para Latinoamérica de la firma Latin Business Chronicle, determinó que Costa Rica es el segundo país de la región donde el turismo tiene un mayor peso sobre el producto interno bruto (PIB), indicando que el 7,1% de todo lo que se produce anualmente en el país proviene de esta actividad. Dicha cifra es únicamente superada por República Dominicana en donde representa un 8,7% del PIB producto del turismo.
El crecimiento de la actividad turística se ha producido de forma vertiginosa en los últimos cinco años, ya que el incremento de las divisas del turismo ha superado en promedio el 12% anual –excluyendo el 2009 año de crisis para el sector–, lo que nos lleva a pensar que la actividad ha sido una de las industrias más dinámicas con el transcurrir del tiempo, y que debe ser considerada de interés nacional.
A pesar de la aparente condición y beneficio que se deriva del turismo, existen muchas condiciones tales como: infraestructura vial, seguridad y desarrollo de nuevos mercados, entre otras, que limitan el verdadero potencial del sector y, por ende, del país, por lo que es vital su mejora gradual para beneficio tanto de los empresarios del sector turístico como para nuestros visitantes.
La importancia del turismo a nivel económico y social es fundamental, siendo una senda de desarrollo para el país por el impulso que da generando divisas, siendo a la vez un baluarte de los sectores productivos y un soporte de muchas familias de nuestro país en los últimos años.

Turismo médico

2010-08-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

Los hospitales y clínicas que atienden el turismo médico han ganado terreno, pues trabajan con un nicho que está en crecimiento. La última cifra reportada es de 5 mil turistas más que arribaron el año pasado por motivo de tratamientos médicos con respecto a 2008, lo cual representa un crecimiento del 20%.
.Para Costa Rica, el turismo médico constituye un excelente negocio; mientras un visitante que arriba por motivo vacacional gasta en promedio $1.600 por estadía, un usuario de servicios médicos deja entre $6.500 y $7 mil. Es decir, las divisas que genera un paciente extranjero exceden en más de cuatro veces las de uno tradicional.
La generación de divisas por turismo médico aumenta si tomamos en cuenta el gasto que realizan los acompañantes del paciente, al menos uno por persona. Es decir, que en realidad el año pasado ingresaron 60 mil personas por motivos vinculados a tratamientos médicos. Lo anterior según datos proporcionados por el Consejo para la Promoción Internacional de la Medicina de Costa Rica (Promed).
Con el fin de que las cifras continúen en aumento Promed participa en eventos nacionales e internacionales.
El más reciente en el país se llevó a cabo la semana pasada y demostró el potencial de crecimiento de este nicho de turismo.
En tan solo dos días de congreso para incentivar a empresas de seguros médicos estadounidenses para que promuevan Costa Rica como destino óptimo en la prestación de servicios de salud, los hospitales Cima San José, Clínica Bíblica y Hotel La Católica cerraron negocios por más de 1.200 pacientes anuales, equivalentes a unos $8 millones.

How will closing the Orotina Highway will affect tourism

2010-06-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

How will closing the Orotina Highway will affect tourism

For some time now, many of our hotels have been reaching for national tourism, which at some point was left forgotten due to prizes. If you check advertisement such as newspapers, especially on Sundays, you will be able to see this promotions that try to capture the ¨ticos¨ attention.
The central Pacific was the area that had most benefit so far, and we can assure you that the new highway had a lot to do with it. Before the Orotina Highway the average time to Jaco was an hour and forty minutes, to Manuel Antonio, about 3 hours. Now you could manage an hour to Jaco, and about two hours to Manuel Antonio.
Also the road is flat, Aguacate and Cambronero paths are mountains which many times means strangled cars on the side of the road, huge traffic lines due to the fact that they only have one lane. I could continue, but you already got the idea. Many of us started going to the beach, even just for the day because now it was possible, it was cheaper and it made it accessible for people that didn´t use to have the chance.
Hotels in this area were able to maintain a decent level of occupancy, considering the economic crisis affecting us. Talking to several hotels, cancelations are by the order for this weekend, and that’s just the first weekend with the highway closed.
Let’s hope they fix the road quickly so we can start going back, for our hotels sake.

Expotur 2010

2010-05-18T09:31:00.001-07:00

Our country will soon be hosting the XV edition of Expotur, in San José, Costa Rica. Buyers and sellers from all over the world will gather this Thursday 20th, on the Ramada Plaza Convention Center.
Gathering over 1200 participants from Costa Rica, and over 260 companies abroad, including hotels, tour operators, car rentals, air transportation, etc; Expotur it´s visited by Asia, Europe, North and South America.
Last year, they estimated $30 million dollars in commercial exchange; this is in only on a 2 day fair. This tells you the interest in participating on this event.
With recession still on our toes, many hotel related companies are looking forward to a better next year, a High season that actually gets high, and a Low season that doesn´t involve cutting back budgets.
Let´s hope for the best, will be on Twitter with the latest news.

Why Medical Tourism in Costa Rica it´s not for everyone

2010-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

Why Medical Tourism in Costa Rica it´s not for everyone
A few weeks ago Costa Rica held the firs Latin American Global Medicine and Wellness Congress. Like many others I went to gather information and learn a little about this new concept everyone is talking about.
One thing is for certain, it´s growing, and it´s growing fast and everyone wants a slice of cake. I tried to make friends and check what people thought about this new market, and most of the time I had the same result
John Doe ¨I have a spa and want to use it for Health tourism¨
Me ¨And how are you gonna use it for medical tourism¨
John Doe ¨I have no clue, but I will¨
I guess that many had the same idea, because as soon as the spokesman started to talk about Promed, certifications, how much it could cost to make your clinic or hotel viable for this type of market, I saw surprised faces, some even left the room.
The complexity of this market makes it expensive for business owners to be certified, assuring the best quality for the patients. If you went to the beach and the a/c didn´t work, you´ll get a refund, if you had complications in the middle of the night after a surgery and the hotel doesn´t have medical equipment and staff, the least you´ll be worried it´s a refund.
I will talk more about hotels and clinics on my next blog, see you next week

ICT y el futuro del turismo en Costa Rica

2010-04-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

La propuesta de un centro de convenciones en Costa Rica data desde hace más o menos veinte años y la ventiló la cámara de hoteles otrora (ACHA) en cuya asamblea hubo posiciones encontradas, debido a que el turismo en el país era en aquella época muy limitado.
La idea actual es aceptable; sin embargo, el Instituto Costarricense de Turismo debería ocuparse de los parques nacionales y de las aduanas aunque estas están bajo la jurisdicción del Ministerio de Hacienda y los parques del Ministerio del Ambiente.
El eterno problema estriba en las finanzas del ICT, que no hace mucho tiempo se han mermado a causa de la abolición del impuesto de turismo del 3% sobre todas las tarifas de todas las habitaciones del hospedaje de todo el territorio nacional, impuesto que no se compara con el sustitutivo de 15 dólares estadounidenses sobre los boletos aéreos, es un cálculo de una simple y pedestre multiplicación.
Hay que abonar el aporte de unos millones de dólares para la promoción en el exterior que ha sido significativo y provechoso aunque tardío en cuanto a Canadá, a justa razón por su posición geográfica y, si no estamos equivocados, también a los países del norte de Europa cuyos ciudadanos aprecian el sol en las tarjetas postales.
Sería oportuno que el ICT pondere con detenimiento el futuro del turismo en Costa Rica.

Laura Chinchilla promueve turismo de la región

2010-04-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

La atracción de turistas se convirtió en otra razón de la presidenta electa, Laura Chinchilla, para buscar asociarse con países de la región.
Este es uno de los planteamientos que llevará Chinchilla ante el mandatario nicaragüense Daniel Ortega en la reunión postergada para la próxima semana.
Su objetivo es crear una especie de corredor turístico en la zona fronteriza, lo que podría incluso convertirse, según ella, en generador de empleo y, al mismo tiempo, contener la migración.
Por el momento, sin embargo, es solo una propuesta que no está plasmada ni en papel. No obstante, aseguró que dará instrucciones al ministro del área, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, para que la desarrolle.
Un planteamiento similar le hizo a ella el presidente guatemalteco, Álvaro Colom, con quien Chinchilla conversó hora y media ayer en la mañana en el Palacio Nacional de la Cultura.
El mandatario guatemalteco ve posible combinar el posicionamiento costarricense en turismo con la riqueza arqueológica y cultural guatemalteca.
“Unir esfuerzos en esa dirección podría lograr que ambos países ganen”, dijo Chinchilla.

Medical Health Care Costa Rica

2010-04-07T08:17:00.001-07:00

Every year we get more and more tourists searching for medical treatments abroad. Mainly because of the ridiculously cheaper prices, some up to 40%. Everyone was a share of this new pie, including hotels and related companies.
Now comes the tricky part, who is in charge of certifying the conditions and information required to have a patient?
What do they need?
Medical staff 24/7, special hygienic procedures for the rooms, transportation to and from the doctor or hospitals. This are some of the ideas that come to mind when talking about this subject.
This is the reason Promed was created. Promed is in charge of certifying every company related to medical health, including doctors, medical staff, clinics, hotels, etc.
When looking for medical health care abroad check certifications to ensure you will have the best care.

Medical Tourism Congress Costa Rica

2010-04-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

On April 26th we will be celebrating our first Latin American Congress of Medical Tourism, which will meet about 350 operators from 20 countries, including insurance, medical tourism agencies and investment related.
This Medical and Dental tourism, will certify and categorize hotels which provide this medical services. They will be sorted from 3 to 5 Medistar class.
Medical tourism is the fastest grown niche in Costa Rica, with over 30 000 tourists. This number is expected to reach 100 000 in less than 5 years, with an annual growth of 45%.

Festival Internacional de las Artes

2010-03-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

From March 18th to April 1st, 2010 “The Festival Internacional de las Artes” will be in Costa Rica with the presence of several artist and national and international groups.
We confirmed the attendance of Rosario Flores, Ismael Serrano and Buika from Spain, Gilberto Santa Rosa from Venezuela, Fito Paez from Argentina, The Odin Teatret from Denmark, The Spanish National Ballet, Theater Peter Brook Group from Switzerland, The Zaranda from Spain and Timbre 4 Group from Argentina, among others, also 63 artists and Costarican groups.
The shows will be in San Jose, Alajuela and Limon at Theaters and on the parks and streets this will allow that everybody who wants to watch them can do it. Many of them will be at the Metropolitan Park “La Sabana” there you will find a big scenery in which they will show different artist and this is located only at 200 meters from the KC Hotel Colaye SJ.

2010-02-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Costa Rica Travel Info – Top tips on how to travel inside Costa Rica

There are 3 ways you can move around, bus, airplane and car rental. In order to choose the right one you have to take some things into consideration

How long are you staying here, you’re destination and how much money you want to spend.

If you are having a short trip and you have some cash to spare, or if you have long trip but you want to check as many places as possible you might as well move fast so you can check all the places you want, in that case, try the airplanes. There are two major companies Sansa and Nature Air. You will find maps on their websites which you can use. Also many hotels will pick you up at those places with no charge.
If you have enough time and have an adventure spirit, try renting a car, that way you’ll have the chance to check the scenery. Just remember to get a car with GPS, there are very few road signals and it’s easy to get lost along the way. The roads are pretty bad, a 4X4 is recommended, drive carefully, slowly and be ready for the unexpected. Don’t get directions from anybody, try restaurants, there are many who speak English that can help you. Also never travel at night unless its needed and don’t take passengers from the road. My favorite is Toyota Rent a Car, they have cool cars, new ones, and GPS which has the latest map info.
Now if you don’t want to drive but still, you want to check the scenery, try the bus. It’s the cheapest, takes longer, but you’ll get to you destination. Try Grey Line, they are pretty good, local buses tend to get pretty crowded, and depending on the place you are going its not that safe.
Finally, never hitch hike. It’s not safe, no one will stop to help you and definitely no one will give you a ride. It’s just wasting time and energy to save a few bucks, which in the end will cost you more if you get mugged and loose everything you brought.
I’ll be back next week with more useful info on my beautiful country.