It is not very often that my husband and I had some time to spend alone and together and we wanted to do something extra fun. The day went fantastic and ended with a fabulous romantic dinner in Mezon Panza Verde. One of the thisgs we decided todo was to go for a short adventure and do something I have never tried before: A private salsa lesson in Antigua Guatemala.

There are many salsa academies in Antigua so it was hard to make up my mind. But when we were talking about it I remembered that I had been told about a really good place where they offer private salsa lessons called Salsa Chapina Dance Company. So we were ready for this adventure. I was a bit nervous at first because I have no idea of how to dance salsa. But salsa is really good music and worth dancing and it wasn’t that bad, in fact it was actually really good and a lot of fun. Here is how it went:

It is located in the center of Antigua so we simply walked there. When I first got in it the place didn’t look like anything special, it’s just a room with mirrors and some ornaments. We met our instructor whose name is Alexander Miranda and was great with us and so patient. He told us about all the different styles of Latin dance he could teach us and we decided to start with some basic salsa moves. At first I was a bit stiff and my feet were not responding very well but after a little while I got very comfortable and that was when all the fun started. I learned nothing fancy but made great progress in my dancing skills.

Then as I started to feel brave I asked our instructor to show us some Rumba and later some Cumbia. Which are a bit differet but not hard to learn. He also knows merengue an bachata but we didn’t have the time to try that. We decided that we would go back as soon as soon as we had some time (i would love to become a good dancer). But this time we will bring along some friends to come with us. I bet it will be just like a party!

As you can see Guatemala has so many different things to offer. Don’t you miss it!

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

I love living in Antigua because in it you will find everything really close to you, restaurants, hotels, shops and bars. In this case my husband and I wanted to have a romantic day out, so first we went out for lunch at a really cute restaurant called Cafe Flor where they serve really good Thai food less that a block away from the central park. Then we went for a prvate salsa class which turned out to be an extra fun adventure.

And at the end of the day we visited a luxurious hotel of Antigua called Mezon Panza Verde for a romantic dinner I had been planning for a long time. When we were making the reservation they suggested a dinner up in the roof of the hotel where they have a Cupula. This sounded great to me because it was just what I wanted: A super private and romantic evening out with my husband.

When we got there and before they took us to our table we had to do some waiting in the lobby which was not what I wanted but it was ok because it wasn’t too long and it gave me some chance to take more pictures. Then a member of their staff took us to where our table was. To get there we had to walk across the terrace of the hotel, sadly it was a bit cloudy but we still could see the outskirts of the beautiful Agua Volcano and loved it.

When we got there I couldn’t believe how absolutely beautiful it was! La Cupula is this beautiful tiny room where they had a beautifully decorated table.

This ended up being a perfect day out and romantic dinner where my husband and I got the chance to relax and just be together after a long time of not having time for ourselves.

Bottom line is: Antigua isn’t just a beautiful city with lots of places to visit and photograph, it is also a great place for romantic getaways.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Traveling in Antigua Guatemala is something you have to do in Guatemala. It has so many great things and places to offer. There are tons of great restaurants, lots of fun bars, hotels that go from $5 a night to 5 star hotels.

I love its buildings and streets because they are filled with history. But there are also great things to do outside of it. For example there is the earth lodge. It is a place where you can go camping in a safe environment or you can rent a cabin in the middle of the forest with the most amazing views of the nearby towns. You can also go to the only vineyard of Central America: Chateau deFay. Here you can also have lunch and go for a tour in the middle of the vineyards.

For some exciting tours and great food how about Finca Philadelphia? It offers canopy and mule tours around the forest and is located only 5 minutes away from Antigua.

If you want to drive for 10 more minutes you can visit a 5 star hotel & Golf Resort located 20 minutes outside of Antigua Guatemala. It has the Agua Volcano in one side and the active Fuego Volcano at a safe distance. It is called La Reunion Antigua Golf Resort & Residences. This luxurious hotel has 26 rooms with a lovely kids club. We were there for a weekend and loved it. We had some time to explore the place and enjoy the delicious meals in their beautiful restaurant (El Mirador Restaurant where they specialize in meat and pasta but they also offer some seafood dishes.

I’ve visited all of them and I love them and I can say that they are all great. So if you want to do something different around Antigua these are my recommendations.

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

This time I’m going to talk about my experience at Hacienda La Isla Lodge. To me it is a beautiful colonial-style hotel located in the middle of the rain forest of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica.

For me this hotel is perfect for everything as long as you love adventure, family vacations, traveling with friends and even honeymoons. The reason why I got to that conclusion is that I loved the gardens of the property and it is on a great location.

But what’s so great about its location? Well to start it is, as I said before, in the middle of the rain forest, a 10 minute drive will take you to the Braulio Carrillo National Park. It is also just 1.5 hours away prom Poas and Arenal Volcanoes. And last but not least it is also minutes away from the Sarapiqui River, a very popular destination for those looking for some white water rafting. It is literally a great place to make it a headquarters to depart to all your tours, I know I did.

La Isla Lodge is simply beautiful. It has a Spanish colonial-architecture and only fifteen rooms. I got the chance to see the rooms and they are all beautifully decorated. Each room in this hotel is unique. They are not standardized like in other hotels; each one has a unique decoration. Plus the names of them all have historic meanings.

The rest of the hacienda is a beautifully landscaped garden. I decided to go out for a walk to my surprise I was able enjoy the company of birds and some other animals of the area such as monkeys. Some other things the hotel offers are an open air restaurant area. It has a thatched palm roof and is surrounded by the garden. In it I enjoyed a menu filled with very high quality food. The dishes here were delicious, definitely above average. Oh, and there’s also a swimming pool.

Over all in really enjoyed my stay in this wonderful hacienda and would highly recommend it to anyone traveling in Costa Rica.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

a. Season Matters When Traveling to Costa Rica: Living in Costa Rica I figured a way to enjoy traveling without spending too much but most importantly without having to spend my vacations among the crowds. And this is my conclusion: Late April, May, and October offer good weather with lower rates. Also between June and September and someties even November you will get good rates but not a very nice weather. December to early April are the driest months and the peak of the tourist season, so you can expect higher prices, less rooms available and crowds.

b. Costa Rican Water: Most people traveling around Central America are very concerned about how clean the water really is. And I have to admit was one of them until I found out that unlike most Latin American countries Costa Rica has a fairly safe water supply.

Want some Proof? Here is the fact that it is the only country of the region where Heineken allows its beer to be brewed.

c. Money To Change or Not to Change! One of the most common questions I get from travelers is if they should change money before coming or not?

If you are going to change the money here are some recommendations:

1. Every country is different, but in Costa Rica don’t change money anywhere except BANKS. Not only will you get the best rates, but you’re chances of getting counterfeit money are zilch. Always bring a passport.

2. ATMs are plentiful, you’ll get the best rates however, you’ll pay the small ATM fee.

3. Very few places exchange travelers checks these days, and even fewer give good rates, plus they charge 1-2% on top of it.

Cash or Credit?

I won’t lie to you, cash is king in Costa Rica. Plus, whenever you go out, ask if for the cash (Efectivo) discount and chances are you ‘ll get 5-10% off. This can be done anywhere from tour operators, to hotels, to restaurants to pharmacies.

Some places will even charge you 8% for credit card usages. Plus if you go to a local market, local currency goes much further than the dollar. You stand out less and feel more comfortable.

d. Waiting Is the Hardest Part That’s right, if you’re coming to Costa Rica be prepared to wait! In this country this is a norm. Nothing is on time in Costa Rica. Just doesn’t happen. Sorry to break it to you, but it’s so true. So come with lots of patience and besides, what’s the rush?

e. Bring plenty of Ziploc bags: Nothing stays dry there. I recommend the “Big Bags” for clothes and shoes (bring at least two or three) and several quart-size bags. I tried to do laundry in the sink and air dry, but found it very difficult to dry most articles. Since most people do rafting, swimming, waterfalls, or just crossing over streams, you’ll need bags to separate your wet stuff from your semi-dry. I would also recommend bringing plenty of changes of clothes, especially if you’re an adventurous spirit.

f. Emergency Numbers: Luckily in Costa Rica the emergency number is 911 too. It is great because they speak English and are quite helpful. The problem though, is the fact that Costa Rica has one of the trickiest address and direction systems in Central America. So learn your address well!

Marina K. Villatoro, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She has traveled all over these areas with her family and now she loves to organize vacations to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

This a selection of the top 3 tours available in Guatemala based in my personal experience. They are great for families, groups of friends and adventurous honeymooners. Here they are, Enjoy!

The Chichicastenango Tour:

In this tour you will be taken to Chichicastenango (Quiche, Guatemala) in a private shuttle. Once you are there, you will have the opportunity to see what daily life is for its native people.

Another great place the church, which from the inside is very different from the ones you see in Antigua Guatemala. This 400 year old church was built over and old Mayan temple, as a matter of fact the steps in front of it are part of the original temple.

As soon as you step foot in it you will notice that the decoration is very unique.

Pacaya Volcano Tour:

Can you imagine a delicious dinner with wine, cheese and delicious gourmet foods on top of an active volcano? It is possible in Guatemala’s Pacaya Volcano!

This volcano is just a short drive away from Antigua Guatemala. In this tour you can go up almost to the crater and stand a meter away from the constant lava flows. These constant flows are what keep this volcano from having a big eruption, making it a safe and exciting day trip.

The only way you can go up is with a guide. He will lead you along the safest and best paths. If you haven’t booked with any company (which would be preferred) you might get lucky and find one once you get there.

El Mirador Tour:

Recently I heard that someone had discovered a new Mayan city in the northern area of Peten’s cloud forest, Guatemala with the largest Mayan pyramids and temple complexes ever seen. It is located several kilometers north from Tikal. So I started researching.

All I can say is that this awesome tour is normally a six days camp (but it could be less) where you will explore the jungle in search for ancient buildings hidden by it while being surrounded by the most exotic fauna. But there is also the possibility to go on a one day tour in which you will be transported by helicopter.

The camp tour consists of a series of hikes where you will discover the highest and biggest Mayan temples you could ever imagine. The tour includes meals and a great bilingual guide that will tell you all you need to know about this great place and its wildlife.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

The Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, area has so many great places to visit and so many things to see such as: amazing wildlife, flora and gorgeous beaches. In this area you will also find lovely places to stay in. So the first time I went there I had a bit of trouble deciding where to stay.

It made such a big impression on me that I had to write about it. It is a beautiful property that is part of the exclusive Tulemar Gardens in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica. It is Called Casa Panorama. This is a three level luxury villa with some of the best views in Tulemar.

This beautiful villa is surrounded by untouched rain forest form where you get the best of Manuel Antonio: amazing wildlife from monkeys to birds. It is situated on a white-sanded private beach and just minutes away from Manuel Antonio National Park.

It is situated on a white-sanded private beach and just minutes away from Manuel Antonio National Park. The villa is absolutely beautiful and the surroundings are amazing. Can you imagine a better option for family vacations? Or a better place for a private and romantic honeymoon?

Let me give you a small description of Casa Panorama:

I stayed in the first level which is a one bedroom suite with a private entrance, a gorgeous deck, a fully equipped kitchen, living room and deck.

But it doesn’t end here. The place is run y a wonderful manager, Diego! This guy is also on charge of another great villa in Tulemar Gardens called Villa Mot Mot. He will show you around and treat you the way he does all his clients, like royalty!

I guess that now you have an idea of why I loved this place so much.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Costa Rica boasts of the most scenic beaches, hidden coves, and beautiful coasts. It also gives you awesome sunsets. Can you think of a better way to see these wonders than to go sailing? You have two options: get a charter boat, or book a sailing tour. So why don’t you gather your friends, and enjoy the views, the scenery, and the experience!

You can also choose between day sailing tours, dinner sailing tours, sunset tours and there are even wedding sailing packages for those planning to tie the knot in a very unique way. Day tours usually start early in the morning, dinner tours have a romantic bent to it with champagne and lobster included, while sunset tours take place late in the afternoon in order to catch the breathtaking view of the sun going down.

These tours start as soon as the boat departs. In them you will pass through beaches, coasts, and islands, the sailing tours will also get you close to the marine life that Costa Rica offers. These sailing tours also include some other activities such as kayaking, rafting, diving, fishing or snorkeling. You might be able to catch some views of dolphins frolicking, or some whales and giant sea turtles swimming lazily by. Drinks and food are also prepared and served on board by the staff.

Marlin Del Rey offers sailing tours on board of its 66-foot sailing catamaran from Tamarindo. Sunset Sail Tours has a 49 feet trimaran that cruises off Quepos and Manuel Antonio National Park. The sailing tours often take you to beautiful beaches such as Playa Grande, Playa Flamingo, Bahia Amore, Playa Conchal, Bahia de Las Pirates, and Tamarindo Beach.

Try sailing the famous and beautiful waters of Costa Rica, and enjoy an amazing & relaxing experience now!

Marina K. Villatoro, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She has traveled all over these areas with her family and now she loves to organize vacations to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!