2012

Costa Rica Scoop Costa Rica Scoop news for upscale travel by Grupo Islita │ March 2013

March

2013

- Grupo Islita -

Exhausted? Experience The 4 Elements

Greetings from Gustavo Time sure does fly when you are having fun! And it zooms by when you are busy. We find ourselves close to finishing the first quarter of 2013 and we are very pleased with how the year is evolving. We have many reasons to celebrate and many exciting developments and events to look forward to.

Both properties were selected as traveler’s favorites in Trip Advi-sor’s 2013 Traveler’s Choice Awards, confirming that we are suc-ceeding at providing experiences of excellence. We thank every friend who took the time to write a review. Your feedback is es-sential to helping us guide our efforts!

From the Fifth Edition of the Punta Islita Golf Tournament to the launching of an amazing wellness getaway program at El Silencio Lodge & Spa, the coming months will bring excellent opportuni-ties for travelers to experience Costa Rica in unique and exciting ways.

Spring is in the air and we look forward to celebrate it with you!

Warmest regards! -Gustavo Segura, CEO

Gustavo Segura trains for the upcoming

Punta Islita Golf Tournament

Those who have visited El Silencio Lodge & Spa know that it is a uniquely soothing desti-nation. Embedded in verdant cloud forest it is a veritable sanctuary for peaceful relaxation in close contact with nature. A beautiful re-treat where you will find no crowds, no hus-tle, and definitely no bustle.

Responding to ongoing suggestions from guests, El Silencio has put together a special getaway event aimed at highly successful indi-viduals who may need to take a regenerative break. Themed after the 4 Elements, this Ex-periential Wellness Retreat provides the ulti-mate relaxation escape. It is conceived as a

guided journey of remarkable experiences that will engage your senses to gently dissi-pate stress, appease the mind, and imbue the soul with boundless freedom.

This seven-day program blends yoga and meditation with thematic cuisine, allusive spa treatments, and intense eco-adventures all grounded in the essential attributes of water, earth, wind, and fire.

Intrigued? We cordially invite you to preview the experience by launching the online cata-log at:

http://bit.ly/4ElementsCostaRica

http://bit.ly/4ElementsCostaRica

Stargazing Heaven!

Stargazing Heaven!

For those who are just starting out on

the golf course (or are thinking about

it), our Golf Pro, Calis Najarro offers the

following tip: Be mindful of the GAP!

Grip -Keep it relaxed. Pretend that

your club is a breathing creature

that must be firmly held, not

choked!

Alignment -It goes beyond your

two feet. Your arms, torso, and

even your head must help trace the

ball’s projected path.

Posture - Pretend you are about to

face off with the golf ball. Your

stance should be perfectly bal-

anced, at shoulder width, knees

bent slightly, and flexed at the hips.

Slouching is never an option!

- Hotel Punta Islita -

T his April 27th will bring the Fifth Edition

of the Hotel Punta Islita Golf Tourna-

ment, a fun event that draws golf enthu-

siasts to our Par 3, 9 hole executive golf

course. It is a wonderful weekend, shared in full ca-

maraderie and celebration. The tournament is held

under the scramble modality and features great

prizes and special gifts from our sponsors.

Interested? Please don’t hesitate to contact us for

more information. We would be delighted if you

joined us! Just contact: reserve@grupoislita.com Hotel Punta Islita’s golf course is eco-friendly, featuring pest-resistant hybrid

turf and gray water irrigation.

Art!

Mind the GAP

C alis Najarro set his

sights on a golf ca-

reer ever since he

first laid eyes on a

golf course when he was sev-

enteen years old.

Born in El Salvador, he adopt-

ed Costa Rica as his country

thirty-two years ago and Ho-

tel Punta Islita as his golf turf

since 2010.

Calis’ passion for the game

patience, and energy have

made him a favorite with golf

enthusiasts and beginners.

About the Golf Pro Golf Tips from Calis:

Feathered Fireworks!

- Hotel Punta Islita -

H otel Punta Islita’s partner-

ship with The Ara Project

enters a new phase! We

look forward to the expan-

sion of a recovery and release program

that has successfully brought back these

gorgeous specimens to Islita’s skies.

Since its launch last year, we have seen

seven Red Macaws thriving in the tropi-

cal dry forest that surrounds the proper-

ty and we look forward to the introduc-

tion of 14 more pairs in the coming

months.

This year, we are thrilled and proud to

announce that Islita will be Ara Project’s

headquarters. We have donated a 2.4

hectare that will house the program’s

entire recovery and breeding center as

it relocates from Alajuela. When the

move is completed, more than two hun-

dred Red Macaws will be raised, nour-

ished, and gradually acclimated to Is-

lita’s natural surroundings in prepara-

tion for life in the wild. Paired with

community outreach initiatives to in-

volve our neighbor communities in the

protection of our feathered friends, we

are confident that this initiative will

help repopulate Guanacaste’s skies with

these stunning, yet endangered birds.

To learn more about The Ara Project,

visit: http://www.thearaproject.org

Mind the GAP

More than two hundred Red Macaws will soon be calling Islita “home”!

Embrace

The Mountain!

- El Silencio Lodge & Spa -

chorreado kits are a great gift idea.

New Experiences

T wo new offerings let El

Silencio’s visitors enjoy

culinary experiences

that enhance the

pleasures of wine sa-

voring and fine dining.

Let sommelier Carlos take you on

a fantastic wine lover’s journey.

Learn about wine’s origins, grape

varieties, growing conditions,

and unexpected challenges. In-

cludes a crash course on wine-

pairing, highlighted by a fun

tasting session stacking up two

reds and two whites against ele-

mental flavors to illustrate the

fine art of selecting the perfect

wine to complement and en-

hance a favorite dish.

The new River Deck Dining is an

unforgettable experience over-

looking the crystalline flow of the

Gorrion River. Enjoy a very spe-

cial menu in a mesmerizing

setting. Our new river deck is

beautifully laid out for a unique

and private fine dining session to

best enjoy El Silencio’s magical

nature and signature cui-

sine. Fully attended by a person-

al waiter.

Did you read about us on

CNN? El Silencio Lodge &

Spa was recently featured

on CNN.s travel segment

as one of Costa Rica’s

most exciting, pristine,

and luxurious cloud forest

destinations. Please fol-

low the link to enjoy the

full article and feel free to

comment in the message

boards if you would like

to add your two cents as

a Costa Rica expert! http://bit.ly/ESLonCNN

El Silencio in the Headlines

- El Silencio Lodge & Spa -

English for Los Bajos

E l Silencio Lodge & Spa fully embrac-

es sustainability as a strategy to en-

sure that the travel experience is

bot planet-friendly and people-

positive. Regarding the latter, we are excited

to launch our most ambitious program yet:

English 4 All!

Geared towards children, teenagers, and adult

members of the Bajos del Toro community,

this initiative will provide affordable English as

a Second Language instruction. Bilingual abil-

ity is key to economic opportunity and

through English education we hope to build a

lasting legacy in Bajos del Toro.

The announcement of this program has been

met with enthusiasm by the Bajos del Toro

community and we are thrilled to announce

that we have hired a licensed instructor to

provide two-hour sessions 4-5 times a week.

Classes will be in session mid-June.

If you would like to support this exciting pro-

ject, please consider making a special dona-

tion. Any contribution will help! Every $55 co-

funds one month of English lessons for one

student.

In the course of the following weeks, we will

be launching a Facebook Page to provide up-

dated and ongoing information. ESL students

will be able to give us feedback, post com-

ments and photographs, and engage in

written English interactions to further their

language skills!

- Costa Rica -

- Costa Rica -

Tico Art: colorful cultural expressions

C osta Rica’s visitors will un-

doubtedly encounter many ti-

ny replicas of the traditional

oxcart. Sold as one of the

country’s most emblematic souvenirs, its

colorful, kaleidoscopic patterns are pop-

ular and ever-present in any of the coun-

try’s gift shops. But the history of these

intricate patterns is more than a collec-

tion of symmetrical shapes. These signa-

ture shapes date back to the mid 1800’s

and are closely linked to the emergence

of coffee as Costa Rica’s most important

cash crop.

The large solid wood wheel replaced

spoke and hub counterparts because

their massive weight and structure were

better suited to transport coffee through

Costa Rica’s 19th century muddy paths

and rock laden roads.

The large surface presented an enticing

canvass. Artisans and sculptors who had

honed their skills on creating painted

wood carvings depicting religious figures

found a natural medium in the oxcart

wheel. As coffee growers A beautiful cart

became a status symbol and an emblem

of personal and regional pride. Carts

were painstakingly personalized, through

art and even through the creation of a

signature “song”, a unique chime pro-

duced by the metal hub with each turn of

the wheel.

The rich history of the Costa Rican oxcart

was recognized by UNESCO in 2005 when

it designated its tradition as a master-

piece of the oral and intangible heritage

of humanity.

El Silencio Lodge & Spa’s Eco-Concierge, Ronald

Jimenez is a local expert, carrying the cultural tra-

ditions of Bajos del Toro. His oxcart painting les-

sons have quickly become a favorite among El Si-

lencio Lodge & Spa’s guests.

hotelpuntaislita.com │ elsilenciolodge.com ..….

Grupo Islita’s two select proper-

ties blend the best of Costa Rica’s

beach and mountain settings fea-

turing intense nature, upscale

comfort and bespoke services. Re-

member, we now offer a unified

reservations center and a dedicat-

ed bilingual team to help travel-

ers, travel professionals and their

partners ensure seamless logistics

from arrival to departure.

How may we assist you?

Email: reserve@grupoislita.com Phone in Costa Rica: +506 2231-6122

Toll Free from US & Canada: 1-866-446-4053

Online chat: www.hotelpuntaislita.com or www.elsilenciolodge.com

Blending Grupo Islita’s beach and mountain properties is the perfect way to experience a complete Costa Rica getaway.

H otel Punta Islita

and El Silencio

Lodge & Spa are

once again among

the pre-nominated properties in

two of the world’s most prestig-

ious travel publications. This is

a great opportunity to recognize

the services offered by our

amazing staff. We cordially in-

vite you to share your opinions

in this year’s Readers’ Travel

Survey.

Participating is free and earns

you a chance to win exciting

prizes, including a $10,000

dream trip! Please vote today.

We thank you in advance and

wish you the best of luck!

Just click on the following links:

We Hope Details Made the Difference!

http://bit.ly/CondeNastVote http://bit.ly/TLSurvey2013